Limited research examining the effect of taurine (TA) ingestion on human exercise performance exists. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acute ingestion of 1,000 mg of TA on maximal 3-km time trial (3KTT) performance in trained middle-distance runners (MDR). Eight male MDR (mean ± SD: age 19.9 ± 1.2 years, body mass 69.4 ± 6.6 kg, height 180.5 ± 7.5 cm, 800 m personal best time 121.0 ± 5.3 s) completed TA and placebo (PL) trials 1 week apart in a double-blind, randomised, crossover designed study. Participants consumed TA or PL in capsule form on arrival at the laboratory followed by a 2-h ingestion period. At the end of the ingestion period, participants commenced a maximal simulated 3KTT on a treadmill. Capillary blood lactate was measured pre- and post-3KTT. Expired gas, heart rate (HR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and split times were measured at 500-m intervals during the 3KTT. Ingestion of TA significantly improved 3KTT performance (TA 646.6 ± 52.8 s and PL 658.5 ± 58.2 s) (p = 0.013) equating to a 1.7 % improvement (range 0.34-4.24 %). Relative oxygen uptake, HR, RPE and blood lactate did not differ between conditions (p = 0.803, 0.364, 0.760 and 0.302, respectively). Magnitude-based inference results assessing the likeliness of a beneficial influence of TA were 99.3 %. However, the mechanism responsible for this improved performance is unclear. TA's potential influence on exercise metabolism may involve interaction with the muscle membrane, the coordination or the force production capability of involved muscles. Further research employing more invasive techniques may elucidate TA's role in improving maximal endurance performance.
Most variants associated with complex traits and diseases identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) map to noncoding regions of the genome with unknown effects. Using ancestrally diverse biobank-scale GWAS data, massively parallel CRISPR screens, and single cell transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing, we discovered 124
cis
-target genes of 91 noncoding blood trait GWAS loci. Using precise variant insertion via base editing, we connected specific variants with gene expression changes. We also identified
trans
-effect networks of noncoding loci when
cis
target genes encoded transcription factors or microRNAs. Networks were themselves enriched for GWAS variants and demonstrated polygenic contributions to complex traits. This platform enables massively-parallel characterization of the target genes and mechanisms of human noncoding variants in both
cis
and
trans
.
This study reports the quantitative effect of students using podcasts in a 1 st year undergraduate exercise physiology module. From a cohort of 70 students, 50 volunteered and completed the study. Using a pre-post random allocation research design, students were allocated to either a podcast group (PG) or control group (CG) based on a 32-question multiple-choice exam. The PG then listened to six podcasts over six weeks, while the CG were provided with an exact transcript of the podcasts in printed form to ensure that both groups were provided with the same content. After six weeks, both groups were reexamined using the same test. Data were analysed using the effect size statistic and 90% confidence intervals. The CG improved their exam performance by 43%, whereas the PG improved by 46%. The difference between the groups on the post-test was a mean effect size of 0.19 (90%CI:-0.16 to 0.53 [trivial to positively small]). There is almost no chance that the true effect in the population is harmful. The results of this study suggest that using podcasts provides little quantitative benefit for students over and above written text when learning exercise physiology.
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