Association of aortic root diameter and vascular function with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise among elite athletes.

Background: The systolic blood pressure/workload (SBP/MET) slope was recently reported to reliably identify an exaggerated blood pressure response (eBPR) in the normal population and in athletes. We investigated whether the aortic root diameter (AoD) also correlates with an eBPR and vascular function in elite athletes.

Methods: We examined 652 healthy male elite athletes (age 25.

SPARCL1 and NT-proBNP as biomarkers of right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery uncoupling in pulmonary hypertension.

Aims: SPARCL1 was recently identified as a biomarker of right ventricular (RV) maladaptation in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic protein (NT-proBNP) is an established biomarker of RV failure in PH. The present study investigated whether NT-proBNP and SPARCL1 concentrations are associated with load-independent parameters of RV function and RV-to-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling as measured using invasive pressure-volume (PV) loops in the RV.

Methods: SPARCL1 and NT-proBNP were measured in the plasma of patients with idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension (IPAH, n = 73).

Prognostic utility of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin and growth differentiation factor 15 in patients undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Risk prediction in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains an unsolved issue. In addition to classical risk scoring systems, novel circulating biomarkers like mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) may be of value in assessing risk.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing elective transfemoral TAVI were included in this prospective observational study.

Data analytics in the football industry: a survey investigating operational frameworks and practices in professional clubs and national federations from around the world.

The use of data and analytics in professional football organisations has grown steadily over the last decade. Nevertheless, how and whether these advances in sports analytics address the needs of professional football remain unexplored. Practitioners from national federations qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and professional football clubs from an international community of practitioners took part in a survey exploring the characteristics of their data analytics infrastructure, their role, and their value for elaborating player monitoring and positional data.

The role of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and Galectin-3 as predictive biomarkers for all-cause mortality in patients undergoing transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Currently available risk scores fail to accurately predict morbidity and mortality in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who undergo transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). In this context, biomarkers like matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and Galectin-3 (Gal-3) may provide additional prognostic information.

Methods: Patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing consecutive, elective, transfemoral TAVI were included.

Association of cardiorespiratory fitness level with vascular function and subclinical atherosclerosis in the elderly.

Purpose: Physical exercise is crucial for healthy aging and plays a decisive role in the prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). A higher level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in the elderly is associated with lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. This study investigated the association of CRF level with vascular function and cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly.

Association of central blood pressure with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise among elite athletes.

Purpose: The systolic blood pressure/workload (SBP/MET) slope was recently reported to be a reliable parameter to identify an exaggerated blood pressure response (eBPR) in the normal population and in athletes. However, it is unclear whether an eBPR correlates with central blood pressure (CBP) and vascular function in elite athletes.

Methods: We examined 618 healthy male elite athletes (age 25.

Subpopulations of regulatory T cells are associated with subclinical atherosclerotic plaques, levels of LDL, and cardiorespiratory fitness in the elderly.

Background: Atherosclerosis forms the pathological basis for the development of cardiovascular disease. Since pathological processes initially develop without clinically relevant symptoms, the identification of early markers in the subclinical stage plays an important role for initiating early interventions. There is evidence that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the development of atherosclerosis.

Body fat of competitive volleyball players: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: Reference values of body fat for competitive volleyball players are lacking, making it difficult to interpret measurement results. This review systematically summarized published data on the relative body fat of volleyball players and calculated potential differences between sex, measurement method, and competitive level.

Methods: The protocol followed the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines.

Clinical and functional relevance of right ventricular contraction patterns in pulmonary hypertension.

Background: The right ventricle has a complex contraction pattern of uncertain clinical relevance. We aimed to assess the relationship between right ventricular (RV) contraction pattern and RV-pulmonary arterial (PA) coupling defined by the gold-standard pressure-volume loop-derived ratio of end-systolic/arterial elastance (Ees/Ea).

Methods: Prospectively enrolled patients with suspected or confirmed pulmonary hypertension underwent three-dimensional echocardiography, standard right heart catheterization, and RV conductance catheterization.

T-cell-derived TNF-α and a cluster of immunological parameters from plasma allow a separation between SARS-CoV-2 convalescent versus vaccinated elite athletes.

Guidelines for medical clearing after SARS-CoV-2 infection in elite athletes do not include T-cell immunity aspects despite its relevance in the course of COVID-19 disease. Therefore, we aimed to analyze T-cell-related cytokines before and after activation of CD4 T-cells. We sampled professional indoor sports athletes at medical clearing after SARS-CoV-2 infection obtaining clinical, fitness data, and serological data including CD4 T-cell cytokines.

GDF-15 and soluble ST2 as biomarkers of right ventricular dysfunction in pulmonary hypertension.

This study analyzed the utility of soluble ST2 (sST2) and GDF-15 as biomarkers of right ventricular (RV) function in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). GDF-15 and sST2 serum concentrations were measured in patients with PH (n = 628), dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 31) and left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 47), and in healthy controls (n = 61). Median sST2 and GDF-15 levels in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were higher than in patients with PH and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Body Composition of Competitive Bodybuilders: A Systematic Review of Published Data and Recommendations for Future Work.

Bauer, P, Majisik, A, Mitter, B, Csapo, R, Tschan, H, Hume, P, Martínez-Rodríguez, A, and Makivic, B. Body composition of competitive bodybuilders: a systematic review of published data and recommendations for future work. J Strength Cond Res 37(3): 726-732, 2023-The purpose of this review was to systematically summarize studies measuring the body composition of competitive bodybuilding athletes to provide recommended values for preparation and during competition.

Normative values of non-invasively assessed RV function and pulmonary circulation coupling for pre-participation screening derived from 497 male elite athletes.

Background: Reference values for right ventricular function and pulmonary circulation coupling were recently established for the general population. However, normative values for elite athletes are missing, even though exercise-related right ventricular enlargement is frequent in competitive athletes.

Methods: We examined 497 healthy male elite athletes (age 26.

Modelling the relationship between load and repetitions to failure in resistance training: A Bayesian analysis.

To identify the relationship between load and the number of repetitions performed to momentary failure in the pin press exercise, the present study compared different statistical model types and structures using a Bayesian approach. Thirty resistance-trained men and women were tested on two separate occasions. During the first visit, participants underwent assessment of their one-repetition maximum (1-RM) in the pin press exercise.

Vascular alterations among male elite athletes recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SARS-CoV-2 may affect the cardiovascular system and vascular impairment has been reported in healthy young adults recovering from COVID-19. However, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the vascular function of elite athletes is unknown. We examined 30 healthy male elite athletes (age 25.

Reproducibility of strength performance and strength-endurance profiles: A test-retest study.

The present study was designed to evaluate the test-retest consistency of repetition maximum tests at standardized relative loads and determine the robustness of strength-endurance profiles across test-retest trials. Twenty-four resistance-trained males and females (age, 27.4 ± 4.

Application and Validation of the Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion/Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure Ratio in Patients with Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

The main aim of this study was to assess the prognostic utility of TAPSE/PASP as an echocardiographic parameter of maladaptive RV remodeling in cardiomyopathy patients using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Furthermore, we sought to compare TAPSE/PASP to TAPSE. The association of the echocardiographic parameters TAPSE/PASP and TAPSE with CMR parameters of RV and LV remodeling was evaluated in 111 patients with ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and cut-off values for maladaptive RV remodeling were defined.