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Biomedical subjects

R J Maughan

Publications and source records attributed to R J Maughan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Exercise-induced muscle damage: effects of light exercise on damaged muscle.

The effects of performing light eccentric exercise (LB) during the period of recovery from a heavy eccentric exercise bout (HB) were studied. An experimental and a control group, each consisting of nine college age volunteers (seven women, two men) performed two HB--HB1 and HB2--14 days apart, using the elbow flexor and extensor muscles of one arm. The experimental group performed an additional LB on the day following the first HB. HB1 resulted in muscle soreness, muscle weakness, changes in elbow joint flexibility, and large delayed increases in serum creatine kinase (CK) activity. The HB2 produced smaller changes in all parameters, indicating that adaptation to the effects of eccentric exercise had occurred in the muscle. The LB did not alter muscle soreness, strength or elbow flexibility, but did reduce or delay CK activity increase after HB1. The LB had no apparent effect on adaptation to HB2.

Adult

Fluid balance and exercise.

The rate of metabolic heat production during prolonged exercise may be increased to 15-20 times that at rest. Evaporation of sweat secreted onto the skin can effectively limit the rise in body temperature which would otherwise occur, but results in the loss of water and electrolytes from the body. Dehydration and an increased thermal load can accelerate the onset of fatigue during exercise. The available evidence supports the idea that ingestion of fluids during prolonged exercise can improve performance. Heart rate and rectal temperature will generally be lower, and plasma volume will be better maintained when fluids are given. There is, however, no general agreement on the optimum formulation nor on the frequency or volume of drinking that is most appropriate. In practice, the ideal solution will depend on a number of factors, including the duration and intensity of the exercise, the environmental conditions and the characteristics of the individual. The variation between individuals is, however, large and the optimum strategy can only be established by subjective experience.

Altitude

Evidence for a possible role of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the genesis of fatigue in man: administration of paroxetine, a 5-HT re-uptake inhibitor, reduces the capacity to perform prolonged exercise.

Seven healthy subjects exercised to exhaustion on a bicycle ergometer at a power output corresponding to 70% of maximum oxygen uptake after administration of either a placebo or 20 mg of paroxetine, a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor. Exercise time after paroxetine (median 94 min; range 84-127 min) was less (P < 0.05) than after placebo (median 116 min; range 86-133 min). The metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses to exercise were the same in both trials. This result supports the suggestion that there is a central component to fatigue which is mediated by the activity of serotoninergic neurones.

Adult

Hematological status of male runners in relation to the extent of physical training.

Blood biochemical indices of iron status were measured in venous blood from 20 runners and 6 control subjects. All subjects were male, ages 20 to 40 years, and stable with regard to body weight and degree of physical activity. Dietary analysis was undertaken using a 7-day weighed food intake. There was no evidence of iron deficiency: hemoglobin concentrations and serum ferritin levels were within the normal population range for all individuals. However, serum ferritin was negatively correlated with the amount of training. Daily iron intake appeared to be adequate; iron intake was correlated with protein intake but not related to training or energy intake. Serum ferritin, an indicator of iron status, was significantly correlated with vitamin C intake but not iron intake. Serum transferrin concentration was higher in the group of athletes undertaking a high weekly training load compared with the control subjects, suggesting an alteration in iron metabolism although there was no evidence of increased erythropoiesis. The biological significance of this is unclear.

Adult

Gastric emptying, absorption, and carbohydrate oxidation during prolonged exercise.

