ABSTRACT
We studied which physiological and kinanthropometric characteristics determine climbing performance in 16 high-level sports climbers aged 29.9 +/- 4.9 years. Body composition parameters were measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. We also measured kinanthropometric and physical fitness parameters. The sex-specific 75th percentile value of onsight climbing ability was used to divide the sample into expert (<75th) and elite (> or =75th) climbers. All the analyses were adjusted by sex. The 75th percentile value of onsight climbing ability was 7b in women and 8b in men. There were no differences between expert and elite climbers in the studied variables, except in climbing time to exhaustion and bone mineral density. Elite climbers had a significantly higher time to exhaustion than the expert group (770.2 +/- 385 vs. 407.7 +/- 150 s, respectively, P = 0.001). These results suggest that, among climbers with a high level of performance, as those analysed in this study, climbing time to exhaustion is a major determinant of climbing performance.
Subject(s)
Athletes , Athletic Performance/physiology , Mountaineering/physiology , Physical Exertion/physiology , Adult , Body Composition/physiology , Body Weights and Measures , Female , Hand Strength/physiology , Humans , Male , Oxygen Consumption/physiology , Physical Fitness/physiology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Dehydration is one of the main problems associated to endurance sports. In order to avoid the negative effects of dehydration athletes tend to drink well above their current needs. The negative effect of drinking too much fluid is hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is defined as a plasma sodium concentration lower than 135 mmol/L. Hyponatremia is the first cause of severe illness in ultraendurance sports and has been associated with sudden death. In this article, we analyze the causes, consequences, associated factors, therapeutic treatment and prevention of ultraendurance sports-associated hyponatremia. It is concluded that an adequate fluid ingestion is the best method to avoid hyponatremia. There is not conclusive data about the amount and necessity of sodium supplementation to avoid hyponatremia. However, it might be that it is not necessary to ingest additional sodium to prevent the development of hyponatremia in athletes who only partially replace their fluid losses during prolonged exercise.
Subject(s)
Exercise/physiology , Hyponatremia/etiology , Physical Endurance/physiology , Drinking , Female , Guidelines as Topic , Humans , Hyponatremia/diagnosis , Hyponatremia/drug therapy , Male , Sodium/administration & dosage , Sodium/deficiency , Sports/physiologyABSTRACT
La deshidratación es uno de los principales enemigos de los deportes de resistencia. Sin embargo, la ingesta excesiva de líquido con el objetivo de evitar dicha deshidratación, ha provocado en los últimos años numerosos casos de hiponatremia, especialmente en esfuerzos de extrema duración. La hiponatremia se define como la presentación de concentraciones de sodio en plasma por debajo de 135 mmol/L. Representa la primera causa de enfermedad severa en deportes de ultraresistencia, a lo que ha sido asociado numerosos casos de muerte súbita. Las extremadas exigencias físicas de este tipo de deportes de creciente popularidad, junto con el peligro potencial que supone para la salud del deportista, nos ha conducido al estudio profundo de las causas, consecuencias, factores asociados, abordaje terapéutico y prevención de la hiponatremia , tanto desde un punto de vista científico como práctico. La ingesta de la cantidad adecuada de líquido se presenta como el método más importante para prevenir su aparición. No está clara la cantidad idónea y/o necesidad de una suplementación de sodio en la bebida para evitar el desarrollo de hiponatremia y mejorar el rendimiento deportivo en pruebas de ultraresistencia. No obstante, parece ser que esta suplementación sólo sería útil en aquellos individuos que ingirieron una excesiva cantidad de líquido
Subject(s)
Humans , Dehydration , Fluid Therapy , Hyponatremia , Physical Endurance , Sodium , Nutritional Sciences , Spain , SportsABSTRACT
Creatine is the object of growing interest in the scientific literature. This is because of the widespread use of creatine by athletes, on the one hand, and to some promising results regarding its therapeutic potential in neuromuscular disease on the other. In fact, since the late 1900s, many studies have examined the effects of creatine supplementation on exercise performance. This article reviews the literature on creatine supplementation as an ergogenic aid, including some basic aspects relating to its metabolism, pharmacokinetics and side effects. The use of creatine supplements to increase muscle creatine content above approximately 20 mmol/kg dry muscle mass leads to improvements in high-intensity, intermittent high-intensity and even endurance exercise (mainly in nonweightbearing endurance activities). An effective supplementation scheme is a dosage of 20 g/day for 4-6 days, and 5 g/day thereafter. Based on recent pharmacokinetic data, new regimens of creatine supplementation could be used. Although there are opinion statements suggesting that creatine supplementation may be implicated in carcinogenesis, data to prove this effect are lacking, and indeed, several studies showing anticarcinogenic effects of creatine and its analogues have been published. There is a shortage of scientific evidence concerning the adverse effects following creatine supplementation in healthy individuals even with long-term dosage. Therefore, creatine may be considered as a widespread, effective and safe ergogenic aid.
Subject(s)
Creatine/metabolism , Dietary Supplements , Exercise/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Age Factors , Biological Transport, Active/drug effects , Biological Transport, Active/physiology , Creatine/administration & dosage , Creatine/pharmacokinetics , Creatine Kinase/metabolism , Dietary Supplements/adverse effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Humans , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects , Sex Factors , Sports/physiology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
No disponible
Subject(s)
Humans , Creatine/adverse effects , Doping in Sports , Creatine/pharmacology , Energy Requirement , Dietary Supplements/adverse effects , Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform/transmission , Mutagens/pharmacology , Body Mass Index , Gastrointestinal Diseases/chemically induced , Liver Diseases/chemically induced , Kidney Diseases/chemically induced , Neoplasms/etiologyABSTRACT
No disponible
