Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with platelet-rich plasma in comparison with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation plus exercise: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Osteoarthritis is a disabling musculoskeletal disease with no definite treatment. This study compared the effect of Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) plus exercise in the treatment of patients with knee joint osteoarthritis. Methods: 54 eligible patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated into two groups. (IRCT2012110611382N) Group A (27 patients) received 2 injections of PRP (4 weeks apart) and group B (27 patients) received 10 sessions of TENS as well as exercise during the study period. Clinical outcome was evaluated using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) questionnaire before the treatment, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after that the treatment. Pain was also assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Time to an intolerable knee pain during treadmill workout was also evaluated using an objective test. Results: In the PRP group, the mean KOOS symptom score improved significantly from baseline to the end of study, while the change was not significant over this period for the group B. In both groups, significant reductions were observed in VAS scores from baseline till the end of study. The mean time to feel intolerable knee pain during treadmill work out of PRP group increased significantly from baseline to week 4, but no significant changes were found in this parameter over the time of study in the group B. Conclusion: Intraarticular injection of PRP is an effective, safe method for short-term treatment of patients with knee joint osteoarthritis

Assessing and comparing mental skills of men players' positions in volleyball premier league team of Iran

Mental skills are important aspects of successful sport performance in all sport competitions. This study was designed to assess and compare the mental skills of men players' positions in premier league volleyball team in year 2015. This cross sectional research includes 69 Iran men's premier league volleyball team players in year 2015 who participated in the premier league competitions in year 2015. Mental skills as well as demographic data of the players was assessed by OMSAT-3 questioner and a personal data form. One-way ANOVA was employed to analyze the data. The result of analysis indicated that there was no significant differences between the main components of fundamental (p=0.21), psychosomatic (p=0.12), and cognitive skills (p=0.584) of different positions of the volleyball players. However, there was a significant difference between the sub skills of reaction to stress (0.002) and fear control (0.020) of different positions of volleyball players. Outside hitters and opposite hitter were significantly weaker than the setters, libero and middle blocker in fear control (p<0.05) and reaction to stress (p<0.05). Given the importance of mental skills in the achievement of volleyball players, focusing on improving the mental skills of the mentioned positions in volleyball especially in outside hitters and opposite hitter is highly recommended. © 2019 Kure Iletisim Grubu A.S.. All Rights Reserved

The activation pattern of trunk and lower limb muscles in an electromyographic assessment; comparison between ground and treadmillwalking

Background: Due to biomechanical differences, various patterns of muscle contraction are expected to occur while walking over ground versus when walking on a treadmill. Objectives: This study aimed to compare amplitude and duration of activation of selected trunk and lower extremity muscles during over-ground and treadmill walking. Materials and Methods: Through a simple sampling method, 19 sedentary healthy men within the age range of 20-40 were selected. Surface electromyography of rectus abdominis, external oblique, longissimus and multifidus muscles as the selected trunk muscles and vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and hamstrings as the selected lower limb muscles were recorded. Results: In each gait cycle, there were no statistically significant differences in duration of selected trunk as well as lower limb muscles activitybetweentreadmillandover-ground walking. Howeverthemeanamplitude of rectus abdominis (P=0.005), longissimus (P = 0.018) and multifidus (P = 0.044) as the selected trunk muscles as well as the mean amplitude of vastus lateralis (P = 0.005) and vastus medialis (P < 0.001) as the lower limb muscles was greater on treadmill compared with over ground. Conclusions: Due to the stabilizing role of trunk and lower limb muscles during walking, these muscles seem to be active throughout the entire gait cycle. The increased muscle amplitude on treadmill can demonstrate that more motor units may be recruited during the contraction,which can be helpful in prescribing the appropriate type of exercise especially for patients with core muscle weakness. © 2016, Sports Medicine Research Center

Assessing and comparing mental skills of men players' positions in volleyball premier league team of Iran

