Genetic aspects of athletic performance: the African runners phenomenon.

The current dominance of African runners in long-distance running is an intriguing phenomenon that highlights the close relationship between genetics and physical performance. Many factors in the interesting interaction between genotype and phenotype (eg, high cardiorespiratory fitness, higher hemoglobin concentration, good metabolic efficiency, muscle fiber composition, enzyme profile, diet, altitude training, and psychological aspects) have been proposed in the attempt to explain the extraordinary success of these runners. Increasing evidence shows that genetics may be a determining factor in physical and athletic performance.

Monitoring of immunological parameters in adolescent basketball athletes during and after a sports season.

The objective of the present study was to monitor the immunological and hormonal responses and the occurrence of upper respiratory symptoms in adolescent basketball athletes during the different stages of a sports season. Anthropometric measures, biochemical analyses (interleukin-6, interleukin-10, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein, testosterone and cortisol), neuromuscular evaluations (standing vertical jumping ability, agility and estimated VO2max) and leukocyte counts were performed at four moments: 72 h before the season (-72 h); before the season (Pre-season); after six weeks, at the end of the preparatory period (Preparatory); and after 20 weeks, at the end of the competitive period (Competitive). Also, the occurrence of upper respiratory symptoms was collected weekly during all stages of the season.

The distances covered by basketball referees in a match increase throughout the competition phases, with no change in physiological demand.

Background: It is crucial to know the demands on basketball referees, in different match periods (MPs) and phases of competition, for planning referee training and subsequent successful refereeing.

Objective: To measure and evaluate the distance covered by referees in a match by measuring the number of interruptions, percentage of heart rate (%HR), and blood lactate concentration ([lac]) in different phases of competition and in different MPs.

Method: We studied the qualifying (QP), semifinal (SP), and final (FP) phases of a total of 12 matches (four matches in each phase) of the 2009-2010 Brazilian Basketball League.

Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in a Brazilian premier league soccer team.

Soccer, which has a large number of participants, has a high injury incidence that causes both financial and time burdens. Therefore, knowledge about the epidemiology of soccer injuries could allow sports-medicine professionals, such as physicians and physiotherapists, to direct their work in specific preventive programs. Thus, our aim was to conduct an epidemiological survey of injuries sustained by professional soccer players from the same team who participated in the Brazilian championship premier league in 2009.

Immune responses, upper respiratory illness symptoms, and load changes in young athletes during the preparatory period of the training periodization.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the immunological responses and the association between variation in exercise load and self-reported occurrence of upper respiratory illness (URI) symptoms in young basketball athletes.

Materials And Methods: The sample was composed of twelve young male athletes aged 12.7 ± 0.