meteorological risks in doha 2019 athletics world championships health considerations from organizers

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Editorial: Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Athletics and Sports

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Physiological comparison between competitive and beginner high intensity functional training athletes

Introduction: Among high intensity trainings, high intensity functional training (HIFT) represent one of the most recent developments. The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences between a group of competitive (CMP) HIFT athletes and a group of age- and gender-matched beginner (BGN) HIFT athletes, to clarify the physiological characteristics of each group and the reasons for differences. Methods: 10 BGN (32.5 ± 6.2 years) and 10 CMP (29.0 ± 5.4 years) athletes, were included in the study and were evaluated for anthropometry, VO2peak, lactate threshold, isometric and isokinetic leg maximal power and strength, handgrip and maximal anaerobic power. Results: Compared to BGN athletes, CMP reached higher levels of VO2peak (56.1 ± 2.89 ml·kg-1·min-1 CMP vs. 46.5 ± 6.86 ml·kg-1·min-1 BGN; p .006), while anaerobic capacity did not show significant differences (101.8 ± 9.33 kJ CMP vs. 87.0 ± 28.37 kJ BGN; p = .1). Conclusions: CMP athletes showed greater physiological adaptations in aerobic fitness and strength than BGN. Differences may be attributed to the technical skills acquired by CMP and not only to the physiological adaptations induced by the specific training. The lack of differences in anaerobic capacity is likely due to an early and fast improvement in BGN, compared to other parameters

Physiological profile of high intensity functional training athletes

Introduction: High intensity functional trainings (HIFT) are among the most common and popular training modalities. The aim of the present study was to examine the physiological characteristics of a group of HIFT competitive athletes both in a laboratory and field setting. Methods: Twenty HIFT athletes, 10 men (29 ± 5.3 years) and 10 women (30 ± 3.2 years), were evaluated in the laboratory for anthropometric characteristics, VO2peak, lactate threshold, maximal anaerobic power, maximal voluntary isometric and isokinetic strength, and muscle power during a countermovement jump. Athletes were also monitored in the field by measuring VO2 and lactate during a training session. Results: HIFT competitive athletes reached high levels in VO2peak (52.9 ± 5.67 ml·kg-1·min-1 in men; 52.4 ± 6.17 ml·kg-1·min-1 in women), VO2 at lactate threshold (79.7% of VO2peak in men; 74.5% of VO2peak in women), maximal anaerobic power (7.6 ± 1.32 W·kg-1 in men; 5.0 ± 1.13 W·kg-1 in women; p < .05), maximal voluntary knee extension isometric strength (11.7 ± 1.43 N·kg-1 in men; 9.5 ± 2.25 N·kg-1 in women; p < .05) and isokinetic strength (281.4 ± 31.56 N·kg-1 in men; 243.1 ± 44.13 N·kg-1 in women; p < .05), and muscle power during a countermovement jump (54 ± 5.9 W·kg-1 in men; 40 ± 4.8 W·kg-1 in women; p < .05). VO2peak during the on-field training session (50.6 ± 3.82 ml·kg-1·min-1 in men; 51.9 ± 5.76 ml·kg-1·min-1 in women) and lactate production (10.4 ± 0.69 mmol·l-1 in men; 9.7 ± 0.96 mmol·l-1 in women) revealed the high intensity nature of HIFT. Conclusions: Overall, HIFT athletes show exceptional performances in physiological components that are key to many different sports. The lack of specialization in exclusively one domain of physical fitness reveals the comprehensive nature of this training methodology

Systematic study on nail plate assessment: differences in nail plate shape, thickness, power Doppler signal and scanning approach

