COVID-19 infection in athletes usually has a milder course, but in the case of complications, myocarditis and even sudden cardiac death may occur. We examined an athlete who felt symptoms upon returning to training after asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. Physical, laboratory, and echocardiography findings were normal. The cardiopulmonary exercise test was interrupted at submaximal effort due to severe dyspnea in the presence of reduced functional capacity in comparison to previous tests. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) detected the focal myocarditis. After three months of recovery, CMR still revealed the presence of focal myocarditis and the persistence of decreased functional capacity. This case raises the question of screening athletes even after asymptomatic forms of COVID-19 infection.
Background and study aim. Soccer is a demanding sport which, in addition to technical and motor characteristics, also requires exceptional functional abilities of athletes to play at a high level. The aim of this study: 1) To analyze the disparities in physiological parameters among professional soccer players in teams of varying levels. 2) To explore potential connections between team ranking positions and the physiological attributes of professional soccer players. Material and Methods. 91 professional soccer players who compete in Serbian Super league (age 24.14±5.15) were included in the study. Participants were classified into two groups. The first group consisted of players from teams that were ranked from third to sixth place at the end of 2021/2022 competitive season (n=49). The second group of participants consisted of the players of the teams that were ranked in the last two places at the end of the above-mentioned season (n=42). Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), as well as running speeds and heart rates at first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2) were obtained by performing maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. Results. The results showed a statistically significant difference in terms of VO2max values, running speeds and heart rates at VT1 and VT2 when the top and bottom ranked teams were compared (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The results of the study imply that playing high-level soccer requires exceptional functional abilities, which go beyond technical and tactical characteristics. These exceptional abilities enable players to continuously perform at high intensities during the games in order to achieve top results. Coaches should be aware of the importance of high aerobic capacity for achieving top results, especially if the team consists of less talented players.
The subject of this paper is the comparison of the obtained values of maximum oxygen consumption for senior basketball players in relation to their different positions and roles in the team.Sixty senior basketball players from four Serbian basketball clubs (BC Red Star n=14, BC FMP n=16, BC Mega n=15, and BC Borac n=15) participated in the study.The basic sports medical examination was performed in the "Vita Maxima" sports medicine clinic in Belgrade, which provided insight into their health conditions, and an assessment of their health capacity for participation in the study -i.e., for the implementation of maximum CPET (Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing) -was carried out.The basic sports medical examination included: determination of body height, assessment of complete body composition (body weight, height-to-weight ratio (BMI), percentage of body fat (FAT%), 12-channel electrocardiogram (ECG) at rest with determination of heart rate, as well as measurement of arterial blood pressure on both arms and auscultation of the heart and lungs.After the introductory part of the test, which served as a warm-up, the speed of the conveyor belt increased to 9 km/h, and did not change during the test, while the elevation of the belt was raised by 2º every one minute in order to achieve the maximum load.The results of the study showed that maximal oxygen consumption as a measure of aerobic capacity is higher among players playing the positions of point guard and shooting guard compared to centers, but that it differs neither between point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards, nor between small forwards, power forwards, and centers.Furthermore, no difference in maximal oxygen consumption was observed between teams competing in different league ranks.
Physical activity (PA) can be estimated using self-reported forms and using objective methods. Accelerometry is one of the means of objective measure. There is increasing number of papers researching PA In various populations (children, adolescents, adults and seniors) and among different professions (mainly those that require daily physical exertion as law enforcement, military, etc.). There are fewer papers that analyse PE in sports. Sports population covers wide age and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) profile.
Methods
We have analysed 12 athletes that were undergoing dietary intervention. Their sport field were tennis, athletics, free climbing, kayak, box and martial arts. TDEE was estimated using self-reported PA questionnaire. Wrist-worn accelerometer was used (GENEactive) worn on non-dominant hand for 5-7 consecutive days, then the data was processed using manufacturer's guidelines. Data from the questionnaire were calculated according to Compendium of PA of State University of Arizona and compared to accelerometry.
Results
Mean age was 22.5 ( ± 9). Mean TDEE was 2907 kcal ( ± 550 kcal) using questionnaire and 3039 kcal ( ± 1002 kcal) using accelerometry. Results did not not statistically significant differ among methods.
