A Survey on Dietary Supplement Consumption in Amateur and Professional Rugby Players.

PURPOSE: the aim of the present study was to analyse the pattern of dietary supplements (DS) consumption on federated rugby players, including the analysis of differences based on the sex and competitive level (professional vs. amateurs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 144 rugby players (83 male and 61 female), of whom 69 were professionals and 75 amateurs, were recruited for the study. All the participants filled out a specific questionnaire about DS consumption including questions related to the consumption of DS and their effects on sport performance and health status. RESULTS: 65.3% of participants declared consuming at least one DS, with a higher prevalence in males than females (77.1% vs. 49.2%) and in professionals thanin amateur players (79.7% vs. 52.0%). The main reason for consumption was to enhance sport performance (62.3%) with differences only based on sex (74.3% males vs. 43.2% females). The most common purchase sites were the Internet (45.6%) and specialised stores (39.8%). As to the moment of ingestion, professionals did this most frequently during competition and training (56.4% vs. 28.2%), whereas amateur players did so only during competition (20.5% vs. 3.6%). Moreover, professional player intake most frequently in post-exercise (65.5% vs. 35.9%), whereas amateur during pre-exercise (30.8% vs. 5.5%). The DS most consumed included whey protein (44%), caffeine (42%), sports drinks (38%), energy bars (34%) and creatine monohydrate (31%), with a higher prevalence in male and professional players of whey protein and creatine monohydrate. CONCLUSIONS: The main reason for DS consumption is for enhancing sports performance). Professional players more frequently purchase them on the Internet and consume DS during training and competition period and in the post-exercise, whereas amateur players consume during competition and pre-exercise. Related to the main form of DS consumption, it is observed that a moderate consumption of DS could be considered ergogenic, such as whey protein, sport bar and creatine, while an absence of other DS could be considered ergogenic.

Physiological and neuromotor changes induced by two different stand-walk-sit work rotations.

The potential of rotating postures to alleviate the effects of prolonged standing and sitting postures has been advocated to attenuate the accumulation of muscle fatigue, considered a precursor to musculoskeletal disorders. We aimed to evaluate the effects of two posture rotations, both including standing, walking, sitting, on physiological and neuromotor measures. Twenty-two participants followed two posture rotations, with different rest-break distributions, for 5.25 h. Lower-leg muscle twitch force, volume, force control and discomfort perception were evaluated during and after work exposure on two non-consecutive days. Significant changes in all measures indicate a detrimental effect in lower-leg long-lasting muscle fatigue, oedema, performance and discomfort after 5 h for both exposures. However, for both exposures recovery was significant 1 h and 15 h post-workday. Differences between the two rotation schedules were not significant. Hence, stand-walk-sit posture rotation promotes recovery of the tested measures and is likely to better prevent muscle fatigue accumulation. Practitioner summary: Lower-leg muscle twitch force, volume, force control, and discomfort were quantified during and after 5 h of stand-walk-sit work rotations with two different rest-break distributions. Measures revealed similar significant effects of work exposures regardless of rotation; which did not persist post-work. This beneficial recovery contrasts with the standing only situations. Abbreviations: MSDs: musculoskeletal disorders; MTF: muscle twitch force; RMSE: root mean square error; MVC: maximum voluntary contraction; M: mean; SE: standard error.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Peruvian Andean hispanics: the PREVENCION study.

Data regarding the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MTS) in Andean populations are limited. We evaluated the prevalence of MTS according to American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute criteria among 1878 subjects in the PREVENCION study in Peru. In women, the most common component was low HDL cholesterol (60.9%) followed by abdominal obesity (36.9%). In men, the most common component was elevated triglycerides (52.0%) followed by low HDL cholesterol (32.5%), whereas the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 14%. Abnormal fasting glucose was the least common component in men (5.4%) and women (5.0%). The prevalence of MTS was significantly higher in women compared to men (23.2% versus 14.3%) and increased steeply with age, particularly in women (p<0.0001). Using body mass index (BMI>or=30kg/m2) instead of waist circumference as a component of the MTS lead to equivalent prevalence estimates of MTS in men but significantly underestimated the prevalence in women. The MTS is highly prevalent among Peruvian Andeans, particularly in older women. The pattern of MTS components in this Andean population is characterized by a high prevalence of dyslipidemia and a relatively low prevalence of elevated fasting glucose. Further studies are required to characterize genetic and environmental determinants of these patterns.

Prevalence and patterns of hypertension in Peruvian Andean Hispanics: the PREVENCION study.

Cardiovascular disease is emerging as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Latin America. Population-based data regarding the prevalence of hypertension and hypertension subtypes in Andean Hispanic populations are scarce. The authors performed a population-based study that included 1878 Peruvian Andean adults to determine: (1) the prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension and (2) the relative frequency of hypertension subtypes (systolic vs. diastolic). The prevalence of hypertension was 15.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.0%-17.4%), did not differ by gender, and increased steeply with age, particularly in women. Awareness, treatment, and control rates were 47.9%, 39.5%, and 14%, respectively. Diastolic blood pressure increased until age 50 years and reached a plateau thereafter, whereas mean arterial pressure continued to increase with age even after age 50 years. Furthermore, in sharp contrast with the United States population, the predominant type of hypertension was systodiastolic (41.7%; 95% CI, 35.1%-48.5%). Isolated systolic hypertension accounted for only 29.3% of cases (95% CI, 23.9%-35.4%) and was responsible for a minority of cases in all age groups before age 70 years. Hypertension subtypes in this Andean population seem to differ significantly from those present in the United States population, with a much larger proportion of systodiastolic and diastolic hypertension even with advanced age. These differences result from interactions between hemodynamic and structural factors, and further studies aimed at characterizing their genetic and environmental determinants and implications in end-organ damage and prognosis in this population may contribute to understanding the pathophysiology of hypertension.

Antibacterial diterpenoids from Fabiana densa var. ramulosa.

A biologically monitored fractionation of the resinous exudate of Fabiana densa Remy var. ramulosa Wedd. led to the isolation of the two new diterpenes: ent-beyer-15-en-18-O-succinate and ent-beyer-15-en-18-O-oxalate as the unique compounds responsible for the observed antibacterial activity of this extract. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy.

Diagnóstico y manejo prenatal de un caso de bloqueo auriculo-ventricular completo / Prenatal diagnosis and management of a case of complete auricular-ventricular heart block

Se presenta un caso clínico de diagnóstico prenatal de bloqueo auricular-ventricular completo del feto, en una madre portadora de un lupus eritematoso