The Impact of Hyperthecosis on Sporting Performance of Female Players

Testosterone is an anabolic hormone that increases muscle mass and strength, stimulates erythropoiesis, promotes competitive behavior and enhances the sporting performance of female athletes. A comparative study was designed on forty female athletes who were selected from the three public and private sector universities of Lahore, they had been diagnosed with HTC by a qualified gynecologist based on clinical features and lab tests. At the same time, a healthy group of female athletes (n=40) was selected from participants of the same population and having regular menses and showed no clinical features of HTC. The main objectives of the study included: 1) to compare both the groups of female athletes on clinical features of HTC, and 2) to compare both the groups on self-perceived sports performance. Data collection was done using two different instruments involving the “Hyperthecosis Questionnaire (HTCQ)” and “Athlete’s Subjective Performance Scale (ASPS)”. Data analyses involved descriptive analysis followed by an “Independent Sample t test’ to compare the physical and psychological impact of HTC and ANOVA was applied to analyze the impact of HTC on sports performance. There were significant differences between female athletes with HTC and those with Non-HTC on physical and psychological conditions. It can be concluded that female athletes with HTC were more concerned about their physical and psychological conditions. Moreover, their sporting performance was statistically significantly higher than Non-HTC athletes, which is attributed to higher energy levels caused by HTC itself.

Exercise-induced hormone and blood fatigue factor responses to branched-chain amino acids administration in the recovery period after exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) can boost anabolism through an increase in the internal concentration of BCAA, which leads to facilitating anabolic hormone release to stimulate the power of the muscles. Studies on administration of BCAA to minimize fatigue substances during long periods of high intensity exercise have been conducted. However, there are disagreements concerning the results of these studies.Method: A comprehensive search was performed on electronic databases up to November 2019 for trials evaluating the effects of BCAA on recovery following exercise. Mean ± standard deviation of follow-up cortisol, insulin, ammonia, and lactate concentrations were extracted to calculate the effect size for meta-analysis.Results: A total of 146 participants for cortisol and 279 participants for lactate were found from the 7 and 15 studies, respectively. The results revealed a significant effect of BCAA supplementation on cortisol concentration during 120≤ min post exercise follow-up. Moreover, without considering follow-up times, an overall analysis showed that BCAA was effective in reducing blood lactate in aerobic exercise and the trained status of athletes.Conclusions: The advantages of BCAA administration relate to a reduction in cortisol concentration after 2h and ameliorated muscle function because of a probable attenuation of fatigue substances immediately after exercise.

Exercise-induced hormone and blood fatigue factor responses to branched-chain amino acids administration in the recovery period after exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) can boost anabolism through an increase in the internal concentration of BCAA, which leads to facilitating anabolic hormone release to stimulate the power of the muscles. Studies on administration of BCAA to minimize fatigue substances during long periods of high intensity exercise have been conducted. However, there are disagreements concerning the results of these studies.Method: A comprehensive search was performed on electronic databases up to November 2019 for trials evaluating the effects of BCAA on recovery following exercise. Mean ± standard deviation of follow-up cortisol, insulin, ammonia, and lactate concentrations were extracted to calculate the effect size for meta-analysis.Results: A total of 146 participants for cortisol and 279 participants for lactate were found from the 7 and 15 studies, respectively. The results revealed a significant effect of BCAA supplementation on cortisol concentration during 120≤ min post exercise follow-up. Moreover, without considering follow-up times, an overall analysis showed that BCAA was effective in reducing blood lactate in aerobic exercise and the trained status of athletes.Conclusions: The advantages of BCAA administration relate to a reduction in cortisol concentration after 2h and ameliorated muscle function because of a probable attenuation of fatigue substances immediately after exercise.

