Sodium bicarbonate supplementation does not improve elite women's team sport running or field hockey skill performance

Team sports, such as field hockey, incorporate high‐intensity repeated sprints, interspersed with low‐intensity running, which can result in acidosis. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of acute sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation on team sport running and skill performance. Eight elite female field hockey players (age 23 ± 5 years, body mass 62.6 ± 8.4 kg, height 1.66 ± 0.05 m) completed three Field Hockey Skill Tests (FHST) interspersed with four sets of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST). Prior to exercise, participants were supplemented with capsules equivalent to 0.2 g·kg−1 body mass (BM) of a placebo (maltodextrin) or 0.3 g·kg−1 BM SB. Field hockey skill performance incorporated overall performance time (PFT), movement time (MT), decision‐making time (DMT), and penalty time (PT). Sprint time (ST), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), blood lactate concentration, bicarbonate anion (urn:x-wiley:2051817X:media:phy213818:phy213818-math-0001) concentration, pH, and base excess were measured at various time points. Data (mean ± SD) were analyzed using a two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, with Hedges g effect sizes used to interpret the magnitude of differences. Bicarbonate anion concentration (+5.4 ± 2.6 mmol·L−1) and pH (+0.06 ± 0.03) were greater during the bicarbonate trial compared with the placebo (P 0.30) or ST (placebo: 2.87 ± 0.12 sec; bicarbonate: 2.86 ± 0.12 sec, P = 0.893, g = −0.08). RPE was lower during the SB condition (placebo: 13 ± 2; bicarbonate: 12 ± 2, P = 0.021, g = −0.41). Acute ingestion of bicarbonate did not improve sprint or sport‐specific skill performance. Bicarbonate ingestion did result in a lower perception of effort during team‐sport running, which may have performance implications in a competitive match situation

Role of the monocarboxylate transporter MCT1 in the uptake of lactate during active recovery

Purpose We assessed the role of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) on lactate clearance during an active recovery after high-intensity exercise, by comparing genetic groups based on the T1470A (rs1049434) MCT1 polymorphism, whose influence on lactate transport has been proven. Methods Sixteen young male elite field hockey players participated in this study. All of them completed two 400 m maximal run tests performed on different days, followed by 40 min of active or passive recovery. Lactate samples were measured immediately after the tests, and at min 10, 20, 30 and 40 of the recoveries. Blood lactate decreases were calculated for each 10-min period. Participants were distributed into three groups according to the T1470A polymorphism (TT, TA and AA). Results TT group had a lower blood lactate decrease than AA group during the 10?20 min period of the active recovery (p = 0.018). This period had the highest blood lactate for the whole sample, significantly differing from the other periods (p ? 0.003). During the passive recovery, lactate declines were constant except for the 0?10-min period (p ? 0.003), suggesting that liver uptake is similar in all the genetic groups, and that the difference seen during the active recovery is mainly due to muscle lactate uptake. Conclusions These differences according to the polymorphic variant T1470A suggest that MCT1 affects the plasma lactate decrease during a crucial period of active recovery, where the maximal lactate amount is cleared (i.e. 10?20 min period)

Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

There was no funding support for this study. Disclosure. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

HYPOXIC STRESS, HEPATOCYTES AND CACO-2 VIABILITY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO Shigella flexneri INVASION

SUMMARY Inflammation due to Shigella flexneri can cause damage to the colonic mucosa and cell death by necrosis and apoptosis. This bacteria can reach the bloodstream in this way, and the liver through portal veins. Hypoxia is a condition present in many human diseases, and it may induce bacterial translocation from intestinal lumen. We studied the ability of S. flexneri to invade rat hepatocytes and Caco-2 cells both in normoxic and hypoxic microenvironments, as well as morphological and physiological alterations in these cells after infection under hypoxia. We used the primary culture of rat hepatocytes as a model of study. We analyzed the following parameters in normoxic and hypoxic conditions: morphology, cell viability, bacterial recovery and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released. The results showed that there were fewer bacteria within the Caco-2 cells than in hepatocytes in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. We observed that the higher the multiplicity of infection (MOI) the greater the bacterial recovery in hepatocytes. The hypoxic condition decreased the bacterial recovery in hepatocytes. The cytotoxicity evaluated by LDH released by cells was significantly higher in cells submitted to hypoxia than normoxia. Caco-2 cells in normoxia released 63% more LDH than hepatocytes. LDH increased 164% when hepatocytes were submitted to hypoxia and just 21% when Caco-2 cells were in the same condition. The apoptosis evaluated by Tunel was significantly higher in cells submitted to hypoxia than normoxia. When comparing hypoxic cells, we obtained more apoptotic hepatocytes than apoptotic Caco-2 cells. Concluding our results contribute to a better knowledge of interactions between studied cells and Shigella flexneri. These data may be useful in the future to define strategies to combat this virulent pathogen

Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

Background: This study provides a global overview of the management of patients with acute cholecystitis during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: CHOLECOVID is an international, multicentre, observational comparative study of patients admitted to hospital with acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on management were collected for a 2-month study interval coincident with the WHO declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and compared with an equivalent pre-pandemic time interval. Mediation analysis examined the influence of SARS-COV-2 infection on 30-day mortality. Results: This study collected data on 9783 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to 247 hospitals across the world. The pandemic was associated with reduced availability of surgical workforce and operating facilities globally, a significant shift to worse severity of disease, and increased use of conservative management. There was a reduction (both absolute and proportionate) in the number of patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 3095 patients (56.2 per cent) pre-pandemic to 1998 patients (46.2 per cent) during the pandemic but there was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality after cholecystectomy comparing the pre-pandemic interval with the pandemic (13 patients (0.4 per cent) pre-pandemic to 13 patients (0.6 per cent) pandemic; P = 0.355). In mediation analysis, an admission with acute cholecystitis during the pandemic was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death (OR 1.29, 95 per cent c.i. 0.93 to 1.79, P = 0.121). Conclusion: CHOLECOVID provides a unique overview of the treatment of patients with cholecystitis across the globe during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study highlights the need for system resilience in retention of elective surgical activity. Cholecystectomy was associated with a low risk of mortality and deferral of treatment results in an increase in avoidable morbidity that represents the non-COVID cost of this pandemic