Participation In Endurance Sports Research Articles

Elite female endurance athletes are at increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared to the general population: a matched cohort study

ObjectivePrevious studies have found that endurance sport activity is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in men. However, it remains unclear whether endurance sports also influence the...

Undoing age, redefining gender, and negotiating time: Embodied experiences of midlife women in endurance sports

Despite the increasing participation of midlife women in sports, and biomedical and consumerist discourses encouraging physical activity, research on intersections of age, gender, and the body in sports is lacking or fragmentary. Based on in-depth interviews with Israeli women aged 40–60 years participating in marathons, ultramarathons, and triathlons, we explore how they experience their participation and how these experiences correspond with normative socio-temporal assumptions about midlife transitions, gender, and the body. Findings reveal that endurance sports enable midlife women to challenge dominant discourses on the “decaying” and “menopausal” body by undoing age and formulating gender narratives that include new identities and negotiations of temporal orders. The interplay between undoing age and redefining gender operates through two mechanisms: “embodied experiences” that introduce the body as a material reality and a source of critical knowledge, and the liminality of mid-age as a life-course transition characterized by the absence of institutional and symbolic anchors. We make a twofold contribution to the critical literature on gender and life course. First, we develop the concept of embodied experiences as a vantage point for understanding the intersections of age and gender. Second, we highlight the potential of participation in endurance sports for negotiating temporal orders and formulate new narratives of femininity and aging.

Cross-sectional associations between the diversity of sport activities and the type of low back pain in adulthood

Leisure-time physical activity has a complex relationship with low back pain (LBP). Thus, we aimed to investigate whether the diversity of sport activities is associated with the type of LBP. In the FinnTwin16 study, 4246 (55% females) Finnish twins at mean age 34.1 years replied to a health behaviour survey in 2010–2012. Based on the participation in different sport activities, we created two measures of diversity: quantity (i.e. the number of sport activities: 1, 2, 3, 4 and ≥5) and quality (i.e. the type of sport activity: endurance, strength, body care, etc.). Based on the frequency, duration and type of LBP, we created three groups: no history of LBP lasting more than one day, radiating LBP and non-radiating LBP. The associations between the quantity and quality of sport activities and the type of LBP were investigated with logistic regression analyses. Participation in ≥5 sport activities associated with less radiating and non-radiating LBP in analyses pooled across sex (odds ratio 0.46, 95% CI 0.30–0.69 and 0.66, 0.44–0.99, respectively). However, the associations attenuated after adjusting for several confounders. Participation in endurance sports was associated with less radiating (0.58, 0.43–0.76) and non-radiating (0.60, 0.44–0.81) LBP, whereas strength sports and body care only with less radiating LBP (0.76, 0.58–1.00 and 0.26, 0.09–0.74, respectively) adjusted for all sport types. On a sport-specific level, running and cycling were associated with less radiating and non-radiating LBP. In adulthood, the diversity of sport activities, particularly participation in endurance sports, may be associated with less radiating and non-radiating LBP.

Efecto del consumo de hidratos de carbono en los deportes de resistencia

The aim of this review is to summarize the effects of carbohydrate consumption on endurance sports. Due to the promotion of physical activity by health authorities, participation in endurance sports is increasing. Regardless of the level, athletes look for ways to optimize their performance through training and nutrition. In consequence, research in the field of sports nutrition has focused on those strategies that can improve performance. Fatigue during prolonged exercise is associated with depletion of muscle glycogen and reduced blood glucose concentrations. Therefore, carbohydrate feeding during exercise has shown that it can improve capacity and performance, because it helps maintain blood glucose levels, as well as, increase carbohydrate oxidation rates and preserve glycogen, finding better results when are consumed multiple-tranportable carbohydrates for absortion (e.g., fructose and glucose), since in this way is possible to increase absorption rates, gastric emptying and fluid absorption, in addition to decrease gastrointestinal distress.

Physical Activity Level and Sport Participation in Relation to Musculoskeletal Pain in a Population-Based Study of Adolescents: The Young-HUNT Study.

