Athletes ; Humans ; Physical Conditioning, Human ; physiology ; Running ; physiology

To evaluate the effect of aerobic and anaerobic endurance training the regulating the function of autonomic nervous system, in order to provide scientific basis for optimizing the project of physical fitness training. Fourty-one healthy young men were randomly divided into aerobic and anaerobic endurance training groups. The training period was 8 weeks. Pre-exercise, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after trained, HRV were measured compared with pre-exercise. The autonomic balance in aerobic endurance group had an increasing parasympathetic activity (HF, HFnu, RMSSD, PNN50, all P was < 0.05) and relatively decreasing sympathetic activity (LFnu). This group showed a parasympathetic predominance (LF/HF) and increase of HRV. While in the anaerobic group there was a relative stabilization with the function of autonomic nervous system. The present study shows that the effect of aerobic and anaerobic endurance training on the autonomic nervous system depends on its intensity. Proper intensity of anaerobic endurance training may be beneficial to improve the adaptability of human body for circumstances as aerobic endurance training.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Autonomic Nervous System ; physiology ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise ; physiology ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Endurance ; physiology ; Running ; physiology ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; physiology ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo search for a stimulation method for increasing athletes' performance.

METHODSOne hundred and fifty athletes were randomly divided into a trial group and a control group, 75 athletes in each group. Acupoints were stimulated with audio frequency pulse modulated wave and multi-blind method were used to investigate effects of the electric stimulation of acupoints on 30-meter running, standing long jumping and Cybex isokinetic testing index.

RESULTSThe acupoint electric stimulation method could significantly increase athlete's performance (P < 0.05), and the biomechanical indexes, maximal peak moment of force (P < 0.05), force moment accelerating energy (P < 0.05) and average power (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONElectrical acupoint stimulation can enhance athlete's rapid strength.

Acupuncture Points ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Electric Stimulation ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Running ; Sports Medicine

INTRODUCTIONThis study investigated the responses of plasma endotoxin and pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines during a 21-km road race in warm and humid conditions. The influence of carbohydrate-electrolyte (CE)-water (WA) drink mix ingested on leukocyte subset responses and the association between plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentration and fluid balance, exercise intensity, and body core temperature (Tc) were also studied.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThirty runners provided blood samples before and after the half-marathon for leukocyte, LPS and cytokine analyses. Tc was measured by the ingestible telemetric temperature sensor and fluid intake and split-times were recorded at 3 km intervals. Exercise intensity was determined by matching running speed and heart rate during the race with the corresponding speed-oxygen uptake relationship and heart rate measured in the laboratory 2 to 6 weeks before the race.

RESULTSPlasma LPS concentration increased from 1.9 +/- 1.9 pg/mL before, to 2.5 +/- 1.9 pg/mL after running (P <0.05). Peak plasma LPS concentration was 7.5 pg/mL. Plasma IL-1beta and TNF-concentration did not change significantly, whereas significant increases in IL-10 (50%), IL-1ra (23.2%) and IL-6 (65.2%) were observed after the race. No significant correlation between plasma LPS concentration and exercise intensity, hydration and Tc was observed.

CONCLUSIONLeukocyte subset responses were not related to the ratio of CE and water drink mix ingested. Running a half-marathon can induce mild endotoxaemia, which is not related to exercise intensity, fluid balance, and Tc responses. Mixing CE drink with water did not mitigate postexercise leukocytosis and lymphopenia.

Adult ; Beverages ; Cytokines ; immunology ; Endotoxins ; blood ; immunology ; Fluid Therapy ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Humidity ; Leukocytes ; immunology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; immunology ; Male ; Physical Exertion ; physiology ; Running ; physiology

In this report we analyse a case of ischiatic tuberosity avulsion. A 15-year-old patient who came to our first aid department two days after a football match accident was treated conservatively and examined at month 1-4, 6 and 12. In order to examine patient condition, a new index was formulated: the inability score index (ISI), which is based on hip range of motion and scales for rest, walking, running pain and compared to other parameters such as oedema area, fragment diastasis evaluated by X-ray and CT accordingly. ISI defines the inability as severe, moderate and mild. It guides the rehabilitative program in the right way. In this case, the patient was able to run softly after 35 days and to go back to the full agonist activity after 4 months. At the end of treatment the patient referred to the complete pain remission, full range of motion recovery and a good fracture consolidation. After 1 year we discuss about therapeutic strategies used and results obtained.
Adolescent ; Disability Evaluation ; Football ; injuries ; Fractures, Bone ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; physiopathology ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Ischium ; injuries ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Range of Motion, Articular ; physiology ; Running ; physiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), as an overused injury of the lower extremities, has developed into a common cause of lateral knee pain. At present, the treatment of ITBS includes drug therapy, muscle strength training, physical therapy, and surgical treatment. Among these methods, physical therapy, drug therapy, and surgical treatment can only alleviate the symptoms of patients. As a safe and effective treatment, lower limb muscle strength training can improve patients' muscle strength, correct abnormal gait, and reduce the recurrence rate of the disease by paying attention to the dynamic changes of patients' recovery process. At present, the pathogenesis of ITBS remains unclear, and the treatment methods are not unified. It is necessary to further study the biomechanical factors related to the lower extremities and develop more scientific and comprehensive muscle strength training methods.
Humans ; Resistance Training ; Running/physiology* ; Iliotibial Band Syndrome/diagnosis* ; Lower Extremity ; Physical Therapy Modalities/adverse effects* ; Knee Joint ; Muscle Strength/physiology* ; Muscles/injuries* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

