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Will the olympics survive?.

The United States of America dominated 58 events in athletics, field and swimming, which between them accounted for 35 per cent of all events in the Munich Olympiad. 1972; these events favour taller individuals. But, in 25 per cent of other events (1) cycling, (2) fencing, (3) gymnastics, (4) judo, (5) weightlifting and (6) Graeco Roman wrestling the U.S.A. did not win a single medal. The failure of the U.S.A. to maintain her lead in Munich was largely due to weaknesses in these other events in many of which the potential medallists can be derived from the lower half of the height distribution (events 3 to 6). These weaknesses are Russia's strength and they continued to remain unstrengthened at Montreal. Also, the domination held by the U.S.A. in swimming was seriously challenged by East Germany. The present trends indicate that the U.S.A.'s ranking is likely to slip further to the third position in Moscow 1980. Factors inhibiting the survival of the Olympics are pointed.

Adolescent↗

Osteochondroses in athletes.

Osteochondroses are disorders of primary and secondary growth centres, or lesions at the apophyseal or epiphyseal growth areas of bones. Although there are many types of osteochondroses, the history, clinical symptoms and findings as well as radiological findings are typical. Physical exercise is one of the factors that provokes symptoms. In a series of 185 osteochondroses in active young athletes, there were 18 different disorders. The commonest were Osgood-Schlatter's disease, Sever's disease, osteochondritis dissecans of the femoral condyles, various other patellar osteochondroses and Scheuermann's disease. Most of the athletes were from individual events; track and field sports (53.5%), cross-country skiing (8.1%), gymnastics (3.2%) and power events (2.7%). Of the team sports soccer produced the most (20.0%). The treatment was conservative in 84.3% and operative in 15.7%. The duration of symptoms in these athletes persisted in about 43% for less than one year and in 57% for more. The late changes of osteodhondroses do not cause serious risks for a normal life, if the treatment is active and the follow-up efficient.

Adolescent↗

Developing physical fitness for the elderly through sport and exercise.

For maintaining and developing motor mobility in old age motor activity is essential. We can take from the phylogenesis and ontogenesis of the human being how important physical activity is for personality development and for maintaining physical fitness in old age. Many phenomena, which have so far been thought to be due to natural consequences of the ageing process, can now be traced back to lack of physical activity. These findings are illustrated by examples referring to the most important subsystems of our organism (such as the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, etc.). To keep these subsystems and with them our organism as a whole functioning as well as possible, we must improve their specific adaptability through sports and exercise. Sports and exercise for the elderly as well as gymnastics for senior citizens should therefore adequately improve co-ordinative skills, the ability of the muscles to relax, joint flexibility, muscle strength, endurance, vegetative adaptability, stress tolerance, controlling body-weight, and resistance to infections.

Adult↗

Stress fractures of the femoral shaft in women's college lacrosse: a report of seven cases and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Stress fractures do not often occur in the shaft of the femur. They are more common in the femoral neck, the tibial shaft, the metatarsals, and other bones of the foot. In female athletes, stress fractures classically afflict the distance runner, the ballerina, the gymnast, and the figure skater. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of seven college female lacrosse players with femoral shaft stress fractures, and review the literature. RESULTS: The unusual results of this study support the principle that clinical suspicion should be high when treating any female athlete regardless of the sport. In this case series, an abrupt change in the quality of the running surface during the competitive training season was the only underlying common thread among the athletes. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that risk factors for the female athlete are variable and are no longer limited to the undernourished or overtrained.

Adult↗

Surgery in acute patellar dislocation--evaluation of the effect of injury mechanism and family occurrence on the outcome of treatment.

