The Effects of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage With or Without Omega-3 Supplementation on Inflammation, Muscle Function and Recovery in Healthy Physically Active Younger and Older Adults

Unaccustomed eccentric exercise is associated with reductions in muscle force output, muscle pain, avoidance of repeated loading and a transient inflammatory response. Whilst exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is well defined in the literature in healthy younger populations, research into older individuals is lacking. The diversity of exercise protocols used also for younger populations may not be suited to older adults. Omega-3 (n-3) supplementation may minimise EIMD via its anti-inflammatory properties, however, its efficacy remains unclear. All studies induced mild to moderate EIMD either via downhill running (Study 1 and Study 3) or resistance exercise models (Study 2 and 3), and examined the effect of n-3 supplementation (Study 1), age (Study 2), and EIMD protocols (Study 3). Venous plasma was collected for plasma creatine kinase (CK), interleukin (IL)-6, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, prior, immediately after, and 1-to-72 hours post-EIMD. In addition, at the same time points in Study 2, extracellular vesicles (EVs) were assessed. In all studies, functional measures included maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), peak power, countermovement jump, range of motion (ROM), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and thigh circumference. Key results from Study 1 included DOMS being significantly lower in omega-3 vs placebo group (p = 0.034), and peak power significantly suppressed in placebo relative to pre-EIMD but not in omega-3 group, both at 24 hours post-EIMD. IL-6 was increased in placebo (p = 0.009) but not in omega-3 (p = 0.434) post-EIMD. However, no significant differences in peak power output and IL-6 were observed between groups. In Study 2, post EIMD, both CK and TNF-α concentrations were increased in the older group relative to the younger at 72 hours (CK, p = 0.042; TNF-α, p = 0.042). Both younger and older groups showed a significant reduction in MVIC immediately post-EIMD. EIMD did not substantially alter EV modal size or count in younger or older participants, however, the alteration in EV concentration (ΔCount) and EV modal size (ΔMode) between post-EIMD and preEIMD negatively associated with CK activity. In Study 3, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in CK was recorded in the downhill running compared with two different resistance exercise groups. Downhill running group showed greater decrements on MVIC and jump height than both resistance exercise groups post-EIMD. All groups showed a significant increase in muscle soreness post-EIMD (p < 0.001). This thesis showed that 4 weeks supplementation with 3 g/day of n-3 PUFA offsets the EIMD induced pain response following a single bout of moderate intensity exercise. Older individuals showed a blunted resolution in muscle damage and inflammation relative to their younger counterparts. However, a similar response in muscle function in both groups following EIMD was observed. The combination of the leg press and leg extension protocol with moderate intensity could be used as a muscle-injury inducing model in naive-exercised or older population in future studies

The UK is reaping what the British media have been sowing for a long time

The result of the EU referendum and the now imminent Brexit have been met with shock and disbelief both globally and in the UK. Despite indications by the polls there was still hope that reason would prevail over inwardness, hate and anger. At the same time, however, the result seems to be the sad but natural culmination of a campaign period marked by viciousness, lies and fear-mongering, which has divided the country and unleashed dark powers of nationalistic superiority, racism and xenophobia that would have been hard to deal with, even if the result of the referendum had been different, and the British public had decided to stay within the Union. Emotions have been running high in the last months, and the UK media contributed significantly to this. But their toxic role in the referendum has to be seen beyond this specific historical moment

The struggle over the Greek national broadcaster: a debate of extremes

Greece is once more in turmoil. The sudden and shocking shutdown of the state television and radio network, ERT, by the government last Tuesday was met with angry demonstrations not only by the virtually 2,600 employees of the organisation, who were made redundant in a matter of a few hours, but by the large majority of the Greek public, who rushed to demonstrate in support of ERT and its employees. The government’s move is deemed to undermine the already sensitive balance in the coalition government and to further reinforce public mistrust. At the same time, it has set in motion a battle of words, which in each faction is based on faulty premises and detracts attention from other serious aspects of the issue

