performance – Seite 3

antidoping elite sports performance sports and society team management

Risk for a Swiss medical doctor involved in a doping affair

As soon as he prescibes medicine to an athlete, any physician is confrounted if he wants or not, and if he is aware of it or not, with the numerous and often complex rules treating with the universal fight against doping. In case of an involountary mistakee or not, the doctor can be involved in very unpleasant situations over different regulations. As ignorance is no valid defense form, it seems obvious that it is very imporant that each practitionner is informed the better possible about these legal aspects. This is the objective of the following presentation.

elite sports performance exercise physiology sports and technology sports medicine sports science

Genetic polymorphisms in alpha-actinin 3 and adrenoceptor beta genes in Austrian elite athletes and healthy controls

Background: During the last years many studies were conducted to investigate the contribution of various genetic variants to endurance and sprint/power performance of elite athletes. Data on team sport athletes are missing to a large extent. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of selected polymorphisms on elite athlete status in Austrian team sport (handball, soccer), endurance and power athletes as well as in healthy control subjects.

antidoping elite sports performance

Biological passport in athletes – role of the experts

The Athlete Biological Passport detects the effect of doping on the organism through longitudinal monitoring of biomarkers. The first quantitative analysis is performed by a software algorithm based on the Bayes theorem, taking into account previous values of the athlete. Profiles which have been found as abnormal with this technique are submitted for qualitative analysis to an expert panel regarding potential causes for the abnormality. Possible causes include analytical shortcomings, Pathologies, extremes of physiological regulation or doping.

elite sports performance sports and society sports medicine sports nutrition team management recovery

Sports and Ramadan – influence on endurance performance

The intermittent fasting of Ramadan could affect various aspects of body physiology and biochemistry important to athletic success. Sleep time may be shortened. Disturbance of psychomotor performance, impaired vigilance and slower reactions can be observed particularly during afternoon. Food intake is limited to night-time meals. Well disciplined athletes usually maintain energy balance unless daily energy expenditures are very high. Daytime fluid depletion is inevitable if athletes exercise in the heat.

antidoping elite sports performance sports medicine sports nutrition supplements

Iron Deficiency in sports – definition, influence on performance and therapy

Iron deficiency is frequent among athletes. All types of iron deficiency may affect physical performance and should be treated. The main mechanisms by which sport leads to iron deficiency are an increased iron demand, an elevated iron loss and a blockage of iron absorption due to hepcidin bursts. As a baseline set of blood tests, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean cellular volume (MCV), mean cellular haemoglobin (MCH) and serum ferritin levels are the important parameters to monitor iron deficiency. In healthy male and female athletes >15 years, ferritin values <15µg/l are equivalent to empty, values from 15 to 30µg/l to low iron stores. Therefore a cut-off of 30µg/l is appropriate.

elite sports performance sports science

High relevance of difference in trail characteristics for average running times in orienteering

Background Orienteering takes place in a range of different areas including mountains and woodlands, whereby motoric and coordinative requirements on the orienteers differ strongly depending on the respective terrain. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in average speed of orienteers in three terrain types in Switzerland: Alps, Jura and Mittelland.

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Performance analysis in orienteering with consideration of both cognitive and physical aspects

The diagnostic protocol presented here allows orienteers to compare themselves to others in the sample and to analyse the proportion of physical and technical skills in their overall performance. In order to test the protocol 3 female and 11 male leisure athletes completed two short orienteering courses, one with four control points (distance 0.80 km, altitude 5 m) and one with eight (distance 1.95 km, altitude 40 m). The average running time was 6 min and 40 sec (± 2 min 18 sec) on the short and 17 min 36 sec (5 min ± 1 sec) on the long course when orienteering. After courses were marked with the optimum route running times decreased, as expected, to 3 min 45 sec (± 48 sec) on the short and 9 min 21 sec (± 1 min 19 sec) on the long course.

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New findings in performance diagnostics for amateur cross-country skiers

We suggest that leisure cross country skiers can also profit from a serious endurance capacity diagnostic. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable and valid protocol in order to make serious recommendation for training schedule of athleths. In order to analyze the relationship between endurance performance and the technic specific capabilities of cross country skiing aiming to allow valid recommendations participants had to absolve two test protocols. The first test consisted of detecting running pace on a treadmill at a 4 mmol/l blood lactate concentration. Second, participants had to absolve a Coopertest in skating technique on flat ground allowing to measure maximum distance absolved during 12 minutes and maximum heart rate.

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Caffein bars pre time trial improve performance and reduce perceived effort

The intake of caffeine from tablets, coffee and energy drinks has shown to benefit endurance performance, whereas the effect of caffeine bars has not been investigated yet. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine endurance performance, metabolism and perceived exertion following the co-ingestion of caffeine and carbohydrates in the form of bars.

elite sports performance exercise physiology load sports science

Mountain vs city marathon: a discussion around the concept of effort and kilometers

The aim of this study was to investigate differences in course times of a mountainmarathon (Napfmarathon) versus a city Marathon. Therefore all participants of Napfmarathon were screened concerning a double participation on a city marathon (Zürich, Winterthur, Lausanne, Luzern) and the course time were compared. Of key interest was the influence of ascents and descents which were quantified according to guidelines of Youth & Sport (Jugend + Sport / Jeunesse et Sport), whereby in first approximation 100 meter of ascent, 150 meter of descent (more than 20%) and 1 km of horizontal distance were taken as a simallar performance correlat.