SUMMARY1. The maximum voluntary force (strength) which could be produced by the knee-extensor muscles, with the knee held at a right angle, was measured in a group of healthy young subjects comprising twenty-five males and twenty-five females. Both legs were tested: data from the stronger leg only for each subject were used in the present study.2. Computed tomography was used to obtain a cross-sectional image of the subjects' legs at mid-thigh level, measured as the mid-point between the greater trochanter and upper border of the patella. The cross-sectional area of the kneeextensor muscles was determined from the image obtained by computer-based planimetry.3. The subjects' height and weight were measured. An estimate of body fat content was obtained from measurements of skinfold thicknesses and used to calculate lean body mass.4. Male subjects were taller (P < 0-001), heavier (P < 0-001), leaner (P < 0-001) and stronger (P < 0-001) than the female subjects. No significant correlation was found to exist between strength of the knee-extensor muscles and body weight in the male or in the female subjects. In the male subjects, but not in the female group, there was a positive correlation (r = 0 50; P < 0-01) between strength and lean body mass.5. Muscle cross-sectional area of the male subjects was greater than that of the female subjects (P < 0-001). The ratio of strength to cross-sectional area for the male was 9-49 + 1-34 (mean + S.D.). This is greater but not significantly so, than that for females (8-92+ 1 11). In both male and female groups, there was a significant (P < 0-01) positive correlation between muscle strength and cross-sectional area.6. A wide variation in the ratio of strength to muscle cross-sectional area was observed. This variability may be a result of anatomical differences between subjects or may result from differences in the proportions of different fibre types in the muscles. The variation between subjects is such that strength is not a useful predictive index of muscle cross-sectional area.

For the athlete training hard, nutritional supplements are often seen as promoting adaptations to training, allowing more consistent and intensive training by promoting recovery between training sessions, reducing interruptions to training because of illness or injury, and enhancing competitive performance. Surveys show that the prevalence of supplement use is widespread among sportsmen and women, but the use of few of these products is supported by a sound research base and some may even be harmful to the athlete. Special sports foods, including energy bars and sports drinks, have a real role to play, and some protein supplements and meal replacements may also be useful in some circumstances. Where there is a demonstrated deficiency of an essential nutrient, an increased intake from food or from supplementation may help, but many athletes ignore the need for caution in supplement use and take supplements in doses that are not necessary or may even be harmful. Some supplements do offer the prospect of improved performance; these include creatine, caffeine, bicarbonate and, perhaps, a very few others. There is no evidence that prohormones such as androstenedione are effective in enhancing muscle mass or strength, and these prohormones may result in negative health consequences, as well as positive drug tests. Contamination of supplements that may cause an athlete to fail a doping test is widespread.

Previous methods used to collect human sweat for electrolyte analysis have been criticized because they involve only regional sampling or because of methodological problems associated with whole body-washdown techniques. An improved method for collection of whole body sweat from exercising subjects is described. It involved construction of a plastic frame that supports a large plastic bag within which the subject exercises. The subject and the equipment are washed with distilled, deionized water before exercise begins. After exercise is completed, the subject and equipment are again washed with water containing a marker not present in sweat (ammonium sulfate). Total sweat loss is calculated from the change in body mass, and the volume of sweat not evaporated is calculated from dilution of the added marker. Recovery of added water was 102 +/- 2% (SD) of the added volume, and recovery of added electrolytes was 99 +/- 2% for sodium, 98 +/- 9% for potassium, and 101 +/- 4% for chloride. Repeated trials (n = 4) on five subjects to establish the reproducibility of the method gave a coefficient of variation of 17 +/- 5% for sodium, 23 +/- 6% for potassium, and 15 +/- 6% for chloride. These values include the biological variability between trials as well as the error within the method. The biological variability thus appears to be far greater than the methodological error. Normal values for the composition of sweat induced by exercise in a hot, humid environment in healthy young men and women were (in mM) 50.8 +/- 16.5 sodium, 4.8 +/- 1.6 potassium, 1.3 +/- 0.9 calcium, 0.5 +/- 0.5 magnesium, and 46.6 +/- 13.1 chloride.

Challenging environmental conditions, including heat and humidity, cold, and altitude, pose particular risks to the health of Olympic and other high-level athletes. As a further commitment to athlete safety, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission convened a panel of experts to review the scientifi c evidence base, reach consensus, and underscore practical safety guidelines and new research priorities regarding the unique environmental challenges Olympic and other international-level athletes face. For non-aquatic events, external thermal load is dependent on ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, while clothing and protective gear can measurably increase thermal strain and prompt premature fatigue. In swimmers, body heat loss is the direct result of convection at a rate that is proportional to the effective water velocity around the swimmer and the temperature difference between the skin and the water. Other cold exposure and conditions, such as during Alpine skiing, biathlon and other sliding sports, facilitate body heat transfer to the environment, potentially leading to hypothermia and/ or frostbite; although metabolic heat production during these activities usually increases well above the rate of body heat loss, and protective clothing and limited exposure time in certain events reduces these clinical risks as well. Most athletic events are held at altitudes that pose little to no health risks; and training exposures are typically brief and well-tolerated. While these and other environment-related threats to performance and safety can be lessened or averted by implementing a variety of individual and event preventative measures, more research and evidence-based guidelines and recommendations are needed. In the mean time, the IOC Medical Commission and International Sport Federations have implemented new guidelines and taken additional steps to mitigate risk even further.

1. Blood antioxidants were measured in venous blood samples from 20 runners and six sedentary individuals. All subjects were male, between 20 and 40 years old, and in steady state with respect to body weight and physical activity patterns. Dietary analysis was undertaken using a 7-day weighed food intake. Correlations were sought between antioxidants in blood and (1) weekly training distance and (2) maximum oxygen uptake. In addition, 12 runners could be classified into two groups undertaking either low (range 16-43 km, n = 6) or high (80-147 km, n = 6) weekly training. 2. Body weight (range 55.3-90.0 kg) and percentage body fat (range 7-19%) both showed negative correlations with the weekly training distance (both P less than 0.001). Energy intake and maximum oxygen uptake were both correlated with the weekly training distance (both P less than 0.001). 3. Plasma creatine kinase activity, an indicator of muscle damage, was significantly correlated with the weekly training distance (P less than 0.01), whereas the plasma concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, an indicator of free-radical-mediated lipid peroxidation, decreased with increased maximum oxygen uptake (P less than 0.01). 4. Erythrocyte alpha-tocopherol content was greater in the two running groups (P less than 0.05) compared with the sedentary group, and lymphocyte ascorbic acid concentration was significantly elevated in the high-training group (P less than 0.01) compared with the low-training group. 5. Erythrocyte activities of the antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, were significantly and positively correlated with the weekly training distance (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)