Changes in physical fitness of Hungarian college students in the last fifteen years

This study compared the physical fitness of Hungarian undergraduate students in 2011–2012 with the representative sample surveyed in 1997–1998. A total of 123 males and 309 females (mean age 21.19±2.19 yrs) were randomly selected in two Hungarian universities (Pécs, Kaposvár). Anthropometric data (height, weight, skinfolds, body fat percentages) were measured and the subjects performed 9 tests of the Eurofit Fitness Test Battery. The BMI, total body fat and performance in most of the fitness components (balance, agility/speed, flexibility, abdominal muscular strength, aerobic fitness of females) was higher in 1997–1998 (p<0.05) whereas the handgrip strength and performance in Bent Arm Hanging test were significantly better in 2011–2012 (p<0.001). These findings support interventions focusing on increasing regular physical activity among Hungarian youth

A magaslati környezet turisták szervezetére gyakorolt akut hatásai = Short term effects of the high altitude environment in tourists

kutatás célja megvizsgálni, nem sportoló emberek egyhetes magaslati környezetben eltöltött időszakában, milyen változások mérhetők a tengerszint közeli (160m) pulzus, tüdőfunkciós- és oxigén-szaturációs (SaO2) értékekhez képest. Méréseket végeztünk utazás előtt és után, valamint a magaslaton (3000±677m) töltött időtartam alatt naponta egy 5 főből álló csoportban (életkoruk 37,8±12,5 év). A pulzus (HR) értékek tengerszinten alacsonyabbak voltak az első magaslaton töltött naphoz képest, az ezen a napon rosszul lett alanynál látványosan megemelkedett a HR és lecsökkent a SaO2 érték. Az első magaslati napon a vitálkapacitás és egyéb pulmonális értékek nőttek az utazás előtt mértekhez képest. Az utazás előtti és utáni tüdőfunkciós értékekben elhanyagolható növekedést mértünk. A HR értékek pillanatnyi varianciájában a szimpatikus tónus jelentős fokozódása volt tapasztalható. Az LF/HF arányban növekedés figyelhető meg (tengerszinten 3,96, a magaslati első napon 5,81). Az eredményekből látható, hogy a hirtelen légnyomásváltozás negatív élettani hatásokat is okozhat, ugyanakkor az egyhetes magaslaton tartózkodás elegendő az adaptációs folyamatok elindításához, edzetlen embereknél is

Monitoring exercise-induced muscle damage indicators and myoelectric activity during two weeks of knee extensor exercise training in young and old men

This study considered the effects of repeated bouts of short-term resistive exercise in old (age: 64.5±5.5 years; n = 10) and young men (age: 25.1±4.9 years; n = 10) who performed six knee extension exercise bouts over two weeks using various markers of exercise-induced muscle damage and electromyographic activity. We found that time-course changes in quadriceps isometric torque, creatine kinase activity, and muscle soreness in the two groups were similar. However, recovery in the acute torque deficit was mediated by more favourable electromyographic activity changes in the young group than in the older adults group. Muscle elastic energy storage and re-use assessed with dynamometry was selectively improved in the young group by the end of the protocol. Serum myoglobin concentration increased selectively in old group, and remained elevated with further bouts, suggesting higher sarcolemma vulnerability and less effective metabolic adaptation in the older adults, which, however, did not affect muscle contractility

Transfer of complex regional pain syndrome to mice via human autoantibodies is mediated by interleukin-1–induced mechanisms

