Promising directions of laboratory diagnostics in spores and fitness

The article describes the main biomarkers for determining human adaptation to physical activity. Analyzed modern scientific publications on the criteria of individual tolerance of food products, studied promising directions of personalized correction of the diet. The authors have formed a group of valid (sports-specific) laboratory indicators, it is proposed to pay close attention to the reference values of laboratory equipment that have “their own” norms. A promising direction of laboratory diagnostic work is the formation of reliable and accessible complementary criteria that are at the “junction” of functional and instrumental diagnostic methods. Metabolomics is viewed as a young but highly effective science for detecting highly specific metabolic characteristics of human health. The authors proposed the main directions of scientific research in laboratory diagnostics in sports.

Postural regulation of teenagers performing pop dance, according to stabilometry data

Knowledge of postural regulation in different sports is useful for sports selection and for improvement of postural stereotypes.Objective: to reveal postural regulation features of teenagers involved in pop dance.Materials and methods: 15 pop dancers involved in dance more than 10 years performed Romberg and optokinetic tests on computer stabilograph “Trust-M Stabilo”.Results: the area and length of the dancers’ statokinesiogram were less than in general sample, statokinesiogram’s pressure center had been dextrally dislocated. Visual disturbances as well as vision deprivation led to statistically significant increase in speed of center of pressure movement along reference plane and in the ratio of statokinesiogram’s length to its area. All these changes were less pronounced than in the general sample.Conclusions: postural regulation of dancers proved to be better than that of healthy people who were not involved in sports.

Main health impairment in the middle-aged former athletes

Objective: to obtain the main reasons for seeking medical assistance in the cohort of former athletes.Materials and methods: health records of 116 former athletes (65 males and 51 females), including 30 high qualification sportsmen were examined during 2006–2020. Mean age (M ± m) was 53.9 ± 1.8 in males and 53.9 ± 1.9 years in females. 52.4 % of males and 54.9 % of females had health records in the Center of clinical diagnostics.Results: cardiovascular pathology and musculoskeletal conditions (neck or back pain or osteoarthritis of the knee or hip) were randomly distributed among males (43.1 and 44.7 % of cases), while there was significant predominance of musculoskeletal conditions in females (62.7 %) than cardiovascular diseases (39.2 %). Gastrointestinal pathology was seen in 18.5 and 23.5 % of cases. Polymorbidity was detected in 50 % of males and in 58.6 % of females.Conclusions: age and gender differences in occurrence of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditions give the opportunity to realize the preventive strategy in former athletes.

Possibilities of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) use in elite sport

Transcranial direct current stimulation has proven to be the method that can modulate neural activity in various cases. As this method has been shown to be effective in improving muscular strength, reaction time and accuracy, motor learning, it seems to be promising in elite sports.This paper provides an overview of studies on tDCS and its impact on central nervous system functioning, with an emphasis on potential sports utility. This review demonstrates that the basic mechanism of the effect of tDCS on nervous system functioning is its ability to modulate the excitability of neurons.tDCS is able to influence various components of electrocortical potentials, the amplitude of the motor evoked potential, as well as the mechanisms of long-term potentiation and, as a consequence, the cellular mechanisms of motor learning and neuroplasticity in general. The beneficial effect of tDCS on attention selectivity and signal detection has been noted. It is also shown that tDCS can accelerate learning and enhance performance in a range of complex cognitive tasks.In addition, a number of studies showing that tDCS can increase the efficiency of performing arithmetic and problem solving tasks are considered.In the context of sports, the influence of tDCS over motor areas on motor learning and on the accuracy of voluntary movements seems to be important. Its ability to influence speed and strength indicators, namely, the maximum isometric force of various muscle groups and explosive strength, as well as endurance indicators seems promising, too. The review also shows that tDCS is reasonably safe and that serious adverse effects are extremely rare; the most common adverse effect is local skin irritation due to poor electrode placement.

Some eating habits and physical activity of players performing in e-sports

Reading the rapidly growing popularity of video games and the accelerating growth of the esports industry requires research into its potential health benefits or harms. The amount of time that esports players spend sitting at computer equipment can have potential negative consequences, including a higher risk of injuries and chronic diseases, of the musculoskeletal system, primarily the muscles of the neck area and cervical spine, visual impairment, and carpal tunnel syndrome. A number of studies have shown that excessive addiction to video games can lead to a wide range of negative mental and then social consequences, such as loss of interest in external activities, social isolation, sleep disturbance, poor academic performance, irritability, aggression, family conflicts, dissatisfaction with everyday life, and decreased memory. Further research in this area is necessary to analyze information about the characteristics of eating behavior, level of physical activity, energy expenditure, body composition of e-sportsmen in order to identify possible potential for improving health, endurance indicators, and sports performance.