Ultrasonography (US) of the nail is raising interest in the last years and its feasibility, quickness and amount of descriptive data may provide valuable information. Different authors presented several scanning approaches to nail complex in different pathological conditions, such as psoriasis, but no scanning protocol was ever proposed using healthy subjects as population of reference. The aim of the study was to establish a protocol for the US of nail plate and to assess whether the measurement of the nail plate is influenced by longitudinal vs transverse scan, sex, digit and hand dominance. Using high frequency probe and a Canon Aplio i800 machine, ultrasonographers took scans of nail plates of the hands from healthy subjects. Nail plate shape, thickness and power Doppler signal (PDUS) were evaluated and scans were taken both on longitudinal and transverse axis, at distal, middle and proximal portion of the nail plate or at a fixed angles of - 45 degrees, 0 degrees or + 45 degrees. All the images were then revised and scored using a DICOM software, in order to allow good standards of accuracy and reproducibility. A total of 27 subjects (14 females and 13 males) were assessed. The measures did not result to differ in different portions or angles. Furthermore, no difference appears in sex or dominant vs not dominant hand. A decreasing and significant trend for nail plate thickness was found from the first to the fifth finger. Doppler signal was found in all but one subjects, with a range from almost absent to very evident. No difference was found between groups regarding PDUS. The data provided suggest that a proper scan protocol should include all the nails and evaluation should be done both on longitudinal and transverse axis. Since Doppler signal is highly variable in healthy subjects, its presence should be carefully considered as pathological finding. Observations provided by this study clarify important points of the scanning technique and solve doubts related to which nails should be scanned and where to evaluate quantitative parameters

Physiological comparison between competitive and beginner high intensity functional training athletes

Introduction: Among high intensity trainings, high intensity functional training (HIFT) represent one of the most recent developments. The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences between a group of competitive (CMP) HIFT athletes and a group of age- and gender-matched beginner (BGN) HIFT athletes, to clarify the physiological characteristics of each group and the reasons for differences. Methods: 10 BGN (32.5 ± 6.2 years) and 10 CMP (29.0 ± 5.4 years) athletes, were included in the study and were evaluated for anthropometry, VO2peak, lactate threshold, isometric and isokinetic leg maximal power and strength, handgrip and maximal anaerobic power. Results: Compared to BGN athletes, CMP reached higher levels of VO2peak (56.1 ± 2.89 ml·kg-1·min-1 CMP vs. 46.5 ± 6.86 ml·kg-1·min-1 BGN; p .006), while anaerobic capacity did not show significant differences (101.8 ± 9.33 kJ CMP vs. 87.0 ± 28.37 kJ BGN; p = .1). Conclusions: CMP athletes showed greater physiological adaptations in aerobic fitness and strength than BGN. Differences may be attributed to the technical skills acquired by CMP and not only to the physiological adaptations induced by the specific training. The lack of differences in anaerobic capacity is likely due to an early and fast improvement in BGN, compared to other parameters

Prehospital management of exertional heat stroke at sports competitions for Paralympic athletes

Objectives: To adapt key components of exertional heat stroke (EHS) prehospital management proposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Adverse Weather Impact Expert Working Group for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 so that it is applicable for the Paralympic athletes.Methods: An expert working group representing members with research, clinical and lived sports experience from a Para sports perspective reviewed and revised the IOC consensus document of current best practice regarding the prehospital management of EHS.Results: Similar to Olympic competitions, Paralympic competitions are also scheduled under high environmental heat stress; thus, policies and procedures for EHS prehospital management should also be established and followed. For Olympic athletes, the basic principles of EHS prehospital care are: early recognition, early diagnosis, rapid, on-site cooling, and advanced clinical care. Although these principles also apply for Paralympic athletes, slight differences related to athlete physiology (e.g., autonomic dysfunction) and mechanisms for hands-on management (e.g., transferring the collapsed athlete or techniques for whole-body cooling) may require adaptation for care of the Paralympic athlete.Conclusions: Prehospital management of EHS in the Paralympic setting employs the same procedures as for Olympic athletes with some important alterations.</div