Conclusion
More research on this topic is needed. Accelerometry using GENEActive device could be a useful addition to the standard diagnostic tools.
References
Sirichana W, Sail K, Taylor M, Wang X, Barjaktarevic I, Kleerup E, Cooper C. Limits of the correlation of wrist-worn accelerometry with oxygen uptake. Gas exchange in steady state, altitude, and exercise 2014 A6271–A6271 Joegensen T, Andersen L, Froberg K, Maeder U, Smith Huth L, Aadahl M. Testing physical condition in a population – how good are the methods. European Journal of Sport Science 2009 9(5):257–267
High risk situations may expose special unit forces (SUF) members to significant physiological stress. Cortisol is well-known and frequently used stress marker, particularly sensitive to chronic stress. PURPOSE: To examine diurnal variation of salivary cortisol (sC) in SUF members, as well as to examine the changes in sC in SUF members following exposure to high risk situation. METHODS: Thirty members of SUF participated in the study. For assessment of the individual diurnal cortisol profile, saliva samples were collected 30 min. after awakening at 6:30 (T1), at 09:00 (T2) and at 22:00 (T3) during typical weekday, representative of their everyday life. Fifteen control subjects (non-SUF members) provided three samples at the same intervals. Additional sample from SUF members was taken just after the announcement of high risk situation at 09:00 (Ts). Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated using raw cortisol values for 3 daily samples and with respect to ground. RESULTS: SUF members exhibited significantly higher sC values and greater AUC in comparison to the control group (T1 - 1.38±0.12 vs. 0.96±0.12; T2 - 0.66±0.09 vs. 0.43±0.09; T3 - 0.18±0.03 vs. 0.11±0.03 μg/dL, AUC - 7.9±1.01 μg/dLh vs. 5.35±0.61 μg/dLh; p<0.05). Exposure to the acute physiological stressor resulted in significant elevation in sC (Ts - 1.31±0.13 vs. T2 - 0.69±0.12 μg/dL, p<0.001). The AUC tended to be greater in subjects with 5 and less years then in their more experienced colleagues. (9.25±1.5 vs. 5.85±0.85 μg/dLh; p<0.066). CONCLUSION: The results of the current study indicate that exposure to the high risk situation activates the physiological stress response in SUF members. Repeated exposure to such situations induced increase of sC above values observed in control group, indicating that the members of the special unit forces are under the chronic stress. However, lower sC in more experienced members could be interpreted as physiological adaptation to the job and its demands. Diurnal variation of salivary cortisol secretions reflects work-related stress and recovery and can be used to clarify occupationally induced stress in special unit forces members.
The confirmed benefits of regular moderate exercise on cardiovascular health have positioned athletes as an illustration of well-being. However, concerns have arisen regarding the potential predisposition to arrhythmias in individuals engaged in prolonged strenuous exercise. Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heart arrhythmia, is typically associated with age-related risks but has been documented in otherwise healthy young and middle-aged endurance athletes. The mechanism responsible for AF involves atrial remodeling, fibrosis, inflammation, and alterations in autonomic tone, all of which intersect with the demands of endurance sports, cumulative training hours, and competitive participation. This unique lifestyle requires a tailored therapeutic approach, often favoring radiofrequency ablation as the preferred treatment. As the number of professional and non-professional athletes engaging in high-level daily sports activities rises, awareness of AF within this demographic becomes imperative. This review delivers the etiology, pathophysiology, and therapeutic considerations surrounding AF in endurance sports.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different SARS-CoV-2 strains on the functional capacity of athletes.In total, 220 athletes underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) after coronavirus infection and before returning to sports activities. Eighty-eight athletes were infected by the Wuhan virus, and 66 were infected during the Delta and Omicron strain periods of the pandemic.The CPET results showed significantly decreased maximal oxygen consumption, ventilatory efficiency, and oxygen pulse in athletes who were infected with Wuhan and Delta strains compared to athletes who suffered from Omicron virus infection. An early transition from aerobic to anaerobic metabolic pathways for energy production was observed in the Wuhan and Delta groups but not in athletes who were infected with the Omicron strain. There were no differences in the obtained results when Wuhan and Delta virus variants were compared.These results suggest that the Wuhan and Delta virus strains had a significantly greater negative impact on the functional abilities of athletes compared to the Omicron virus variant, especially in terms of aerobic capacity and cardiorespiratory function.