Some indicators of free radical oxidation and antioxidant protection in the erythrocytes of former athletes

Objective: to study the main indicators of free radical oxidation and antioxidant protection in the erythrocytes of former athletes, depending on the period of termination of sports.Materials and methods: 24 former male athletes aged 19–29 years were examined, who were divided into 2 groups of 12 people each (1st group — former athletes who stopped training for up to 2 years; 2nd — over 2 years). The control group consisted of 15 practically healthy untrained student volunteers of the same age. In erythrocytes, spectrophotometrically (spectrophotometer Shimadzu 1240, Japan), the activity of antioxidant enzymes was determined: superoxide dismutase (SOD) (K.F. 1.15.1.1) — by inhibiting the reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium by superoxide anion radical at λ = 540 nm, after preliminary processing of erythrocytes by the method of Dubinina E.E. and others [8]; catalase (K.F. 1.11.1.6) — according to the rate of utilization of hydrogen peroxide at λ = 260 nm; glutathione peroxidase (HP) (KF 1.11.1.9) — by the change in the content of reduced glutathione in samples before and after incubation of the substrate with dithiobis-nitrobenzoic acid at λ = 412 nm; glutathione reductase (GR) (K.F. 1.6.4.2) — according to the catalytic NADPH ∙ H+-dependent transformation of the oxidized form of glutathione into the reduced form, the intensity of which was estimated by the rate of decrease in the extinction of samples at λ = 340 nm, at which the NADPH H+ solution has a maximum light absorption (Warburg test).Results: the direction of the shifts in the state of the oxidative balance was established depending on the period of detraining. A significantly lower value of the total antioxidant activity was revealed in the former athletes of the 1st group. This phenomenon is probably associated with a decrease in the efficiency of the enzymatic link of the antioxidant defense in the absence of regular physical exertion, and, as a consequence, an increased consumption of non-enzymatic antioxidants. It was found that the early post-sports period is characterized by significantly lower, in comparison with the control group, the values of the activity of the first-order enzymes (superoxide dismutase) against the background of the increased activity of the second-order enzymes (catalase).Conclusions: the obtained data can be recommended for monitoring the state of athletes who stopped playing sports and taken into account when prescribing rehabilitation measures for the corresponding contingent.

β2-agonists in sports: prevalence and impact on athletic performance

Respiratory disorders caused by exercise are expressed in the development of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and exercise-induced asthma (EIA), which are observed in athletes, especially in cyclic sports, much more often than in the population. Ventilation impairments are exacerbated by inhaled allergens, industrial pollutants and adverse environmental conditions, which increase the risk of EIB and asthma symptoms in athletes. The use of β2-agonists can prevent or eliminate ventilation disorders, however, it requires taking into account current anti-doping rules, which allow the use of certain substances in sports without a request for therapeutic use. The studies of the influence of β2-agonists on functional indicators of athletes and sports performance do not allow to make an unambiguous conclusion about its results. Medications with β2-agonists, approved for use in sports in the form of inhalation, do not have a significant effect on the performance of athletes at major sports competitions. At the same time, the systemic use of these substances and the use of any form of terbutaline caused a positive dynamics in functional indicators, which could lead to an illegal increase in the effectiveness of sports performance. Most of the conclusions about the effect of β2-agonists on outcome are based on a small number of studies, their heterogeneity, and an insignificant number of observations. It is necessary to continue studying the effects of β2-agonists in the course of randomized clinical trials in order to individualize therapy and prevent bronchial obstruction in athletes

The assessment of the structure of anti-doping rules violation and the evaluation of anti-doping measures efficiency in Russian athletics during 2000–2020

