Monika Chudecka

Body surface temperature distribution in relation to body composition in obese women

Adipose tissue levels and human obesity are known to be associated with increased heat production. At the same time, subcutaneous adipose tissue provides an insulating layer that impedes heat loss. The energy implications of obesity and body thermoregulatory mechanisms remain relatively poorly understood. This study attempted to examine the potential relationship between body composition (subcutaneous and visceral fat) determined by bioimpedance as well as BMI (body mass index), and skin surface temperature distribution recorded at rest. One specific aim of this study was to draw a thermal map of body areas in obese women and compare this with women of normal body mass, and thus to identify body regions within which heat transfer is particularly impeded. As high fat content is a good insulator, it could reduce the bodys ability to respond effectively to changes in environmental temperature, which would be problematic for thermal homeostasis. Our results showed that core temperature did not differ between obese and normal body mass participants, while skin temperature of most body surfaces was lower in obese subjects. The results of regression analysis showed that the mean body surface temperature (Tmean) decreased with increasing percentage of body fat (PBF) of the abdominal area. The opposite relationship was observed for the front area of the hand (simultaneous increase in Tmean and PBF). We also found a negative correlation between BMI and Tmean of the thigh areas, both the front and the back. From this it could be concluded that the mean body surface temperature is dependent on body fat.

INFLUENCE OF THE TEN SESSIONS OF THE WHOLE BODY CRYOSTIMULATION ON AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC CAPACITY

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the influence of whole body cryostimulation on aerobic and anaerobic capacities. MATERIALS AND METHODS To test the hypothesis that whole body cryostimulation improves physical capacity, thirty subjects (fifteen males and fifteen females) undertook two ergocycle trials before and after the ten sessions of cryogenic chamber treatment. To assess baseline aerobic capacity, the progressive cycle ergometer test was applied. This allowed determination of maximal oxygen uptake and ventilatory thresholds. Twenty-second Wingate test was performed to assess baseline levels of anaerobic power. After finishing the treatments in the cryogenic chamber, the exercise protocol was repeated. Before the first, and after the last whole body cryostimulation, venous blood samples were drawn to determine basic blood values, including levels of erythrocytes, leukocytes and thrombocytes, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit. RESULTS There were no changes in aerobic capacity, in both females and males, after ten sessions of 3-minute-long exposures to cryogenic temperature (-130 degrees C). Participation in the whole body cryostimulation caused an increase in maximal anaerobic power in males (from 11.1 to 11.9 W x kg(-1); P < 0.05), but not in females. CONCLUSIONS It can be concluded that whole body cryostimulation can be beneficial, at least in males, for increasing anaerobic capacity in sport disciplines involving speed and strength.

The influence of single whole body cryostimulation treatment on the dynamics and the level of maximal anaerobic power

ObjectivesThe objective of this work was to determine the dynamics of maximal anaerobic power (MAP) of the lower limbs, following a single whole body cryostimulation treatment (WBC), in relation to the temperature of thigh muscles.Materials and MethodsThe subjects included 15 men and 15 women with an average age (±SD) of 21.6±1.2 years. To evaluate the level of anaerobic power, the Wingate test was applied. The subjects were submitted to 6 WBC treatments at −130°C once a day. After each session they performed a single Wingate test in the 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90th min after leaving the cryogenic chamber. The order of the test was randomized. All Wingate tests were preceded by an evaluation of thigh surface temperature with the use of a thermovisual camera.ResultsThe average thigh surface temperature (Tav) in both men and women dropped significantly after the whole body cryostimulation treatment, and next increased gradually. In women Tav remained decreased for 75 min, whereas in men it did not return to the basal level until 90th min. A statistically insignificant decrease in MAP was observed in women after WBC. On the contrary, a non-significant increase in MAP was observed in men. The course of changes in MAP following the treatment was similar in both sexes to the changes in thigh surface temperature, with the exception of the period between 15th and 30th min. The shorter time to obtain MAP was observed in women till 90th min and in men till 45 min after WBC compared to the initial level.ConclusionsA single whole body cryostimulation may have a minor influence on short-term physical performance of supramaximal intensity, but it leads to improvement of velocity during the start as evidenced by shorter time required to obtain MAP.

Thermal Imaging of Body Surface Temperature Distribution in Women with Anorexia Nervosa.

The drastic reduction in body weight observed in anorexia nervosa (AN) leads to various endocrine changes and consequently to disturbance in thermoregulation mechanisms and body temperature. Thermography allows for a noninvasive diagnosis of the distribution of skin surface temperatures, which is especially important for difficult patients such as women with AN, who are often very sensitive and difficult to treat. The main aim of this study was to measure the mean temperatures (Tmean ) of selected body areas in young women diagnosed with AN and identify those areas where the temperature differences were particularly significant between healthy women and them. Additionally, we determined the relationships between body mass index, body composition (especially subcutaneous and VFM) and the value of mean surface temperature (Tmean ) in AN woman. In the subjects with AN, Tmean of the abdomen, lower back and thighs were significantly higher than in the reference group, while Tmean of the hands were significantly lower. Among other things, analysis showed a significant negative correlation between Tmean of the abdomen, lower back and thighs, and the mass of subcutaneous and visceral fat. The lower Tmean of the hand was directly proportional to the reduced anthropomorphic parameters. The direct evaluation of body surface temperature distribution could provide clinical implications for the treatment of anorexic patients, including the potential use of thermotherapy in stimulating the circulatory system, especially in hypothermia, bradycardia and hypotension.

