Goran Kuvačić

Herbal medicine for sports: a review

The use of herbal medicinal products and supplements has increased during last decades. At present, some herbs are used to enhance muscle strength and body mass. Emergent evidence suggests that the health benefits from plants are attributed to their bioactive compounds such as Polyphenols, Terpenoids, and Alkaloids which have several physiological effects on the human body. At times, manufacturers launch numerous products with banned ingredient inside with inappropriate amounts or fake supplement inducing harmful side effect. Unfortunately up to date, there is no guarantee that herbal supplements are safe for anyone to use and it has not helped to clear the confusion surrounding the herbal use in sport field especially. Hence, the purpose of this review is to provide guidance on the efficacy and side effect of most used plants in sport. We have identified plants according to the following categories: Ginseng, alkaloids, and other purported herbal ergogenics such as Tribulus Terrestris, Cordyceps Sinensis. We found that most herbal supplement effects are likely due to activation of the central nervous system via stimulation of catecholamines. Ginseng was used as an endurance performance enhancer, while alkaloids supplementation resulted in improvements in sprint and cycling intense exercises. Despite it is prohibited, small amount of ephedrine was usually used in combination with caffeine to enhance muscle strength in trained individuals. Some other alkaloids such as green tea extracts have been used to improve body mass and composition in athletes. Other herb (i.e. Rhodiola, Astragalus) help relieve muscle and joint pain, but results about their effects on exercise performance are missing.

Effect of Heart rate on Basketball Three-Point Shot Accuracy

The three-point shot (3S) is a fundamental basketball skill used frequently during a game, and is often a main determinant of the final result. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different metabolic conditions, in terms of heart rates, on 3S accuracy (3S%) in 24 male (Under 17) basketball players (age 16.3 ± 0.6 yrs). 3S performance was specifically investigated at different heart rates. All sessions consisted of 10 consecutive 3Ss from five different significant field spots just beyond the FIBA three-point line, i.e., about 7 m from the basket (two counter-clockwise “laps”) at different heart rates: rest (0HR), after warm-up (50%HRMAX [50HR]), and heart rate corresponding to 80% of its maximum value (80%HRMAX [80HR]). We found that 50HR does not significantly decrease 3S% (−15%, P = 0.255), while 80HR significantly does when compared to 0HR (−28%, P = 0.007). Given that 50HR does not decrease 3S% compared to 0HR, we believe that no preliminary warm-up is needed before entering a game in order to specifically achieve a high 3S%. Furthermore, 3S training should be performed in conditions of moderate-to-high fatigued state so that a high 3S% can be maintained during game-play.

Effectiveness of yoga and educational intervention on disability, anxiety, depression, and pain in people with CLBP: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVEnThe current study investigates the effects of an 8-week yoga program with educational intervention compared with an informational pamphlet on disability, anxiety, depression, and pain, in people affected by chronic low back pain (CLBP).nnnMETHODSnThirty individuals (age 34.2u202f±u202f4.52u202fyrs) with CLBP were randomly assigned into a Yoga Group (YG, nu202f=u202f15) and a Pamphlet Group (PG, nu202f=u202f15). The YG participated in an 8-week (2 days per week) yoga program which included education on spine anatomy/biomechanics and the management of CLBP.nnnMAIN OUTCOME MEASURESnMonitoring response to intervention, the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODI-I), Zung self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Numeric Rating Scale for Pain (NRS 0-10) were used to collect data.nnnRESULTSnAfter intervention, the YG showed a significant decrease (pu202f<u202f0.05) in the mean score in all assessed variables when compared with baseline data. In addition, statistically significant (pu202f<u202f0.05) differences were observed among groups at the end of intervention in depression, anxiety, and pain, but not in disability.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe yoga program and education together appear to be effective in reducing depression and anxiety, which can affect perception of pain.

The effect of acute and chronic exercise on steroid hormone fluctuations in young and middle-aged men

&NA; The current study examine the effects of combined sprint and resistance training on serum total testosterone (TT), sex‐hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) and cortisol (C), at rest, and in response to the Wingate Anaerobic‐Test (WAnT) in 21 and 41 years old men. Forty moderately‐trained men were randomly assigned to a young trained (YT), young control (YC), middle‐aged trained (MAT), and middle‐aged control (MAC) group. Before (P1), and after (P2) training, blood samples were collected at rest and after exercise. At P1, higher C and lower TT was observed in middle‐aged groups compared to younger ones (P < 0.05). At P2, basal TT increased significantly (P < 0.05) in MAT and the age‐difference was absent between trained groups (P > 0.05). Basal SHBG decreased significantly in YT at P2 (P < 0.05) but did not change in other groups from before to after training (P > 0.05). Free‐testosterone was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in young compared to middle‐aged groups at P1, but at P2, this age‐related difference disappeared between YT and MAT (P > 0.05). C post‐WAnT increased significantly for MAT only (P < 0.05) at P2, whilst no significant changes were observed in the other three groups (P < 0.05) at P2. In contrast, resting levels of C did not change in all groups at P2 (P > 0.05). The current study demonstrates that this training intervention may help increase steroids hormones in middle‐aged men and counteract the negative effect of age on TT and free testosterone.

