O objetivo do presente estudo foi quantificar o tipo físico ideal e verificar o nível de insatisfação com a imagem corporal de praticantes de caminhada. Participaram do estudo 186 pessoas: 87 mulheres (idade = 28,70 ± 12,6 anos, estatura = 161,6 ± 6,2cm, massa corporal = 58,9 ± 12,0kg e gordura = 25,7 ± 7,8 G%) e 98 homens (idade = 27,9 ± 12,9 anos, estatura = 177,2 ± 6,9cm, massa corporal = 75,0 ± 12,3kg e gordura = 13,3 ± 6,1 G%). Solicitou-se que as pessoas indicassem qual silhueta correspondia ao seu corpo atualmente e qual gostariam de atingir. Apenas 24% das mulheres estão satisfeitas. A silhueta 3 foi apontada como ideal a ser atingido por 55% das mulheres (silhueta 2 = 18%; e 4 = 21%). A silhueta 3, de acordo com os resultados desse estudo, corresponde ao G% 20,5 ± 0,9% (EPM) e ao IMC de 20,0 ± 0,3kg/m² (EPM). Quanto aos homens, apenas 18% estão satisfeitos. A silhueta 4 foi apontada como ideal por 47% dos homens (silhueta 3 = 23%; e 5 = 19%). A silhueta 4 corresponde ao G% 9,8 ± 1,4% (EPM) e ao IMC de 23,1 ± 0,4kg/m² (EPM). Existe um tipo físico ideal para ambos os sexos. Não houve diferença entre o grau de insatisfação com a imagem corporal entre os sexos.

The aims of this study were to examine in young soccer players (a) the effect of varying the number of players on exercise intensity (EI) and technical actions during small-sided games (SSGs), (b) the reliability of EI and technical actions, and (c) the influence of the players' maturation on EI and involvements with the ball (IWBs). Sixteen male soccer players (mean ± SD; age 13.5 ± 0.7 years, height 164 ± 7 cm, and weight 51.8 ± 8 kg) completed 2 bouts of 3 vs. 3 (SSG3), 4 vs. 4 (SSG4), and 5 vs. 5 (SSG5) training. Exercise intensity was measured using heart rate and expressed as a percentage of maximal heart rate (%MHR). Technical actions were quantified from video recordings. Maturation stage was determined with the Tanner scale. Exercise intensity in SSG3 (89.8 ± 2%MHR) was higher (p < 0.003) than that in SSG5 (86.9 ± 3%MHR). The EI in the first set (86.8 ± 4%MHR) was lower (p < 0.001) than that in the second (89.1 ± 3%MHR) and in the third set (89.4 ± 3%MRH). No effects of number of players were found in IWB, passes, target passes, tackles, and headers. Significantly more crosses, dribbling, and shots on goal were observed during SSG3 compared to during SSG4 or SSG5 (p < 0.05). The typical error for EI, expressed as coefficient of variation, ranged from 2.2 to 3.4%. The reliability for the most frequent technical actions ranged from 6.8 to 19.3%. The level of maturation was not correlated with either EI or IWB. These results extend previous findings with adult players suggesting that SSGs can provide an adequate training stimulus for young players and are feasible for groups with heterogeneous maturation levels.

In this study, we assessed the pre-game hydration status and fluid balance of elite young soccer players competing in a match played in the heat (temperature 31.0 ± 2.0 ° C, relative humidity 48.0 ± 5.0%) for an official Brazilian soccer competition. Fluid intake was measured during the match, as were urine specific gravity and body mass before and after the game to estimate hydration status. Data were obtained from 15 male players (age 17.0 ± 0.6 years, height 1.78 ± 0.06 m, mass 65.3 ± 3.8 kg); however, data are only analysed for 10 players who completed the full game. The mean (± s) sweat loss of players amounted to 2.24 ± 0.63 L, and mean fluid intake was 1.12 ± 0.39 L. Pre-game urine specific gravity was 1.021 ± 0.004, ranging from 1.010 to 1.025. There was no significant correlation between sweat loss and fluid intake (r = 0.504, P = 0.137) or between urine specific gravity and fluid intake (r = -0.276, P = 0.440). We conclude that young, native tropical soccer players started the match hypohydrated and replaced about 50% of the sweat lost. Thus, effective strategies to improve fluid replacement are needed for players competing in the heat.

