Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and sudden cardiac death in Croatians' young athletes in 25 years

The paper deals with the sudden cardiac death during training in male athletes in Croatia. The data are a part of a retrospective study dealing with 67 sudden death due to physical activity in men in Croatia during 25 years: from January 1, 1986 to December 31, 2010. Two of them suddenly died during training due to malignant ventricular arrhythmia because of the arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. First was a short trails runner aged 24, with no any previous physical discomforts, who suddenly collapsed and died during training. The second was a soccer player aged 13, with no any previous physical discomfort, who suddenly collapsed and died during training. A sudden cardiac death due to physical exercise in young athletes in Croatia suffered of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia reached 0.07/ 100.000 yearly (p = 0.00000), in all young athletes suffered of heart diseases reached 0.19/100 000 (p = 0.00005), and in the total male population aged 15-40 engaged in sports and recreational physical exercise: 0.71/100.0000 (p = 0.00001).     

Physical activity and sudden cardiac death in elders--a Croatian study

The paper deals with the sudden cardiac death in elders due to physical activity in Croatia and to compare it to other population groups who practice physical activity. The data are a part of a retrospective study dealing with 59 sudden death due to physical activity in men in Croatia: from January 1, 1988 to December 31, 2008. Fifteen aged 65 to 82 years were recreationally engaged in physical activity: six in swimming, four in tennis, one in driving a bicycle, one in jogging, two in bowling and one died during sexual act. Only one had symptoms of pectoral angina, two suffered from arterial hypertension, and two had congestive heart failure. Eleven were without symptoms before exercise. At forensic autopsy, fourteen had coronary heart disease, seven had critical coronary artery stenosis, three had occluded left descendens anterior coronary artery and four critical coronary stenosis, four had a recent myocardial infarctions, and eleven had myocardial scars due to previous myocardial infarctions. Twelve of them had left ventricular hypertrophy: 15-25 mm. In Croatia, about 7per cent of the entire male population undertake recreational physical activity, while 13 per cent of them are elders. A sudden cardiac death due to recreational physical activity in elders reached 1.71/100 000 yearly, in the entire male population engaged in recreational physical exercise: 0.75/100 000 (p = 0.05730), in the total male population aged 15-40 engaged in sports and recreational physical exercise: 0.57/100.0000 (p = 0.00387), in young athletes: 0.15/100 000 (p = 0.00000). Medical examination of all elderly persons has to be done before starting of recreational physical activity: by clinical examination, searching for risk factors for atherosclerosis, performing ECG at rest, stress ECG, and echocardiography and to repeat the medical examination at least once a year Physical activity should start with a warm-up period and with a gradually increasing load, and usually not to exceed 6-7 metabolic equivalents (METs).     

Unexpected sudden death due to recreational swimming and diving in men in Croatia in a 14-year period

