Endurance performance is influenced by perceptions of pain and temperature: Theory, applications and safety considerations.

Models of endurance performance now recognise input from the brain, including an athlete’s ability to cope with various non-pleasurable perceptions during exercise, such as pain and temperature. Exercise training can reduce perceptions of both pain and temperature over time, partly explaining why athletes generally have a higher pain tolerance, despite a similar pain threshold, compared with active controls. Several strategies with varying efficacy may ameliorate the perceptions of pain (e.g. acetaminophen, transcranial direct current stimulation and transcutaneous electrical stimulation) and temperature (e.g. menthol beverages, topical menthol products and other cooling strategies, especially those targeting the head) during exercise to improve athletic performance. This review describes both the theory and practical applications of these interventions in the endurance sport setting, as well as the potentially harmful health consequences of their use

The interleukin-1 gene family in multiple sclerosis susceptibility and disease course.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of presumed autoimmune origin with a considerable polygenic influence. We have previously observed that a specific allele combination in genes of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) family influenced the progression rate in MS. We have considerably expanded our patient population (492 MS patients and 228 controls). In the present study, we investigated the role of the IL-IA--889, IL-1B--511, IL-1B f3953 and IL-1RN VNTR gene polymorphisms in MS. In addition, we performed preliminary analyses on longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. We found no associations between the polymorphisms and susceptibility to MS or clinical features. In addition, we observed no significant effect of the polymorphisms on brain or lesion volumes, Based on our data and those from the literature, one can conclude that there is currently no evidence to support a role for the IL-1 genes in MS

Interleukin-1B and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphisms in Greek multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with bout-onset MS

We investigated the association of specific polymorphisms of the interleukin IL-1b (AvaI -511 and TaqI +3,953) and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) (a variable number of tandem repeats; VNTR) genes with both the susceptibility to and the clinical characteristics in Greek multiple sclerosis (MS) patients cohort with bout-onset. Genotypes were determined from 351 patients with clinically definite MS and 375 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Our results showed no significant differences in the distribution of these polymorphisms between MS patients and controls. Furthermore, stratification for clinical characteristics, such as age at disease onset, clinical course, sex, and severity did not provide significant differences between patients and controls. Together, our findings suggest that IL-1B and IL-1RN gene polymorphisms may not be relevant to the susceptibility to MS or the clinical characteristics of Greek MS patients

Triathlon and Ultra-Endurance Events in Tropical Environments

International audiencePhysical performance in tropical environments, which combine heat and high humidity, is a challenge that requires specific preparation. The high humidity of a tropical climate alters thermoregulatory capacity by limiting the rate of sweat evaporation. Proper management of wholebody temperature is thus essential to complete an endurance event like a long-distance triathlon or an ultramarathon in such an environment. In triathlon and ultra-endurance races, which can last from 8 to 20 h, performance in tropical settings is closely linked to the capacity to maintain hydration status. Indeed, the rate of withdrawal in these longer events has been associated with water intake, with many finishers showing alterations in electrolyte (e.g. sodium) balance. To counterbalance the impact of a tropical climate and maintain performance, several countermeasures can be adopted, such as using hydration and cooling strategies, and heat acclimation