Descriptive body composition profile in female olympic volleyball medalists defined using multichannel bioimpedance measurement: rio 2016 team case study / Perfil descriptivo de la composición corporal en medallistas femeninos de voleibol olímpico definido mediante medición de bioimpedancia multicanal: estudio del equipo Rio 2016

The subject of this paper was the study of the morphological status of top elite women volleyball players, Rio 2016 Olympic medal winners, with the aim of obtaining reliable quantitative data, used to determine the morphological model and to control the morphological status of top elite women volleyball players. This study tested 12 top elite women volleyball players who participated in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and won the silver medal. Measurements of body composition were conducted one day before departing for the Rio Olympic Games, on 25th June, 2016, using electrical bioimpendance analysis (BIA), with the InBody 720 Tetrapolar 8-Point Tactile Electrode System analyzer. The study included 29 variables: 17 original variables, four voluminosity-dependent variables, six longitudinality-dependent variables, and two combined index variables. The results showed that average height of the women players was 188.93±6.49 cm, the overall mean BM value for the Serbian team was 75.56±6.97, the overall mean BMI value for the team was 21.08±1.30 kg•m-2, while the mean values for percent skeletal muscles and body mass were 48.95±1.78 % and 13.43±2.70 %, respectively. Upon a thorough analysis of the results of the study, it can be argued that in all measured anthropomorphological characteristics the top elite women volleyball players from the tested sample had a body type of remarkable basic longitudinality, i.e., BH, and a body composition mainly characterized by very high muscle mass but such a low amount of body fat that it bordered on the biological minimum for women.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar el estado morfológico de las jugadoras de voleibol de élite, ganadoras de la medalla olímpica Rio 2016 y obtener datos cuantitativos confiables para determinar el modelo morfológico y controlar el estado morfológico de las mejores jugadoras de voleibol de elite. Este estudio estudió a 12 jugadoras de voleibol de élite que participaron en los Juegos Olímpicos de Rio 2016 y ganaron la medalla de plata. Las mediciones de la composición corporal se realizaron un día antes de partir para los Juegos Olímpicos de Río, el 25 de junio del año 2016. Se realizó un análisis de bioimpedancia eléctrica (ABI), con el analizador de sistema de electrodos táctiles Tetrapolar 720 de 8 puntos. El estudio incluyó 29 variables: 17 variables originales, cuatro variables dependientes de voluminosidad, seis variables dependientes de la longitud y dos variables de índice combinadas. Los resultados mostraron que la estatura promedio de las jugadoras fue de 188,93 ± 6,49 cm, el valor medio general de MC para el equipo serbio fue de 75,56 ± 6,97, el valor medio total de IMC para el equipo fue de 21,08 ± 1,30 kg • m-2, mientras que los valores medios para el porcentaje de músculos esqueléticos y la masa corporal fueron 48.95 ± 1.78 % y 13.43 ± 2.70 %, respectivamente. Tras un análisis exhaustivo de los resultados del estudio, se puede argumentar que en todas las características antropomorfológicas medidas, las jugadoras de élite de voleibol femenino, de la muestra analizada, tenían un tipo corporal de notable longitudinalidad básica, por ejemplo, AC y una composición corporal caracterizada principalmente por una masa muscular muy alta, pero una cantidad tan baja de grasa corporal que limita con el mínimo biológico para las mujeres.

Early detection of iron deficiency in elite athletes: could microcytic anemia factor (Maf) be useful?

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to establish the sensitivity and specificity of the microcytic anemia factor (Maf(®)), which is generated by the Coulter LH 750 analyzer in the evaluation of iron depletion and iron-deficient erythropoiesis in athletes. METHODS: A total of 142 athletes were divided into three groups: with iron depletion, with iron-deficient erythropoiesis, and controls. The following parameters were measured: RBCs (red blood cells), Hb (hemoglobin), Hct (hematocrit), MCV (mean cellular volume), MCH (mean cell hemoglobin), MCHC (mean cell hemoglobin corpuscular), RDW (red cell distribution width), Maf(®), Reticulocytes, Ferritin, sTfR (soluble transferrin receptor), Transferrin, Haptoglobin, IL- 6 (Interleukin-6), hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein). RESULTS: The best Maf(®) value to exclude iron depletion in athletes was 130.3, showing a sensitivity of 72.6% and a specificity of 57.3%. The AUC was 0.690 (CI 95% 0.607-0.765, P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis for Maf(®) in the diagnosis of iron-deficient erythropoiesis indicates sensitivity of 61.5%, and specificity of 93.0%, with AUC = 0.826 (CI 95% 0.754-0.885, P < 0.001) and on cutoff value 114. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that Maf(®) generated by the Coulter LH 700 Series hematology analyzers, performs very well in discriminating healthy athletes and those with different stages of iron deficiency. Also, in cost/benefit terms, monitoring of Maf(®) is justified as a low cost, effective screening parameter for determining iron status in athletes.

Proxidant* antioxidant balance in supplemented elite female volleyball athletes during a six week training period.

