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Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) Supplementation in Sports Training: A Systematic Review
The aim of this systematic review is to study the effects of Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) supplementation for sports activity and physical performance. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for relevant studies from inception up until October 2023. Eleven clinical studies were considered eligible for inclusion (six of them involved the administration of Huangqi alone, while, in the remaining trials, this herb was supplemented in combination with other remedies). On average, the number of study participants ranged from 8 to 120, and the sports activities practiced by the subjects included martial arts, mountain hiking, basketball, rowing, running, aerobic exercises, and strength training. When a dried extract was used, Astragalus was taken at a daily dose of 1 to 4 g for several weeks. Huangqi supplementation was associated with improvements in aerobic performance, oxidative status, reticulocytes percentage, and response to acclimatization, without a specific effect on the athletes’ strength. Better post-exercise immune functions were also observed, especially with regard to NK cell activity, IL-2 levels, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and lymphocyte turnover. No adverse effects were described. In conclusion, Astragalus supplementation has the potential to decrease fatigue, enhance aerobic performance, and mitigate post-exercise immune suppression in athletes. It is advisable to conduct additional research on the subject to enhance the robustness of the existing evidence through larger-scale controlled trials.
  • 152
  • 30 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Acute Fatigue and Cognitive Performance in Team Sports
Fatigue caused by exercise or mentally demanding tasks can lead to an alteration in the cognitive functioning of athletes. I is important to investigate whether and to what extent fatigue influences athletes cognitive performance in sports with high cognitive demands. Prolonged exercise causes a decline in the decision-making, attention, and perception abilities of players. Accuracy of sport-specific tasks with cognitive components included rather deteriorated after both exercise and mental fatigue inducement. However, alteration of players cognitive performance depends on the intensity and duration of fatigue-inducing tasks. 
  • 764
  • 24 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Adapted-Physical Activity for COVID-19 Patients
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been responsible for a global pandemic involving massive increases in the daily numbers of cases and deaths. Due to the emergency caused by the pandemic, huge efforts have been made to develop COVID-19 vaccines, the first of which were released in December 2020. Effective vaccines for COVID-19 are needed to protect the population, especially healthcare professionals and fragile individuals, such as older people or chronic-disease-affected patients. Physical exercise training generally has health benefits and assists in the prevention of several chronic diseases. 
  • 375
  • 16 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Aerobic Exercise Facilitate Vaping and Smoking Cessation
Cigarette smokers try to quit using several strategies including electronic cigarette use (vaping). An alternative, easy and cheap method is exercise. However, little is known about the efficacy of aerobic exercise (AE) to augment smoking and vaping cessation. One such potential alternative smoking cessation (SC) intervention is aerobic exercise. Exercise interventions are categorised as, e.g., aerobic, strengthening or relaxation exercises. Exercise is easy to access and cheap and therefore one may consider exercise as a viable intervention to facilitate SC, particularly via the reduction in nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cigarette craving
  • 378
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Beneficial Mechanisms of Physical Exercise in Alzheimer’s Disease
Physical exercise has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with demonstrated effects on promoting neurogenesis, activating neurotrophic factors, reducing Aβ aggregates, minimizing the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), dampening inflammatory processes, mitigating oxidative stress, and improving the functionality of the neurovascular unit (NVU). Overall, the neuroprotective effects of exercise are not singular, but are multi-targets. 
  • 262
  • 08 Nov 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Benefits of Judo Training for Brain Functions Related to Physical and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults
Judo is a well-known Japanese martial art that also features in Olympic games. Recently, an increasing interest has been observed in the application of judo as a multicomponent exercise, with a growing body of evidence showing that this feature improves physical and cognitive performance in older adults. Therefore, this review highlights the benefits of judo training in preventing physical and cognitive decline in older adults. Specifically, first, this review outlines the basic characteristics of judo (philosophy, match, and training). Subsequently, prior research examining the impacts of judo training on the physical and cognitive aspects of elderly individuals is reviewed. Thereafter, the brain mechanisms underlying the effects of judo training in improving physical and cognitive performance are discussed. Throughout this review, judo training demonstrated some positive effects on physical (gait and balance, among others) and cognitive (memory and executive function) function in older adults. These positive effects are attributed to a variety of changes in the brain (e.g., increased neurotrophic factor expression and increased cerebral blood flow, among others) that affect different brain regions and networks both functionally and structurally. From these findings, this review concludes that judo training can be an effective way to maintain and prevent physical and cognitive decline in older adults.
