effect of exercise on urinary gamma-glutamyltransferase and protein levels in elite female karate athletes

Post exercise proteinuria and increased urinary Gamma-Glutamyl transferase [GGT] levels can be indicative of exercise-induced renal damage. The aim of this investigation is to study the effect of one session of intensive training on renal damage markers and compare their values to those 6 hours after training. In this cross-sectional study with pre- and post-test design, 10 elite volunteer female athletes were selected and participated in one training session [2 hours]. Urine samples were collected before training, one hour after training, and 6 hours after training. Urinary protein [Pr], creatinine [Cr], and GGT values were measured through laboratory methods and then Pr/Cr and GGT/Cr ratios were computed. There were significant differences between values of protein, GGT and Creatinine in the three sampling phases [P<0.05]. However, no significant differences were observed between values for GGT/Cr and Pr/Cr ratio. There were significant differences between the mean values of Creatinine, protein and GGT within pre-exercise and 1 hour post-exercise and within 1 hour post-exercise and 6 hours post-exercise [P<0.05]. It seems that a session of karate training does not result in renal damage and athletes can continue training after 6 hours

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

Volar approach to extirpate subungual glomus tumor: report of two cases

Glomus tumor is a rare vascular tumor with a predominant subungual location in the hand. Different dorsal transungual surgical approaches have been described for excision of glomus tumor. In this report, the volar approach has been used for extirpation of subungual glomus tumor with osseous erosion and perforated distal phalanx in two patients. When feasible, by applying volar approach, the risk of nail deformity, which is a major concern after the tumor excision, can be eliminated