A retrospective study was made of 270 patients and 284 knees with acute patellar dislocation treated operatively. The mean follow up time was 4.1 years. Medical history revealed 21.1% of cases with previous dislocations and 15.6% of cases with family occurrence of patellar dislocation. The dislocation resulted from an athletic performance in 41.5% of cases. The sport events most often associated with patellar dislocation were soccer, gymnastics, and ice hockey. All cases were treated with reefing of medial capsule. Release of lateral patellar retinacula was performed in 243 cases. Two cases were treated primarily with the Elmslie-Roux-Trillat procedure. The subjective result of operative treatment was better and the redislocation rate was lower if the injury mechanism was traumatic rather than non-traumatic and if there was no history for family occurrence of patellar dislocation.

Acute Disease↗

Olecranon stress fracture in a weight lifter: a case report.

Stress fractures have been reported in the upper limb of sportspeople involved in upper limb dominated events. Olecranon stress fractures have been cited in baseball pitchers, javelin throwers, and gymnasts. The unusual case of a stress fracture of the olecranon in a young weight lifter is reported here. The minimally displaced stress fracture was treated with tension band and two Kirschner wires. The fracture healed in four months and the patient returned to light sports activity after six months.

Adult↗

Are synchronised swimmers at risk of amenorrhoea?

OBJECTIVE: Synchronised swimming is a sport that shares certain characteristics with other aesthetically pleasing sports such as gymnastics and dance. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain whether the highest ranked synchronised swimmers in the United Kingdom experience menstrual abnormalities, a common medical problem seen in these related activities. METHODS: Twenty three members of the Great Britain synchronised swimming squad completed a questionnaire on menstrual history. Body composition and VO(2)MAX were measured in the laboratory during regular physiological screening. RESULTS: Three of the 23 subjects were oligomenorrhoeic and none were amenorrhoeic. All were postmenarchal. Mean estimated body fat percentage was 23%, and mean VO(2)MAX was 47.2 ml/kg/min. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that synchronised swimmers in the United Kingdom are relatively protected from menstrual disturbances for reasons that cannot be explained in isolation.

Adipose Tissue↗

Structure and mechanism of DNA topoisomerases.

DNA topoisomerases are ubiquitous enzymes that control the level of supercoiling of DNA in cells. There are several classes, each with distinct properties, which are briefly discussed in this review. High-resolution X-ray crystallographic structures have been obtained for fragments of two classes of these enzymes, which when combined with biochemical data, reveal a great deal about the gymnastics that the enzymes undergo during catalysis and provide fascinating snapshots of their mechanisms. These mechanisms are discussed in detail. Finally, the first structure of a topoisomerase in a complex with an antibiotic was recently solved. This structure is briefly discussed with regard to the biochemical activity of the compound.

DNA Topoisomerases, Type I↗

Mitochondrial morphology and dynamics in yeast and multicellular eukaryotes.

Mitochondria form dynamic tubular networks that continually change their shape and move throughout the cell. In eukaryotes, these organellar gymnastics are controlled by numerous pathways that preserve proper mitochondrial morphology and function. The best understood of these are the fusion and fission pathways, which rely on conserved GTPases and their binding partners to regulate organelle connectivity and copy number in healthy cells and during apoptosis. In budding yeast, mitochondrial shape is also maintained by proteins acting in the tubulation pathway. Novel proteins and pathways that control mitochondrial dynamics continue to be discovered, indicating that the mechanisms governing this organelle's behavior are more sophisticated than previously appreciated. Here we review recent advances in the field of mitochondrial dynamics and highlight the importance of these pathways to human health.

Apoptosis↗

The development of aerobic power in young athletes.

Previous studies investigating the effects of training in children have been hampered in their interpretation by the confounding effects of growth and development. We followed the development of maximal aerobic power (VO2max) in 453 athletes drawn from soccer, swimming, gymnastics, and tennis. Study design was of a mixed longitudinal type with five age cohorts (8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 yr) followed for 3 consecutive years. A multilevel regression modeling procedure was used to identify the independent effects of predictor variables while accounting for the effects of growth, such as changes in body size. When age, height, and weight were controlled for, VO2max in males significantly increased with pubertal status, indicated by the coefficient value of 0.15 l/min being greater than its associated SE of 0.07 l/min. Females showed a similar pattern, with a coefficient value of 0.13 +/- 0.07 l/min, although the significant increase in VO2max (P < 0.05) found in males in the latter stages of puberty was not shown in females. Swimmers had the highest VO2max values (P < 0.001) at all ages.

