Science: Energy deficiency, menstrual disturbances, and low bone mass: what do exercising Australian women know about the female athlete triad?

Prevention of the female athlete triad is essential to protect female athletes' health. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of regularly exercising adult women in Australia toward eating patterns, menstrual cycles, and bone health.

METHODS: A total of 191 female exercisers, age 18-40 yr, engaging in =2 hr/wk of strenuous activity, completed a survey. After 11 surveys were excluded (due to incomplete answers), the 180 participants were categorized into lean-build sports (n = 82; running/athletics, triathlon, swimming, cycling, dancing, rowing), non-lean-build sports (n = 94; basketball, netball, soccer, hockey, volleyball, tennis, trampoline, squash, Australian football), or gym/fitness activities (n = 4).

RESULTS: Mean (± SD) training volume was 9.0 ± 5.5 hr/wk, with participants competing from local up to international level. Only 10% of respondents could name the 3 components of the female athlete triad. Regardless of reported history of stress fracture, 45% of the respondents did not think that amenorrhea (absence of menses for =3 months) could affect bone health, and 22% of those involved in lean-build sports would do nothing if experiencing amenorrhea (vs. 3.2% in non-lean-build sports, p = .005). Lean-build sports, history of amenorrhea, and history of stress fracture were all significantly associated with not taking action in the presence of amenorrhea (all p < .005).

CONCLUSIONS: Few active Australian women are aware of the detrimental effects of menstrual dysfunction on bone health. Education programs are needed to prevent the female athlete triad and ensure that appropriate actions are taken by athletes when experiencing amenorrhea.

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22465866/

Science: Exercise and coronary heart disease risk markers in SouthAsians

Purpose: South Asians have a higher than average risk of coronary heart disease. The reasons for this are unclear but physical inactivity and/or poor responsiveness to exercise may play a role. This study compared the effect of prior exercise on postprandial triacylglycerol (TAG), glucose, insulin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) concentrations in South Asian and European men.

Methods: Ten healthy South Asian men (i.e. nine Indian men and one Pakistani man) and 10 healthy European men aged 20 to 28 years completed two, 2-day trials (exercise and control) in a randomisedcrossover design. On the afternoon of day 1 of the exercise trial, participants ran on a treadmill for 60 minutes at approximately 70% of maximal oxygen uptake. Participants rested on day 1 of the control trial. On day 2 of both trials participants rested and consumed high fat (57% of energy content) test meals for breakfast (0 h) and lunch (4 h). Fourteen venous blood samples were collected from a cannula between 0 h and 9 h for metabolic measurements.

Results: Three-way ANOVA identified higher (P < 0.05) postprandial TAG and insulin concentrations in South Asian versus European men. Exercise lowered postprandial TAG and IL-6 and elevated sICAM-1 concentrations. An interaction effect indicated a greater decrease (22 versus 10%) in TAG area under the concentration versus time curve after exercise in South Asian than European men.

Conclusions: Postprandial TAG and insulin responses to high fat meals were elevated in these South Asian men but acute exercise was equally if not more effective for reducing postprandial lipemia in South Asian than in European men.

• http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Exercise_and_coronary_heart_disease_risk_markers.98429.aspx

Science: Post-Resistance Exercise Ethanol Ingestion and AcuteTestosterone Bioavailability

Alcohol (ethanol) and resistance exercise can independently affect circulating bioavailable testosterone concentration. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the testosterone bioavailability and the anabolic endocrine milieu in response to acute ethanol ingestion following a bout of heavy resistance exercise. METHODS: Eight resistance trained men (mean +/- SD: 25.3 +/- 3.2 yrs, 87.7 +/- 15.1 kg, 177 +/- 7 cm) completed two identical acute heavy resistance exercise tests (AHRET: six sets of 10 repetitions of Smith machine squats) separated by 1 week. Post-AHRET participants consumed either 1.086 g of grain ethanol per kg lean mass (EtOH condition) or no ethanol (Placebo condition). Blood samples were collected immediately before exercise (PRE), immediately after exercise (IP), and every 20 min postexercise for 300 min. Samples following IP were pooled into phases (20-40 min, 60-120 min, and 140-300 min after exercise) and analyzed for total (TT) and free testosterone (FT), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), cortisol, and estradiol. RESULTS: Peak blood ethanol concentration (0.088 +/- 0.015 g[middle dot]dl-1) was achieved 60-90 min post-exercise. TT and FT was elevated significantly (p<=0.05) at IP for both conditions. At 140-300 min post-exercise TT, FT, and free androgen index were significantly higher for EtOH (TT: 22.5 +/- 12.5 nmol[middle dot]l-1 ; FT: 40.5 +/- 7.6 pmol[middle dot]l-1) than for Placebo (TT: 13.9 +/- 6.8 nmol[middle dot]l-1; FT: 22.7 +/- 10.0 pmol[middle dot]l-1). No differences between conditions were noted for SHBG, Cortisol, or Estradiol. CONCLUSION: Post-exercise ethanol ingestion affects the hormonal milieu including testosterone concentration and bioavailability during recovery from resistance exercise.

• http://mobile.journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/_layouts/oaks.journals.mobile/abstractviewer.aspx?year=9000&issue=00000&article=98423