The article deals with 17 sudden deaths which occurred during recreational swimming and diving in men in Croatia in a 14-year period: from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2011. The sample is taken out from the total number of 61 sudden deaths in men during or immediately after sport or recreational exercise. Included are also sudden deaths of 8 foreigners spending holidays at the Croatian Adriatic Coast. In all of them forensic medicine autopsy was done. Thirteen males from Croatia died during recreational swimming. Three of them were aged 15-29 yrs: one had signs of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the second suffered from chronic myopericarditis with left ventricular aneurysm, and the third had cardiomegaly and blood alcohol level of 1.7 per thousand. Five were aged 30-64 yrs: four of them have suffered from coronary atherosclerosis and left ventricular hypertrophy of 15-18-18-22 mm, and one with left ventricular hypertrophy drowned suddenly, probably because of malignant ventricular arrhythmia. The fifth suffered stroke and drowned. Five elderly men, aged 65-85 yrs, have suffered from coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial fibrosis or myocardial scars, and three of them had left ventricular hypertrophy of 19 mm. Four males died during recreational diving. One aged 26yrs drowned, at autopsy he had left ventricular hypertrophy of 17 mm. Three males were middle-aged: two had coronary atherosclerosis, two of them had a severe degree of coronary atherosclerosis and one had coronary atherosclerosis of medium degree but with myocardial fibrosis and left ventricular hypertrophy of 18 mm. Seven male foreigners died, five of them during swimming: two aged 30-64 and two aged 65-85. They all have had coronary atherosclerosis: one of them had an acute myocardial infarction of the posterior wall, and one hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as well. One middle-aged and one elderly man died during diving, and both had an acute myocardial infarction of the posterior wall. One elderly foreign woman died during swimming, she had coronary atherosclerosis and a myocardial scar. In Croatia, death rate during both swimming and diving in men aged 15-29 years amounted to 0.63/1,000.000 (p=1.0000); in those aged 30-64 it reached 0.56/1,000.000 (p=0.3698), and in those aged 65-85 it was 1.41/1,000.000 (p=0.1849). The death rate during swimming in men aged 15-29 amounted to 1.47/1,000.000 (p=0.9864), in men aged 30-64 it reached 0.35/1,000.000 (p=0.2245), and in those aged 65-85 it was 1.41/1,000.000 (the difference is significant, p=0.0472). The death rate during diving in men aged 15-29 was 0.16/1,000.000, and in men aged 30-64 the observed rate was 0.21/1,000.000 (p=1.0000).     

Suppurative tonsillitis and sudden cardiac death due to physical training in a young soccer player

A teenager aged 17 was a professional soccer player, and was without symptoms. He died suddenly during physical exercise at the field. All reanimation efforts were unsuccessfull. At the forensic autopsy he had suppurative bacterial tonsillitis, subacute diffuse myopericarditis and narrowing of the ascending aorta of 10 mm. In Croatia the death rate among athletes reached 0.15/100,000, in athletes suffered of acute respiratory tract infections 0.34/100,000, in males who practice exercise recreatively 0.75/100,000 (p = 0.0014), in school children 1.0/100,000 (p = 0.0010). Physical exercise is contraindicated in acute respiratory tract infections. Every such case has to be treated by physician. When to start with physical training after suppurative-bacterial tonsillitis depends on disappearing of clinical signs, normalization of erythrocite sedimentation rate; of white cell count and serum level of C-reactive protein. Physical exercise is contraindicated in patients suffering of myopericarditis for at least 6 months. When to start exercise depends on disappearing of subjective symptoms and normalization of clinical and laboratory findings.     

Sudden death due to recreational exercise in physicians

In a period from 1982-2002 we noticed five dead among Croatian male physicians aged 34 to 67, during or after recreational physical exercise: swimming, soccer, tennis and jogging. Three of them who were autopsied, have been non-smokers and without previous symptoms. In all coronary heart disease was found. The left descending anterior artery was stenotic in one and occluded in two, with myocardial scars in one. An acute myocardial infarction was found in none of them, and in two-left ventricular hypertrophy 15 and 18 mm. We could not find a recent medical record in those physicians including a clinical finding and other findings. Two physicians who were not been autopsied, had possible an alcohol cardiomyopathy. Both of them were smokers. In Croatia about 7% of the whole population are engaged in recreational physical exercise. In a period of twenty years (1982-2002) we noticed 43 sudden and unexpected deaths during or immediately after physical exercise: it reached 43/6,300,000 sudden death in Croatia in twenty years or 2.15/315,000 yearly among persons engaged in physical exercise. In Croatia there are 4,957 male physicians-specialists, and a rate of sudden cardiac death during or immediately after physical exercise in this group reached 5/99,140 in 20 years or 1/19,828 every four years. A medical check up before recreational physical exercise is essential including a clinical examination, a serum concentration of risk factors and other risk factors, an electrocardiogram at rest, a stress test and echocardiography in clinical indication, as are medical controls over persons taking exercise. This study shows that medical evaluation is important because of the underlying problems such as sudden death during exercise. In non-trained persons and in the elderly a physical exercise should be recommended of a gradually intensity, which could not exceed 6 METs.     

