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Nine Ski mountaineering (Ski-Mo), ten Nordic-Cross Country (NCC) and twelve world elite biathlon (Bia) athletes were evaluated for cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) performance as the primary aim of our descriptive preliminary report. A multicenter retrospective analysis of CPET data was performed in 31 elite winter sports athletes, which were obtained in 2021 during the annual medical examination. The matched data of the elite winter sports athletes (14 women, 17 male athletes, age: 18–32 years) were compared for different CPET parameters, and athlete’s physique data and sport-specific training schedules. All athletes showed, as estimated in elite winter sport athletes, excellent performance data in the CPET analyses. Significant differences were revealed for VE VT2 (respiratory minute volume at the second ventilatory threshold (VT2)), highest maximum respiratory minute volume (VEmaximum), the indexed ventilatory oxygen uptake (VO2) at VT2 (VO2/kg VT2), the oxygen pulse at VT2, and the maximum oxygen pulse level between the three professional winter sports disciplines. This report provides new evidence that in different world elite winter sport professionals, significant differences in CPET parameters can be demonstrated, against the background of athlete’s physique as well as training control and frequency.

Our data demonstrate that ICGA represents a potent tool for the quantification of collateral flow in small animal models. The current standard of LDPI seems to rather represent blood movements within the superficial skin but not of the entire hind limb.

BackgroundIn general, only few studies are dedicated to blood pressure behavior under physical stress in children and adolescents. Even less is published about the blood pressure behavior of young high-performance athletes on the ergometer. For this reason, we evaluated the blood pressure behavior under stress compared to non-athletes in a large collective (n = 739) of young high-performance athletes (age 10–20 years, mean 15.8 years, male 442, female 297) of different sports. A complete echocardiographic examination was available in all athletes.ResultRegardless of gender, the young competitive athletes achieved significantly higher maximum blood pressure values than investastigated populations from previous studies. Based on the data obtained, blood pressure percentiles are now defined explicitly for junior athletes across sports as well as age- and gender-dependent, which did not exist in this form of normal values for the special clientele of young competitive athletes. The echocardiographic examinations demonstrated stress-induced cardiac adaptation adaptations in the majority of athletes, which thus correlate with the comparatively higher stress blood pressures compared to non-athletes.ConclusionFor the first time, blood pressure percentiles for exercise tests on the ergometer for age groups and gender in high performance athletes are defined based on a comparatively large collective of young competitive athletes. Upper limits were determined, in particular for systolic blood pressure under stress, and categorized according to gender and age. Performance diagnosticians and physicians are now enabled to make a more accurate assessment of the corresponding blood pressure regulation of young athletes under exercise conditions.

Recently, there has been intense discussion about sports dentistry and potential interactions between oral health and athletes’ performance. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the available literature about oral inflammation in sports. For this purpose, it presents the most common types of oral inflammation (gingivitis, periodontitis, pericoronitis, apical periodontitis), and their prevalence in athletes. Both the impact of oral inflammation on performance and causes for oral inflammation in athletes are discussed by presenting current literature. Finally, international recommendations for dental care in sports are presented. Several studies stated a high prevalence of oral inflammation in athletes, especially of gingivitis (58–97%) and periodontitis (41%). Also, many athletes report oral pain (17–30%) and a negative impact of oral health on training (3–9%). Besides this, a systemic impact of oral inflammation is discussed: In periodontitis patients, blood parameters and physical fitness are changed. In athletes, associations between muscle injuries and poor oral health are reported. There are deficits in oral health behavior. Furthermore, systemic changes due to physical stress could influence oral tissues. Overall, complex bidirectional interactions between competitive sports and oral inflammation are possible. Regular dental examinations and prevention strategies should be implemented in sports.