External Responsiveness of the SuperOpTM Device to Assess Recovery After Exercise : A Pilot Study

Post-exercise recovery is a complex process involving a return of performance and a physiological or perceptual feeling close to pre-exercise status. The hypothesis of this study is that the device investigated here is effective in evaluating the recovery state of professional cyclists in order to plan effective training. Ten professional male cyclists belonging to the same team were enrolled in this study. Participants performed a 7-day exercise program [D1, D4, and D7: low-intensity training; D2 and D5: passive recovery; D3: maximum oxygen consumption (VO2Max) test (for maximum mechanical power assessment only); and D6: constant load test]. During the week of monitoring, each morning before getting up, the device assessed each participant's so-called Organic Readiness {OR [arbitrary unit (a.u.)]}, based on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), features of past exercise session, and following self-perceived condition. Based on its readings and algorithm, the device graphically displayed four different colors/values, indicating general exercise recommendations: green/3 = \u201cyou can train hard,\u201d yellow/2 = \u201cyou can train averagely,\u201d orange/1 = \u201cyou can train lightly,\u201d or red/0 = \u201cyou should recover passively.\u201d During the week of research, morning OR values and Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons showed significant differences between days and, namely, values (1) D2 (after low intensity training) was higher than D4 (after VO2Max test; P = 0.033 and d = 1.296) and (2) D3 and D6 (after passive recovery) were higher than D4 (after VO2Max test; P = 0.006 and d = 2.519) and D5 (after low intensity training; P = 0.033 and d = 1.341). The receiver operating characteristic analysis area under curve (AUC) recorded a result of 0.727 and could differentiate between D3 and D4 with a sensitivity and a specificity of 80%. Preliminarily, the device investigated is a sufficiently effective and sensitive/specific device to assess the recovery state of athletes in order to plan effective training

Cholesterol-recognition motifs in membrane proteins

Abstract: The impact of cholesterol on the structure and function of membrane proteins was recognized several decades ago, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have remained elusive. There appear to be multiple mechanisms by which cholesterol interacts with proteins. A complete understanding of cholesterol-sensing motifs is still undergoing refinement. Initially, cholesterol was thought to exert only non-specific effects on membrane fluidity. It was later shown that this lipid could specifically interact with membrane proteins and affect both their structure and function. In this article, we have summarized and critically analyzed our evolving understanding of the affinity, specificity and stereoselectivity of the interactions of cholesterol with membrane proteins. We review the different computational approaches that are currently used to identify cholesterol binding sites in membrane proteins and the biochemical logic that governs each type of site, including CRAC, CARC, SSD and amphipathic helix motifs. There are physiological implications of these cholesterol-recognition motifs for G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and ion channels, in membrane trafficking and membrane fusion (SNARE) proteins. There are also pathological implications of cholesterol binding to proteins involved in neurological disorders (Alzheimer, Parkinson, Creutzfeldt-Jakob) and HIV fusion. In each case, our discussion is focused on the key molecular aspects of the cholesterol and amino acid motifs in membrane-embedded regions of membrane proteins that define the physiologically relevant crosstalk between the two. Our understanding of the factors that determine if these motifs are functional in cholesterol binding will allow us enhanced predictive capabilities