Myopericarditis and sudden cardiac death due to physical exercise in male athletes

In the period 1998-, we registered four sudden and unexpected cardiac deaths in male athletes due to myopericarditis during or after physical exercise. Three of them were professional soccer players and the fourth was engaged in swimming. One aged 29, had symptoms of tiredness, heart enlargement and left ventricular premature beats during training. Three of them, aged 17-18-18, were without symptoms. Three died during training and the fourth died in the hospital after head trauma at training. In the first one, aged 29, forensic autopsy showed chronic myopericarditis, thickening of the left ventricular wall of 15 mm and enlargement of the whole heart. The second one, aged 17, had subacute diffuse myopericarditis, suppurative tonsillitis and narrowed ascending aorta. The third, aged 18, had chronic myopericarditis and cardiac aneurysm of the left ventricle. The fourth, aged 18, had fibrinous pericarditis, thickening of the left ventricle 20 mm, hypoplastic ascending aorta, bilateral bronchopneumonia and cerebral contusion with edema. In Croatia, death rate among athletes, including all its causes, reached 0.15/100,000, in athletes suffering from myopericarditis it was 0.34/100,000, in others who practice exercise recreatively it amounted to 0.57/100,000 (p=0.0068), and in all males who practice exercise it measured 0.75/100,000 (p=0.0014). Physical exercise has to be contraindicated in cases of myopericarditis for at least six months from the onset of the illness.     

Acute cardiovascular complications due to physical exercise in male teenagers

Five sudden cardiac deaths in male adolescents (age 14-18 years) were detected in a 5-year period in Croatia. Two of them had been engaged in physical exercise at school, one as a professional soccer player, one in recreational swimming, and the fifth had just finished secondary school and was working at the site. All of them were autopsied and in three congenital cardiovascular diseases was found. Two had hypoplastic coronary arteries. The third had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with interventricular wall of 40 mm. The fourth had normal heart findings including coronaries, but had bilateral pneumonia with a possible altitude (non-cardiogenic) pulmonary edema. The fifth had a chronic myopericarditis with an aneurysm of the left ventricle. All of them had not reported definite symptoms at exertion. According to this data, the death rate in adolescent males in Croatia during or after recreational physical exercise was 1/100,000 per year or 5/500,000 in five years. Thorough preparticipation medical examination including indicated laboratory tests and avoidance of heavy exertion at the time of respiratory infection might have helped to avoid some of the lethal events.     

Sudden death due to physical exercise in the elderly

Physical exercise has a beneficial effect to the humans. Sudden death in healthy persons engaged in physical exercise is extremely rare since healthy heart is protected from complications. The records of five elderly men who died during or immediately after exercise in the period between 1988-2001 in our region have been given, out of 23 men (and no one woman) aged 14-68 who died due to physical exercise in that time. They have been engaged in tennis, jogging and swimming recreatively. In all of them coronary heart disease has been found by the forensic autopsy. Only one has had arterial hypertension, symptoms of chest pain few years before accident and acute myocardial infarction has been found. The other four have been without symptoms. In three of them myocardial scars have been found of past myocardial infarctions. In all of them the thickness of the left ventricle wall was 15 mm or more (from 15 to 25 mm). It seems that the thickness of the wall of the left ventricle increases cardiovascular risk in persons without symptoms. In Croatia about 7% of the whole population are engaged in recreation. In this population 13% are elderly: 40,950. The reported five deaths due to recreational physical exercise in the elderly reached 1/114,660 persons every three years, or 1/573,300 persons during fourteen years.     

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on professional soccer players’ body composition and physical fitness