Mental skills are important aspects of successful sport performance in all sport competitions. This study was designed to assess and compare the mental skills of men players' positions in premier league volleyball team in year 2015. This cross sectional research includes 69 Iran men's premier league volleyball team players in year 2015 who participated in the premier league competitions in year 2015. Mental skills as well as demographic data of the players was assessed by OMSAT-3 questioner and a personal data form. One-way ANOVA was employed to analyze the data. The result of analysis indicated that there was no significant differences between the main components of fundamental (p=0.21), psychosomatic (p=0.12), and cognitive skills (p=0.584) of different positions of the volleyball players. However, there was a significant difference between the sub skills of reaction to stress (0.002) and fear control (0.020) of different positions of volleyball players. Outside hitters and opposite hitter were significantly weaker than the setters, libero and middle blocker in fear control (p<0.05) and reaction to stress (p<0.05). Given the importance of mental skills in the achievement of volleyball players, focusing on improving the mental skills of the mentioned positions in volleyball especially in outside hitters and opposite hitter is highly recommended. © 2019 Kure Iletisim Grubu A.S.. All Rights Reserved

The association of emotional intelligence with sport injuries and receiving penalty cards among Iranian professional soccer players

Background: High emotional intelligence (EI) seems to be preventive for unconventional sports behavior within competitions leading prevention of sport injuries and also minimization of giving penalty cards. Objectives: The present study aimed to examine this relationship among Iranian Premier League footballers. Methods: This study was performed on Iranian professional soccer players participating in Premier League in 2014-2015 season. To assess emotional intelligence among athletes, the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence test (SSEIT) was employed. Sport-related injuries were recorded by the physician of each team. Also, the reports of the number of yellow and red cards for each athlete as well as for all teams in two phases (middle and end of each season) was recorded by the Football League Organization were reviewed and recorded. The chi-square test and t-test were used for comparing the variables. The Pearson�s correlation test and the multivariable regression model were also used for discovering association and relationship, respectively. P values of 0.05 or less were considered statistically significant. Results: Among different subscales of EI, only regulation of emotions was significantly different between injured and non-injured athletes (P = 0.04). Lower ability to regulate emotions was associated with higher risk for sport injuries (OR = 0.88, 95 CI: 0.79-0.98, P = 0.02). None of the subscales of EI was related to receiving yellow card, but utilizing emotions was adversely related to receiving red card. The association between utilizing emotions and receiving red card changed to insignificant after using the multivariable regression modeling. Conclusions: By regulating emotions, sport-related injuries can be preventable in soccer players. However, EI may not be helpful in reducing sport fines. © 2019, Author(s)

The prevalence of selected intrinsic risk factors for ankle sprain among elite football and basketball players

Background: Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are among the most common sports-related injuries and the reinjury rate is very high. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of some intrinsic risk factors among professional football and basketball players with or without history of acute or recurrent ankle sprain. Patients and Methods: One hundred and six professional football and basketball players who were referred for pre-participation examinations were recruited in this study. Prepared checklist was completed for each participant. Athletes were asked for any history of previous ankle sprain and the severity (based of self-description of signs and symptoms by the athlete), level and number of injuries in the last two years. All players were assessed for measures of foot posture index-6, foot length and width, Beighton generalized joint laxity score, anterior drawer and talar tilt tests, star excursion and single leg balance tests and goniometric assessment of ankle plantarflexion, ankle dorsiflexion and first metatarsophalangeal dorsiflexion. Results: Forty eight basketball players (45.3) and 58 football players (54.7) with mean (SD) age of 19.8 (4.5) years participated. About 58.5 and 14.2 of athletes had a history of ankle sprain and recurrent sprain in at least one extremity, respectively. Sprains were more prevalent in basketball players and in dominant leg. There was no significant difference in assessed risk factors between athletes with and without history of ankle sprain, except for positive single leg balance test which was more prevalent in athletes with history of ankle sprain and also for positive talar tilt test and decreased ankle plantarflexion range of motion in acute and recurrent injury of left ankle. Conclusions: Some intrinsic risk factors including lateral ankle ligaments laxity, balance and ankle plantarflexion seem to be related to acute or recurrent LAS in athletes. Further research is needed to reveal the role of different arthrokinematics following lateral ankle sprain. © 2016, Sports Medicine Research Center

Polypharmacy among anabolic-androgenic steroid users: A descriptive metasynthesis