This study was designed to examine aspects of digestive function that may limit assimilation of water and oxidation of orally ingested carbohydrate (CHO) during exercise. Eight males completed a crossover study in which each cycled on four occasions for 80 min at 70% maximal O2 consumption. Beverage was consumed at 0, 20, 40, and 60 min. Beverages were water, 4.5% glucose (4.5G), 17% glucose (17G), and 17% maltodextrin (17MD). CHO beverages contained 20 meq/l NaCl and were 13C enriched to measure exogenous CHO oxidation. Gastric (beverage) volume was measured at 80 min. Water uptake was estimated by including 2H2O in the beverage and measuring 2H accumulation in blood. Jejunal perfusion tests were conducted at rest with the same subjects and beverages. In 60 min, 1,294 +/- 31 (SE) ml were ingested; at 80 min, volumes emptied with H2O (1,257 +/- 32 ml) and 4.5G (1,223 +/- 32 ml) were greater than with 17G (781 +/- 56 ml) and 17MD (864 +/- 71 ml; P less than 0.05). Total CHO oxidized was similar with all beverages, but there was a greater increase in exogenous CHO oxidation over time with 17G and 17MD than with 4.5G; 54, 19, and 18% of the CHO ingested with 4.5G, 17G, and 17MD, respectively, was oxidized. This represents 57, 32, and 27%, respectively, of the CHO emptied from the stomach. 2H accumulation in the blood was more rapid with H2O and 4.5G than with 17G or 17MD. Net jejunal water absorption was greater from 4.5G than from water. Net water absorption was also observed from 17MD, whereas net secretion was observed with 17G.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

The influence of dietary manipulation on plasma ammonia accumulation during incremental exercise in man.

The influence of a pattern of exercise and dietary manipulation, intended to alter carbohydrate (CHO) availability, on pre-exercise acid-base status and plasma ammonia and blood lactate accumulation during incremental exercise was investigated. On three separate occasions, five healthy male subjects underwent a pre-determined incremental exercise test (IET) on an electrically braked cycle ergometer. Each IET involved subjects exercising for 5 min at 30%, 50%, 70% and 95% of their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and workloads were separated by 5 min rest. The first IET took place after 3 days of normal dietary CHO intake. The second and third tests followed 3 days of low or high CHO intake, which was preceded by prolonged exercise to exhaustion in an attempt to deplete muscle and liver glycogen stores. Acid-base status and plasma ammonia and blood lactate levels were measured on arterialised venous blood samples immediately prior to and during the final 15 s of exercise at each workload and for 40 min following the completion of each IET. Three days of low CHO intake resulted in the development of a mild metabolic acidosis in all subjects. Plasma ammonia (NH3) accumulation on the low-CHO diet tended to be greater than normal at each exercise workload. Values returned towards resting levels during each recovery period. After the normal and high-CHO diets plasma NH3 levels did not markedly increase above resting values until after exercise at 95% VO2max. Plasma NH3 levels after the high-CHO diet were similar to those after the normal CHO diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid-Base Equilibrium

Increased blood antioxidant systems of runners in response to training load.

1. Blood antioxidants were measured in venous blood samples from 20 runners and six sedentary individuals. All subjects were male, between 20 and 40 years old, and in steady state with respect to body weight and physical activity patterns. Dietary analysis was undertaken using a 7-day weighed food intake. Correlations were sought between antioxidants in blood and (1) weekly training distance and (2) maximum oxygen uptake. In addition, 12 runners could be classified into two groups undertaking either low (range 16-43 km, n = 6) or high (80-147 km, n = 6) weekly training. 2. Body weight (range 55.3-90.0 kg) and percentage body fat (range 7-19%) both showed negative correlations with the weekly training distance (both P less than 0.001). Energy intake and maximum oxygen uptake were both correlated with the weekly training distance (both P less than 0.001). 3. Plasma creatine kinase activity, an indicator of muscle damage, was significantly correlated with the weekly training distance (P less than 0.01), whereas the plasma concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, an indicator of free-radical-mediated lipid peroxidation, decreased with increased maximum oxygen uptake (P less than 0.01). 4. Erythrocyte alpha-tocopherol content was greater in the two running groups (P less than 0.05) compared with the sedentary group, and lymphocyte ascorbic acid concentration was significantly elevated in the high-training group (P less than 0.01) compared with the low-training group. 5. Erythrocyte activities of the antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, were significantly and positively correlated with the weekly training distance (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Body fat in lean and overweight women estimated by six methods.