During the COVID-19 lockdown, professional soccer players ceased their regular team training sessions and were provided with exercise programs to follow independently. This investigation assessed the impact of a 7-week COVID-19 lockdown and home-based individual physical training on professional soccer players’ body composition and physical fitness. The study consisted of nineteen division 1 elite soccer players (age 27.68 ± 5.99 years, height 178.47 ± 5.44 cm) and compared the anthropometric and physical fitness parameters obtained post-transition period to those obtained post-COVID-19 lockdown. The statistical analysis indicated that body fat percentage was significantly higher after the lockdown period [t(18) = -5.59, p < 0.01, d = 0.56]. Furthermore, VO_2max [t(17) = -11.54, p < 0.01, d = 0.57] and running time [t(17) = 3.94, p < 0.01, d = 0.76] values were significantly higher after the COVID-19 lockdown than those obtained after the transition period. In addition, significantly higher level of performance was demonstrated on squat jump [t(18) = -4.10, p < 0.01, d = 0.30], countermovement jump [t(18) = -7.43, p < 0.01, d = 1.11] and sit and reach tests [t(19) = -5.33, p < 0.01, d = 0.32]. Concurrently, lower body strength was indicated to be significantly greater (p < 0.01) following the COVID-19 lockdown. The training protocol provided during the confinement, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, was effective in keeping physical fitness at a significantly higher level compared to the transition period. Coaches and trainers are encouraged to examine the effectiveness of this protocol, as it may help them develop effective periodization programs during the transition period. This protocol may aid in the development of effective periodization programs that require minimal equipment and can be followed in similar situations.     

Sprint Conditioning of Junior Soccer Players: Effects of Training Intensity and Technique Supervision

The aims of the present study were to compare the effects of 1) training at 90 and 100% sprint velocity and 2) supervised versus unsupervised sprint training on soccer-specific physical performance in junior soccer players. Young, male soccer players (17 ±1 yr, 71 ±10 kg, 180 ±6 cm) were randomly assigned to four different treatment conditions over a 7-week intervention period. A control group (CON, n=9) completed regular soccer training according to their teams’ original training plans. Three training groups performed a weekly repeated-sprint training session in addition to their regular soccer training sessions performed at A) 100% intensity without supervision (100UNSUP, n=13), B) 90% of maximal sprint velocity with supervision (90SUP, n=10) or C) 90% of maximal sprint velocity without supervision (90UNSUP, n=13). Repetitions x distance for the sprint-training sessions were 15x20 m for 100UNSUP and 30x20 m for 90SUP and 90UNSUP. Single-sprint performance (best time from 15x20 m sprints), repeated-sprint performance (mean time over 15x20 m sprints), countermovement jump and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) were assessed during pre-training and post-training tests. No significant differences in performance outcomes were observed across groups. 90SUP improved Yo-Yo IR1 by a moderate margin compared to controls, while all other effect magnitudes were trivial or small. In conclusion, neither weekly sprint training at 90 or 100% velocity, nor supervised sprint training enhanced soccer-specific physical performance in junior soccer players.     

Measures of exercise intensity during soccer training drills with professional soccer players

Recent evidence supports the use of certain soccer drills for combined technical and physical training. Therefore, it is important to be able to accurately monitor training intensity during soccer drills intended for physical development to allow the optimization of training parameters. Twenty-eight professional soccer players were assessed for heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) responses to 5 commonly used soccer training drills (2v2 to 8v8 drills). The responses of both HR and RPE differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the drills, generally showing an elevated response to drills involving lower player numbers. However, the 2v2 drill showed a significantly (p < 0.05) lower HR response (mean +/- SD: 88.7 +/- 1.2% HRmax) than 3v3 (91.2 +/- 1.3% HRmax) and 4v4 drills (90.2 +/- 1.6% HRmax). There was no significant correlation between the HR and RPE responses to the various drills (r = 0.60, p = 0.200). This poor relationship is probably because during the 2v2 drill, RPE was higher than during any of the other 6 drills, whereas HR was only fourth highest of the 6 drills. This demonstrates that HR and RPE are only poorly related during the intense drills used in this study, and that HR underestimates the intensity of the 2v2 drill. Heart rate demonstrated lower intersubject variability (1.3-2.2%) than RPE (5.1-9.9%). However, unlike HR, Borg 15-point RPE appears to be a valid marker of exercise intensity over a wide range of soccer training drills by maintaining validity in all drills and demonstrating acceptable intersubject variability. A combination of both HR- and RPE-based training load calculations appears optimal for use in soccer training.     

