Topic Review
Health Risks of Children in Marathon Races
Compared with other sports, running is popular sport for children throughout the world. Over the last few decades, marathon running has become increasingly popular even in the age group below 18 years. While the majority of youth athletes fall within the 16–18 age range, it is noteworthy that there are also participants younger than 12 years engaging in marathon races. Advice on the safety of youth athletes participating in these events is frequently sought by parents, coaches, sport scientists, and medical professionals, particularly concerning potential short- and long-term health consequences. The act of marathon running has the potential to impact key organ systems during the crucial phases of growth and development. To ensure the safety of marathon running in youth runners, it is essential to address multiple physiological and psychological aspects of health. These recommendations are directed towards ensuring the safe participation of youth athletes in marathon races through proper and individualized assessments.
  • 52
  • 02 Apr 2024
Topic Review
Exercise Stress Echocardiography in Athletes
Exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) is a crucial diagnostic tool, offering detailed insights into an athlete’s cardiac function, reserve, and possible arrhythmias.
  • 38
  • 06 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms in Sports-Related Concussions
Formerly referred to as “post-concussion syndrome”, the term persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) was forwarded in the Berlin Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (2016), in part due to the stigma surrounding the term “syndrome”. This was loosely defined as concussion symptoms lasting longer than 2 weeks in children and 4 weeks in adults, a definition later adopted by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) in 2019. In the latest Amsterdam consensus statement, the PPCS definition was updated to denote symptoms lasting for >4 weeks in all age groups.
  • 193
  • 05 Feb 2024
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.
  • 156
  • 30 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Sleep, Nutrition, and Injury Risk in Adolescent Athletes
Sleep is viewed as essential to the recuperation process and is distinguished as an active participant in recovery through its involvement in growth, repair, regeneration, and immunity. Furthermore, the literature has shown that the sleep of athletes impacts elements of athletic performance including both physical and cognitive performance, recovery, injury risk, and mental well-being. For sleep to have a restorative effect on the body, it must meet an individual’s sleep needs whilst also lasting for an adequate duration and being of adequate quality, which is age-dependent.
  • 192
  • 19 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Exercise Training in Managing Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia associated with impaired carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism, with concomitant absence of insulin secretion or reduced sensitivity to its metabolic effects. Physical activity (PA) is normally suggested in the management of type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM) diabetes mellitus and can improve glucose uptake by increasing insulin sensitivity, glucose transportation into the cells, and lowering body adiposity.
  • 81
  • 16 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Effects of Exercise on Vascular Health
Accelerated biological vascular ageing is still a major driver of the increasing burden of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Exercise training delays this process, known as early vascular ageing, but often lacks effectiveness due to a lack of understanding of molecular and clinical adaptations to specific stimuli. 
  • 99
  • 14 Nov 2023
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. 
  • 269
  • 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.
  • 524
  • 28 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress in Type 2 Diabetes
Oxidative stress is a critical factor in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetes and its associated complications. The imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the body’s antioxidant defence mechanisms leads to cellular damage and dysfunction. In diabetes, chronic hyperglycaemia and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to increased ROS production, further exacerbating oxidative stress. This oxidative burden adversely affects various aspects of diabetes, including impaired beta-cell function and insulin resistance, leading to disrupted glucose regulation. Additionally, oxidative stress-induced damage to blood vessels and impaired endothelial function contribute to the development of diabetic vascular complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, organs and tissues throughout the body, including the kidneys, nerves, and eyes, are vulnerable to oxidative stress, resulting in diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Strategies to mitigate oxidative stress in diabetes include antioxidant therapy, lifestyle modifications, and effective management of hyperglycaemia
  • 210
  • 18 Aug 2023
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