Numerous data suggest that aerobic-type exercise improves lipoprotein-lipid profiles, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in young women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological response to high-low impact aerobic fitness among young women. Thirty-four young women aged 22 (19-24) years were divided into three groups: underweight (N=10), normal weight (N=12) and overweight (N=12). Aerobic capacity, anthropometry and body composition together with complete blood count and lipid profile were determined before and after completion of a 12-week-long training period. The training programme caused a significant decrease in weight (by 4.3 kg, P=0.003), body mass index (by 1.3 kg/m2, P=0.003), free fat mass (by 2.1 kg, P=0.002), total body water (by 0.4 kg, P=0.036), percentage of fat (by 3 percent points, P=0.002), all analyzed skinfolds thicknesses, as well as the lipid profile in overweight group, and no changes in normal weight group. Significant changes in weight (by 4.2 kg, P=0.005), body mass index (by 0.9 kg/m2, P=0.005), crus skinfold thickness (by 3.3 mm, P=0.028), and in maximum oxygen uptake (by 2.49 mL/kg/min; P=0.047) were observed among underweight women. No change in total blood count was observed in all groups. Twelve-week-long fitness training programme of two alternating styles (low and high impact) has a beneficial effect on overweight young women.

Physical exercise strongly affects human metabolism and causes biochemical changes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between routine plasma biomarker levels and recovery efficiency in soccer players during an entire competitive match season. The players participating in the study were divided into a midfielder/defender group (seven midfielders and seven defenders) and a goalie/substitute group (six persons—goalkeepers and players with a short cumulative match-time). The fasting capillary blood samples were taken 17–24 h after each competitive match. The blood plasma was used to determine the creatinine, urea, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase, iron and magnesium levels of the athletes. The levels of (AST) (aspartate aminotransferase), (ALT) (alanine aminotransferase) and (Cr) creatinine were higher in the midfielder/defender group than in the control group, but only AST and Cr significantly varied over time (AST decreased, and Cr increased with time). The (LDH) (lactate dehydrogenase) activity and urea level were significantly lower in the midfielder/defender group than in the goalie/substitute group, and it significantly varied over time (LDH decreased, and urea increased with time). No differences in the (CK) creatine kinase and (ALP) alkaline phosphatase activities between the groups was found, although CK increased significantly with time in the midfielder/defender group (particularly midfielders in the spring round). In midfielders, the AST activity and the iron level were significantly lower in the spring than in the autumn round. On the contrary, ALT, CK, urea and magnesium levels were significantly higher in the spring than in autumn round. A long-term measurement of biochemical parameters in elite soccer players indicated that AST, CK, LDH and creatinine levels, when analyzed together, could constitute a useful set of markers for monitoring recovery periods.

The ability to quickly locate objects within the visual field has a significant influence on athletic performance. Saccades are conjugate eye movements responsible for the rapid shift that brings a new part of the visual field into foveal vision. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sport expertise and intense physical effort on saccade dynamics during a free‐viewing visual search task in skilled soccer players. Two groups of male subjects participated in this study: 18 soccer players and 18 non‐athletes as the control group. Two sessions of visual search tasks without a sport‐specific design were employed. Eye movements during the visual search tasks were recorded binocularly. Between pre‐ and post‐test sessions, athletes performed a maximal incremental treadmill test. Cardiorespiratory parameters were measured continuously. Capillary lactate samples were collected. Pre‐test findings indicated that athletes, in comparison to non‐athletes, achieve higher values of the following characteristics of saccades (1) average acceleration, (2) acceleration peak, (3) deceleration peak, and (4) average velocity. An increase in post‐test saccade duration and a decrease in post‐test saccade velocity was observed in athletes due to the strenuous physical effort in relation to the pre‐test state. Athletes may transfer high saccadic function efficiency to non‐specific visual stimuli. The findings partially confirm that physical exertion can reduce oculomotor efficiency in athletes.

Raining course require wide analyses of athletes' blood parameter changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of biochemical liver profile to assess the metabolic response to semi–long-distance outdoor run in football players. Sixteen football players run outdoor for 60 minutes to achieve aerobic metabolism. Plasma activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and plasma levels of total and direct bilirubin were determined in samples obtained before exercise test (pre-exercise) and immediately after the run (post-exercise). Mean AST plasma activity (U·L−1) before/after the exercise, respectively, was 78.3/228.3 in women and 76.5/56.2 in men. Mean ALT plasma activity (U·L−1) before/after the exercise, respectively, was 27.5/59.1 in women and 36.2/35.3 in men. Mean GGT plasma activity (U·L−1) before/after the exercise, respectively, was 39.3/76.6 in women and 44.7/71.2 in men. Plasma levels of total and direct bilirubin were similar before and after the run regardless of the gender. Statistical significance of the differences between results obtained pre- and post-exercise occurred in women (p = 0.0212 for AST; p = 0.0320 for ALT; p = 0.0067 for GGT, respectively). The training monitoring in athletes should be performed using measurements of performance and biological or physiological parameters. It was found that AST, ALT, and GGT activities could be a valuable tool to assess the metabolic response in high-level fitness female athletes. Therefore, monitoring of those well-known diagnostic markers could prevent the trainee from harmful overtraining....

Analysis of selected T cell subsets in peripheral blood after exhaustive effort among elite soccer players

This study was aimed at examining the impact of common types of physical efforts used to determine the aerobic and anaerobic performance of the participants on the complement system in their peripheral blood. Fifty-one physically active young males aged 16 years old (range 15–21 years) were divided into two age groups (younger, 15–17 years old and older, 18–21 years old) and performed two types of intensive efforts: aerobic (endurance; 20-m shuttle run test; Beep) and anaerobic (speed; repeated speed ability test; RSA). Venous blood samples were collected before and after each exercise (5 and 60 min) to profile the complement system components, namely the levels of C2, C3, C3a, iC3b, and C4. The endurance effort caused a decrease in the post-test C3 (p < 0.001 for both age groups) and increase in post-test C3a (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 for the younger and older group, respectively), recovery iC3b (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 for younger and older group, respectively), recovery C2 (p < 0.01 for both age groups), and post-test C4 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 for the younger and older group, respectively) levels, while the speed effort caused a decrease only in the post-test C2 (p < 0.05 for younger participants) and post-test C4 levels (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 for the younger and older group, respectively) and an increase in the recovery C3a level (p < 0.05). Our study provides evidence that different types of physical effort promote different immune responses in physically active young men. Aerobic exercise induced the activation of an alternative pathway of the complement system, whilst the anaerobic effort had little influence. A better understanding of the post-exercise immune response provides a framework to prescribe physical activity to achieve different health outcomes.