Varoufakis on the international media catwalk: on the politics of style

About ten days have passed since the new Greek government came into power and also the spotlight of the international media over its negotiations with European partners concerning the country’s debt. Negotiations aside, however, there is a person that attracted the greatest part of media attention over the last week, namely the Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis. This attention has been unprecedented compared to the many Finance Ministers Greece has changed over the last few years, not only in terms of its amount but also its nature. Dressed in casual clothes, untucked shirts and sporty jackets, Varoufakis made it to the fashion pages of major media outlets, and has been described as a ‘rock star’, ‘fashion trailblazer’, or ‘the most interesting man in Europe’

In Greece, they shoot immigrants, don’t they?

It was April of 2013, when Greece and the international press were shocked by the news that about thirty migrant workers were shot by the supervisors of the strawberry fields where they had been working in Manolada, Peloponese, after asking for six months’ worth of unpaid wages. More than a year later, at the end of July 2014, the trial of the four farmers involved concluded. Two of them, including the owner of the farm, also charged for human trafficking, were acquitted; two were found guilty of serious bodily harm and abetting serious bodily harm from neglect and received sentences of fourteen years and seven months and eight years and seven months respectively, but were freed pending appeal. In other words, no one is being punished for the shooting of twenty-eight people

Syriza’s win and the Greek elections: many shades of grey

Reading the press headlines all over Europe today, one gets the impression of a schizophrenic Europe, with images of glory and gloom about what Syriza’s win means for the future of the Eurozone being painted by different newspapers. On the one hand, the win of the left party is constructed as the win of hope over strict austerity and its grave consequences, and the answer of the long-suffering Greeks to the policies of Brussels. This answer gives hope to the Left around Europe, from Spain’s Podemos, who have closely supported Tsipras, to UK’s Labour Party. On the other hand, the elite press highlights the risk of a rekindling of the crisis and the possibility of a ‘Grexit’, if Tsipras sticks to his position of renegotiating the terms of the Greek bailout and getting rid of the Troika

What kind of media for Europe?

In his speech about the prospects of the European idea given last week, the German President Joachim Gauck talked about the lack of communication and understanding within Europe. He identified the focus on national interests and considerations by media organisations in different European countries as the main problem for this communicative deficit. He argued that a common public space – a “European agora” – , established on the basis of a common language and a common European broadcaster is the desired solution

Football diplomacy or populism going German-style

A story that went almost unnoticed in Greek media due to the dramatic developments in Cyprus over the last couple of weeks was the arrival of German football coach Otto Rehhagel in Athens on a diplomatic mission last week. Rehhagel is the coach that led the Greek team to the triumphant conquest of the Euro Cup in 2004 and therefore a much beloved figure among Greeks. On account of his popularity, Rehhagel was reportedly picked out by Angela Merkel as a good-will ambassador with the mission to reverse the widespread anti-German sentiment of the Greek public. Despite its intentions, the public relations move failed to meet German expectations. Most importantly, it is illustrative of crucial aspects of the relationship between the two countries, Germany and Greece, as well as populist politics involved in the Euro crisis overall

Who’s reporting the crisis? The state of the media in Greece

Greece has been ranked 84th among 179 countries for freedom of the press, according to the 2013 World Press Freedom Index published in January 2013 by the international NGO “Reporters Without Borders”, with a staggering fall of fourteen positions from the previous year. The report attributes this “dramatic” and “disturbing” slump to the “disastrous social and professional atmosphere” within which Greek journalists work. Undoubtedly, this atmosphere is closely related to the economic crisis in the country, which is also experienced as a deep political and social crisis. At the same time, however, the journalistic sector has extreme difficulties escaping the trap it has created for itself due to its close links to the political establishment. Recent developments in online news media do not give much hope for substantial change in the Greek public sphere