A cross-sectional study of 2550 amateur cyclists shows lack of knowledge regarding relevant sports nutrition guidelines

Background: Amateur cyclists use a wide variety of supplements and nutritional substances to increase performance in addition to their training.Objectives: The intended nutritional supplement use, carbohydrate (CHO) use and hydration practices of amateur cyclists before, during and after endurance cycling were analysed. Evidence of ignorance regarding the use of sports supplements and CHO, as well as the disregard of hydration strategy was hypothesised.Methods: Amateur cyclists, of all age and sex groups, were requested to complete an online survey anonymously on the 2013 Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge website, a few days before the event.Results: Responses were received from 2 550 out of 30 640 race entrants (8%); representing a distribution of 75% males, 25% females, with the majority between 25 to 45 years old. Nutritional supplements were used by 59% of respondents, with 77% dose adherence, and 29% with supplement ingredient knowledge. Half of the respondents (48%) planned to carbo-load two-three days before the event, while only five percent used professional advice to scientifically calculate their carbo-loading requirements. CHO were consumed by 81% during the event. Hydration preferences during the race were sports drinks (59%) and water (22%); and after the race 45% preferred a sports drink and 40% water. Ingredients, taste, colour, and temperature were criteria used to choose a sports drink. Only 18% of respondents knew to use both colour of urine and thirstiness to determine post-race fluid requirements.Conclusion: The authors concluded that amateur cyclists had insufficient knowledge regarding nutritional supplement ingredients and usage, CHO requirements and carbo-loading practices, and hydration strategies before, during and after the event.Keywords: ergogenic aids, nutritional supplements, carbohydrate us

Evidence-based prescription for cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors in sports injuries

Healthcare professionals are increasingly under pressure to return athletes to play in the shortest possible time. There is limited choice in providing treatment that speeds up tissue repair, while simultaneously maintaining good quality of healing. Inflammation forms a fundamental part in the process of tissue repair. However, excessive inflammation may cause more pain, and limit functional restoration. Although the use of anti-inflammatory treatment in the form of a cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor (coxibs) has been widely recognised as being effective, the potential detrimental effect on tissue repair, as described mainly in animal model studies, needs to be taken into account. The side-effects profile on the gastrointestinal tract favour coxibs over non-traditional NSAIDs. The possible effects on the renal and cardiovascular systems also need to be considered. The prescription of coxibs should be pathology and situation specific. There are no clear guidelines on the correct time of administration and the duration of the course, but it seems that the literature is in agreement that they should be administered for a limited time at the lowest effective dose possible.Keywords: cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors (coxibs), sports injuries, treatmen

Delayed onset muscle soreness: No pain, no gain? The truth behind this adage

The purpose of this article is to provide brief insight into delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), a phenomenon that is often experienced by recreational and elite athletes. The negative implications of DOMS include pain, decreased motivation to continue training, and decreased performance. While performance issues may be more relevant to the elite athlete, pain and decreased motivation are  particularly relevant to recreational athletes wishing to sustain a regular level of physical activity. The article is aimed at general practitioners (GPs) who may encounter athletes presenting with DOMS, and who will benefit from understanding the proposed mechanisms, signs and symptoms of the condition. Numerous researchers have hypothesised that certain interventions may prevent or minimise the symptoms thereof, and all GPs could benefit from understanding the available options for athletes, and the scientific evidence that supports these options.Keywords: delayed onset muscle soreness, mechanism, symptoms, treatment, athletes, managemen

Corticosteroids in sports-related injuries: Friend or Foe

Corticosteroids act as potent anti-inflammatory drugs and have been used in various sport settings for the treatment of both acute and chronic injuries. Basic physiology and mechanisms of action for gluco- and mineralocorticoids are discussed. Methods of administration, the action on the inflammatory response, and potential short and long-term side effects of corticosteroid use are also deliberated. More specifically, corticosteroid use in the treatment and management of sport-related injuries are discussed, elucidating on the ethical boundaries and anti-doping regulations pertaining to corticosteroid use in sports, as well as putting forth suggestions for the use of local steroid injections and their contraindications. In conclusion, it was found that, despite some controversy in the use of corticosteroid treatment in the sports environment, little empirical evidence exists that could conclusively rule for or against its use. It is however clear that, if clinically justified, there is a significant role for corticosteroid treatment in the realm of sports injury and notably with a relatively low risk profile, if administered correctly.Keywords: Steroid hormones, athlete, sports, injury, inflammation

