Professional soccer players with functional asymmetries possess a higher risk of sustaining hamstring strains. Previous injury seems not to constitute a risk factor. The systematic isokinetic evaluation of the lower extremities during the preseason period can provide therapists and trainers with valuable data regarding the predictive elements of non-contact hamstring strains in professional soccer players.

The current study reveals that anterior cruciate ligament deficiency can cause reorganization of the central nervous system, suggesting that such an injury might be regarded as a neurophysiologic dysfunction, not a simple peripheral musculoskeletal injury. This evidence could explain clinical symptoms that accompany this type of injury and lead to severe dysfunction. Understanding the pattern of brain activation after a peripheral joint injury such as anterior cruciate ligament injury lead to new standards in rehabilitation and motor control learning with a wide application in a number of clinical and research areas (eg, surgical procedures, patient re-education, athletic training, etc).

Although thiol-based antioxidant supplementation enhances GSH availability in skeletal muscle, it disrupts the skeletal muscle inflammatory response and repair capability, potentially because of a blunted activation of redox-sensitive signaling pathways. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01778309.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic training, strength training and their combination on joint range of motion of inactive older individuals. Thirty-two inactive older men (65 - 78 yr) were assigned to one of four groups (n = 8 per group): control (C), strength training (ST), cardiovascular training (CT), and combination of strength and aerobic training (SA). Subjects in the S, A, and SA trained three times a week for 16 weeks. ST included 10 resistance exercises for the major muscle groups at an intensity of 55 - 80% of 1-RM and CT included walking/jogging at 50 - 80 % of maximal heart rate. Body weight and height, physical activity level and maximal oxygen uptake (.VO(2)max) were measured before the training period. Isokinetic (60 and 180 deg x sec(-1)) and concentric strength (1-RM in bench and leg press) were assessed prior to and at the end of the training period. Hip flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction, shoulder extension, flexion, and adduction, knee flexion, elbow flexion and sit-and-reach score were determined before and at 8 and 16 weeks of training. There were no differences between groups in .VO(2)max, body weight, and height (p < 0.05). ST and SA but not CT and C increased isokinetic and concentric strength at the end of the training period (p < 0.05). ST and SA increased significantly (p < 0.05) sit-and-reach performance, elbow flexion, knee flexion, shoulder flexion and extension and hip flexion and extension both at mid- and post-training. CT increased (p < 0.05) only hip flexion and extension at post training. Results indicate that resistance training may be able to increase range of motion of a number of joints of inactive older individuals possibly due to an improvement in muscle strength.

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It has been reported that exercise with eccentric contractions can induce damage and inflammation in human muscle tissue, the severity of which depends on the duration and the intensity of exercise. Platelet activating factor (PAF) is a potent inflammatory mediator implicated in a series of pathophysiological conditions. We sought to investigate the relationship between PAF and eccentric exercise induced muscle damage. Thirteen healthy, recreationally active male subjects (27.5+/-3.78 year) performed 36 maximum voluntary eccentric contractions on a motorized muscle dynamometer using the elbow flexor muscles of the non-dominant arm. Venous blood samples were collected immediately before and after exercise at 2, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. PAF was isolated, purified and determined by a platelet aggregation assay. Serum levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP) and complement C3 (C3), plasma level of fibrinogen and whole blood level of leukocytes (and their subsets) were determined. Established indicators of muscle damage as maximum isometric torque (MIT), range of motion (ROM), relaxed arm angle (RANG), flexed arm angle (FANG), arm circumference (CIRC) and muscle soreness were also measured at the same time points. PAF, leukocytes, CK and LDH were elevated after exercise, while other biochemical parameters such as CRP, C3 and fibrinogen were unchanged. We also observed an inverse association between PAF and MIT and ROM, as well as a positive association with other markers of muscle injury, i.e. CK, LDH, FANG and CIRC (all P's<0.05). Our findings may imply a role for PAF in the mechanism of eccentric exercise induced muscle damage.