Neuroimmune interactions may contribute to severe pain and regional inflammatory and autonomic signs in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a posttraumatic pain disorder. Here, we investigated peripheral and central immune mechanisms in a translational passive transfer trauma mouse model of CRPS. Small plantar skin–muscle incision was performed in female C57BL/6 mice treated daily with purified serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) from patients with longstanding CRPS or healthy volunteers followed by assessment of paw edema, hyperalgesia, inflammation, and central glial activation. CRPS IgG significantly increased and prolonged swelling and induced stable hyperalgesia of the incised paw compared with IgG from healthy controls. After a short-lasting paw inflammatory response in all groups, CRPS IgG-injected mice displayed sustained, profound microglia and astrocyte activation in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and pain-related brain regions, indicating central sensitization. Genetic deletion of interleukin-1 (IL-1) using IL-1αβ knockout (KO) mice and perioperative IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1) blockade with the drug anakinra, but not treatment with the glucocorticoid prednisolone, prevented these changes. Anakinra treatment also reversed the established sensitization phenotype when initiated 8 days after incision. Furthermore, with the generation of an IL-1β floxed(fl/fl) mouse line, we demonstrated that CRPS IgG-induced changes are in part mediated by microglia-derived IL-1β, suggesting that both peripheral and central inflammatory mechanisms contribute to the transferred disease phenotype. These results indicate that persistent CRPS is often contributed to by autoantibodies and highlight a potential therapeutic use for clinically licensed antagonists, such as anakinra, to prevent or treat CRPS via blocking IL-1 actions

Well-Trained Elders Have Antioxidant Responses and an Equal Magnitude of EIMD as Young Adults

Aim The aim of the study was to investigate acute and chronic effects of a two-week eccentric concentric, dynamometric training concerning the time-course changes of blood antioxidant parameters (total antioxidant capacity, catalase enzyme activity, thiol concentration), and to compare the adaptability of young and older muscle to this type of training. Methods Seventeen moderately trained young and older men participated in this research. Subjects performed six eccentric concentric exercise bouts during the training period and maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque, plasma CK and intensity of muscle soreness were determined before and 24 h after the first exercise. During five testing sessions (baseline, 24 h, 48 h, week 1, week 2) the level of blood antioxidants were measured. Results No significant changes were registered in total antioxidant capacity and catalase enzyme activity for any time points; furthermore, no difference was found between groups during the training period. However, total thiol concentrations measured two weeks after the first exercise bout significantly differed between the young and elderly groups. Plasma CK and the subjective intensity of soreness elevated significantly 24 h following the first training, while maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque decreased at the same time. Conclusions Our results do not support previous findings that chronic, short-term eccentric concentric training programs enhance the antioxidant defense of well-trained older and young men. This type and setting of exercise did not cause a different time course of changes in the markers of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) in the studied population. Subjects may already have adapted to maintain constant levels of antioxidants and isometric torque due to their active lifestyle

Unique, Specific CART Receptor-Independent Regulatory Mechanism of CART(55-102) Peptide in Spinal Nociceptive Transmission and Its Relation to Dipeptidyl-Peptidase 4 (DDP4)

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides are involved in several physiological and pathological processes, but their mechanism of action is unrevealed due to the lack of identified receptor(s). We provided evidence for the antihyperalgesic effect of CART(55-102) by inhibiting dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP4) in astrocytes and consequently reducing neuroinflammation in the rat spinal dorsal horn in a carrageenan-evoked inflammation model. Both naturally occurring CART(55-102) and CART(62-102) peptides are present in the spinal cord. CART(55-102) is not involved in acute nociception but regulates spinal pain transmission during peripheral inflammation. While the full-length peptide with a globular motif contributes to hyperalgesia, its N-terminal inhibits this process. Although the anti-hyperalgesic effects of CART(55-102), CART(55-76), and CART(62-76) are blocked by opioid receptor antagonists in our inflammatory models, but not in neuropathic Seltzer model, none of them bind to any opioid or G-protein coupled receptors. DPP4 interacts with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling in spinal astrocytes and enhances the TLR4-induced expression of interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha contributing to inflammatory pain. Depending on the state of inflammation, CART(55-102) is processed in the spinal cord, resulting in the generation of biologically active isoleucine-proline-isoleucine (IPI) tripeptide, which inhibits DPP4, leading to significantly decreased glia-derived cytokine production and hyperalgesia