The nutritional status and exercise training programs were compared between adolescent Japanese and Chinese athletes who belonged to the top schools for track and field and basketball in their respective countries. The mean energy intake was about two times greater in Chinese athletes than in their Japanese counterparts. Chinese athletes consumed 1.5-2.0 times more carbohydrate, 1.9-2.3 times more protein, 3.5-7.5 times more calcium, 2.9-3.7 times more iron, 1.72-2.2 times more vitamin B1 and 1.3-1.8 times more vitamin B₂. Almost all the Chinese athletes consumed more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance standards for energy, protein, calcium, iron and vitamins A, B₁, B₂ and C, while many Japanese athletes did not meet them except for vitamin A and C. The Japanese athletes had more inadequate training schedules, insufficient weight training, and unsatisfactory amount and intervals of rest. These results indicate that Japanese athletes have certain deficiencies in their comprehensive training programs in consideration to nutrition, exercise and rest.

A study was performed to investigate the effect of ingestion of two different carbohydrates immediately after exhaustive exercise on muscle glycogen restoration in rats. The carbohydrate solu-tions used were 20% maltodextrin (osmolality: 270 mOsm/kg⋅H₂O) and 20% glucose (osmolality: 1370mOsm/kg·H₂O) . At both 30 and 60 min after oral ingestion, the osmolality in the gastric residue was significantly higher in the group given the glucose solution than in the group given the maltodextrin solution. The concentration of serum glucose at both 30 and 60 min after oral ingestion was significantly higher in the group given maltodextrin than in the group given glucose. Compared to the group given glucose, the group given maltodextrin had significantly higher muscle glycogen contents in M. plantaris and M. gastrocnemius at both 30 and 60 min after oral ingestion. Furthermore, the muscle glycogen contents in the group given maltodextrin returned to the levels in resting control rats 60 min after oral ingestion. Thus it is concluded that ingestion of maltodextrin solution immediately after exhaustive exercise might be effective for rapid restoration of muscle glycogen.

Recently, in order to make chemotherapy, safer and more effective various forms of intervention by pharmacists are needed. In this paper, we report our experience in intervening in the administration of gefitinib to a patient with dysphagia. Chemotherapy with an intravenous drip injection to the 58 year-old woman admitted to our hospital for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was withdrawn due to severe pancytopenia after the first cycle of pharamcotherapy. Then, as an altermative, oral medication, of gefitinib was suggested by medical doctors. However, the oral administration was inappropriate to the condition of the patient. She was unable to keep taking gefitinib pills because she had been suffering from a progressive swallowing disturbance due to progressive non-small cell lung cancer. Thus, we proposed another oral administration method in which gefitinib was resuspended in thickening agents. This method made it possible for the patient to take gefitinib without any adverse events until the day before the patient died.
Patients ; Chemotherapy-Oncologic Procedure ; Non-small cell lung cancer ; Deglutition Disorders ; Needs

This study was designed to investigate the effects of supplementing soy peptide on isometric performances and serum CK and LDH trends after a high intensity eccentric exercise stress. Study subjects consisted of 13 males and were divided into 2 groups. They were instructed to take 4,000 mg of soy peptide or placebo orally before and for 7 days following the initial exercise stress. Soy peptide group revealed significantly faster improvements in knee extension performance at 72 hr-post the eccentric exercise (p<0.05). Comparing with placebo group, soy peptide group showed significantly lower serum LDH activity 168 hr after the exercise (p<0.05), while as to serum CK levels, significant difference was not observed between those 2 groups. These results indicate that oral supplementation of soy peptide could induce not only reduction in serum LDH activity level, but also faster recovering in isometric performance after high intensity repetitive eccentric exercise.

  In order to intervene in the management of pain of cancer from an early stage. Our palliative care team (PCT), including pharmacists, makes the ward rounds (screening rounds) of the patients receiving opioids at our hospital. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of screening rounds activity by the PCT and its current problems, and to explore how to resolve the problems. We retrospectively studied the records of 196 patients who had receivede interventions by the PCT, with regard to intervention status and prescription proposal (228 subjects) about drug therapy by us. Study groups were as follows: 103 patients to whom interventions were deliveed at the request of medical doctors (intervention request group) and 93 patients who had interventions by the PCT after PCT-screening rounds (screening group). PCT-screening rounds caused to increase the number of interventions by the PCT. After PCT-screening rounds, the cases of intervention started by the request of medical doctors, who had given no heed to PCT intervention, also increased in numher. In this study, some problems with palliative intervention were also brought to light. Even in the screening group where the PCT largely intervened, 33% of prescription proposal by the PCT was ignored. This problem may be, at least in part, due to inadequate communication between PCT and ward staff through an electronic medical recording card, leading to poor relationship between PCT and ward staff. In the future, the PCT needs to work cooperatively with ward staff through direct communication such as medical conference to perform better intervention.

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial was undertaken to evaluate the synergic effects of coenzymeQ10 (CoQ10) and creatine (Cr) through oral supplementation on the intermittent short duration high-intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer. Twenty-eight male athletes were divided into four groups of CoQ10 and Cr (CoQ10+Cr), CoQ10 (CoQ10+Pl), Cr (Pl+Cr) and placebo group (Pl+Pl). Each participant was instructed to have 100 mg of CoQ10 and/or 5 g of Cr per day for 2 weeks. Repetitive 5 bouts of 10-sec high-intensity cycle exercise tests were performed before and after supplementations. After supplementations, subjects in (CoQ10+Cr) revealed most improved performance in mean power outputs at the 2^nd (p<0.05), the 3^rd (p<0.05), the 4^th (p<0.05) and the 5^th set (p=0.06), comparing with the participants in the other 3 groups. These findings suggest that enhanced mean power output on repetitive short duration high-intensity exercise can be acquired after supplementing CoQ10 combined with Cr.

We report two cases in which insomnia successfully treated with sansoninto alone or in combination and the effectiveness could be objectively evaluated with the portable sleep test. Case 1 was 40-year-old man who had suffered from arousal during sleep and daytime fatigue for several years. After taking sansoninto with ninjinto, his symptoms improved. Case 2 was 60-year-old woman who had suffered from a lack of deep sleep and daytime sleepiness. After taking sansoninto, she could get a deep sleep and could have less daytime sleepiness. In this report, we present that portable sleep test conducted before and after treatment confirmed that sleep quality improved. Sansoninto is one of the curative medicines for insomnia, but we believe this is the first report showing objective therapeutic effects using portable sleep test.