European common frog (Rana temporaria) recolonized Switzerland from multiple glacial refugia in northern Italy via trans- and circum-Alpine routes

The high mountain ranges of Western Europe had a profound effect on the biotic recolonization of Europe from glacial refugia. The Alps present a particularly interesting case because they form an absolute barrier to dispersal for most taxa, obstructing recolonization from multiple refugia in northern Italy. Here, we investigate the effect of the European Alps on the phylogeographic history of the European common frog Rana temporaria. Based on partial cytochrome b and COXI sequences from Switzerland, we find two mitochondrial lineages roughly north and south of the Alpine ridge, with contact zones between them in eastern and western Switzerland. The northern haplogroup falls within the previously identified Western European haplogroup, while the southern haplogroup is unique to Switzerland. We find that the lineages diverged ~110 kya, at approximately the onset of the last glacial glaciation; this indicates that they are from different glacial refugia. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the northern and southern haplogroups colonized Switzerland via trans- and circum-Alpine routes from at least two separate refugia in northern Italy. Our results illustrate how a complex recolonization history of the central European Alps can arise from the semi-permeable barrier created by high mountains

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee: Patterns of association between the mechanism of injury and pathology visualised on magnetic resonance imaging

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common among athletes and the general public. These injuries may lead to significant absence from all activities with associated financial and social burdens for the patient. No definitive association has been described between the mechanism of injury and the pathology to enable the implementation of preventative measures to limit these injuries.Aim: To determine whether there is an association between the mechanism of injury and the pathology seen on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in ACL injuries.Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Eighty-seven male patients with an ACL injury and who had an MRI scan of the knee within the last two years participated in this study. Participants were contacted to give their informed consent to participate in this study. The mechanism of injury and the pathology seen on the MRI scan was noted and categorised into different groups of injuries and associated pathologies. Statistical analyses included summaries of the data and a test for the association between the mechanism of injury and the pathology. Since there were multiple pathology responses to each mechanism, a modified version of the chi-square test for independence was used. A five percent level of significance was specified.Results: MRI scans of ACL injuries indicated that the mechanism of a solid foot plant with rotation of the knee has a greater tendency to be associated with medial meniscal injuries (77%). There was also a 54% possibility for it to be associated with lateral meniscal injuries. A solid foot plant with a valgus stress on the knee showed a higher incidence of associated medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries (41%) and femoral bone bruising (62%). These two mechanisms of injury are the most common in ACL injuries and contribute to the clinical significance found in this study. The p-value was, however, not statistically significant (p=0.44, chi-square value=20.27, df=45) for any association between the pathology and the mechanism of injury.Conclusion: Some injury mechanisms causing an ACL injury were more common than others and had more associated pathologies. The most common mechanism of injury noted in this study was a solid foot plant with either rotation of the knee or valgus stress on the knee. Strengthening the tissue structures involved in those movement patterns causing these mechanisms can possibly limit future ACL injuries in athletes and the general public.Keywords: knee injury, mechanism, association, pathology, MRI scan, preventio

Genome-wide association and transcriptome studies identify target genes and risk loci for breast cancer

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 170 breast cancer susceptibility loci. Here we hypothesize that some risk-associated variants might act in nonbreast tissues, specifically adipose tissue and immune cells from blood and spleen. Using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) reported in these tissues, we identify 26 previously unreported, likely target genes of overall breast cancer risk variants, and 17 for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer, several with a known immune function. We determine the directional effect of gene expression on disease risk measured based on single and multiple eQTL. In addition, using a gene-based test of association that considers eQTL from multiple tissues, we identify seven (and four) regions with variants associated with overall (and ER-negative) breast cancer risk, which were not reported in previous GWAS. Further investigation of the function of the implicated genes in breast and immune cells may provide insights into the etiology of breast cancer.www.nature.com/naturecommunicationsam2019Genetic

