sports nutrition – SEMS-journal

Interdisciplinary care for users of anabolic agents in recreational sports in Switzerland – a first clinic has opened in Zurich

The use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) as well as other image- and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs) has become one of the most recent global major substance use disorders in the 21st century. These substances are not only used by professional bodybuilders and competitive athletes, but moreover by recreational gym users aiming to achieve personal image and sports-performance goals [1].

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Ennuis judiciaires à cause de la DHEA

L’abréviation DHEA signifie déhydroépiandrostérone, un précurseur hormonal des hormones sexuelles masculines et féminines. La médecine dite «anti-âge» est à la mode et les cures d’hormones promettent une vie avec plus de plaisir et moins de troubles. De plus en plus de professionnelles de la santé recommandent la DHEA à leurs patients – souvent avec de lourdes conséquences!

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Menstrual cycle and performance sports – an update

Top sporting performances are achieved by women and men. However, the performance of organs and metabolic processes varies due to different genetic and hormonal conditions. There is currently a considerable need for more research in this area.

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25-OH-VitaminD3 level in elite sports: Impact on muscle damage and infections

Summary: Muscle damage as well as recurrent and serious infections especially to the end of the playing period in team sport or to the end of preparation for competition in endurance or single sport are the most common symptoms in elite sport demolishing optimal training results. Are VitaminD deficiency responsible for these symptoms in elite sport.

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Exercise addiction – cases, possible indicators and open questions

While addictive disorders involving substances are well researched, the field of behavioral addictions, including exercise addiction, is in its infancy. Although exercise addiction is not yet recognized as a psychiatric disorder, evidence for the burden it imposes has gained attention in the last decade. Characterised by a rigid exercise schedule, the prioritization of exercise over one’s own health, family and professional life, and mental wellbeing, and extreme distress when exercise is halted, the phenomenon shares many feature with substance use disorders.

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Muscle dysmorphia

The current ideal of beauty consists of a strong shift towards physical activity and aims to develop a muscular, athletic physique. While the athletic ideal for women has been a product of recent years, the muscular ideal for men has been observed since the 1970s. Increasing pressure to achieve this muscular ideal is associated with both body dissatisfaction and a strong desire to increase muscularity. In extreme terms, the pursuit of a muscular body and its associated behaviours, such as strength training and dieting, may lead to the development of muscle dysmorphia.

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Strong, silent and stigmatized

The global lifetime prevalence rate of all image and performance enhancing drugs (IPED) is unknown, however it is 6.4% in men an 1.6% in women for anabolic androgenic steroids (1). IPED are widely used in the bodybuilding scene and have found a bigger audience through social media platforms.

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Eating disorders in male elite athletes

Among elite athletes disordered eating (DE) behavior as well as eating disorders (ED) are one of the most common mental illnesses. According to Sundgot-Borgen et al. [1] DE can be illustrated by a continuum ranging from performance-oriented eating and exercise behaviors to subclinical EDs and clinical EDs such as Anorexia nervosa (AN) and Bulimia nervosa (BN) along with other medical complications and impairment of performance.

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Update on oral health in elite sports

Since the first report from the 1968 Olympic Games, many studies have consistently reported poor oral health in elite athletes without any differences regarding socio-economic status or continental location. Poor oral health is an important issue as it has a clear impact on quality of life, confidence, appearance and socialisation. It also has an impact on sport performance and training with impaired preparation for competition. Many causes to impaired oral health can include nutritional diet and carbohydrate supplementation, oral dehydration, depression of various aspect of the immune function due to intense exercise, negative health behaviours, lack of awareness, time and prioritisation.

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Fluctuations in the results of ferritin analysis between six different medical laboratories

Introduction: Iron is an important factor of the energy balance and correlates with serum ferritin. For competitive athletes, ferritin measurements are regularly performed at certified medical laboratories. However, as a laboratory change happened, we questioned the validity of ferritin levels, since unusually high values were measured. The aim of this study is to compare the ferritin values of blood samples in six different laboratories and to evaluate the diagnosis of iron deficiency. Methods: Blood samples from 63 patients with suspected iron deficiency were sent to six laboratories for ferritin measurements.