Body fat content of seven lean women (body mass index (BMI) 20.6 (SD 1.8) kg/m2) and seven overweight women (BMI 31.1 (SD 3.3) kg/m2) was estimated by six different methods: underwater weighing (UWW), body-water dilution (BWD), whole-body counting (40K), skinfold thickness (SFT), bioelectrical impedance (BEI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Using UWW as the reference method, the differences between percentage fat by each other method and the percentage fat by UWW were calculated for each subject. The mean difference was lowest for SFT and highest for BWD. MRI showed the lowest variability in individual results, and 40K the highest. 40K and BWD methods used in combination gave better agreement with UWW results than either 40K or BWD methods alone. There was a weak negative correlation between the difference from the UWW results and percentage fat in the SFT measurements, but not in the BWD, 40K, BEI or MRI measurements, suggesting that for these methods the assumptions involved produced no greater inaccuracy in the overweight women than in the lean women. In all subjects the BEI offered little improvement over the traditional SFT measurements. The agreement between MRI and UWW estimates in both lean and overweight women suggests that MRI may be a satisfactory substitute for the more established methods of body fat estimation in adult women.

Adipose Tissue

Fluid and electrolyte loss and replacement in exercise.

Prolonged exercise leads to a progressive water and electrolyte loss from the body as sweat is secreted to promote heat loss. The rate of sweating depends on many factors and is increased in proportion to the work rate and the environmental temperature and humidity. Sweat rate is highly variable between individuals, and can exceed 21 h-1 for prolonged periods. Since it is established that dehydration will impair exercise capacity and can pose a risk to health, the intake of fluid during exercise to offset sweat loss is important. Fluid intake is also aimed at providing a source of substrate, usually in the form of carbohydrate. The availability of ingested fluids may be limited by gastric emptying or by intestinal absorption. Gastric emptying of liquids is slowed by the addition of carbohydrate in proportion to the carbohydrate concentration and osmolality of the solution. With increasing glucose concentration, the rate of fluid delivery to the small intestine is decreased, but the rate of glucose delivery is increased. Water absorption in the small intestine is a passive process and is stimulated by the active absorption of glucose and sodium. The optimum fluid for rehydration during exercise depends on many factors, particularly the intensity and duration of the exercise, the environmental conditions, and the individual physiology of the athlete. There is no advantage to fluid intake during exercise of less than 30 min duration. The composition of fluids to be used will depend on the relative needs to replace water and to provide substrate. Where rehydration is a priority the solution should contain some glucose and sodium and should not exceed isotonicity: this will require the glucose concentration to be low (20-309 g l-1) or the substitution of glucose polymers, and the sodium content to be high (perhaps as much as 60 mmol l-1). Where substrate provision is more important, a more concentrated solution, incorporating large amounts of glucose polymers in concentrations of 150-200 g l-1, is to be preferred. To minimize the limitation imposed by the rate of gastric emptying, the volume of fluid in the stomach should be kept as high as is comfortable by frequent ingestion of small amounts of fluid. Addition of sodium, and perhaps also of potassium, may be important for rehydration after exercise.

Drinking

Total and subcutaneous adipose tissue in women: the measurement of distribution and accurate prediction of quantity by using magnetic resonance imaging.

Total and subcutaneous adipose tissue in seven lean and seven obese women were quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The distributions of adipose tissues along the body were closely correlated: subcutaneous with total, both within and between lean and obese groups. Lean women had proportionally less adipose tissue in the lower thorax and upper abdomen than did obese women. Reducing the number of MRI scans from 17 to 4 did not increase the residual SD of predicted body adipose tissue (2.9 percent) when body density was used as the reference measure. MRI gave an estimate of total-body adipose tissue significantly closer to the value for fat percent produced when the results from five other techniques (skinfold thickness, underwater weighing, 40K whole-body counting, isotopic water dilution, and tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance) were averaged than when any other technique was used alone. MRI-determined percent body adipose tissue in women is close to, and proportional to, estimates derived by underwater weighing.

Abdomen

Fluid replacement and exercise stress. A brief review of studies on fluid replacement and some guidelines for the athlete.

