Use of natriuretic peptides in pre-participation screening of college athletes.

Current screening methods have poor specificity and sensitivity for detecting cardiac abnormalities that predispose young athletes to sudden death. Natriuretic peptides (NPs) show promise in screening asymptomatic populations for structural heart disease, but little is known about their use in student athletes. This study sought to describe the distribution and characteristics of NP levels in a population of college athletes and determine the relationship between NPs and the pre-participation exam (PPE) and hand-held echocardiography (HHE).

Efficacy of transdermal ketoprofen for delayed onset muscle soreness.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of transdermal ketoprofen in reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), limiting systemic absorption, and improving postexercise function following repetitive muscle contraction.

Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Setting: OrthoMed, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, U.

Using an experimental bicycle seat to reduce perineal numbness.

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of an experimental seat that was designed to prevent perineal numbness and possibly erectile dysfunction in male bicyclists. A trial of the device among 15 experienced cyclists measured perineal sensation after a 1-hour stationary cycling session on a standard seat followed several days later by the same exercise protocol on the experimental bike seat. Cyclists reported more numbness with the standard seat than with the experimental seat (79% vs 14%).