OBJECTIVE: To compare changes in T2 relaxation on magnetic resonance (MR) images of knee articular cartilage in younger and older amateur athletes before and after running. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By using a 3.0-T MR imager, quantitative T2 maps of weight-bearing femoral and tibial articular cartilages in 10 younger and 10 older amateur athletes were acquired before, immediately after, and 2 hours after 30 minutes of running. Changes in global cartilage T2 signals of the medial and lateral condyles of the femur and tibia and regional cartilage T2 signals in the medial condyles of femoral and tibia in response to exercise were compared between the two age groups. RESULTS: Changes in global cartilage T2 values after running did not differ significantly between the age groups. In terms of the depth variation, relatively higher T2 values in the older group than in the younger group were observed mainly in the superficial layers of the femoral and tibial cartilage (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Age-related cartilage changes may occur mainly in the superficial layer of cartilage where collagen matrix degeneration is primarily initiated. However, no trend is observed regarding a global T2 changes between the younger and older age groups in response to exercise.
Age Factors ; Aging/physiology ; *Athletes ; Cartilage, Articular/*physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint/*physiology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Running/*physiology ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Weight-Bearing/physiology ; Young Adult

Although marathon has been considered as a simple or natural event, the multiple factors affect its performance such as physique and physical fitness including physical, technical, and mental factors. Academic disciplinary topics for talent identification in marathon performance are supported by physical characteristics, exercise physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, psychology, biomechanics, development and growth, evaluation and measurement. The scientific factors of marathon consist of physical and physiological characteristics of runners, overcoming trial of environmental effects, nutritional and psychological approach, ergogenic aid, effective training program, shoes and clothes. Especially, cardiopulmonary-related physical fitness is evaluated by maximal oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold, oxygen transport rate, and lactate tolerance. These scientific approaches for the improvement of running performance have been applied to the pick-up of excellent runner, exercise training, and actual running race for the overcome of limiting factors as environmental condition, exercise-induced fatigue, and injury, etc. In conclusion, we must consider the scientific factors for actual running race with physiological or psychological paradigm, technical application, nutritional approach, genetic analysis and information and communication and technology (ICT) convergence science for the scientific consideration of improvement in marathon running performance.
Anaerobic Threshold ; Aptitude ; Biochemistry ; Clothing ; Continental Population Groups ; Education ; Fatigue ; Genetics ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Oxygen ; Physical Fitness ; Physiology ; Psychology ; Running ; Shoes ; Sports*

To investigate the effect of forced running in motor-driven wheel on neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of adult rats, 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analog was applied to mark cell proliferation. Neuroepthelial stem cell protein (nestin) expression was used to identify neural stem/precursor cells. The BrdU- and nestin-positive cells were examined by immunohistochemical technique. The ability of learning was evaluated by Y-maze test to explore the functional role of the newborn cells in the DG after forced running. It was found that the number of BrdU- and nestin-positive cells in the DG in running groups was significantly increased compared to that in the control group (P<0.05). The effect of forced running on neurogenesis was intensity-dependent. In addition, an improvement of learning ability in Y-maze test was observed after forced running. These findings suggest that forced running in motor-driven wheel could enhance neurogenesis in the hippocampal DG of adult rats and improve learning ability.
Animals ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; metabolism ; Cell Survival ; Dentate Gyrus ; cytology ; physiology ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; analysis ; Learning ; Male ; Maze Learning ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; analysis ; Nestin ; Neurons ; physiology ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Running

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of carnitine on function of respiratory chain and metabolism of oxygen radical in mitochondria of skeletal muscle after exhaustive running in training rats. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 10): control, carnitine, training and training + carnitine groups. The training and training + carnitine groups received 6-week treadmill training, whereas carnitine and training + carnitine groups were administered intragastrically with carnitine (300 mg/kg per day, 6 d/week) for 6 weeks. After exhaustive running, all the rats from 4 groups were sacrificed to obtain quadriceps muscles samples, and muscle mitochondria were extracted by differential centrifugation. Spectrophotometric analysis was used to evaluate activities of respiratory chain complexes (RCC) I-IV, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the skeletal muscle mitochondria. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the carnitine group exhibited increased RCCI and RCCIII activities (P < 0.05), the training + carnitine group exhibited increased RCCI, RCCIII and RCCIV activities (P < 0.05 or 0.01). Moreover, RCCIII activity in the training + carnitine group was higher than that in training group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the carnitine, training and training + carnitine groups showed increased SOD activities ( P < 0.01), the carnitine and training + carnitine groups showed increased GSH-Px activities ( P < 0.01), the carnitine, training and training + carnitine groups showed increased MDA contents (P < 0.05 or 0.01). The SOD and GSH-Px activities in training + carnitine group were higher than those in training group (P < 0.01), and the MDA level in the training + carnitine group was higher than that in the carnitine and training groups (P < 0.01). These results suggest that training and carnitine can increase function of respiratory chain, antioxidation and lipid peroxidation tolerance capacity in skeletal muscle mitochondria, and the improving effects of training and carnitine are synergistic.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Carnitine ; pharmacology ; Electron Transport ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mitochondria, Muscle ; drug effects ; physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; drug effects ; physiology ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Running ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism