Illness Incidence, Psychological Characteristics, and Sleep in Dogsled Drivers During the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Introduction: Every March, dogsled drivers (mushers) compete in a 1569-km race across Alaska, involving physical exertion, mental exertion, and sleep deprivation for up to 2 wk. These factors may increase mushers' vulnerability to illness, making them a relevant study population for acute infection risk factors. Specifically, the influence of psychological factors on illness risk during prolonged physical exertion has rarely been investigated.

Exercise Increases Glucose Transporter-4 Levels on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Purpose: Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) plays a key role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Glucose transporter 4 is upregulated in response to exercise, enhancing cellular glucose transport in skeletal muscle tissue. This mechanism appears to remain intact in individuals with insulin resistance.

25(OH)D levels in trained versus sedentary university students at 64° north.

Purpose: 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency is associated with compromised bone mineralisation, fatigue, suppressed immune function and unsatisfactory skeletal muscle recovery. We investigated the risk of 25(OH)D insufficiency or deficiency in endurance athletes compared to sedentary non-athletes living at 64° north.

Methods: University student-athletes (TS) and sedentary students (SS) volunteered to participate in this study.