Influencing Factors and Molecular Pathogenesis of Sarcopenia and Osteosarcopenia in Chronic Liver Disease

The liver plays a pivotal role in nutrient/energy metabolism and storage, anabolic hormone regulation, ammonia detoxification, and cytokine production. Impaired liver function can cause malnutrition, hyperammonemia, and chronic inflammation, leading to an imbalance between muscle protein synthesis and proteolysis. Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) have a high prevalence of sarcopenia, characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and function, affecting health-related quality of life and prognosis. Recent reports have revealed that osteosarcopenia, defined as the concomitant occurrence of sarcopenia and osteoporosis, is also highly prevalent in patients with CLD. Since the differentiation and growth of muscles and bones are closely interrelated through mechanical and biochemical communication, sarcopenia and osteoporosis often progress concurrently and affect each other. Osteosarcopenia further exacerbates unfavorable health outcomes, such as vertebral fracture and frailty. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment of sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and osteosarcopenia, and an understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms involving the liver, bones, and muscles, are important for prevention and treatment. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia elucidated to data in hopes of promoting advances in treating these musculoskeletal disorders in patients with CLD.

Communication Between Autophagy and Insulin Action: At the Crux of Insulin Action-Insulin Resistance?

Insulin is a paramount anabolic hormone that promotes energy-storage in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and liver, and these responses are significantly attenuated in insulin resistance leading to type 2 diabetes. Contrasting with insulin’s function, macroautophagy/autophagy is a physiological mechanism geared to the degradation of intracellular components for the purpose of energy production, building-block recycling or tissue remodeling. Given that both insulin action and autophagy are dynamic phenomena susceptible to the influence of nutrient availability, it is perhaps not surprising that there is significant interaction between these two major regulatory mechanisms. This review examines the crosstalk between autophagy and insulin action, with specific focus on dysregulated autophagy as a cause or consequence of insulin resistance.

Molecular Insulin Actions Are Sexually Dimorphic in Lipid Metabolism

The increment in energy-dense food and low physical activity has contributed to the current obesity pandemic, which is more prevalent in women than in men. Insulin is an anabolic hormone that regulates the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins in adipose tissue, liver, and skeletal muscle. During obesity, nutrient storage capacity is dysregulated due to a reduced insulin action on its target organs, producing insulin resistance, an early marker of metabolic dysfunction. Insulin resistance in adipose tissue is central in metabolic diseases due to the critical role that this tissue plays in energy homeostasis. We focused on sexual dimorphism on the molecular mechanisms of insulin actions and their relationship with the physiology and pathophysiology of adipose tissue. Until recently, most of the physiological and pharmacological studies were done in males without considering sexual dimorphism, which is relevant. There is ample clinical and epidemiological evidence of its contribution to the establishment and progression of metabolic diseases. Sexual dimorphism is a critical and often overlooked factor that should be considered in design of sex-targeted therapeutic strategies and public health policies to address obesity and diabetes.

Appetite-Related Hormones and Subjective Feelings of Hunger and Satiety in Adults Who Regularly Consume Dairy and Those Who Limit Dairy Consumption

Objectives To compare self-reported feelings of hunger and fullness with biological markers associated with appetite and satiety in men and women who are habitual dairy consumers (DC) vs limited dairy consumers (LD). We hypothesize that the DC group will have different appetite perceptions along with different concentrations of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and the anabolic hormone, insulin, before and following a mixed meal challenge. Methods Adults from a cross-sectional study who completed the Block food frequency questionnaire were categorized as DC (n = 40, consumed >2 cup-eq/d of milk, yogurt, and/or cheese), or LD (n = 37, consumed < ½ cup-eq/d of dairy). On a test day, overnight fasted and postprandial blood samples were collected after a (non-dairy) mixed meal challenge at 30 min, 3h, and 6h. Feelings of hunger, fullness, desire to eat, and prospective consumption were measured by visual analog scales (VAS) in the fasted state, and immediately following the mixed meal at 20 min, 40 min, 1h, 1.5h, 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h, and 6 h. Differences in VAS ratings, fasting glucose, insulin, and ghrelin, and 6-h incremental area under the curve (iAUC) between groups were analyzed using t-tests. Results The DC group had lower mean fasting ghrelin (P < 0.001) and higher fasting glucose (P < 0.05) compared to LD. Fasting insulin levels were not different between groups (P = 0.87), nor were there differences for 6-h iAUC for glucose, ghrelin, or insulin. Hunger, fullness, desire to eat, and prospective consumption, summarized as 6-h AUC, were not different between groups. No correlations were found between hormone concentrations and feelings of hunger, fullness, desire to eat, or prospective consumption, at fasting or 30 min, 3h or 6h following meal challenge. Conclusions Regular consumption of ≥2 cup-eq. of dairy was associated with a reduced fasting ghrelin that might signal less hunger compared to low dairy consumers, but no relationship between ghrelin and hunger was found. The postprandial response in ghrelin, glucose, and insulin were not influenced by habitual dairy consumption. Funding Sources Funding was provided by the United States Department of Agriculture and Arla Foods Inc.