The identification of physiological loads imposed by soccer training or match play reveals essential information, which may help improve training and recovery strategies. Until today, the use of heart rate (HR) monitoring is not standardized in soccer. Thus, the aim of this review was to analyze, determine and compare the exercise intensity (EI) monitored by HR in professional, youth, and recreational soccer players during matches and training sessions using a meta-analysis. Heart rate is one of the most common physiological variables used to determine exercise internal training load. The mean EI recorded during competitive matches was described as 70-80% of VO2max or 80-90% of maximal heart rate (HRmax), independent of the playing level. With respect to HR training zones, approximately 65% of the total match duration is spent at intensity of 70-90% HRmax and rarely below 65% HRmax. However, although HRmax is mostly employed in the literature, monitoring EI should be expressed in relation to reserve heart rate, as it was described as a more reliable indicator of HR, allowing interindividual comparisons. The HR response according to the playing position indicates that midfielders are characterized by the highest EI, followed by forwards and fullbacks. Moreover, in the second half of the match, the EI is lower than that observed during the first half; this reduction could be correlated with the level of the player's physical conditioning. Consequently, coaches may favor the use of interval training or small-sided training games because these are shown to improve both aerobic capacity and the ability to repeat high-intensity actions. Small-sided games allow reaching similar HR responses to those found during interval training and match play but with greater heterogeneity values. Future investigations should include a larger sample of players with special reference to playing position and the expression of EI in percentage of the reserve heart rate, analyzing the possible intergender differences in HR response.

In this study we investigated pre-training hydration status, fluid intake, and sweat loss in 20 elite male Brazilian adolescent soccer players (mean ± s: age 17.2 ± 0.5 years; height 1.76 ± 0.05 m; body mass 69.9 ± 6.0 kg) on three consecutive days of typical training during the qualifying phase of the national soccer league. Urine specific gravity (USG) and body mass changes were evaluated before and after training sessions to estimate hydration status. Players began the days of training mildly hypohydrated (USG > 1.020) and fluid intake did not match fluid losses. It was warmer on Day 1 (33.1 ± 2.4°C and43.4 ± 3.2% relative humidity; P < 0.05) and total estimated sweat losses (2822 ± 530 mL) and fluid intake (1607 ± 460 mL) were significantly higher (P < 0.001) compared with Days 2 and 3. Data also indicate a significant correlation between the extent of sweat loss and the volume of fluid consumed (Day 1: r = 0.560, P = 0.010; Day 2: r = 0.445, P = 0.049; Day 3: r = 0.743, P = 0.0001). We conclude that young, native tropical soccer players arrive hypohydrated to training and that they exhibit voluntary dehydration; therefore, enhancing athletes' self-knowledge of sweat loss during training might help them to consume sufficient fluid to match the sweat losses.

The Charcot foot of diabetes mellitus is a common problem, and yet is not widely recognized by non-specialists. The failure of professionals to identify the condition in its early phases is probably largely responsible for the gross deformity which follows continued weight-bearing. The condition is confined to those with severe peripheral neuropathy. It is thought to result from three factors: motor neuropathy leading to the development of abnormal forces within the foot, subsequent disorganization of the foot as a result of associated osteopenia and progressive destruction from continued weight-bearing, enabled by reduced pain sensation. The cause of the osteopenia is not known, but it is associated with increased bone blood flow, which may be mainly the result of loss of sympathetic innervation. The importance of increased limb blood flow in the pathogenesis of the Charcot foot has been recognized for over a century. Paradoxically, the increased flow is associated with evidence of macrovascular disease, in that the prevalence of vascular calcification of pedal vessels approaches 90%. After an interval of many months, the condition tends to evolve: the increased blood flow lessens, the osteopenia is reduced and the disorganized bones become sclerotic. This tendency for the condition to evolve remains unexplained, since it would not be expected if the condition was caused solely by progressive denervation. As a result, it is suggested that another factor may be involved in the pathogenesis of the Charcot foot: an abnormal vasomotor reflex, analogous to reflex sympathetic dystrophy, occurring against a background of severe peripheral neuropathy. The resolution of the condition occurs because it is the reflex component of the hyperaemia which proves self-limiting.

No abstract

The ability of the human organism to recover its autonomic balance soon after physical exercise cessation has an important impact on the individual's health status. Although the dynamics of heart rate recovery after maximal exercise has been studied, little is known about heart rate variability after this type of exercise. The aim of this study is to analyse the dynamics of heart rate and heart rate variability recovery after maximal exercise in healthy young men. Fifteen healthy male subjects (21·7 ± 3·4 years; 24·0 ± 2·1 kg m(-2) ) participated in the study. The experimental protocol consisted of an incremental maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer, until maximal voluntary exhaustion. After the test, recovery R-R intervals were recorded for 5 min. From the absolute differences between peak heart rate values and the heart rate values at 1 and 5 min of the recovery, the heart rate recovery was calculated. Postexercise heart rate variability was analysed from calculations of the SDNN and RMSSD indexes, in 30-s windows (SDNN(30s) and RMSSD(30s) ) throughout recovery. One and 5 min after maximal exercise cessation, the heart rate recovered 34·7 (±6·6) and 75·5 (±6·1) bpm, respectively. With regard to HRV recovery, while the SDNN(30s) index had a slight increase, RMSSD(30s) index remained totally suppressed throughout the recovery, suggesting an absence of vagal modulation reactivation and, possibly, a discrete sympathetic withdrawal. Therefore, it is possible that the main mechanism associated with the fall of HR after maximal exercise is sympathetic withdrawal or a vagal tone restoration without vagal modulation recovery.