Objective: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is part of routine medical practice for clinical assessment of kidney function in health and disease conditions, and is determined by measuring the clearance of creatinine (Cl-Crn) or estimated (eGFR) from equations using serum creatinine (Crn) or cystatin C (Cyst C). Crn and Cyst C methods obviate the need for urine collection but their reliability under non-resting conditions is uncertain. This study compared GFR determined by Cl-Crn, Crn and Cyst C methods under the conditions of rest and after exercise.Methods: Twelve young male subjects performed a 30 min treadmill exercise at 80% of the maximal oxygen capacity. Venous blood samples and urine collections were collected before and after exercise and after recovery period. GFR rates were calculated from serum Crn and Cyst C equations, and Cl-Crn measured from serum and urine Crn output. Albumin was also determined for all samples.Results: Under resting conditions, eGFR from Crn and Cyst C did not differ from Cl-Crn (p=0.39). Immediately after exercise, GFR decreased significantly, regardless of the method, but more so for Cl-Crn (−30.0%; p<0.05) compared with Crn (−18.2%) and Cyst C (−19.8%). After the recovery period, GFR determined by Cl-Crn was returned to initial values whereas Crn and Cyst C remained reduced. Although eGFR methods accurately estimate GFR at rest, those methods underestimated the change in GFR after acute exercise.Conclusions: These results indicate that exercise-induced changes in GFR should be determined by Cl-Crn method.

Lesions producing congenital mitral valvar stenosis are complex and often multiple, From 1970 to 1994, 58 patients under 12 years of age (mean 5 ± 3.2 y) underwent surgical treatment for such malformations in our department. In order to provide a clear understanding of the pathology, we used a classification based on anatomy and function. Echocardiography was a major tool of the preoperative investigations. The lesions were classified as follows:Normal papillary muscles: commissural fusion in 19, excess leaflet tissue in 2, valvar ring in 12, and annular hypolasia in 2.Abnormal papillary muscles: paachute arrangement in 10 and hammock mitral valve in 13.Associated malformations were found in 63%, the most common being multiple stenosis in the left heart. Conservative treatment was possible in 54 patients (95%) using the techniques developed by Carpentier. Hospital mortality was 22%, with 95% confident limits between 13 and 36% (13/58). Of the 13 patients with a hammock valve, 6 died in hospital. The overall mean period of follow up was 7.8 + 5 years. No thromboembolic events occured after conservative surgery. Late death occured in 3%. The actuarial survival at 5 years was 64 + 15%. Reoperation was needed for residual mitral valvar stenosis in three patients or insufficiency in one.In spite of effective techniques to relieve mitral obstruction, 12% of our patients need early or delayed replacement of the valve. The hospital mortality remains high due to the complexity of the lesions, associated with the associated malformations. Echocardiography proved to be extremly helpful for the functional analysis. In order to improve operative results, simple and early valvar repair, even if considered palliative, seems to be appropriate.

To assess the impact of metabolic stress on blood lactate, muscle damage, inflammatory and hormonal responses following a high-load (70% maximum) strength training session, we compared two methods with a similar number of repetitions but that differed by their metabolic demand: the 3/7 method consisting in two series of five sets of an increasing number of repetitions (3 to 7) with a short inter-set interval (15 s) and the 8 × 6 method that comprises eight sets of six repetitions with a longer inter-set interval (2.5 min). Blood concentrations in lactate, creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin (MB), interleukine-6 (IL-6), leukocytes, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and cortisol were determined before and after each session. Lactate concentration increased more (11.9 vs. 3.1 mmol/L; p < 0.001) for the 3/7 method whereas CK and MB concentrations were augmented similarly (p > 0.05) for both methods. Inflammatory markers (leukocytes and IL-6) increased (p < 0.01) more after the 3/7 method. GH and cortisol concentrations also increased more (p < 0.001) after the 3/7 method with no difference in IGF-1 concentrations between methods. Positive associations were found between the change in lactate and changes in IL-6 (r² = 0.47; p < 0.01), GH (r² = 0.58; p < 0.001) and cortisol (r² = 0.61; p < 0.001) concentrations. In conclusion, the greater lactate accumulation induced by short inter-set intervals during a high-load training session is associated with enhanced inflammatory and hormonal responses, suggesting that metabolic stress might contribute to the greater adaptative response previously observed with this method.

Background/Objectives: Identifying accessible and effective exercise interventions is essential for improving health and physical fitness in individuals with overweight or obesity. Whole-body high-intensity interval training (WB-HIIT) is a time-efficient approach that requires minimal equipment and can be adapted to a wide range of settings and fitness levels. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of WB-HIIT on cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness, body composition, and metabolic health markers. Methods: Thirty-six healthy adults with overweight were assigned to either a WB-HIIT group (n = 19; 35 ± 9 years; BMI 30.2 ± 3.1 kg/m²) or a control group (n = 17; 33 ± 11 years; BMI 30.3 ± 3.3 kg/m²). Participants completed pre- and post-intervention assessments including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), blood sampling, maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and measures of muscular strength (3 RM) and functional endurance (1 min sit-to-stand and arm curl). The 10-week supervised WB-HIIT (2–3 sessions per week) included a warm-up, 3–4 sets of 10–12 all-out whole-body exercises (30–40 s) interspersed with 20–30 s recovery, and a cool-down. Results: The control group showed no significant changes in any of the assessed parameters after 10 weeks, except for a modest increase in body fat mass. The WB-HIIT group showed significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, evidenced by increases in VO₂peak (p < 0.05), maximal treadmill incline (p < 0.01), and first ventilatory threshold parameters (p < 0.05). Maximal strength increased significantly in both the leg and bench press (p < 0.001), accompanied by a significant improvement in upper-limb functional endurance (arm curl, p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in body weight or BMI, but small reductions were found in body fat percentage, trunk fat mass, and waist circumference (p < 0.05). Except for a modest decrease in glycated hemoglobin (p < 0.05), metabolic blood parameters remained unchanged and were already within the normal range at baseline. Conclusions: A 10-week WB-HIIT intervention improved cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and upper-limb functional endurance, and elicited a modest reduction in trunk fat mass in individuals with overweight or obesity.