  • 519
  • 28 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Biomechanical Factors in Track and Field Sprint Start
In athletics sprint events, the block start performance can be fundamental to the outcome of a race. Several biomechanical determinants of sprinters have been identified. In the “Set” position, an anthropometry-driven block setting facilitating the hip extension and a rear leg contribution should be encouraged. At the push-off, a rapid extension of both hips and greater force production seems to be important. After block exiting, shorter flight times and greater propulsive forces are the main features of best sprinters. 
  • 1.1K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Biomechanics of Table Tennis
Table tennis is a popular recreational and competitive sports at all levels. Recent research on table tennis maneuvers identified the differences between playing levels and between maneuvers using parameters which included ball and racket speed, joint kinematics and kinetics, electromyography, and plantar pressure distribution. Different maneuvers underlined changes on body posture and lines of movement which were accommodated particularly by the racket face angle, trunk rotation, knee and elbow joint movements, and thus different contributions of muscles. Higher-level players produced ball and strike at higher accuracy and repeatability but not necessarily lead to higher speed. In addition, higher-level players utilize superior whole-body coordination and footwork to compromise between agility and stability for a quality strike. Strengthening shoulder and wrist muscles could enhance the speed of the strike while personalized training shall be considered since motor coordination and adaptation vary among individuals.
  • 8.0K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Bodybuilding and Myostatin
MSTN is a gene that makes instructions for producing the protein myostatin, a protein that is part of the transforming growth factor beta family (TGFβ). The TGFβ family of proteins control the growth of tissues in the body, myostatin is found nearly exclusively in the skeletal muscles where it is active before and after birth. The protein actually controls skeletal growth by restraining it, preventing muscles becoming excessively large. Current research that surrounds myostatin is based around its potential treatment in muscle wasting disorders, animals that have mutations in the encoding gene MSTN show greater muscle mass, strength and in some circumstances reduced bodyfat, which can be known as myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy. This study aimed to see the prevalence of mutations in the male bodybuilder population (n = 92) and if having a mutation had any affect on their muscle size and/or muscle performance. The study which looked at mutation prevalence in rs1805086, arm circumference, pull-up max and push-up max. The results show that 17% (16) of the subject group had one mutation (AG), 83% (76) had the common outcome (AA) and 0% (0) had two mutations (GG). Those with the AG outcome had an average arm circumference of 46.37cmcompared with AA which had an average of 42.02cm. Those with the AG outcome had an average pull-up max score of 21 compared with AA with an average of 12. Those with the AG outcome had an average push-up max of 61 compared with AA with an average of 40. The study clearly shows that those with a mutation are rare, however the mutation does appear to give the subject a performance and size advantage over those with the common outcome.
  • 5.8K
  • 03 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Born Equal: Can Genetics Make the Perfect Athlete?
Thanks to the dawn of accessible science to map the human genome and the research that is poured into it, genetics are playing a larger role in elite sports. Genetics have a large influence over many attributes necessary for athletic excellence such as strength, muscle size, muscle fibre composition, anaerobic threshold, lung capacity, and flexibility. The aim of the study was to analyse a large database of athletes, comparing their chosen sports and the level that they play. Analysis of the individuals will include genotypes in six heavily studied genes attributed to athlete potential: ACTN3, MSTN, NOS3, ACE, AMPD1 and TRHR. A combination of both nurture and nature will always be required to bring the most out of an individual, however it would be naïve to ignore natural gifts. Genotypes may give an advantage to certain individuals but the lines between which genotype bring the most benefits is blurred, certain genotypes such as those found in MSTN are very uncommon but have very high affinity for power sports and bodybuilding. Other genes such as the once hailed “sports gene” ACTN3 have far more varied distribution and no particular athlete appeared to be hampered from any genotype, however the C allele did have affinity towards strength and power. From the six analysed genes in the study both power/strength athletes and bodybuilders had completed genotype affinity, however these genes seem to have less impact on those that compete in endurance/stamina sports. The  ACTN3 C allele, MSTN G allele, NOS3 T allele, ACE II, AMPD1 C allele and TRHR C allele all show affinity towards power, strength and/or bodybuilding athletes, only the NOS3 C allele showed a true affinity towards endurance/stamina sports. 
  • 1.9K
  • 13 Aug 2022
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