sports nutrition – Seite 2

sports medicine pharmacology sports nutrition supplements

Supplement use in Swiss wheelchair athletes

Supplement use in able-bodied athletes during major championships was reported to be around 80 to 90%. In contrast, the prevalence of supplement use in Paralympic athletes according to surveys from 2004 and 2012 was lower with around 40 to 58%. This study aimed to investigate the supplement use in Swiss wheelchair athletes. All Swiss wheelchair athletes were asked to complete a retrospective survey on supplement use during training and competition.

sports nutrition hydration performance

Hydration, drinking and exercise performance

To counter progressive dehydration and thirst, athletes drink during exercise. However, despite decades of scientific research, there is still no conclusive answer regarding how much we should drink to optimize performance. The goal of this review article is to analyze the arguments underpinning contrasting perspectives and to critically analyze the available evidence. It seems that the respective argumentations of contrasting viewpoints are based on a different selective fraction of the available evidence.

sports nutrition

The taste of salt in the athlete’s soup: a short update with practical recommendations

The general recommendation for daily sodium consumption is about 6 g/d, as a higher intake was associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular mortality in individuals already suffering from hypertension. However, this recommendation is not necessarily valid for athletes as they often experience high sweat and sodium losses during exercise.

sports nutrition carbohydrate

Recommandations for carbohydrate intake in sport: a historical view

The importance of the carbohydrates for an intense exercise performance is known since at least the 1920s. Many research findings have since then led to development of generic recommendations for the carbohydrate intake before, during and after the exercise. The past years have witnessed, however, a growing understanding that the specific recommendations need to be defined in accordance to the short but also longer-term goals of each athlete.

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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.

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Seasonal variation of vitamin D levels in Swiss athletes

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent in world population and growing evidence shows that also athletes are affected. Vitamin D deficiency causes beside bone disorders, musculoskeletal pain, muscle weakness and is associated with many other health disorders. For athletes in particular it may impair training and performance, prolong recovery and increase risk of injury. We therefore analyzed vitamin D levels in Swiss athletes focusing on prevalence according to age, gender, seasonal variations, indoor or outdoor sports, sunscreen use and vitamin D supplementation. Methods: This study was performed in a convenient sample of 655 Swiss Olympic athletes over one year.

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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.

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Sports, adolescence and eating disorders

Adolescence is triggered by puberty and corresponds to a time of great changes in many fields including biological, psychological, cognitive and social. Participation to a sport activity improves self-esteem, socialisation with peers and physical condition. Yet, it sometimes is associated with suffering, restrictive behaviours and eating disorders when performed at an intensive level. Intensive sport activity during adolescence should take into account young people’s developmental stages as well as their fundamental needs in order to promote a harmonious training. One way to promote such training is to train parents and medical health providers to recognise these specific developmental needs and take them into account.

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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.

$Osteoporosis and fracture risk in the elderly athlete: current guidelines$

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Osteoporosis and fracture risk in the elderly athlete: current guidelines

Eine «Low Energy Fraktur» ist das wichtigste klinische Symptom einer Osteoporose. Der ältere Sportler weist ein geringes Risiko für das Eintreten dieses Ereignisses auf. Die mit der sportlichen Aktivität verbundenen Stösse und Belastungen auf den Knochen wirken einem drohenden Abbau von Knochensubstanz nämlich entgegen. Sollte es im Rahmen der sportlichen Aktivität dennoch zur Fraktur kommen, dann entspricht der Unfallmechanismus in aller Regel nicht den Kriterien einer «Low Energy Fraktur».