Background:Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among adolescents is high, and pain in adolescence increases the risk of chronic pain in adulthood. Studies have shown conflicting evidence regarding associations between physical activity and musculoskeletal pain, and few have evaluated the potential impact of sport participation on musculoskeletal pain in adolescent population samples.Purpose:To examine the associations between physical activity level, sport participation, and musculoskeletal pain in the neck and shoulders, low back, and lower extremities in a population-based sample of adolescents.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence 4.Methods:Data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (Young-HUNT3) were used. All 10,464 adolescents in the Nord-Trøndelag county of Norway were invited, of whom 74% participated. Participants were asked how often they had experienced pain, unrelated to any known disease or acute injury, in the neck and shoulders, low back, and lower extremities in the past 3 months. The associations between (1) physical activity level (low [reference], medium or high) or (2) sport participation (weekly compared with no/infrequent participation) and pain were evaluated using logistic regression analyses, stratified by sex, and adjusted for age, socioeconomic status, and psychological distress.Results:The analyses included 7596 adolescents (mean age, 15.8 years; SD, 1.7). Neck and shoulder pain was most prevalent (17%). A moderate level of physical activity was associated with reduced odds of neck and shoulder pain (OR = 0.79 [95% CI, 0.66-0.94]) and low back pain (OR = 0.75 [95% CI, 0.62-0.91]), whereas a high level of activity increased the odds of lower extremity pain (OR = 1.60 [95% CI, 1.29-1.99]). Participation in endurance sports was associated with lower odds of neck and shoulder pain (OR = 0.79 [95% CI, 0.68-0.92]) and low back pain (OR = 0.77 [95% CI, 0.65-0.92]), especially among girls. Participation in technical sports was associated with increased odds of low back pain, whereas team sports were associated with increased odds of lower extremity pain. Strength and extreme sports were related to pain in all regions.Conclusion:We found that a moderate physical activity level was associated with less neck and shoulder pain and low back pain, and that participation in endurance sports may be particularly beneficial. Our findings highlight the need for health care professionals to consider the types of sports adolescents participate in when evaluating their musculoskeletal pain.

The changing circumstance of atrial fibrillation - progress towards precision medicine.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population is between 1% and 2% in the developed world and is higher in men than in women. The arrhythmia occurs much more commonly in the elderly, and the estimated lifetime risk of developing AF is one in four for men and women aged 40 years and above. Projected data from multiple population-based studies in the USA and Europe predict a two- to threefold increase in the number of AF patients by 2060. The high lifetime risk of AF and increased longevity underscore the important public health burden posed by this arrhythmia worldwide. AF has multiple aetiologies and a broad variety of presentations. The primary pathologies underlying or promoting the occurrence of AF vary more than for any other cardiac arrhythmia, ranging from autonomic imbalance to organic heart disease and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, hyperthyroidism and kidney disease, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and participation in endurance sports. Biomarkers are increasingly being investigated and, together with clinical and genetic factors, will eventually lead to a clinically valuable detailed classification of AF which will also incorporate pathophysiological determinants and mechanisms of the arrhythmia. In turn, this will allow the development and application of precision medicine to this troublesome arrhythmia.

Influence of Sports Participation on Bone Health in the Young Athlete: A Review of the Literature

Peak bone mass is attained during the second and third decades of life. Sports participation during the years that peak bone mass is being acquired may lead to adaptive changes that improve bone architecture through increased density and enhanced geometric properties. A review of the literature evaluating sports participation in young athletes, ages 10-30 years, revealed that sports that involve high-impact loading (eg, gymnastics, hurdling, judo, karate, volleyball, and other jumping sports) or odd-impact loading (eg, soccer, basketball, racquet games, step-aerobics, and speed skating) are associated with higher bone mineral composition, bone mineral density (BMD), and enhanced bone geometry in anatomic regions specific to the loading patterns of each sport. Repetitive low-impact sports (such as distance running) are associated with favorable changes in bone geometry. Nonimpact sports such as swimming, water polo, and cycling are not associated with improvements in bone mineral composition or BMD, and swimming may negatively influence hip geometry. Participating in sports during early puberty may enhance bone mass. Continued participation in sports appears to maintain the full benefits of increased peak bone mass, although former athletes who do not maintain participation in sports may retain some benefits of increased BMD. Long-term elite male cycling was reported to negatively influence bone health, and female adolescent distance running was associated with suppressed bone mineral accrual; confounding factors associated with participation in endurance sports may have contributed to those findings. In summary, young men and women who participate in sports that involve high-impact or odd-impact loading exhibit the greatest associated gains in bone health. Participation in nonimpact sports, such as swimming and cycling, is not associated with an improvement in bone health.

