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The aim of this study was to determine the impact of intensive training on adult final height in elite female rhythmic and artistic gymnasts. The study included 215 rhythmic gymnasts (RG) and 113 artistic gymnasts (AG). AG were below the 50th percentile, while RG were taller than average. Final adult height was lower than target height in AG, while in RG, it exceeded target height. AG started training earlier than RG (p

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intensive physical exercise and acute psychological stress during high level athletic competition as reflected on the levels of salivary cortisol in elite artistic gymnasts (AGs).The study included 239 AGs (142 females-97 males) who participated in the European Championship of Gymnastics in 2006 and 81 adolescents (40 females-41 males), matched for age, as controls. All athletes participated voluntarily in all or parts of the study, providing samples or data for each of the variables measured. Height, weight, body fat, lean body mass (LBM), bone age and Tanner stage of puberty were assessed and data concerning the time of thelarche, adrenarche and menarche as well as, the onset and the intensity (hours per week) of training were obtained.Saliva samples were collected, the morning before training and in the afternoon shortly after the competition. From controls, the saliva samples were collected in the morning. Cortisol concentrations were measured using a chemiluminescence method. Acute stress was assessed using a questionnaire designed for the study.No difference was found between morning and afternoon salivary cortisol levels in both male and female AGs (females: AM: 15.45±7.45nmol/l vs PM: 15.73±9.38nmol/l; males: AM: 10.21±5.52nmol/l vs PM: 9.93±13.8nmol/l, p0.05). Female AGs presented higher levels of morning salivary cortisol than female controls (p0.05). Both male and female AGs had higher degree of psychological stress in comparison with controls (p0.001, p0.013, respectively). Female AGs had higher morning and afternoon salivary cortisol levels (p0.01, p0.01, respectively) and higher degree of stress (p0.003) than males.In elite AGs the diurnal rhythm of salivary cortisol has been abolished, probably due to the strenuous training and competition conditions. Female AGs presented higher levels of morning salivary cortisol and psychological stress compared to both male AGs and female controls. The long term consequences of these modifications of the HPA axis remain to be elucidated.

Οι ομάδες των ορμονών που επηρεάζουν σημαντικά την αύξηση και την ανάπτυξη των παιδιών και των εφήβων, ανήκουν κυρίως στον άξονα της αύξησης και της αναπαραγωγής, στο σύστημα του stress και στο ανοσολογικό σύστημα. Η κορτιλόλη, η λεπτίνη και η IL-6 αποτελούν στρεσογόνους παράγοντες οι οποίοι συνδέονται με τη δυναμική της ανάπτυξης και ενηβωσης του ανθρώπινου οργανισμού. Εκτός από την επίδραση τον ορμονών, η ενήβωση και η αναπαραγωγή του φύλου μπορεί να επηρεαστεί από φαρμακολογικούς παράγοντες, όπως είναι η υδροκορτιζόνη, τα αναβολικά στεροειδή και τα οιστρογόνα. Η φυσική άσκηση είναι ένας τύπος φυσικού stress που προκαλεί πλήθος ορμονικών, μεταβολικών και ανοσολογικών αλλαγών ενώ οι αθλητές και οι αθλήτριες ρυθμικής και ενόργανης γυμναστικής εκτίθονται σε έντονους φυσικούς και ψυχολογικούς στρεσογόνους παράγοντες. Τα τελευταία χρόνια οι προσδιορισμοί στο σίελο προσελκύουν τεράστιο ενδιαφέρον (λόγω του ανώδυνου τρόπου συλλογής του σιέλου) και κυρίως χρησιμοποιούνται στην Ενδοκρινολογία για την παρακολούθηση των επιπέδων των στεροειδών ορμονών. Υλικά και Μέθοδοι: Μελετήθηκαν 142 αθλήτριες και 97 αθηλτές της ενόργανης γυμναστικής υψηλού αγωνιστικού επιπέδου καθώς και 107 αθλήτριες της ρυθμικής γυμναστικής. Ως ομάδα ελέγχου μελετήθηκαν 73 κορίτσια και 68 αγόρια, τα οποία δεν αθλούνταν. Η συλλογή των δειγμάτων έγινε χρησιμοποιώντας μια ειδικά σχεδιασμένη συσκευή συλλογής σιέλου (Salivette). Για τον προσδιορισμό της λεπτίνης στο σίελο χρησιμοποιήθηκε ραδιοανοσολογική μέθοδος ενώ για τον προσδιορισμό της κορτιζόλης η μέθοδος ηλεκτροχημειοφωταύγειας. Για την μέτρηση της IL-6 στο σίελο αναπτύχθηκε και επικυρώθηκε μέθοδος Elisa υψηλής ευαισθησίας. Αποτελέσματα: Οι αθήτριες της ρυθμικής και της ενόργανης γυμναστικής χαρακτηρίζονται από υψηλότερα επίπεδα κορτιζόλης στο σίελο (p

Iodine deficiency (ID) is still a major universal health problem. Iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) affect people of all ages, among whom the most vulnerable are children and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term effects on growth and pubertal development of correcting severe ID in areas of Azerbaijan between 1999 and 2000.Iodized oil was administered orally to 293,000 children, aged 6-16 years. Among those, 364 children were randomly selected and were examined 1 year before the administration of iodized oil (Group I-neg, iodine negative) and 295 children (Group I-Rx, iodine treated) were examined 4 years (Group I-R x 4, iodine treated 4 years later; n = 173) or 5 years (Group I-R x 5, iodine treated 5 years later; n = 122) after the last dose of iodide.In Group I-neg the median urine iodine concentration (UIC) (mcg/L) was 36 (mean: 36.272 +/- 11.036) and increased significantly (p0.001) in Group I-R x 4: 188 (mean: 230.969 +/- 155.818) and in Group I-R x 5: 175 (mean: 201.176 +/- 130.369). The prevalence of goiter was 99% in Group I-neg and 2% in Group I-R x 4. Children in Group I-Rx had a greater standard deviation score (SDS) for height (-0.1364 +/- 1.279, n = 294) than children in Group I-neg (-0.5019 +/- 1.17, n = 363) (p0.001, t = -3.817), which was more significant for boys. SDS for weight was similar in both groups (Group I-neg: -0.17 +/- 0.78, n = 363; Group I-Rx: -0.115 +/- 0.917, n = 294). The rate of puberty development as judged by the development of breast and pubic hair was normalized in both sexes after the correction of ID.Our results demonstrate that long-term correction of severe ID leads to sustained improvement of linear growth accompanied by a normalization of the time of onset of pubertal development for both sexes.