Suitability of soccer training drills for endurance training

Recent evidence suggests that certain soccer drills produce exercise intensities suitable for physical conditioning. However, it remains debatable whether soccer drills can provide a sufficiently unified exercise intensity among different players and on repetition of a drill, because movement patterns cannot be externally controlled during soccer drills. Good reliability and low variability of exercise intensity would enable all players to receive an appropriate training stimulus. The purpose of this study was to investigate intersubject variability and intrasubject reliability in exercise intensity during soccer drills. It was hypothesized that soccer drills that involve the highest exercise intensities would demonstrate the lowest intersubject variability and the highest intrasubject reliability. Heart rates of 23 professional soccer players were recorded during a range of soccer training drills. The drills consisted of 2 vs. 2 to 8 vs. 8 normal scoring games and 2 further possession games. Heart rate responses were examined for variability, reliability, and suitability for soccer endurance training. Coefficients of variation across players were less than 3% for all drills. Paired t-tests showed no significant differences in heart rate on repetition of the drills and 95% ratio limits of agreement were 1.8-3.8%. There were no significant correlations between exercise intensity and the statistical measures of variability and reliability. Several drills produced exercise intensities suitable for soccer endurance training with mean heart rate responses ranging from 87-91% HRmax. Soccer drills such as those used in the present study appear to be an adequate substitute for physical training without the ball and thus provide simultaneous skill and fitness training. The increase in training time spent developing technical ability and/or a reduction in total training time required may be useful for soccer teams.     

Effects of Small-Sided Games vs. Interval Training in Aerobic Fitness and Physical Enjoyment in Young Elite Soccer Players

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Small-Sided Games (SSG) vs. Interval Training (IT) in soccer training on aerobic fitness and physical enjoyment in youth elite soccer players during the last 8 weeks of the season. Seventeen U-16 male soccer players (age = 15.5 ± 0.6 years, and 8.5 years of experience) of a Spanish First Division club academy were randomized to 2 different groups for 6 weeks: SSG group (n = 9) and IT group (n = 8). In addition to the usual technical and tactical sessions and competitive games, the SSG group performed 11 sessions with different SSGs, whereas the IT group performed the same number of sessions of IT. Players were tested before and after the 6-week training intervention with a continuous maximal multistage running field test and the counter movement jump test (CMJ). At the end of the study, players answered the physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES). During the study, heart rate (HR) and session perceived effort (sRPE) were assessed. SSGs were as effective as IT in maintaining the aerobic fitness in elite young soccer players during the last weeks of the season. Players in the SSG group declared a greater physical enjoyment than IT (P = 0.006; ES = 1.86 ± 1.07). Coaches could use SSG training during the last weeks of the season as an option without fear of losing aerobic fitness while promoting high physical enjoyment.     

Health-Related Physical Fitness in Healthy Untrained Men: Effects on VO2max,Jump Performance and Flexibility of Soccer and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Running

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of recreational soccer (SOC) compared to moderate-intensity continuous running (RUN) on all health-related physical fitness components in healthy untrained men. Sixty-nine participants were recruited and randomly assigned to one of three groups, of which sixty-four completed the study: a soccer training group (SOC; n = 20, 34±4 (means±SD) years, 78.1±8.3 kg, 179±4 cm); a running group (RUN; n = 21, 32±4 years, 78.0±5.5 kg, 179±7 cm); or a passive control group (CON; n = 23, 30±3 years, 76.6±12.0 kg, 178±8 cm). The training intervention lasted 12 weeks and consisted of three 60-min sessions per week. All participants were tested for each of the following physical fitness components: maximal aerobic power, minute ventilation, maximal heart rate, squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJ), sit-and-reach flexibility, and body composition. Over the 12 weeks, VO₂max relative to body weight increased more (p<0.05) in SOC (24.2%, ES = 1.20) and RUN (21.5%, ES = 1.17) than in CON (-5.0%, ES = -0.24), partly due to large changes in body mass (-5.9, -5.7 and +2.6 kg, p<0.05 for SOC, RUN and CON, respectively). Over the 12 weeks, SJ and CMJ performance increased more (p<0.05) in SOC (14.8 and 12.1%, ES = 1.08 and 0.81) than in RUN (3.3 and 3.0%, ES = 0.23 and 0.19) and CON (0.3 and 0.2%), while flexibility also increased more (p<0.05) in SOC (94%, ES = 0.97) than in RUN and CON (0–2%). In conclusion, untrained men displayed marked improvements in maximal aerobic power after 12 weeks of soccer training and moderate-intensity running, partly due to large decreases in body mass. Additionally soccer training induced pronounced positive effects on jump performance and flexibility, making soccer an effective broad-spectrum fitness training intervention.     