Background: As far as we are aware, no previous systematic review and synthesis of the qualitative/descriptive literature on polypharmacy in anabolic-androgenic steroid(s) (AAS) users has been published. Method: We systematically reviewed and synthesized qualitative/descriptive literature gathered from searches in electronic databases and by inspecting reference lists of relevant literature to investigate AAS users' polypharmacy. We adhered to the recommendations of the UK Economic and Social Research Council's qualitative research synthesis manual and the PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of 50 studies published between 1985 and 2014 were included in the analysis. Studies originated from 10 countries although most originated from United States (n = 22), followed by Sweden (n = 7), England only (n = 5), and the United Kingdom (n = 4). It was evident that prior to their debut, AAS users often used other licit and illicit substances. The main ancillary/supplementary substances used were alcohol, and cannabis/cannabinoids followed by cocaine, growth hormone, and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), amphetamine/meth, clenbuterol, ephedra/ephedrine, insulin, and thyroxine. Other popular substance classes were analgesics/opioids, dietary/nutritional supplements, and diuretics. Our classification of the various substances used by AAS users resulted in 13 main groups. These non-AAS substances were used mainly to enhance the effects of AAS, combat the side effects of AAS, and for recreational or relaxation purposes, as well as sexual enhancement. Conclusions: Our findings corroborate previous suggestions of associations between AAS use and the use of other licit and illicit substances. Efforts must be intensified to combat the debilitating effects of AAS-associated polypharmacy

The misuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids among Iranian re-creational male body-builders and their related psycho-socio-demographic factors

Background: The high prevalence and potential side effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) misuse by athletes has made it a major public health concern. Epidemiological studies on the abuse of such drugs are mandatory for de-veloping effective preventive drug control programs in sports community. This study aimed to investigate the preva-lence of AAS abuse and their association with some psycho-socio-demographic factors in Iranian male recreational body-builders. Methods: Between March and October 2011; 906 recreational male body-builders from 103 randomly selected body-building clubs in Tehran, Iran were participated in this study. Some psycho-socio- demographic factors including age, job, average family income, family size, sport experience (months), weekly duration of the sporting activity (h), pur-pose of participation in sporting activity, mental health as well as body image (via General Health Questionnaire and Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, respectively), and history of AAS use were obtained by inter-views using questionnaires. Results: Participants were all recreational male body-builders mean age (SD): 25.7 (7.1), ranging 14-56 yr. Self-report of AAS abuse was registered in 150 body-builders (16.6%). Among different psycho-socio-demographic factors, only family income and sport experience were inversely associated with AAS abuse. Conclusion: Lifetime prevalence of AAS abuse is relatively high among recreational body-builders based on their self-report. Some psycho-socio-demographic factors including family income and sport experience may influence the pre-valence of AAS abuse. © 2015, Iranian Journal of Public Health. All rights reserved

Comparison of three modes of aerobic exercise combined with resistance training on the pain and function of patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial

Objectives: To investigate the effects of three modes of aerobic exercise (lower limbs with and without weight bearing and upper limb) for knee osteoarthritis. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Sports medicine clinic. Participants: Seventy-eight patients with knee osteoarthritis were divided into 3 groups of resistance training combined with one of three programs of treadmill, cycle ergometer, or arm ergometer aerobic training. Main outcome measures: Pain (VAS), patients� opinion about knee status (KOOS questionnaire), and functional performance 6 min walk test (6MWT), timed up and go test (TUG) and chair stand test. Results: After 8 weeks, all groups showed significant improvement in the VAS, KOOS and functional tests. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the change in VAS was significantly higher in arm ergometer than in treadmill group (P = 0.03). Change in TUG was significantly higher in treadmill than arm ergometer group (P = 0.02). Also, the change of function in sport and recreation (a KOOS dimension) was significantly higher in arm ergometer compared to treadmill group (P = 0.04). Conclusion: All modes of aerobic exercise combined with resistance training led to reduced pain and improved function. Nevertheless, arm ergometry may provide greater pain relief and sport performance; while treadmill may cause greater improvement in TUG. © 2018 Elsevier Lt