Supplementation of combined glutathione (GSH) with L-citrulline in response to a single bout of resistance exercise has been shown to increase plasma nitric oxide metabolites, nitrite and nitrate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which may play a role in muscle protein synthesis. As a result, in response to resistance training (RT) these responses may establish a role for GSH + L-citrulline to increase muscle mass. This study attempted to determine the effects of an 8-week RT program in conjunction with GSH (Setria®) + L-citrulline, L-citrulline-malate, or placebo supplementation on lean mass and its association with muscle strength. The secondary purpose was to assess the safety of such supplementation protocol by assessing clinical chemistry markers. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 75 resistance-trained males were randomly assigned to ingest GSH + L-citrulline (GSH + CIT), L-citrulline-malate, or cellulose placebo daily while also participating in 8 weeks of RT. The full dose of each supplement was delivered in capsules that were identical in weight, size, shape, and color. Participants completed testing sessions for body composition and muscle strength before and after 4 and 8 weeks of RT and supplementation. Venous blood samples were obtained before and after 8 weeks. Leg press was increased with RT but was not significantly different between groups (p > 0.05); however, bench press strength was not increased with RT (p > 0.05). There were no significant changes in total body mass, fat mass, or total body water during 8 weeks of RT and supplementation. Lean mass increased in both GSH + CIT when compared to PLC; however, the increase was significant only after 4 weeks. Lean mass and strength were positively correlated (p < 0.05) in GSH + CIT, but not CIT-malate or PLC. Neither RT nor supplementation had any significant effects on blood clinical chemistry variables (p > 0.05). Compared to PLC, supplementation of GSH + CIT during resistance training increased lean mass after 4 weeks of RT and was positively associated with muscle strength. However, after 8 weeks of RT there were no significant differences in any of the measured variables.

This study examined the rate of injuries and chronic pain in collegiate water-ski athletes as a preliminary study. We also compared the mechanics and cause of injuries by the level of water-skiing experiences. A total number of 96 collegiate water-ski athletes, aged 21.4 ± 2.23 years, participated in the study. An off-line questionnaire was distributed at the collegiate tournaments in the United States. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions, including demographic information, body region and type of injuries, mechanics and cause of injuries, chronic pain and pain management. A Chi-squared test was used to examine the differences in injury rates by sex and the level of experiences (beginner: <5 years, intermediate: 5–10 years, advanced: <10 years). The significance level was set at ≤0.05. A total of 336 water skiing-related injuries were observed from 96 participants. The ankle/feet, knee, and head/neck regions were the most common body regions injured, representing 26.5, 16.7, and 15.8%, respectively. Female athletes were more likely to have nerve injuries than male athletes (p = 0.039). The intermediate athletes were more likely to have trunk (p = 0.047) and upper extremity (p = 0.042) injuries than beginner athletes, and the beginner athletes had less joint/ligament (p = 0.001) and bone injury (p = 0.010) compared to the advanced athletes. Torsion/twisting (32.8%) and deceleration (26.9%) were the most common mechanism of injury. Beginner athletes experienced injuries more due to insufficient skill (p = 0.03), while the advanced athletes were likely to have more injuries by the loss of control (p = 0.01). Collegiate athletes had higher rates of chronic pain in the trunk (42.7%) and skeletal muscle (43.8%), and they participated in stretching/exercise (40.8%) and massage/form rolling (29.6%) to manage their chronic pain. The present study revealed that injury rates in males and females were 49.7% and 50.2%, respectively. Female athletes were more likely to have a nerve injury than male athletes. The mechanics and cause of injuries were different by the level of experiences where different training approaches may be required to minimize the injuries. Additionally, the strength and conditioning program that is systematically designed for core strength is needed to eliminate chronic trunk pain in collegiate water-skiing athletes.

This study aimed to examine morphological and physical fitness profile in collegiate water skiers and to identify the potential morphological and physical fitness factors, important for success in the slalom, trick, and jump events. Twenty collegiate water skiers were subject to anthropometric, somatotype measurements and a battery of physical tests inclusive of water ski-specific fitness variables. An independent t-test was used to compare the gender differences of dependent variables. Partial correlation and linear regression analyses were used to identify the factors that are associated with water ski performance. Male water skiers were lower in endomorphic component and better in power, speed, and cardiorespiratory fitness than female water skiers (p < 0.05). Somatotype such as mesomorphic (r = −0.48) and ectomorphic components (r = −0.60), sum of hand-grip strength (r = 0.98), and muscular endurance including posterior extension (r = 0.59) and left lateral flexion (r = 0.63) were significantly correlated with water skiing performance score (p < 0.05). The results of regression analyses showed that mesomorphic component (r² = 0.24, p = 0.04), sum of hand-grip strength (r² = 0.95, p = 0.001), and muscular endurance (r² = 0.30, p = 0.03), appear to be crucial factors associated with water ski performance in slalom, trick (hands pass), and the jump events, respectively. Our study suggests that different morphological and fitness components are required to succeed in each tournament water skiing event. Coaches and athletes can utilize the battery of physical tests and design a specialized training regimen for each tournament water skiing event.