Early recognition of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes during sports activity

Introduction

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in athletes is an unexpected life-threatening event, which is often not recognised early and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is not always initiated immediately. We describe key features to rapidly recognise non-traumatic SCA in athletes during sports activity.

Methods

We reviewed videos and images of athletes suffering from non-traumatic SCA during sports activity. We searched Google images, Google videos and YouTube.com using the keywords ‘sudden cardiac death athlete’ and ‘resuscitation athlete’. We analysed (1) the athlete’s performance before syncope, (2) the athlete’s performance at the start of syncope, (3) the position of the body, and (4) the athlete’s facial expressions before CPR. We analysed our data by describing these four features to answer our research question.

Results

We analysed the sequence of events in six well-known soccer players in whom a camera-witnessed non-traumatic SCA occurred during their athletic activity. All six athletes showed no changes before syncope. Four became unstable while standing and unexpectedly collapsed falling on their back. Two suddenly ‘dropped dead’ and fell face down. All six had their eyes wide open with a fixed gaze and fixed pupils.

Conclusions

Sudden unexpected loss of consciousness in an athlete in action and a fixed gaze eye position are key features of SCA. Immediate cardiac massage should follow. The described features to immediately recognise SCA in athletes during sports activity should be taught to everyone involved in athletic activity leading to earlier recognition of SCA followed by earlier CPR.

     

Heart rate and blood lactate concentrations as predictors of physiological load on elite soccer players during various soccer training activities

The purpose of this investigation was to estimate the physiologic strain on players during various soccer training activities. Ten soccer players from the first division soccer league of Turkey were used as subjects. The heart rate responses were measured during 4 types of soccer training. First, the heart rates that corresponded to a blood lactate concentration of both 2 and 4 mM were measured, and then, during the 4 types of training, they were correlated with the proportion of time that the heart rate was below the 2-mM lactate line, between the 2- and 4-mM lactate lines, and above the 4-mM lactate line. Mean heart rates during friendly match, modified game, tactical training, and technical training activities were 157 +/- 19, 135 +/- 28, 126 +/- 21, and 118 +/- 21 b.min(-1), respectively. The differences between all of these soccer training activities were statistically significant (p < or = 0.01). The results demonstrate that (a) technical and tactical training consisted of very low exercise intensities (most of the heart rates were below the 4-mM lactate level) and (b) the percentages of time that the heart rate correlated to a point above the 4-mM lactate reference level during the friendly match and modified game were 49.6 +/- 27.1% and 23.9 +/- 24.5%, respectively. The practical implications of these findings are that, by using 2- to 4-mM reference lines, coaches can structure heart rate zones that can help determine the individualized exercise intensity for their players as well as estimate overall exercise intensity during soccer training.     

Effects of melatonin ingestion on physical performance and biochemical responses following exhaustive running exercise in soccer players

