Effects of intradialytic aerobic training on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients

Sleep disorders are common in hemodialysis patients. They can affect their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of aerobic training on sleep quality, inflammatory status, and serum leptin levels in hemodialysis patients. Twenty-eight men in the age range of 28 to 74 years who were on maintenance hemodialysis and had sleep problems were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned into control and training groups [14 patients in each group]. Patients in the training group performed a 10- to 30-minute stationary cycling, 3 times a week, during the 1st two hours of every dialysis session, for 8 weeks. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Baecke questionnaire on physical activity were filled out for all participants. To assess serum leptin and C-reactive protein levels, blood samples were drawn before the beginning and at the end of the eighth week. At the end of the study, serum leptin and C-reactive protein levels were significantly reduced [P < .001 and P < .001, respectively]. Furthermore, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores of the training group declined significantly after 8 weeks [P < .001]. There was a positive correlation between sleep quality and serum levels of leptin and C-reactive protein [P = .03 and P = .04, respectively]. Aerobic exercise with moderate intensity during the first two hours of a dialysis session could improve sleep quality and inflammatory status of hemodialysis patients, which predicts morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. However, additional research is needed to confirm these effects

Urinary sodium and potassium excretion following karate competitions

Exercise induces renal hemodynamic alterations and stimulates electrolytes excretion. The purpose of this study was to assess urinary excretion of sodium and potassium in karate practitioners, following competitions. The study population composed of 18 healthy men, aged 18 to 21 years, with similar physical characteristics. They were professional karatekas with a history of at least 7 years of karate training. The participants competed in 3 rounds of about 3 minutes in duration with 10 minutes resting intervals between them. The 24-hour urine samples were collected before [while trainings were stopped] and after the match and their sodium and potassium concentrations were measured. Also, blood samples were obtained before and after the match for measurement of these electrolytes in the participants' sera. Before the match, the mean values of urinary sodium and potassium were 200.3 +/- 89.3 mEq/L/d and 68.5 +/- 12.9 mEq/L/d, respectively. After the match, they changed into 206.9 +/- 74.7 mEq/L/d and 67.1 +/- 14.4 mEq/L/d, respectively. No significant alterations were observed in urinary sodium and potassium excretion following karate match [P = .94 and P = .96, respectively]. Serum sodium levels were 136.7 +/- 3.1 mEq/L and 136.3 +/- 2.9 mEq/L, before and after the match, respectively [P = .11], serum potassium levels were 4.2 +/- 0.3 mEq/L and 4.1 +/- 0.2 mEq/L, respectively [P = .16]. With regard to short duration and anaerobic nature of karate, it seems that a Karate match does not contribute to excessive urinary electrolytes excretion