Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Sportmedizin最新文献

Recent changes in lifestyle have considerably reduced the loads that joints have to bear through occupational stresses. It is now essentially during leisure time that most people use somewhat intensely their locomotive systems, mostly as sustained bouts of physical exercise. The physician is therefore led to examining critically these sports activities and their consequences. One has to be aware of the fact that some sports may bring about an articular overuse, partly through trauma and partly through microtrauma. Nevertheless, when reviewing recent literature on the implied relation between exercise and degenerative joint disease, one is amazed in observing how contradictory the current opinions are. This article intends to be both a review and a synthesis of the various factors which are commonly accepted as playing a role in the etiology of degenerative joint disease consecutive to exercise. We take into account by the same token the well-known advantages of physical activity such as prevention of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, the enhancement of psychic well-being and the delaying of the onset of ageing. Thus, knowing which sports may promote degenerative joint disease under given conditions, the physician will be able to counsel people with an identified proneness to joint disease into undertaking more healthful physical workouts.

The strength of the quadriceps muscle of twelve male surfers who practice their sport for more than 10 years was compared with results of 15 male untrained persons. The concentric peak torque of knee extensors was measured every 10 degrees in a range from 90 to 20 degrees isometrically and dynamically with a constant angle velocity of 10 degrees/sec. The difference in torque between the left and the right leg is not significant, but there is a slight dominance in favour of the standing leg. The body weight related strength of the surfers was 3.2 Nm/kg indicating a higher strength characteristic compared to 2.7 Nm/kg of untrained subjects. Moreover the strength values of our group of athletes were above the value of 3 Nm/kg, which is referred to in the literature as representing a good training status. In view of these results it can be concluded that a long-lasting specific training like surfing will change the strength characteristics of the quadriceps muscles, although none of the surfers had undertaken an extensive strength training for the lower extremity.

Nature, as we know it, obeys the Laws of thermodynamics. The investigation into the energetics of the human body is an application of these laws to the human biological system. The First Law of thermodynamics, which has been verified many times in experiments on the human body, expresses the constraints of the conservation of energy and the equivalence between work and heat. It considers any energy change as equally possible, not in the least taking into account the irreversibility of a given process. The implications of the Second Law of thermodynamics, on the other hand, have never been examined in detail on the human body. This Law defines the direction in which an energy transformation can occur, as well as the equilibrium conditions of the systems. In this paper, we present the main results of a body of research, aimed at calculating the non-reversible processes of the human body system by means of using the entropy concept as the main operator in applying the Second Law on physical and sometimes even non-physical systems. Determination of body composition was based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In addition, we used direct as well as indirect calorimetric techniques to measure the heat transfers between the human body and its environment, as well as oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. These measurements allowed us to compute various energy balances of a human body at rest. Furthermore, we studied also several aspects of energy exchange of the human body during muscular work.

Injuries to the lateral ligaments of the ankle require an accurate diagnosis, especially because most injuries to one ligament are not treated surgically any more. Different stress devices are in use for an objective and standardised assessment of the instability of the ankle joint. In a group of 76 patients with injuries to their lateral ligaments of the ankle we compared posttraumatic instability by radiological stress test as done by hand or by a Telos stress device. In 25 patients treated by surgery an additional intraoperative stress X-ray (talar tilt) was performed. The results of the instability tests done by hand versus those obtained with a Telos stress device showed a poor correlation (r = 0.786). An analogous result was obtained by comparing the Telos device stress views to the intraoperative stress controls done by hand (r = 0.771). Only the pre- and intraoperative measurements by hand showed a good correlation (r = 0.958). The results are discussed with reference to a biomechanical model and recommendations for routine diagnosis are proposed.

The international and national efforts to flight doping in sports are shown by the examples of the Anti-Doping Convention of the Council of Europe and the regulations of the Swiss Association of Sports. Major efforts are made in the fields of education and information, search for and application of optimal methods for training and care as well as dope-controls at and out of competitions. The harmonization of the anti-doping regulations and the disciplinary procedures that have to follow the principles of natural justice are considered to be important. The Swiss regulations allow, at variance with international customs, to treat injured athletes therapeutically with doping-substances.

In a prospective study we examined 46 patients (14-49 years of age) with fresh ruptures of the lateral ligaments of the ankle (talar tilt greater than or equal to 10 degrees). Treatment consisted in six weeks of taping combined with wearing of a special rehabilitation shoe (Ortho Rehab). 28 patients were treated conservatively and 18 had an operative repair of their ruptured ligaments. After 8 weeks every patient was clinically controlled. Until now 35 patients were reevaluated more than one year after injury. Treatment was judged as very comfortable and positive. Working capacity was achieved after an average of 14.8 days and all patients returned to their former sports activity 3 to 8 weeks after the event. Mechanical and functional stability after more than one year are excellent with the exception of 3 cases. The results are discussed and compared with other studies.

Exercise is associated with positive health habits: Findings from the populations survey of the Swiss MONICA-project. Relatively little is known on population-wide relations of habitual exercise to relevant health factors such as diet, cigarette smoking and overweight. Data from a population-based sample of approximately 800 men and women each, aged 25-64, collected in western Switzerland as a part of an international WHO-project, were used to examine cross-sectionally the interrelationships between different lifestyle factors. Men and women training regularly (i.e. greater than or equal to 2 times/wk) exhibited consistently and highly significantly more favourable health habits, regarding diet (i.e. trimming visible fat, higher intake of fruits, salad and vegetables, yogurt and cottage cheese), nonsmoking, and weight control. Men and women with at least some regular physical activity during leisure-time had in turn more favourable health habits than their sedentary counterparts. In both sexes, educational level was directly related to exercise and a healthy diet, and inversely related to smoking and relative weight. Regularly training men and women also had a significantly improved lipid profile compared to inactive ones. It is concluded from this study that leisure-time physical activity and exercise are related to a positive health behaviour including diet, nonsmoking and efficient weight control. This may suggest that exercise should possibly be integrated into any population-wide attempts and efforts to promote health to enhance primary prevention.

The aerobic performance capacity (VO2 max) and muscle ultrastructural composition was analyzed in 18 subjects undergoing basic training in the Swiss army. Three groups were selected based on their sports activity. Group S contained subjects that had a previous systematic background in sports activities and trained regularly at least three times per week. A second group consisted of subjects that had no previous training and were subjected to an additional, individually adjusted endurance exercise (three times per week) for the first 8 weeks of their service period (group T). The control group (C) had no previous training and followed only the regular military duties. VO2 max was found to be significantly higher in group S at the beginning of the military service. However, VO2 max did not change significantly during the service period in any of the groups, Muscle mitochondria showed a significant change (+19%) only in group T. Heart rate recordings indicated that despite "strenuous" military activity, heart rates rarely reached levels sufficient for an increase in aerobic performance capacity.