Adolescent↗

Power training is more effective than strength training for maintaining bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

Physical exercise has a favorable impact on bones, but optimum training strategies are still under discussion. In this study, we compared the effect of slow and fast resistance exercises on various osteodensitometric parameters. Fifty-three postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to a strength training (ST) or a power training group (PT). Both groups carried out a progressive resistance training, a gymnastics session, and a home training over a period of 12 mo. During the resistance training, the ST group used slow and the PT group fast movements; otherwise there were no training differences. All subjects were supplemented with Ca and vitamin D. At baseline and after 12 mo, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine, proximal femur, and distal forearm by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We also measured anthropometric data and maximum static strength. Frequency and grade of pain were assessed by questionnaire. After 12 mo, significant between-group differences were observed for BMD at the lumbar spine (P < 0.05) and the total hip (P < 0.05). Whereas the PT group maintained BMD at the spine (+0.7 +/- 2.1%, not significant) and the total hip (0.0 +/- 1.7%, not significant), the ST group lost significantly at both sites (spine: -0.9 +/- 1.9%; P < 0.05; total hip: -1.2 +/- 1.5%; P < 0.01). No significant between-group differences were observed for anthropometric data, maximum strength, BMD of the forearm, or frequency and grade of pain. These findings suggest that power training is more effective than strength training in reducing bone loss in postmenopausal women.

Aged↗

Prevalence of asthma in a Portuguese countryside town: repercussions on absenteeism and self-concept.

BACKGROUND: Childhood asthma represents an increasing health problem and is the leading cause of hospital admission and absenteeism in children with chronic disease. It also compromises quality of life, eventually contributing to disturbances in self-concept. Self-concept is a recent and global perspective of "the self" and relates to skills, self-image and self-esteem. Little information is available on this topic and there are no data from Portuguese countryside towns. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asthma among all school children in the 5th and 6th grades in a Portuguese countryside town and to establish its possible correlation with absenteeism and self-concept. METHODS: In April 2002, two questionnaires were administered in the presence of the researcher to a group of 950 children attending different schools. The children completed the internationally renowned questionnaires: ISAAC and the Self-Concept Scale by Susan Harter. RESULTS: Our sample (n = 818) had a mean age of 11 years (10-15 years) and a male-to-female ratio of 1/1. The cumulative prevalence of asthma was 11.9 % and that of active asthma was 8.8 %; 63.9 % of asthmatics were male and 36.1 % were female. The mean age of asthmatics was 11.34 years and 74 % had active symptoms. Comparison of this group of 97 asthmatic children with the remaining children revealed a statistically significant correlation between the presence of asthma and school absenteeism (global: p = 0.04; gymnastics: 0.05). Regarding the Self-Concept Scale a statistically significant association was found between the presence of asthma and school achievement (p = 0.027), physical appearance (p = 0.015), behavior (p < 0.000) and self-esteem (p < 0.000). No statistically significant correlations were found in social acceptance (p = 0.289) or athletic competence (p = 0.085). Asthmatic boys had higher self-concept scores than girls, except in the domain of behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve percent of the population studied was asthmatic. In asthmatic children, absenteeism was higher and self-concept was lower for almost all domains, except social acceptance and athletic achievement, probably due to overprotection.

Absenteeism↗

Eating and weight controlling behaviours of young ballet dancers.