Fluid ingestion during exercise has the twin aims of providing a source of carbohydrate fuel to supplement the body's limited stores and of supplying water and electrolytes to replace the losses incurred by sweating. Increasing the carbohydrate content of drinks will increase the amount of fuel which can be supplied, but will tend to decrease the rate at which water can be made available; where provision of water is the first priority, the carbohydrate content of drinks will be low, thus restricting the rate at which substrate is provided. The composition of drinks to be taken will thus be influenced by the relative importance of the need to supply fuel and water, this in turn depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise task, on the ambient temperature and humidity, and on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of the individual athlete. Carbohydrate ingested during exercise appears to be readily available as a fuel for the working muscles, at least when the exercise intensity does not exceed 70 to 75% of maximum oxygen uptake. Carbohydrate-containing solutions appear to be more effective in improving performance than plain water. Water and electrolytes are lost form the body in sweat: although the composition of sweat is rather variable, it is invariably hypotonic with respect to plasma. Sweat rate is determined primarily by the metabolic rate and the environmental temperature and humidity. The sweat rate may exceed the maximum rate of gastric emptying of ingested fluids, and some degree of dehydration is commonly observed. Excessive replacement of sweat losses with plain water or fluids with a low sodium content may result in hyponatraemia. Sodium replacement is essential for postexercise rehydration. The optimum frequency, volume and composition of drinks will vary widely depending on the intensity and duration of the exercise, the environmental conditions and the physiology of the individual. The athlete must determine by trial and error the most suitable regimen.

Adaptation, Physiological

The importance of volume in regulating gastric emptying.

There is now substantive evidence that the provision of exogenous carbohydrate at high rates (1-2 g. min-1) can enhance performance during prolonged exercise. This finding has revived research into the factors determining the rate of exogenous carbohydrate delivery during exercise. While the rate of muscle oxidation of exogenous carbohydrate could be determined by the rate of gastric emptying or of intestinal carbohydrate absorption or of muscle glucose uptake and oxidation, most physiologists seem to have assumed that gastric emptying is the factor that limits the rate of exogenous carbohydrate delivery during exercise. Furthermore, studies of gastric emptying have suggested that the carbohydrate content of the ingested solution is an important factor determining its rate of gastric emptying. However, the findings of recent studies employing a repeated drinking design suggest that the gastric volume and therefore the pattern of drinking during exercise will have a significant, possibly major, influence on the rate of both carbohydrate and water delivery from any solution. This review considers this evidence and its practical implications for athletes who wish to ingest carbohydrate during exercise and for exercise physiologists designing studies to optimize carbohydrate delivery to muscle during exercise. It is proposed that, if gastric volume is an important determinant of the rate of gastric emptying, a more standardized method for reporting the rates of gastric emptying of different solutions should be adopted.

Beverages

Blood antioxidant status and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation following distance running.

The relationship between prolonged exercise, oxidative stress, and the protective capacity of the antioxidant defense system has been determined. Venous blood samples were removed from seven trained athletes before and up to 120 h after completion of a half-marathon for measurements of blood antioxidants, antioxidant enzymes, and indices of lipid peroxidation. Plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, an index of muscle damage, increased (P less than 0.05) to a maximum 24 h after the race but this was not accompanied by changes in conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), which are indices of lipid peroxidation. An increase (P less than 0.05) in plasma cholesterol concentration (4%) immediately after the race was similar to the change in plasma volume (6%). However, transient increases (P less than 0.05) immediately postrace in the plasma concentrations of uric acid (24%), vitamin A (18%), and vitamin C (34%) were only partly accounted for by the fluid shifts. The immediate postrace increases in alpha- and gamma-tocopherol did not attain statistical significance. Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities were unaffected by the exercise but the alpha- and gamma-tocopherol concentrations progressively increased (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.05, respectively) up to 48 h postrace. Paradoxically, 24 h after the race erythrocyte susceptibility to in vitro peroxidation was markedly elevated (P less than 0.01). This enhanced susceptibility to peroxidation was maintained even at 120 h postrace and did not correspond to changes in the age of the red cell population. A decrease (P less than 0.001) in total erythrocyte glutathione immediately after the half-marathon was mainly due to a reduction in the reduced form (GSH). The results show that when trained athletes run a comparatively short distance sufficient to result in some degree of muscle damage but which is insufficient to cause elevations in plasma indices of lipid peroxidation, significant alterations in erythrocyte antioxidant status do occur.

