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This study investigated the long-term cardiovascular effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in elite male athletes by comparing the heart rate variability (HRV), arterial stiffness, and other cardiovascular parameters between those with and without prior COVID-19 infection. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 120 elite male athletes (60 post COVID-19, 60 controls) using anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, pulmonary function tests, HRV analysis, arterial stiffness assessments, hemodynamic monitoring, and microcirculatory function tests. Results: Athletes post COVID-19 showed significantly higher lean mass (p = 0.007), forced vital capacity (p = 0.001), and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (p = 0.007) than controls. HRV parameters did not significantly differ between the groups. Post-COVID-19 athletes exhibited peripheral vascular resistance (p = 0.048) and reflection index (p = 0.038). No significant differences were observed in the blood pressure, cardiac output, oxygen saturation, or microcirculatory oxygen absorption. Conclusions: Elite male athletes showed notable cardiovascular resilience after COVID-19, with only minor differences in vascular function. The maintained cardiac autonomic function and improved lung parameters in post-COVID-19 athletes suggests an adaptive response. These findings support the cardiovascular health of elite athletes following COVID-19 but emphasize the importance of continued monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore how one night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) could affect cognitive and physical performances, as well as subjective experiences in 24 elite Kung-Fu athletes (age: 20.2 ± 1.76 years; body mass: 64.67 ± 6.52 kg; height: 1.71 ± 0.04 m). Participants completed, in a randomized counterbalanced order, two tests sessions in the late-afternoon (separated by 72-h recovery) under normal sleep (NS) and TSD conditions. Specific decision-making skills (decision accuracy (DA) and decision time (DT)), various anaerobic-exercises performance (i.e. seated medicine-ball throw (SMBT), horizontal jump (HJ), vertical jump (VJ), isometric back-muscles strength (IBMS), and isometric leg-muscles strength (ILMS)), mood states, and perceptual responses (attention and concentration) were assessed. The TSD was associated with lower values of vigor, and higher values of anxiety, depression, fatigue, anger, confusion, and total mood disturbance, compared to NS. The TSD resulted in lower attention and concentration, compared to NS. Similarly, lower performances of SMBT, HJ, VJ, and ILMS were recorded after TSD compared to NS. For cognitive performances, the TSD resulted in higher DA and lower DT, compared to NS. In summary, one night of TSD elicits negative effects on decision-making and anaerobic performance in Kung-Fu elites through disturbances in mood and attentional capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the feasibility and reliability of a 12 Ã 25-m repeated sprint test with sprints starting every 25-s in children aged 6-8 years (36 boys, 41 girls). In all subjects, total sprint time (TST) demonstrated high test-retest reliability (ICC: r = .98; CV: 0.7% (95% CI: 0.6-0.9)). While sprint time varied over the 12 sprints in all subjects (p < .001) with a significant increase in time for the third effort onwards compared with the first sprint (p < .001), there was no difference in performance between genders. In all subjects, TST decreased with age (p < .001) and was accompanied by an increase in estimated anaerobic power (p < .001) but also in sprint time decrement percentage (p < .001). Gender did not effect these changes. The present study demonstrates the practicability and reliability of a repeated sprint test with respect to age and gender in young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inspiratory muscle tension-time index TT0.1 (given by P0.1/P1-max x TI/TTOT) could be used to reliably assess inspiratory muscle activity during exercise. So far, the correlation between the TT0.1 and diaphragmatic activity has not been measured and the TT0.1 has not been compared with other measurements of the inspiratory muscle load such as the transdiaphragmatic pressure index or TTdi. In this study we hypothesize that the TT0.1 measuring the mouth is a noninvasive reflection of the electromyographic activity of the diaphragm. We simultaneously measured TT0.1 and surface EMG (SEMG) of 8 trained subjects at rest and during incremental exercise. The curvature of TT0.1 and the root mean square (RMS) follow the same trend during the incremental exercise with a significant correlation between TT0.1 and surface EMG parameters (RMS; r = 0.81 p < 0.001 and MPF; r = 0.80 p < 0.001 respectively). We conclude that TT0.1 measured as s an adequate noninvasive method reflects the diaphragmatic activity during incremental exercise in healthy subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: We investigated the role of mechanical ventilatory constraints in obese class III subjects during incremental exercise. METHODS: We examined 14 control subjects (body mass index [BMI], 23.6 ± 3.2 kg/m2), 15 obese class II subjects (BMI, 37.2 ± 4.5 kg/m2), and 17 obese class III subjects (BMI, 53.4 ± 6.8 kg/m2). All subjects performed pulmonary function tests and maximal inspiratory pressure at rest, ventilatory parameters, flow-volume loops, and rated perceived exertion and breathlessness during exercise. RESULTS: All subjects had normal pulmonary function. Obesity resulted in increased minute ventilation for a given submaximal work rate, although minute ventilation during peak exercise was lowest in the obese class III subjects. End-expiratory lung volume was significantly lower in the obese subjects at rest and during exercise at the ventilatory threshold but not during peak exercise. During heavy-to-peak exercise, the obese subjects increased their end-expiratory lung volume, whereas the control group continued to decrease this parameter. Compared with controls, end-inspiratory lung volume was significantly lower in obese class II subjects and obese class III subjects at rest and at the ventilatory threshold but not during peak exercise. At maximal exercise, obese class III subjects had a greater end-inspiratory lung volume than obese class II subjects and controls. Obese class III subjects displayed a greater expiratory air flow limitation at rest, at the ventilatory threshold, and during peak exercise than both controls and obese class II subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Mechanical ventilatory constraints increase progressively with degrees of obesity, contributing to exercise limitation in obese subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inspiratory muscle tension-time index T T0.1 (given by P 0.1 /P Imax x T I /T TOT ) could be used to reliably assess inspiratory muscle activity during exercise. So far, the correlation between the T T0.1 and diaphragmatic activity has not been measured and the T T0.1 has not been compared with other measurements of the inspiratory muscle load such as the transdiaphragmatic pressure index or TT di . In this study we hypothesize that the T T0.1 measuring the mouth is a noninvasive reflection of the electromyographic activity of the diaphragm. We simultaneously measured T T0.1 and surface EMG (SEMG) of 8 trained subjects at rest and during incremental exercise. The curvature of T T0.1 and the root mean square (RMS) follow the same trend during the incremental exercise with a significant correlation between T T0.1 and surface EMG parameters (RMS; r = 0.81 p < 0.001 and MPF; r = 0.80 p < 0.001 respectively). We conclude that T T0.1 measured as s an adequate noninvasive method reflects the diaphragmatic activity during incremental exercise in healthy subjects.