The physiologic stress induced by intensive physical activity is reflected in transient, but significant immune system alterations, along with oxidative stress and inflammation. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of astaxanthin on mucosal immunity, oxidative stress status, markers of inflammation in soccer players during competitive season. METHOD: Forty trained male soccer players were randomized to astaxanthin (Asx) and placebo (P) groups and under double-blind procedures received 4 mg of Asx or placebo during a competitive half season, over the three-month period (March to May). Saliva and blood samples were collected at the onset of the study and after 90 days of supplementation. The mucosal immunity was evaluated by salivary IgA and oxidative stress status was determined through total oxidative status-TOS, total antioxidative status-TAS and redox balance-RB. In addition, we followed the changes in biochemical parameters and in total and differential white cell counts. RESULTS: ANOVA repeated measures revealed significant supplementation and training interaction effect (p<0.05) on sIgA response in soccer players. We observed a significant increase in resting sIgA secretion rate in Asx group (234 ± 75 to 298±87 μg/min), while there was no significant change in P group (300 ± 72 to 282 ± 60 μg/min). TOS significantly decreased in both groups of soccer players as a result of regular training (Asx: 15.4±1.5 to 5.0±0.5 mmol/L; P : 16.8±1.6 to 5.1±0.5 mmol/L; p<0.001), while RB was reduced as a result of Asx supplementation and training (Asx: 479.1±45.4 to 291.5±33.3 HK U, p<0.05; P: 338.9 ± 48.8 to 258.9±35.8 HK U). Decreased percentage of lymphocytes (39.1 ± 2 to 33.7±1.8 %, p<0.05) and increased percentage of neutrophils (49.3 ± 1.5 to 54.8 ± 2%, p<0.05), as well as increase in hs-CRP (1.26 [0.89 -1.78] to 1.98 [1.24 - 3.17] mg/L, p<0.05) were detected only in P group after 3 months of observational period. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed that dietary astaxanthin improved mucosal immunity in soccer players probably through reducing oxidative stress. Also, the increases in neutrophil count and hs-CRP observed in placebo group were not evident in supplemented group, indicating a significant blunting of the minor inflammatory response in subjects taking astaxanthin.
Background/Aim. Previous investigations in many sports indicated that continued exercise, especially in hot environments, can cause high sweat rate and huge water and electrolyte losses, thus impairing the performance of athletes. Most these studies were conducted during training sessions, but rarely during an official competition. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine pre- and post-competition hydration, fluid intake and sweat loss of young elite basketball players during the FIBA Europe U20 Championship. Methods. The study included 96 basketball male players, (19 ? 0.79 years) of eight national teams. Ambient temperature was 30 ? 2?C, humidity 55 ? 4% and the mean playing time in game 18.8 ? 10.5 min. The following parameters related to hydration status were measured: fluid intake, urine output, sweat rate, percent of dehydration, urine parameters (specific gravity, color and osmolarity), body mass and body surface area. Results. We found that the mean fluid intake was 1.79 ? 0.8 L/h, sweat rate 2.7 ? 0.9 L/h, urine output 55 ? 61 mL and the percentage of dehydration 0.99 ? 0.7%. According to urine osmolarity more than 75% of players were dehydrated before the game and the process continued during the game. The difference in body mass (0.9 ? 0.7 kg) before and after the game was statistically significant. There were statistically significant correlations between the sweat rate and fluid intake, urine osmolarity, body mass loss, body surface area and percentage of dehydration. Fluid intake correlated with the percentage of dehydration, body mass loss, urine specific gravity and urine color. The sweat rate, which varied between the teams, was the highest for centers when this parameter was calculated on the effective time in game. Conclusion. Most of the athletes start competition dehydrated, fail to compensate sweat loss during the game and continue to be dehydrated, regardless what kind of drink was used. These results suggest that hydration strategies must be carefully taken into account, not only by the players, but also by the coaches and the team doctors.