Energy Cost and Pole Forces during Nordic Walking under Different Surface Conditions

The purpose of the study was to identify the effect of three different surfaces on energy consumption and the forces acting on the walking poles during ground contact in Nordic walking (NW). Thirteen female NW instructors (age = 26 +/- 4 yr, weight = 58.5 +/- 4.2 kg, height = 168.1 +/- 4.6 cm) volunteered in the study. The subjects walked a distance of 1200 m at a controlled, constant speed of 2.2 m x s(-1) on each of a concrete surface (C), an artificial athletics track (A), and a naturally grown soccer lawn (G). They used NW poles with inbuilt strain gauge force transducers to measure ground reaction forces acting along the long axes of the poles. Oxygen uptake, capillary blood lactate (La), HR, and RPE were measured before and after the tests. Impact forces, maximum forces, force rates during ground contact identified from the registered force time histories, displayed significant differences related to the surface conditions. However, force time integrals did not show surface-related differences. Relative oxygen consumption showed significant differences between NW on C and on G whereas no surface-related differences could be identified between the surface conditions for the parameters La, HR, and RPE. Our data indicate that the impulse that is generated by the poles on the subjects is identical between the varying surfaces. Because there are differences for the oxygen uptake between C and G, the main regulator for the propulsion must be the musculature of the lower extremities. The work of the upper extremities seems to be a luxury effort for Nordic walkers with a proper technique.

Ischaemic colitis in an ironman triathlete: A case report and review of the literature

Participation in endurance sports is growing and gastrointestinal complaints including abdominal pain and rectal bleeding are common. The most severe lower gastrointestinal complication of endurance sport is ischaemic colitis. Only a few cases have been reported, all in amateur long distance runners. The majority of cases involve the right colon and, if diagnosed early and managed appropriately, few patients require operative intervention. A 51‐year‐old male presented 24 h after completing an ironman triathlon with severe right‐sided abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea. Computed tomography confirmed right‐sided ischaemic colitis. Conservative management with intravenous rehydration and antibiotics led to the complete resolution of his symptoms over a 72 h period. Participation in endurance sport is increasing and awareness of its complications is important. In the case of ischaemic colitis related to extreme exertion, early recognition and appropriate management will decrease the risk of potentially life‐threatening complications.

Menstrual Disturbances in Adolescent Athletes without Disordered Eating

Menstrual disturbances in athletes have been shown to result from low energy availability, which is often caused by disordered eating, but may also be the result of inadvertently failing to meet energy needs. Currently, little is known about athletes who have menstrual disturbances without disordered eating. PURPOSE: To describe factors that contribute to menstrual disturbances in adolescent athletes with and without disordered eating. METHODS: Fifty-one female athletes, 15 to 19 y, were screened from a larger cohort, using the Drive for Thinness, Bulimia, and Body Dissatisfaction subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory and a self-developed menstrual history questionnaire, and assigned to one of the following groups: 1) current menstrual disturbances with no disordered eating (MD; n= 10), 2) current menstrual disturbances with disordered eating (MDDE; n= 11), 3) no current menstrual disturbances with disordered eating (DE; n= 14), or 4) no current menstrual disturbances with no disordered eating (CON; n= 16). Self-reported body weight and height, menstrual history, sports participation, weekly training load (min/wk x intensity), and dietary intake (food frequency questionnaire), were assessed. A logistic regression model was used to predict menstrual disturbances in the absence of disordered eating. RESULTS: BMI, training load, and dietary intake were similar between the groups. Age of menarche was higher in the MD group (13.6 ± 1.3 y) than the CON (12.3 ± 1.1 y) (p < 0.05) and the MD group reported fewer menstrual periods during the first year of menstruation than all other groups (p < 0.05). The logistic regression model indicated that age at menarche and participation in endurance sports significantly predicted menstrual disturbances in the absence of disordered eating. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the current study indicate that a later age of menarche and participation in endurance sports are the strongest predictors of menstrual disturbances in adolescent athletes without disordered eating. The number of menstrual cycles during the first year of menstruation may also be a risk factor for menstrual disturbances.