Ballet dancers (n = 60) in full-time ballet training and school students (n = 216) completed questionnaires relating to body weight and eating behaviour. Dancers were at lower body weight and had less body fat. Dancers considered they were more preoccupied with thoughts of eating and body weight, felt they had greater difficulty controlling their body weight, used and abused laxatives for weight control, and reported disordered eating more than school students. Two-thirds of dancers and students were currently using at least one method of weight control, dancers favouring not eating between meals, and students exercise. Both groups reported binge eating and using multiple methods to control this behaviour. The pressure for dancers to be at below average weight affects their eating and weight controlling behaviours and their life-style. Young women such as dancers, gymnasts and some athletes are required to be at low body weight. These women maintain high levels of exercise. Whether ballet dancers are self-selected as they are genetically slim, control their body weight with the higher levels of exercise or need to employ strategies to maintain their low body weight, has not been clarified. A significant proportion of ballet dancers have been reported to have symptoms of anorexia nervosa and to be described as 'weight preoccupied'. It has also been suggested that the incidence of disordered eating is greater in women who are under pressure to maintain low body weight. The aim of this study is to compare the eating and weight losing behaviour, attitudes and anthropomorphic characteristics of young women in full-time ballet training and those who are not.

Body Weight↗

Intervention study on obese school-aged children.

Obesity is the visible result of a behavioral disease related to eating and drinking habits. Eating and drinking have to be considered as social activities, which means that an obese child cannot be treated separately but only as a part of his family. With respect to our programme, mother and father (usually one of them has some overweight, too) have to be prepared to join a 1-year therapeutic programme. The familial compliance may be strengthened and even guaranteed by the fact that fellow sufferers can be found in the closest circle. The compliance in question is enforced, moreover, because derision on the part of social environment, which results in isolation, brings obese people together. Generally, overweight children and adults try to overcome such difficulties resorting to pleasurable sensation by additional eating. Thus, a vicious circle is formed and sustained. Our behavioral programme takes 1 year. In the beginning those who are willing to participate are accepted into a 'club'. New members enter discussions and their family eating habits are revealed. As overweight people often eat hastily and alone, the programme starts by teaching them how to eat slowly, how to serve themselves (once per meal only) and that they have to take their meals in company. A 3-week camp organized and managed by a team of responsible therapists takes place in the mountains in July/August. The therapeutic team comprises a physician, a psychotherapist, a school psychologist, a home economics teacher, a gymnastics and swimming teacher, and a social worker.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

The prevalence of spondylolysis in the Spanish elite athlete.

The diagnosis of spondylolysis is a major cause of concern for patients and their families, especially when the patients are young athletes with promising futures in their sports. In this study, 3152 case histories of high-level athletes were evaluated to determine which sports had a higher prevalence of spondylolysis. The overall percentage of spondylolysis among athletes in this study (8.02%) was not very much higher than that among the general population, which varies between 3% and 7%. However, when each sport was considered separately we found much higher values for some sports, with the highest percentages occurring in throwing sports (26.67%), artistic gymnastics (16.96%), and rowing (16.88%). The analysis of the biomechanical movements involved in the sports with greater prevalence of spondylolysis has led us to include the element of torsion against resistance as another possible causative factor for spondylolysis that should be added to the already known causative mechanisms, lumbar hyperextension and rotation. We have divided the sports into three risk groups according to the prevalence of spondylolysis shown and the characteristics of the sample, and we recommend systematic radiological examination of the lumbar spine in athletes considered to be at greater risk of developing spondylolysis.

Adolescent↗

Risk factors for noncontact ankle sprains in high school athletes: the role of hip strength and balance ability.

