Assessment of intake and nutritional status of vitamin b1, b2, and b6 in men and women with different physical activity levels.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the nutritional status of vitamin B1, B2, and B6 in respect to dietary intake of these vitamins and activity coefficients of the erythrocyte enzymes transketolase, glutathione reductase, and aspartic aminotransferase in young men and women with different physical activity levels. The participants of this study were 20 women and 20 men with high physical activity (groups HAW and HAM, respectively), and 20 women and 20 men with low physical activity (groups LAW and LAM, respectively). The intake of vitamins B1, B2, B6, proteins, and calorie content of the diet was based on the average of the 4-day dietary recalls. To assess nutritional status of vitamin B1, B2, and B6, the activity coefficients (α) of erythrocyte transketolase (ETK), erythrocyte glutathione reductase (EGR), and erythrocyte aspartic aminotransferase (EAST) were estimated in blood hemolysates. The intake of the studied vitamins in the diet was statistically significantly lower in the female groups compared with the respective male groups. Deficiency of vitamin B6 in the diet was present more often in women than in men (in terms of the recommended dietary allowances [RDA]). Values of the activity coefficient αETK indicated that none of the groups in this study suffered the risk of vitamin B1 deficiency. The value of the activity coefficient αEGR indicated that the groups of women and men with low physical activity were more prone to vitamin B2 deficiency compared with the high physical activity groups. The risk of vitamin B6 deficiency (αEAST) in both male groups was higher than in both female groups. The obtained results do not allow for unequivocal determination of the impact of sex and the level of physical activity on intake and nutritional status of vitamin B1, B2, and B6. Independently of sex and the level of physical activity, the women and men consumed insufficient quantities of vitamins B1 and B6, although this was not always related to increased values of corresponding activity coefficients.

Effect of rugby training on blood antioxidant defenses in able-bodied and spinal cord injured players.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study with comparison group. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of rugby training on the blood antioxidant capacity in able-bodied and wheelchair rugby players with tetraplegia. SETTING: Poland. METHODS: Four groups of subjects participated in the study: sedentary able-bodied males (group SA, n=19), sedentary males with tetraplegia (group ST, n=10), able-bodied rugby players (group RA, n=22) and wheelchair rugby players with tetraplegia (group RT, n=14). The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase (CAT) were determined in erythrocyte hemolysates, whereas glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity was determined in whole-blood hemolysates. Concentrations of total antioxidant status (TAS) was determined in plasma. RESULTS: SOD activity was significantly higher in the group SA compared with group ST and group RA. No significant differences occurred within the tetraplegic groups: RT and ST. Resting CAT and GPX activities were significantly higher in both the groups of rugby players than in the respective group of sedentary males. There were no differences in GR activity among all the studied groups. Plasma TAS concentration was higher in both the groups of able-bodied males compared with the respective groups of tetraplegics. The present study is the first to conduct an evaluation of wheelchair rugby training-induced adaptations to oxidative stress in individuals with tetraplegia. CONCLUSION: Adaptive response to training was similar in both able-bodied and wheelchair rugby players, and it was characterized by increased erythrocyte CAT and GPX activities in resting conditions improving resistance to oxidative stress.

Effect of exercise on the level of immunoglobulin a in saliva.

The aim of this paper is to describe the structure, production and function of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) as well as changes of its concentration caused by exercise of various intensity and duration. Immunoglobulin A is the main class of antibodies present in the body secreted fluids such as saliva, tears or mucus from the intestines. It is generally recognized that IgA, due to its dominance in the immune system of mucous membranes, is the first line of defence against harmful environmental factors. The secretion and composition of saliva depends on the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Physical activity, stimulating the autonomous nervous system, may reduce the amount of saliva and/or inhibit its secretion. The relationship between physical activity and the suppression of the immune system is not fully understood, but it is known that moderate intensity exercise can improve immune defences, while extreme effort can reduce them by creating an increased risk of upper respiratory tract inflammation (URTI). In athletes, the lowest risk of upper tract infection was connected with the case of moderate intensity exercise. It is now believed that the relationship between exercise volume and the risk of URTI has the shape of the letter "J". This means that both too little and too much physical activity may increase the risk of upper respiratory tract infection. Training optimization and correct balance between exercise and rest periods may reduce the risk of adverse changes in the immune system and decrease the frequency of URTI.

Anaerobic performance of arms and legs in male and female free style wrestlers.

The aim of the present study was to compare arm and leg anaerobic peak and mean power after normalisation for body mass (W/kg) and fat-free mass (W/kg FFM) of 12 female and 10 male wrestlers, members of the Polish Olympic team. Power outputs were assessed by 30 seconds leg cycling and 30 seconds arm cranking. It was determined that males had higher peak power (11.4 W/kg and 13.2 W/kg FFM for legs, 9.6 W/kg and 11.2 W/kg FFM for arms) as well as mean power (8.7 W/kg and 9.6 W/kg FFM for legs, 6.9 W/kg and 7.9 W/kg FFM for arms) than females (peak power 8.6 W/kg and 11.3 W/kg FFM for legs, and 5.9 W/kg, 7.8 W/kg FFM for arms, mean power 6.8 W/kg, 9.0 W/kg FFM for legs and 5.9 W/kg, 7.8 W/kg FFM for arms). Post-exercise maximal blood lactate concentration after 30 seconds leg cycling and 30 seconds arm cranking was also higher in male wrestlers (11.9 and 11.8 mmol/l, respectively) than in female wrestlers (10.4 and 9.1 mmol/l, respectively). However the ratios of lactate concentration to mean power expressed in W/kg FFM for males and females in leg cycling (1.18 and 1.17, respectively) and in arm cranking (1.48 and 1.50, respectively) were similar. These findings suggest that the amount of energy derived from glycolysis is not sex-dependent. Additionally it seems that the higher ratios for arms when compared to legs reflect closer relation of arm muscle energy metabolism to carbohydrate utilisation.

The long-chain acyl-CoA hydrolase activity in the heart of rat fed on rape-seed oil.

1. Fat feeding (soybean oil or erucic acid-rich rape-seed oil) enhance after 2 to 7 days the palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase activity in the heart of weanling rats in a degree dependent on the content of fat in the diet. 2. The rise in enzyme activity between the 7th and 14th day of feeding, observed only in rats fed on rape-seed oil, coincides with the decrease in lipid infiltration in the heart. 3. The obtained results suggest that palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase may control in the heart the amount of acyl-CoA thioesters in the cell, thus decreasing the lipidosis induced by eurcic acid.