A cross-sectional study of 2550 amateur cyclists shows lack of knowledge regarding relevant sports nutrition guidelines

   Background: Amateur cyclists use a wide variety of supplements and nutritional substances to increase performance in addition to their training.  Objectives: The intended nutritional supplement use, carbohydrate (CHO) use and hydration practices of amateur cyclists before, during and after endurance cycling were analysed. Evidence of ignorance regarding the use of sports supplements and CHO, as well as the disregard of hydration strategy was hypothesised.  Methods: Amateur cyclists, of all age and sex groups, were requested to complete an online survey anonymously on the 2013 Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge website, a few days before the event.  Results: Responses were received from 2 550 out of 30 640 race entrants (8%); representing a distribution of 75% males, 25% females, with the majority between 25 to 45 years old. Nutritional supplements were used by 59% of respondents, with 77% dose adherence, and 29% with supplement ingredient knowledge. Half of the respondents (48%) planned to carbo-load two-three days before the event, while only five percent used professional advice to scientifically calculate their carbo-loading requirements. CHO were consumed by 81% during the event. Hydration preferences during the race were sports drinks (59%) and water (22%); and after the race 45% preferred a sports drink and 40% water. Ingredients, taste, colour, and temperature were criteria used to choose a sports drink. Only 18% of respondents knew to use both colour of urine and thirstiness to determine post-race fluid requirements.  Conclusion: The authors concluded that amateur cyclists had insufficient knowledge regarding nutritional supplement ingredients and usage, CHO requirements and carbo-loading practices, and hydration strategies before, during and after the event.&nbsp

Using data smartly ? moving towards a smart city

The eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) is currently developing and pursuing smart city strategies and interventions to make eThekwini more caring and liveable. A key component of smart cities is to use data smartly. This includes measuring, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of current projects and programmes. To this end a GIS based tool comprising databases from various sectors has been developed to allow the ETA to research and evaluate the effectiveness of past and current management, maintenance and sector specific strategies.Paper presented at the 35th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 4-7 July 2016 "Transport ? a catalyst for socio-economic growth and development opportunities to improve quality of life", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.The Minister of Transport, South AfricaTransportation Research Board of the US

The use of negative pressure wave treatment in athlete recovery

Background: Athletes need to recover fully to maximise performance in competitive sport. Athletes who replenish more quickly and more efficiently are able to train harder and more intensely. Elite athletes subjectively report positive results using lower body negative pressure (LBNP) treatment as an alternate method for rapid recovery, restoring and improving their impaired physical state. Objective data on the efficacy are lacking.Objectives: To investigate the effect of intermittent vacuum therapy on accelerating acute recovery following an athlete’s normal daily training schedule of strenuous exercise. Objective measurements of biological markers of muscular fatigue were used to assess recovery.Methods: Twenty-two male cricket players in a randomised cross-over study were divided into a treatment and control group respectively. Following a one-hour high-intensity gym session, the treatment group received three 30-minute LBNP exposure sessions over three consecutive days (0, 24 and 48 hours). Blood lactate and creatine kinase biomarkers were collected to measure the recovery process. After 14 days groups were crossed over and the trial repeated.Results: Heart rate and blood pressure decreased noticeably during treatment, reverting to baseline levels after treatment. Lactate concentrations decreased in both groups after exercise termination; significantly more in the treatment (0.57±0.23 mmol/l) than control group (0.78±0.22 mmol/l), p<0.001). Creatine kinase (CK) was similar in both groups. Athletes’ subjective assessments of recovery rated moderately high.Conclusion: LBNP therapy applied as treatment during routine schedule may have a systemic effect in lowering serum lactate levels, but not CK levels. Enhanced recovery of athletes is still unconfirmed