IGF-I and IGFBP-1 in Relation to Body Composition and Physical Performance in Female Olympic Athletes.

Introduction: Insulin- like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is an anabolic hormone that may affect athletic performance in female athletes, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is an important regulator of bioactive IGF-I. There is limited knowledge of the role of endogenous IGF-I and IGFBP-1 for body composition and physical performance in female elite athletes.

Purpose: To examine IGF-I, age adjusted IGF-I (IGFSD), IGFBP-1 and insulin in female Olympic athletes compared with controls and different sport categories, and in relation to body composition and physical performance in the athletes.

Digit Ratio (2D:4D) and Physical Performance in Female Olympic Athletes.

The second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D ratio) is suggested to be a negative correlate of prenatal testosterone. Little is known about the role of the 2D:4D ratio in relation to serum and urinary androgens for physical performance in female athletes. We aimed to compare the 2D:4D ratio in female Olympic athletes with sedentary controls, and to investigate the 2D:4D ratio in relation to serum and urinary androgens and physical performance in the athletes.

Serum androgen profile and physical performance in women Olympic athletes.

Background: The role of endogenous androgens for body composition and physical performance in women athletes is still not elucidated.

Aim: To examine the serum androgen profile in relation to body composition and physical performance in women Olympic athletes and to compare endocrine variables and body composition to controls.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study, conducted between 2011 and 2015 at the Women's Health Research Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm.

[»Shermer's neck« is a rare injury in long-distance cycle races. Association with diplopia described for the first time].

Shermer's neck was first described in 1983 in an ultra-distance cyclist and it is often associated with neck pain (in our patient diplopia as first symptom) and exhaustion and impaired neck motor function with inability to extend the neck against gravity. The diplopia, for the first time described in connection with Shermer's neck, was accentuated when elevating the eyes and looking at distance, most likely reflecting exhaustion in the elevator muscles of the eye. Shermer's neck usually appears after 800 km of non-stop bike racing.

Body composition and endocrine profile of male Olympic athletes striving for leanness.

Objective: To investigate the endocrine profile, body composition, and state of mood in male Olympic athletes participating in sports that do or do not emphasize leanness.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Research unit at a university hospital.

Enhanced systolic myocardial function in elite endurance athletes during combined arm-and-leg exercise.

The aim here was to employ color tissue velocity imaging (TVI), to test the hypothesis that highly trained endurance athletes exhibit enhanced systolic function of the left ventricular (LV) myocardium both at rest and during combined arm-and-leg exercise in comparison with untrained subjects. For each of the ten elite male (EG) and ten matched control participants (CG), LV dimensions and systolic function were assessed at rest using echocardiography. Subsequently, these subjects exercised continuously on a combined arm-and-leg cycle ergometer for 3 min each at 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100% of VO(2max).

Hyperandrogenism may explain reproductive dysfunction in olympic athletes.

Purpose: Female athletes are known to be at risk for reproductive dysfunction and osteopenia because of energy deficiency. Although endocrine balance and an optimal body composition are essential for top elite performance, these parameters have not yet been explored fully in Olympic sportswomen. The objective of this study, therefore, was to characterize the menstrual status, body composition, and endocrine balance in female Olympic athletes participating in different disciplines.

Special attention to the weight-control strategies employed by Olympic athletes striving for leanness is required.

Background: Optimization of body weight and composition is a key priority for elite athletes striving for a competitive advantage. The present investigation was designed to characterize various parameters related to weight control in Olympic competitors.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

["Unfair" effect of physical activity. Physically inactive individuals must exercise for a longer period to achieve the preventive targets].

The capacity to turnover energy during exercise is regulated by the maximal aerobic capacity. Advices regarding physical activity must therefore be modified and individualised based on the maximal aerobic capacity of the patient. Initially, physical training of patients with low capacity to turn over energy will make it more difficult for the patient to achieve goals of disease prevention and weight reduction.

Effect of salbutamol, a beta-2-adrenergic agonist, on erythropoietin concentration in healthy males.

Fifteen healthy males, aged 20-30 years, participated in a double-blind cross-over study on the effect of the beta-2 stimulator salbutamol on erythropoietin concentration and hemoglobin concentration. The treatment period comprised inhalation of salbutamol, 0.8 mg four times daily for 2 weeks.