The assessment of the structure and trends of doping perpetrations among athletes with a proven high prevalence of doping use might be of great practical interest. Non-compliance with the zero-tolerance policy towards anti-doping rules violators among sports communities with a high prevalence of doping offenses is the main cause of the ineffective fight against doping.Objective: to analyze the structure of anti-doping rule violations and evaluate the effectiveness of measures to counter the spread of doping in Russian athletics in 2000–2020.Materials and methods: to form an objective picture, a database was collected on all anti-doping rule violators in Russian athletics from 2000 to June 01, 2020 from open sources. Retrospective analysis of the protocols of all official competitions held in Russia since 2000 and included in the RUSAF Unified Schedule was performed.Results: 381 cases of anti-doping rule violation committed during 2000–2020 period by 355 athletes were registered. 25 athletes committed 2 doping offenses and 1 athlete 3 ones. Women perpetrated more offenses than men.Conclusions: our study objectified the doping issue in Russian athletics and evaluated the effectiveness of anti-doping measures. The study indicates the need to stop ignoring zero-tolerance policy principles towards doping offenders among the athletic community and creates an incentive to develop functional mechanisms to combat doping.

Psychological prevention of injuries of the musculoskeletal system in elite athletes

The article presents a study of traumatic experiences by high-class athletes (members of the Russian national teams). Data on the subjective sensations of athletes who have suffered from injury of the musculoskeletal system are obtained, patterns in the perception of the consequences of an injury event are revealed. Also we present data on the attitude of athletes to injury in the aspect of professional activity. The analyzed information is an important component in the development of personalized programs for the prevention of reinjury in elite sports.Objective: to assess the psychoemotional experiences of sports trauma by elite athletes in the process of rehabilitation treatment after the musculoskeletal system injury.Materials and methods: a specially developed medical and psychological interview was conducted with athletes-members of the sports national Russian Federation teams, who are inpatient treatment in the sports traumatology department, in order to obtain primary subjective information from the athlete about his presentation of his own experiences of a traumatic episode. Further, the information obtained from the interviews was analyzed and grouped for further evaluation.Results: we state the significant influence exerted by the previous traumatic experience on the future life and professional activity of an athlete. Moreover, the influence can be both negative (fear, anxiety, kinesiophobia, uncertainty in sports-specific movements) and positive (acquired skills of coping with traumatic experiences, gaining new knowledge about one’s physical and psychological capabilities).Conclusions: thus, despite the diversity of individual reactions of athletes to injury, different life situations, sports and traumatic events, it is possible to identify general patterns in the perception of elite athletes of the injury itself, as well as the entire process of recovery and return to sports. This information is very important both for minimizing the negative impact of a sports injury on the psychological recovery of an athlete by switching his attention to identifying the “positive” consequences of the injury, and for the prevention of repeated injuries in elite sports.

Relationship of erythrocyte adrenoreactivity with their quantitative and qualitative characteristics as a method for assessing the rheological properties of blood in athletes

Objective of the study: prediction of the rheological properties of blood in young men with different levels of motor activity (MA) by assessing the relationship between the adrenergic reactivity of erythrocytes (ARE) with their quantitative and qualitative parameters.Materials and methods: the study involved young men with a low (41 people) and a high level of physical activity (athletes — 20 people), aged 21–23 years. In all subjects, the total, individual characteristics of erythrocytes and ARE were determined. ERS was assessed by the change in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) under the influence of adrenaline in vitro at final concentrations of 10–5; 10–6; 10–7; 10–8; 10–9; 10–11; 10–13 g/ml venous blood. According to the nature of the observed effect, in accordance with the direction of ESR shifts, 3 types of ARE were distinguished: increased ESR in the presence of adrenaline — aggregative (Ar, type 1); no changes — areactive (Ap, type 2); decreased ESR — antiaggregatory (AnAg, type 3).Results: in athletes, inverse correlations of the ARE types were established when exposed to stress concentrations of adrenaline (SCA) (above 10–8 g/ml) with the hemoglobin level (r = –0.59, p = 0.008), the average hemoglobin content in the erythrocyte (r = –0.55, p = 0.016), when exposed to physiological concentrations of adrenaline (PCA) (10–9 g/ml and below) — with the corpuscular volume of erythrocytes (r = –0.51, p = 0.029). In young men with a low level of MA, an inverse correlation was found between the minimum ARE values and the number of erythrocytes (r = –0.36, p = 0.01), and the maximum — with the average concentration of hemoglobin in the cell (r = 0.54, p = 0.04).Conclusion: in young men leading a sedentary lifestyle, the tendency of erythrocytes to aggregate under the influence of adrenaline increases with an increase in their number and intracellular viscosity. In athletes, the predominance of the antiaggregatory type of ARE, and, consequently, more stable rheological properties of erythrocytes and an improvement in microcirculation, are facilitated by a decrease in the size of erythrocytes and an average saturation of cells with hemoglobin.