EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT RESISTED SPRINT RUNNING METHODS ON STRIDE LENGTH, STRIDE FREQUENCY, AND CG VERTICAL OSCILLATION

Sprint velocity can be increased thanks to specific strength improvements (Korchemny, 1985). The training principle of specificity states that for a training session to be effective, it must maintain similar characteristics to the sport requirements (Sale, 2003). With the use of resisted sprint running methods, possible benefits are specific strength improvements and an increase in stride length (Faccioni, 1994). However, these methods have not been scientifically proven yet (Sheppard, 2004)

Effect of Educational Training on Nutrition and Weight Management in Elite Spanish Gymnasts

The aim was to study the effect of a formative program about nutrition as well as weight management and its risks in elite gymnasts. The sample was 37 under-18 Spanish athletes from rhythmic and aesthetic gymnastics (national level). The sample was divided into a control group (n=21) and an intervention group (n=16). A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test was used. The dependent variable was the knowledge of nutrition, weight management, and its risks. The independent variable was the educational program. The program had three 30-minute sessions which combined talks, videos, and tasks to complete. Descriptive and inferential analyses were done. The educational program was ineffective with regard to increasing the gymnasts’ knowledge about nutrition, weight management, and its risks. The gymnasts’ knowledge of nutrition and weight management was high before beginning the intervention. Gymnasts and the coach expressed the need for individualized training adapted to each gymnast’s needs and for incorporating a follow-up that provides feedback that is applicable in the gymnast’s daily life

Gender in sports coverage of American and Spanish online newspapers.

The differences in how the media treat information about women and men provoke a deficit in the information that girls and female adolescents receive about sports. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in sports coverage in relation to gender in online newspapers in two western countries, Spain and the United States. All articles (N = 1,977) with athletic content from the online newspapers usatoday.com and elmundo.es were analyzed during 2-week spans in October 2003 and February 2004. The variables registered were gender, placement of article in the newspaper, number of words per article, and photographs. Results show that women’s sport received less coverage than men’s sport in total number of articles as well as in front-page stories, article length, and number of photographs. Additionally, there were 15 articles about men only for every 1 article about women only in the two newspapers

Table_1_Effect of changes in the net height, court size, and serve limitations on technical-tactical, physical, and psychological aspects of U-14 female volleyball matches.DOCX

IntroductionThe objective was to analyze the effect of a reduction of the net height and the court size and serve limitations on the technical-tactical actions, physical actions, and psychological aspects in youth volleyball players.MethodsThe sample was 29 under-14 female volleyball players (three regional club teams). A quasi-experimental design was implemented to assess the effect of modification in three tournaments. The independent variables were: a) official rules tournament (no changes in the rules), b) Experimental Tournament 1 (reduction in the net height from 2.10 m to 2 m, no jump serves, and a maximum of two serves per player and rotation), and c) Experimental Tournament 2 (reduction in net height from 2.10 m to 2 m, reduction in court size from 9 × 9 m to 8 × 8 m, no jump serves, and a maximum of two serves per player and rotation). The dependent variables were: ball contact done (type), quality and efficacy of the technical actions, team game phases occurrence, quality and efficacy, continuity index, number of jumps, player's jump load in the take-off and landing, number of hits, average heart rate, Rate of Perceived Effort, time between ball contacts, serve velocity, perceived individual and collective self-efficacy, perceived enjoyment, and perceived satisfaction.ResultsExperimental Tournament 1 involved an increase in the efficacy of serves and a decrease in the efficacy of side-out phases. The imbalance between serve and reception did not impact game continuity but reduced the attack and blocks. Experimental Tournament 2 involved a decrease in the efficacy of serves and an increase in the efficacy of side-out phases. The balance between serve and reception increased reception efficacy, the occurrence of attacks and blocks, game continuity, and players' effort. players' effort.DiscussionScaling the net and court and adapting the serve rules (Experimental Tournament 2) resulted in game dynamics for these U-12 teams that were more similar to those of posterior stages of player through the balance between serve and reception and the adaptation of the net height and court size.</p

Early Everolimus Initiation Fails to Counteract the Cytotoxic Response Mediated by CD8+ T and NK Cells in Heart Transplant Patients

The positive long-term effects of conversion to everolimus (EVL) after heart transplantation (HT) have been evaluated in several studies. However, the timing of EVL initiation, the best way to combine it with other immunosuppressive treatments, and the impact of these combinations on the immune response are poorly understood aspects. Here, we analyzed the immune phenotype and function of HT patients (n = 56) at short and long terms (prospective and retrospective cohorts), taking into account the time of EVL initiation: early (3 months post-transplant, EVL-E group) or late (&gt;1 year post-transplant, EVL-L group) compared with mycophenolate mofetil treatment (MMF group). We show that early EVL conversion from MMF allows the increase of cytotoxic (CD56dim CD16+) NK and effector-memory (EM, CD45RA− CCR7−) CD8+ T cell subsets, which show a significantly higher level of expression of cytotoxic molecules, IFN-γ production and degranulation ability under activation. NK cell expansion is accompanied by an altered balance of receptor expression, increasing the activation state, and lytic activity of those cells. Those changes are detected after as little as 1 month after EVL conversion in association with the expansion of regulatory T cells and the decrease in B cell frequency. However, no changes in the immune cells subsets were observed after late EVL initiation (EVL-L) compared with the MMF group. Our results imply that only early EVL conversion induces key changes in the post-transplant immune response, preserving an efficient anti-viral response, but simultaneously showing a limited ability to counteract the cytotoxic response to the allograft

Lysyl oxidase induces vascular oxidative stress and contributes to arterial stiffness and abnormal elastin structure in hypertension: role of p38MAPK

Aims: Vascular stiffness, structural elastin abnormalities, and increased oxidative stress are hallmarks of hypertension. Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is an elastin crosslinking enzyme that produces H2O2 as a by-product. We addressed the interplay between LOX, oxidative stress, vessel stiffness, and elastin. Results: Angiotensin II (Ang II)-infused hypertensive mice and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) showed increased vascular LOX expression and stiffness and an abnormal elastin structure. Mice over-expressing LOX in vascular smooth muscle cells (TgLOX) exhibited similar mechanical and elastin alterations to those of hypertensive models. LOX inhibition with β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) attenuated mechanical and elastin alterations in TgLOX mice, Ang II-infused mice, and SHR. Arteries from TgLOX mice, Ang II-infused mice, and/or SHR exhibited increased vascular H2O2 and O2.− levels, NADPH oxidase activity, and/or mitochondrial dysfunction. BAPN prevented the higher oxidative stress in hypertensive models. Treatment of TgLOX and Ang II-infused mice and SHR with the mitochondrial-targeted superoxide dismutase mimetic mito-TEMPO, the antioxidant apocynin, or the H2O2 scavenger polyethylene glycol-conjugated catalase (PEG-catalase) reduced oxidative stress, vascular stiffness, and elastin alterations. Vascular p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) activation was increased in Ang II-infused and TgLOX mice and this effect was prevented by BAPN, mito-TEMPO, or PEG-catalase. SB203580, the p38MAPK inhibitor, normalized vessel stiffness and elastin structure in TgLOX mice. Innovation: We identify LOX as a novel source of vascular reactive oxygen species and a new pathway involved in vascular stiffness and elastin remodeling in hypertension. Conclusion: LOX up-regulation is associated with enhanced oxidative stress that promotes p38MAPK activation, elastin structural alterations, and vascular stiffness. This pathway contributes to vascular abnormalities in hypertension