Transmitting Insulin: The Design and Look of Insulin Delivery Devices as Technologies of Communication

In this article, we examine how insulin pens and pumps – two major devices for delivering insulin, the anabolic hormone used to treat Type 1 diabetes – are designed to conceal and fashion insulin delivery around their appearance as key communication technologies. Insulin pens and insulin pumps transform the aesthetics of insulin delivery away from the medicalized appearance of syringes toward that of beautiful technological artifacts. They both hide and draw attention to their status as technological artifacts and their medical use through a set of desirable, though sometimes incongruous, device aesthetics. Deliberately marketed around their resemblance to pens or pagers, insulin delivery devices are examples of skeuomorphs that “materialize the metaphor” of writing instruments and telecommunication tools into their design. We analyze how diabetes education and marketing materials present insulin delivery devices through skeuomorphic performances of use that uphold norms of concealment in diabetes self-management in conditions of social and medical surveillance. Drawing on patents, educational and marketing materials, and our own experiences with these devices, we argue that the skeuomorphic design of these devices morally regulates the embodied performance of diabetes.

Syncytin-1 Expression is Increased in Skeletal Muscle of Humans with Obesity and is Inversely Correlated to Muscle Protein Synthesis

Background: Various pathophysiological conditions alter protein metabolism in skeletal muscle, with obesity being one of them. Obesity impairs regeneration of skeletal muscle, and the same biological mechanism(s) may adversely affect protein metabolism in the muscle of these individuals. Methods: We used C2C12 cell line to evaluate the effects of the anabolic hormone insulin on the expression of protein syncytin-1, which regulates regeneration of muscle, and in the presence of fatty acids whose metabolism is altered in obesity. We used muscle biopsy samples from obese humans with lower muscle protein synthesis and lean controls to evaluate expression of syncytin-1 in obesity and its correlation with protein synthesis in muscle. Results: Insulin upregulated syncytin-1 expression in C2C12 cells and this response was impaired in the presence of the fatty acid palmitate, but not oleate. Expression of the protein 4E-BP1, which signals increase in protein synthesis in muscle, showed response similar to that of syncytin-1. Humans with obesity characterized by lower muscle protein synthesis had higher expression of syncytin-1 in muscle compared to lean humans (P < 0.01). The rate of synthesis of protein in skeletal muscle across humans subjects correlated inversely (r = -0.51; P = 0.03) with the expression of syncytin-1 in muscle. Conclusions: Our studies provide novel insights in the regulation of syncytin-1 in skeletal muscle, and describe potential link between syncytin-1 expression and protein metabolism in skeletal muscle of humans. Altered syncytin-1 expression in muscle may mediate lower protein turnover in muscle of humans with obesity.

Rapid and Sensitive Analytical Method for the Determination of Insulin in Liposomes by Reversed-Phase HPLC

Insulin is an important anabolic hormone that regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. In this study, a reverse-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) method was successfully validated and tested for the encapsulation efficiency assay of insulin and in vitro release studies. HPLC analyses were carried out using a RP C18- Luna® Phenomenex (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm particle size) column maintained at room temperature, using a mobile phase constituted by a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% TFA aqueous solution (60:40, v/v), in an isocratic mode with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, with ultraviolet detection at 214 nm and 20 μL of injection volume. Method validation was performed according recognized guidelines for system suitability, specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, LOD, LOQ and robustness. The method was shown to be linear in the range of 0.5–100 μg/mL (r2 = 0.9993) selective, precise, robust, accurate with LOD and LOQ values were 0.097 μg/mL and 0.294 μg/mL, respectively. The developed method proved to be adequate to analyze the encapsulation efficiency and the profile of insulin release from liposomes.