Athletes' exposure to air pollution during World Athletics Relays: A pilot study

Potential adverse consequences of exposure to air pollutants during exercise include decreased lung function, and exacerbation of asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. These effects are especially relevant for athletes and during international competitions, as they may impact athletic performance. Thus, assessing and mitigating exposure to air pollutants during exercising should be encouraged in sports venues. A comprehensive air quality assessment was carried out during the World Relays Yokohama 2019, in the stadium and the warm-up track. The pilot included on-line and off-line instrumentation for gaseous and particulate pollutants and meteo- rological parameters, and the comparison with local reference data. Air quality perception and exacerbation of symptoms of already-diagnosed diseases (mainly respiratory and cardiovascular) were assessed by athletes by means of questionnaires during training sessions. Median NO2 concentrations inside the stadium (25.6–31.9 μgm−3) were in the range of the Yokohama urban background, evidencing the impact of urban sources (e.g., traffic) on athletes' exposure during training and competition. The assessment of hourly air pollutant trends was identified as a valuable tool to provide guidance to reduce atheletes' exposure, by identifying the periods of Inhalation Track and field Respiratory diseases World Athletics 1. Introduction Evidence supports adverse effects from short-term and long-term inhalation of air pollution to the respiratory and the cardiovascular sys- tems (Brook et al., 2002; Pietropaoli et al., 2004; Gauderman et al., 2007; de Prado Bert et al., 2018). Health impacts have been assessed for gen- eral and high-risk populations, and even for general populations performing physical activities such as walking or cycling while com- muting (de Nazelle et al., 2012; Hofman et al., 2018; Luengo-Oroz and Reis, 2019; Qiu et al., 2019; Quiros et al., 2013; Rivas et al., 2014). How- ever, research is scarce on the effects of ambient air pollution on exercis- ing athletes and their athletic performance, who may have greater than average susceptibility and exposure to air pollutants because of the physiological changes that occur during prolonged exercise (Quin et al., 2019). Specifically, there are 3 reasons why athletes are at higher risk from air pollution (McCafferty, 1981): (1) increased ventilation during exer- cise; (2) a greater fraction of air is inhaled through the mouth during ex- ercise, effectively bypassing the normal nasal filtration mechanisms; and (3) the increased airflow velocity carries pollutants deeper into the respiratory tract. Furthermore, pulmonary diffusion capacity in- creases with exercise (Turcotte et al., 1997; Stokes et al., 1981; Fisher and Cerny, 1982; Flaherty et al., 2013), increasing gaseous pollutant in- take. Nasal mucociliary clearance, impaired in long-distance runners, may also contribute to the higher susceptibility of endurance athletes given that pollutants which are normally cleared from the respiratory system, are instead absorbed (Atkinson, 1987). Even though research is scarce, studies on the relationship between air quality, athletic performance, and respiratory symptoms encourage pursuing further investigations. Lichter et al. (2015) assessed the effects of particulate air pollution on soccer players in German stadiums, re- vealing that performance was reduced under poor air quality condi- tions. Bos et al. (2011) and Quin et al. (2019) observed that the health benefits of active commuting could be negatively influenced by exercis- ing in polluted environments, while Rundell and Caviston (2008) re- ported that the acute inhalation of PM1 at concentrations in the range of many urban environments could impair exercise performance. Carlisle and Sharp (2001) and Cakmak et al. (2011) concluded that O3 was particularly damaging to athletes, with subjects achieving a lower aerobic fitness score on high ozone days. Finally, long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution may trigger intermittent endogenous airway acidification episodes indicative of pollution-related lung inflammation (Ferdinands et al., 2008). These results have particularly relevant impli- cations for top-level athletes participating in international competi- tions: the performance of athletes training in highly polluted environments may be impaired compared to athletes training in cleaner environments and, similarly, athletes used to training in cleaner envi- ronments may be adversely affected when competing in highly polluted locations. Thus, assessing exposure to air pollution in athletics venues becomes a necessity when aiming at understanding environmental drivers of both athletic performance, and athletes' health. In this framework, the aim of this study was to characterize air pol- lutant concentrations in the Yokohama stadium (in the competition and the training area) during the Yokohama 2019 World Relays the day with lowest ambient concentrations. This strategy could be adopted to define training and competition schedules, and would have special added value for athletes with respiratory conditions. Personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was quantified through wearable silicone wristbands, and showed highly var- iability across volunteers. The wristbands are a simple approach to assess personal exposure to potentially toxic organic compounds. Further research would be necessary with regard to specific air pollutants that may trigger or exacerbate respiratory conditions typical of the athlete community. The availability of high time-resolved ex- posure data in the stadiums opens up the possibility to calculate doses of specific pollutants for individual ath- letes in future athletics events, to understand the impact of environmental factors on athletic performance

Promoting Physical Activity in Children and Young People, determinants and interventions

Members of the HEPA working group for Children and Youth will present examples of current research with this age group which focuses on the psychosocial determinants of physical activity and examples of school based interventions to promote physical activit

Association between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status in male and female elite athletes during the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships

Please read abstract in the article.The World Athletics Health and Science Department.http://bjsm.bmj.comhj2022Sports Medicin