A new integrative approach to increase quality of life by reducing pain and fear of movement in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: the IARA model

ABSTRACT Total hip arthroplasty (THA) improve the patients’ quality of life, and one of the most important problems after surgery is to optimize postoperative pain management. It has been shown that pain is intimately linked to the fear of movement, the so-called kinesiophobia, which can affect the entire perioperative period and quality of life in people undergoing THA. In this study, we aimed to present a new integrative approach called IARA model specifically focused on educational interventions such as knowledge and awareness of illness, guided imagery, and drawings to help the patient achieve full autonomy and confidence about the perioperative period and surgery. The Hip Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), Tampa Scale Kinesiophobia (TSK) questionnaire, and Numeric Rating Scale 0–10 have been used to test the efficacy of IARA. The main finding in the present study was the effectiveness of IARA model in improving indexes of pain (p < 0.01) and QoL (p < 0.01) and to keep kinesiophobia levels low in patients undergoing THA.

Enhancing motor learning of young soccer players through preventing an internal focus of attention: The effect of shoes colour

The purpose of this research was to assess how the motor learning skills in 7-years old soccer players can be improved by preventing an internal focus of attention via the use coloured shoes. We painted the classic black soccer shoes in six areas corresponding to six regions of the foot with which it is possible to interact with the ball. Thirty-four 7-years-old soccer players were randomized to two groups (Coloured n = 17 and Black, n = 17) to perform four basic football manoeuvres/tasks: reception (RECP), passing (PASS), ball management (MAGT), and shooting (SHOT). We found highly significant differences (P<0.001) in all four performance tests: mean(sd) RECP: 0.82(0.07) vs. 0.45(0.12); PASS: 0.85(0.07) vs. 0.47(0.09); MAGT: 0.91(0.09); SHOT: 1.00(1.00) vs. 0.44(0.16). Colored shoes appear to draw children’s attention away from body centered cues without explicit verbal communications. We propose that this cognitive adaptation enhanced the technical gesture by preventing the negative processes associated with action constraining when adopting an internal focus attention (perhaps by allowing the foot to adapt to surfaces and movements more naturally than conditions that promote a focus on the body movement). Consequently, this type of coloured footwear could be used during childhood to allow children to enhance the performance of basic football exercises through preventing action constraining and promoting intuitive (non-body centered) action knowledge.

Time-restricted feeding influences immune responses without compromising muscle performance in older men

OBJECTIVEnThis study examined the effect of 12u2009wk of time-restricted feeding (TRF) on complete blood cell counts, natural killer cells, and muscle performance in 20- and 50-year-old men.nnnMETHODSnForty active and healthy participants were randomly divided into young experimental, young control, aged experimental, and aged control group. Experimental groups participated in TRF. Before (P1) and after (P2) TRF, participants performed a maximal exercise test to quantify muscle power. Resting venous blood samples were collected for blood count calculation.nnnRESULTSnNo changes were identified in muscle power in all groups after TRF (Pu2009>u20090.05). At P1, red cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were significantly higher in young participants compared with elderly participants (Pu2009<u20090.05). At P2, this age effect was not found in red cells between the young experimental group and the aged experimental group (Pu2009>u20090.05). At P1, white blood cells and neutrophils were significantly higher in young participants compared with elderly participants (Pu2009<u20090.05). At P2, only neutrophils decreased significantly (Pu2009<u20090.05) in experimental groups without significant (Pu2009>u20090.05) difference among them. Lymphocytes decreased significantly in the aged experimental group at P2 (Pu2009<u20090.05), whereas NKCD16+ and NKCD56+ decreased significantly in experimental groups at P2 (Pu2009<u20090.05). TRF had no effect on CD3, CD4+, and CD8+ levels (Pu2009>u20090.05).nnnCONCLUSIONnTRF decreases hematocrit, total white blood cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in young and older men. TRF may be effective in preventing inflammation by decreasing natural killer cells. As such, TRF could be a lifestyle strategy to reduce systemic low-grade inflammation and age-related chronic diseases linked to immunosenescence, without compromising physical performance.

Reply to the comments on “Improving physical fitness and health status perception in community-dwelling older adults through a structured program for physical activity promotion in the city of Naples, Italy: A randomized controlled trial”: Letters to the Editor

8 Aoyagi Y, Shephard RJ. Habitual physical activity and health in the elderly: the Nakanojo Study. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2010; 10: S236–S243. 9 Jones CJ, Rikli RE. Measuring functional fitness of older adults. J Act Aging 2002; 1: 24–30. 10 Hopkins WG. Measures of reliability in sports medicine and science. Sports Med 2000; 30: 1–15. 11 Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edn. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1988. 12 Cumming G, Fidler F, Vaux DL. Error bars in experimental biology. J Cell Biol 2007; 177: 7–11.

Letter to the Editor concerning “Effects of lumbosacral orthoses on postural control in individuals with or without non-specific low back pain” by J. Mi et al. (Eur Spine J; 2017: DOI 10.1007/s00586-017-5355-5)

According to the literature low back pain is one of the most costly and common healthcare problems [1]. To date, writing ‘low back pain [tiab]’ on PubMed.gov we can find 22,695 articles. For these reasons, it is very important to take into account a solid statistical approach in order to publish an article on this topic. Several letters or technical notes on statistics approach and scientific terminologies [2] were published in scientific journals in the last years to prompt best practices about statistics in scientific writing. In our opinion, the article entitled “Effects of lumbosacral orthoses on postural control in individuals with or without non‐specific low back pain” [3] shown several flaws that may change the conclusions. The aim of this letter is to highlight essential errors and/or omissions we think this paper has. Some points will be addressed in this letter to better explain the state of the art regarding the topic described in the analyzed article.