The Variants Within the COL5A1 Gene are Associated with Reduced Risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Skiers

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the association of the BstUI RFLP C/T (rs 12722) and DpnII RFLP C/T (rs 13946) COL5A1 polymorphisms, individually and as haplotypes, with anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in recreational skiers. Subjects were 138 male recreational skiers with surgically diagnosed primary anterior cruciate ligament ruptures. The control group consisted of 183 apparently healthy male recreational skiers, who were without any self-reported history of ligament or tendon injury. DNA was extracted from buccal cells donated by the subjects and genotyping was carried out using real-time PCR. The genotype distributions for both polymorphisms met Hardy- Weinberg expectations in both groups. There were no significant differences in genotype distribution of allele frequencies of COL5A1 BstUI RFLP C/T and COL5A1 DpnII RFLP C/T polymorphisms between the ACL rupture and control groups. The T-T (BstUI RFLP T, DpnII RFLP T) haplotype was the most common (55.6%). The haplotype T-C was not present in any of the subjects. There was an underrepresentation tendency of the C-T haplotype in the study group compared to controls under recessive mode of inheritance. Higher frequency of the COL5A1 BstUI RFLP C/T and COL5A1DpnII RFLP C/T polymorphisms haplotype is associated with reduced risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury in a group of apparently healthy male recreational skiers.

The Use of Thermal Imaging in the Evaluation of the Symmetry of Muscle Activity in Various Types of Exercises (Symmetrical and Asymmetrical).

Abstract In order to achieve higher efficiency of training and thus better athletic performance, new research and diagnostic methods are constantly being developed, particularly those that are non-invasive. One such a method is thermography, suitable for quantitative and therefore objective evaluation of variables, such as changes in the temperature of the skin covering working muscles. The aim of this study was to use a thermal imaging infrared camera to evaluate temperature changes of symmetric body surfaces over symmetrically working muscles of male scullers after exercising on a two-oared rowing ergometer and compare these to asymmetrically working muscles of handball players after an endurance training session containing elements of an actual game. In the scullers, the mean temperature of body surfaces was always lower post than pre exercise, with no significant differences in an average temperature drop between the opposite sides, indicating that the work of the muscles involved in the physical exertion on the rowing ergometer was symmetrical. In contrast, in the handball players, skin temperatures in symmetric areas over the asymmetrically working muscles showed statistically significant differences between sides, which was associated with the functional asymmetry of training. This study indicates that thermal imaging may be useful for coaches in the evaluation of technical preparations in sports in which equal involvement of symmetric muscles is a condition of success, e.g. in scullers.

Temperature changes in selected areas of body surface induced by systemic cryostimulation.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess the distribution and dynamics of temperature changes on the surface of selected body parts after systemic cryostimulation. The changes that occurred as a reaction to the 1st, 5th, and 10th session of a series of 10 sessions were also analyzed. METHODS The study group consisted of 24 students (12 women and 12 men, ∼21 yr of age) from the University School of Physical Education in Krakow. They were treated in a cryogenic chamber at the Rehabilitation Center in Krakow once daily for 10 d. The mean temperature in the chamber was -130°C ± 10°C and the session duration was 3 min. Thermovisual examination of temperature distribution in the selected parts of the upper and lower extremities was conducted before and immediately after a session on the 1(st) (S1), 5(th) (S2), and 10(th) (S3) day of treatment. All thermograms were digitally recorded using a Flir Therma CAM TM Sc500 camera. RESULTS On the 5th day of treatment, the examined group demonstrated the smallest mean temperature changes (4.57°C-17.31°C for the anterior part of the upper extremities in men and the posterior part of the lower extremities in women, respectively) before and after cryostimulation. The most significant temperature changes were observed in the group of women (6.80°C-20.08°C for the posterior parts of the upper extremities on S2 and the lower extremities on S3, respectively). CONCLUSION There is an important difference in response to cryogenic temperature between men and women in a series.

Postural stability and risk of falls per decade of adult life – a pilot study

Abstract A gradual loss of function in the balance system may begin in the fourth decade of life. The effects of this process become visible in old age, when problems with postural stability contribute to falls, making it an important social problem. Early detection of this dysfunction is essential for minimizing the risk of age-related falls, one of the main causes of hospitalization or even death in older adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate somatic factors that may result in the deterioration in postural stability and determine the age range in which the first changes in stability occur. The study included healthy non-sporting adults aged from 20 to 70 years. Four tests based on the Biodex Balance System were used to determine static postural stability, dynamic postural stability, risk of falling and stability limits. The obtained results showed that dysfunctions of dynamic balance appeared significantly earlier than static balance dysfunctions, i.e. as early as at 50 years of age, and then gradually increased. Higher BMI and the percentage and absolute fat content significantly increased the risk of falls and also adversely affected the results of dynamic stability tests.