BACKGROUND: Ankle sprains are among the most common sports injuries. HYPOTHESIS: Poor balance as measured on a balance board and weakness in hip abduction strength are associated with an increased risk of noncontact ankle sprains in high school athletes. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: One hundred sixty-nine high school athletes (101 male athletes, 68 female athletes) from football, men's basketball, men's soccer, women's gymnastics, women's basketball, and women's soccer were observed for 2 years. Balance in single-limb stance on an instrumented tilt board and hip flexion, abduction, and adduction strength (handheld dynamometer) were assessed in the preseason. Body mass, height, generalized ligamentous laxity, previous ankle sprains, and ankle tape or brace use were also documented. RESULTS: There were 20 noncontact inversion ankle sprains. Balance ability (P = .72), hip abduction strength (P = .66), hip adduction strength (P = .41), and hip flexion strength (P = .87) were not significant risk factors for ankle sprains. The incidence of grade II and grade III sprains was higher in athletes with a history of a previous ankle sprain (1.12 vs 0.26 per 1000 exposures, P < .05). A higher body mass index in male athletes was associated with increased risk (P < .05). The combination of a previous injury and being overweight further increased risk (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Balance as measured on a balance board and hip strength were not significant indicators for noncontact ankle sprains. The apparent high injury risk associated with the combination of a history of a previous ankle sprain and being overweight in male athletes warrants further examination.

Adolescent↗

Operative treatment of ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency of the elbow in female athletes.

BACKGROUND: As women become more involved in athletic activity, injuries specific to this population also increase. No data exist regarding operative treatment of female patients with elbow instability secondary to ulnar collateral ligament insufficiency. HYPOTHESIS: Women with symptomatically unstable elbows who failed nonoperative treatment will improve after surgical intervention. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Nineteen women were retrospectively evaluated using the Andrews and Carson Elbow Outcome Score. Patients were included if they underwent repair or reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament for symptomatic instability that precluded them from participation in their desired sport or activities, despite nonoperative treatment. RESULTS: The mean age was 22.0 years (range, 15.1-37.2 years). The mean follow-up was 38.8 months (range, 12.4-68.6 months). Of the 19 patients, 14 were softball players, gymnasts, and tennis players. Only 1 was a pitcher. Eighteen women underwent repair by one of the following procedures: plication (n = 6), repair to bone using anchors (n = 11), or drill holes (n = 1). One patient underwent a palmaris graft reconstruction. The mean overall preoperative outcome score of 120 improved to 191 postoperatively (P < .0001). Seventeen of 18 athletes were able to return to their sport at a mean of 2.5 months postoperatively. One patient did not participate in athletics. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated excellent overall results in 16 and good results in 3 female patients after medial elbow repair or reconstruction. Women appear to be able to consistently return to a high level of function after repair or reconstruction for medial elbow instability.

Adult↗

Passive stability characteristics of ankle braces and tape in simulated barefoot and shoe conditions.

BACKGROUND: Ankle sprains are among the most common injuries in barefoot sport activities such as dance, gymnastics, or trampoline. At present, the use of external ankle devices for prevention of ligament injuries for barefoot activities remains unclear. HYPOTHESIS: External ankle devices have a significant loss of passive stability when used without a shoe in barefoot activities. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Twenty-five healthy subjects participated in the project (mean age, 26.2 +/- 3.3 years; mean body mass, 71.2 +/- 10.3 kg; mean height, 178 +/- 7 cm). Passive range of motion measurements were performed with 3 different ankle stabilizers (a stirrup brace, a lace-up brace, and tape), as well as 2 different shoe conditions (cutout shoe [simulated barefoot] and normal shoe). RESULTS: In the simulated barefoot condition, a significantly reduced stabilizing effect for inversion and eversion (19% and 29%, respectively) was found for the stirrup ankle brace. Small decreases were noted with the soft brace and tape, but these were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The passive stability characteristics of ankle braces depend to a great extent on being used in combination with a shoe. This is especially true for semirigid braces with stirrup design. Therefore, it is recommended that soft braces (like the one tested in the present investigation) be used in barefoot sports for restricting passive range of motion of the foot and ankle complex. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study provides useful information for clinicians to select or recommend an external ankle stabilizing device in barefoot sports to restrict passive range of motion of the foot-ankle complex most effectively.

Adult↗