Medicine and science in sports and exercise
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Mar 2012
Asymmetry of quadriceps muscle oxygenation during elite short-track speed skating.
It has been suggested that, because of the low sitting position in short-track speed skating, muscle blood flow is restricted, leading to decreases in tissue oxygenation. Therefore, wearable wireless-enabled near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology was used to monitor changes in quadriceps muscle blood volume and oxygenation during a 500-m race simulation in short-track speed skaters. ⋯ NIRS was shown to be a viable tool for wireless monitoring of muscle oxygenation. The asymmetry in muscle desaturation observed on the two legs in short-track speed skating has implications for training and performance.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Mar 2012
Exercise-induced pain requires NMDA receptor activation in the medullary raphe nuclei.
Pain in response to physical activity is common in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain and is likely a barrier to regular exercise, which would lead to a sedentary lifestyle. We recently developed a model of exercise-induced pain that is associated with increased activation of neurons in the medullary raphe nuclei, i.e., the nucleus raphe obscurus (NRO) and nucleus raphe pallidus (NRP). Because the NRO and NRP not only modulate motor output but also respond to noxious stimuli, we hypothesized that the NRO and NRP were key nuclei in the interaction between pain and exercise. We tested whether exercise enhances hyperalgesia through activation of N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the NRO/NRP. ⋯ Thus, exercise-induced pain in sedentary mice is associated with increased phosphorylation and activation of NMDA receptors in the NRO/NRP, suggesting that changes in central excitability mediate an interaction between unaccustomed exercise and pain.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Feb 2012
Gender differences in head impacts sustained by collegiate ice hockey players.
This study aimed to quantify the frequency, magnitude, and location of head impacts sustained by male and female collegiate ice hockey players during two seasons of play. ⋯ Although the incidence of concussion has typically been higher for female hockey players than male hockey players, female players sustain fewer impacts and impacts resulting in lower head acceleration than males. Further study is required to better understand the intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors that lead to higher rates of concussion for females that have been previously reported.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Feb 2012
Epidural steroid injection for lumbar disc herniation in NFL athletes.
To our knowledge, there is no published information on the efficacy of epidural steroid injections for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation in an athletic population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of epidural corticosteroid injection for treatment of lumbar disc herniation in a group of National Football League (NFL) players. ⋯ In this highly selective group of professional athletes, our results suggest that epidural steroid injections are a safe and effective therapeutic option in the treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Jan 2012
ReviewActiGraph and Actical physical activity monitors: a peek under the hood.
Since the 1980s, accelerometer-based activity monitors have been used by researchers to quantify physical activity. The technology of these monitors has continuously evolved. For example, changes have been made to monitor hardware (type of sensor (e.g., piezoelectric, piezoresistive, capacitive)) and output format (counts vs raw signal). ⋯ This article may help researchers gain a better understanding of the functioning of activity monitors. For example, a common misconception among physical activity researchers is that the ActiGraph GT1M and GT3X are piezoelectric sensor-based monitors. Thus, this information may also help researchers to describe these monitors more accurately in scientific publications.