Antioxidant supplementation has become a common practice among athletes to boost sport achievement. Likewise, melatonin (MEL) has been ingested as an ergogenic aid to improve physical performance. To date, no study has checked whether the multiple beneficial effects of MEL have an outcome during a maximum running exercise until exhaustion. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of MEL ingestion on physical performance and biochemical responses (i.e., oxidative stress) during exhaustive exercise. In a double blind randomized study, thirteen professional soccer players [age: 17.5 ± 0.8 years, body mass: 70.3 ± 3.9 kg, body height: 1.80 ± 0.08 m; maximal aerobic speed (MAS): 16.85 ± 0.63 km/h; mean ± standard deviation], members of a first league squad, performed a running exercise until exhaustion at 100% of MAS, after either MEL or placebo ingestion. Physical performance was assessed, and blood samples were obtained at rest and following the exercise. Compared to placebo, MEL intake prevented the increase in oxidative stress markers (i.e., malondialdehyde), alleviated the alteration of antioxidant status (i.e., glutathione peroxidase, uric acid and total bilirubin) and decreased post-exercise biomarkers of muscle damage (i.e., creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) (p < 0.05). However, physical performance was not affected by MEL ingestion (p > 0.05). In conclusion, acute MEL intake before a maximal running exercise protected athletes from oxidative stress and cellular damage but without an effect on physical performance.     

Soccer vs. running training effects in young adult men: which programme is more effective in improvement of body composition? Randomized controlled trial

The aims of this study were: 1) To determine the effects of a 12-week recreational soccer training programme and continuous endurance running on body composition of young adult men and 2) to determine which of these two programmes was more effective concerning body composition. Sixty-four participants completed the randomized controlled trial and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a soccer training group (SOC; n=20), a running group (RUN; n=21) or a control group performing no physical training (CON; n=23). Training programmes for SOC and RUN lasted 12-week with 3 training sessions per week. Soccer sessions consisted of 60 min ordinary five-a-side, six-a-side or seven-a-side matches on a 30-45 m wide and 45-60 m long plastic grass pitch. Running sessions consisted of 60 min of continuous moderate intensity running at the same average heart rate as in SOC (~80% HR_max). All participants, regardless of group assignment, were tested for each of the following dependent variables: body weight, body height, body mass index, percent body fat, body fat mass, fat-free mass and total body water. In the SOC and RUN groups there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in body composition parameters from pre- to post-training values for all measures with the exception of fat-free mass and total body water. Body mass index, percent body fat and body fat mass did not differ between groups at baseline, but by week 12 were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the SOC and RUN groups compared to CON. To conclude, recreational soccer training provides at least the same changes in body composition parameters as continuous running in young adult men when the training intensity is well matched.     

Sudden death in Prader-Willi syndrome during growth hormone therapy

We describe a child with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) aged 3 years and 11 months who suddenly died 7 months after the initiation of GH therapy. The child never showed respiratory problems, but suffered from severe obesity. This case raises the question about the association between sudden death in children with PWS (with or without respiratory problems) and GH therapy, as already suspected in the recent past. We suggest that further epidemiological studies are required in order to determine more accurately the frequency of this causal connection and better understand its pathogenesis.     

Effects of resistance training on the physical capacities of adolescent soccer players

This study examined the effects of a progressive resistance training program in addition to soccer training on the physical capacities of male adolescents. Eighteen soccer players (age: 12-15 years) were separated in a soccer (SOC; n = 9) and a strength-soccer (STR; n = 9) training group and 8 subjects of similar age constituted a control group. All players followed a soccer training program 5 times a week for the development of technical and tactical skills. In addition, the STR group followed a strength training program twice a week for 16 weeks. The program included 10 exercises, and at each exercise, 2-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions with a load 55-80% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Maximum strength ([1RM] leg press, bench-press), jumping ability (squat jump [SJ], countermovement jump [CMJ], repeated jumps for 30 seconds) running speed (30 m, 10 x 5-m shuttle run), flexibility (seat and reach), and soccer technique were measured at the beginning, after 8 weeks, and at the end of the training period. After 16 weeks of training, 1RM leg press, 10 x 5-m shuttle run speed, and performance in soccer technique were higher (p < 0.05) for the STR and the SOC groups than for the control group. One repetition maximum bench press and leg press, SJ and CMJ height, and 30-m speed were higher (p < 0.05) for the STR group compared with SOC and control groups. The above data show that soccer training alone improves more than normal growth maximum strength of the lower limps and agility. The addition of resistance training, however, improves more maximal strength of the upper and the lower body, vertical jump height, and 30-m speed. Thus, the combination of soccer and resistance training could be used for an overall development of the physical capacities of young boys.