AIM: The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) associations with the commonly measured parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidatve defence in elite female volleyball athletes; 2) to investigate changes in the parameters of oxidative stress during a period of intense training and dietary antioxidant supplementation. METHODS: Twenty-seven female volleyball players participated in this study. Blood samples were collected the day before the pre-competitive mesocycle training period began. After the first blood sample donation and during the next six weeks fourteen players (supplemented group) received a cocktail of antioxidants while thirteen of them (control group) received no dietary supplementation. The following parameters were measured: reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), superoxide anion (O2-), malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), biological antioxidative potential (BAP), paraoxonase activity toward paraoxon (POase) and diazoxon (DZOase), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total sulphydryl group concentration (SH groups) and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance. RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between biomarkers of oxidative damage with PAB in multiple linear regression model in the supplemented and the control groups (82.3% vs. 83.1%) before training and in the control group (82.1%) after training. Significant associations between antioxidative defence parameters and PAB values were found in the supplemented group after six-weeks of training (57%). CONCLUSION: In the absence of antioxidant supplementation, PAB values were dependent on the association with biomarkers of oxidative damage before and after training. After a six-week training period and the applied antioxidant supplementation, PAB values were under the influence of non-enzymatic anti-oxidative defence.

Gender-specific oxidative stress parameters.

The aim of the present study was to examine the association of proteins that regulate iron transport/storage content and acute phase response with oxidative stress in male and female athletes. Serum ferritin, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and oxidative stress parameters (reactive oxygen metabolites, superoxide anion, advanced oxidation protein products, lipid hydroperoxides, superoxide-dismutase and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance) were determined in 138 athletes (73 females and 65 males). A general linear model indicated significant gender differences between athletes in terms of reactive oxygen metabolites (307.48 ± 61.02 VS. 276.98 ± 50.08; P=0.030), superoxide-dismutase (114.60 ± 41.64 VS. 101.42 ± 38.76; P=0.001), lipid hydroperoxides (149.84 ± 38.95 VS. 101.43 ± 39.26; P<0.001), pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (512.40 ± 148.67 VS. 413.09 ± 120.30; P=0.002), advanced oxidation protein products (1.49 ± 0.30 VS. 0.91 ± 0.25; P<0.001) and superoxide (2.61 ± 0.36 VS. 2.22 ± 0.35; P=0.001), which were all significantly higher in females. Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated gender (P<0.001), training experience (P=0.004), C-reactive protein (P=0.002), soluble transferrin receptor (P=0.004) and transferrin (P<0.001) as significant covariates. Gender accounted for the largest proportion of variability for all oxidative stress parameters (46.3%) and female athletes were more susceptible to oxidative stress. Iron transport and storage proteins (transferrin and ferritin), but also acute phase reactants, were negatively related factors for oxidative stress. In conclusion, variation in the ferritin level may contribute to the different oxidative stress level between the sexes.

Aerobic exercise training as a potential source of natural antibodies protective against human immunodeficiency virus-1.

Despite the effectiveness of HAART in controlling HIV-1 replication, the emergence of drug-resistant viruses in infected patients and the severe side effects caused by the currently used drug regimens and the lack of an effective vaccine necessitate the continued search for new therapeutic strategies for prevention and therapy of HIV disease. Previously we reported that natural autoantibodies, recognizing peptide FTDNAKTI (peptide NTM1) derived from the C2 domain of HIV-1 gp120, contribute to the control of HIV disease. Here we demonstrated that sera from well-trained athletic (HIV-negative) subjects showed high reactivity with peptide NTM1. This result confirms that aerobic exercise training stimulates production of natural autoantibodies, which recognize peptide NTM1. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that these natural autoantibodies could slow down disease progression by blocking the superantigenic site on HIV-1 gp120. The results suggest that aerobic exercise training may be a promising non-toxic and inexpensive adjunctive anti-HIV therapy.

Long-term effects of oxidative stress in volleyball players.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of long-term training on elite female volleyball players and to determine parameters that could discriminate them according to the level of oxidative stress-associated adaptation. Fifty-four elite female volleyball players were divided into 3 groups (1: below-average training experience <8.0 years, 2: average training experience between 8.0 and 10.5 years and 3: above-average training experience >10.5 years). The measured parameters were reactive oxygen metabolites, biological anti-oxidative potential, superoxide anion, malondialdehyde, advanced oxidation protein products, lipid hydroperoxides, paraoxonase activity, superoxide-dismutase activity and sulphydryl groups. Multiple discriminant analysis of the oxidative stress status parameters between the three groups of athletes indicated a statistically significant difference (Wilks' lambda=0.458, X(2)=35.898, p=0.031). The most important discriminant variables, superoxide-dismutase and superoxide anion, were the best indicators of differences between groups with different training experience. The significantly higher values were found in Group 3 compared with Group 1 in superoxide-dismutase activity (141+/-32 vs. 86+/-46; p=0.002), sulphydryl groups (p=0.031), and reactive oxygen metabolites (p=0.042). The significantly lower superoxide anion was found between Group 3 and Group 1 (377+/-187 vs. 1183+/-905; p=0.001). Oxidative stress status parameters adequately discriminated 68.5% of athletes with different training experience.