Adult

Effects of exercise intensity on absorption of ingested fluids in man.

Plasma 2H accumulation was measured in six male volunteers after ingestion of drinks containing trace amounts of 2H2O. Subjects fasted overnight and remained seated at rest or exercised on a cycle ergometer at 42, 61 or 80% of their maximum oxygen uptake (VO2, max). The rate of plasma 2H accumulation was faster at rest than during exercise at 61 or 80% of VO2, max (P less than 0.05), and was faster at 42 and 61% than at 80% of VO2, max (P less than 0.05). The time to peak plasma 2H concentration was longer during exercise than at rest. This suggests that strenuous exercise may reduce the availability of fluid ingested during exercise.

Adult

Effects of ibuprofen on exercise-induced muscle soreness and indices of muscle damage.

Thirty-two volunteers participated in a two-period crossover study in which ibuprofen was tested against an identical placebo for its effectiveness in reducing muscle soreness and damage after two bouts of downhill running. Subjective soreness, quadriceps isometric strength and isometric endurance time at 50 percent of maximum strength, serum activities of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate transaminase and serum levels of creatinine and urea were recorded at intervals up to 72 hours after exercise. Each downhill run produced muscle soreness, and a decline in muscle strength and 50 percent endurance time, although these parameters were unaffected by ibuprofen treatment. All serum parameters measured increased after both runs, but for the three enzymes this increase was smaller after the second run. Serum creatine kinase and urea levels were higher in the ibuprofen group after both runs. These results indicate that ibuprofen is not an appropriate treatment for delayed onset muscle soreness and damage.

Adolescent

Studies in human models.

Advances in the development of oral rehydration solutions (ORS) for the treatment of diarrheal disease depend on a knowledge of the disease process itself and of the factors that determine the movement of water and solutes across the gut. The formulation of ORS in current use is based on information derived from a number of different experimental approaches that attempt to take account of these factors. The fate of orally ingested solutions depends first on the processes of gastric emptying that control the rate of entry of fluid to the small intestine and second on the rates of absorption and secretion in the intestine. In the absence of a model that can reliably assess the effects of these two processes together, they are normally investigated separately. The methods of choice for measurement of gastric emptying are gamma scintigraphy and gastric aspiration. Multi-lumen perfusion techniques permit measurement of net flux in short segments of intestine. A promising new technique that takes account of both gastric emptying and intestinal transport involves measurement of accumulation in the circulation of isotopic tracers for water added to ingested solutions. The efficacy of new solutions must, however, ultimately be assessed in clinical trials on patients.

Fluid Therapy

Delayed-onset muscle damage and lipid peroxidation in man after a downhill run.

Lipid peroxidation initiated by free radical reactions is associated with tissue necrosis in a variety of conditions. We have measured serum lipid peroxide concentrations (as total thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, TBARS) and creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities and subjective muscle soreness in 16 men before and after a 45-minute downhill treadmill run. TBARS concentrations and enzyme activities were increased after exercise, with peak values observed at 6 hours (TBARS, LDH) or 24 hours (CK, AST) after exercise. Serum LDH activity returned to preexercise levels by 48 hours after exercise and TBARS by 72 hours after exercise: CK and AST activities remained elevated 72 hours after exercise. Leg muscle soreness also increased, with the greatest degree of soreness seen at 24 or 48 hours after exercise. Subjects with the greatest increase in CK, LDH, and AST also showed the highest serum TBARS concentration. This suggests a possible relationship between free radical generation and exercise-induced muscle damage.

Adult