مرتضی طاهری

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in global home confinement and quarantine, leading to the vaccination of societies worldwide. However, some elite athletes have negative views toward vaccination. Aim: This study aimed to compare the lifestyle of vaccinated versus unvaccinated international elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: From March to October 2021, an online survey was conducted, including socio-individual information of athletes, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants (REAP-S), and the Petersburg Sleep Quality Questionnaire (PSQI). A total of 581 elite athletes from 4 continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and America) and different countries, aged 18-35 years, were voluntarily recruited. Data analysis was performed using U-Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, with the level of significance set at alpha P <0.05. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the level of physical activity and eating behavior of vaccinated versus unvaccinated elite athletes ( P <0.001). However, no significant difference was found between the quality of sleep among vaccinated and unvaccinated elite athletes ( P =0.270). Conclusion: It was shown that, despite the unvaccinated status of some elite athletes (49.9%), their physical activity levels were higher than those of vaccinated elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the eating behavior of vaccinated elite athletes was better than that of unvaccinated elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was no significant difference in the quality of sleep between the groups.

Introduction : Sleep deprivation is one of common phenomena in athletes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of arginine supplementation following sleep deprivation on carbohydrate and fat metabolism, balance and fatigue index in female athletic students. Methods: The study population included all undergraduate female students of Sport Sciences at Imam Khomeini International University (age: 22.2± 2.16 years, BMI: 230.15±2.59 kg/m<sup>2 ) of whom 8 volunteered took part in the research. All experiments were performed in laboratory of university in 2020. Subjects were classified into four groups: Control, Sleep deprivation, Arginine and Arginine-sleep deprivation. Lactometer was used to measure blood lactate. Best Balance device was used to measure balance and GAS Analyzer was used to measure metabolism. Data was analyzed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Sleep deprivation significantly decreased static balance ( P =0.01) and dynamic balance ( P = 0.004) while arginine consumption resulted in improved static balance in sleep deprivation arginine group ( P =0.03). It was also shown that lactic acid levels were lower in the two groups that took arginine than in the groups that did not take arginine ( P ≤0.05). Conclusion: Arginine consumption can improve static and dynamic balance as well as mitigate side effects of sleep deprivation on static balance.

Background: Increasing prevalence rate of anxiety disorders in elderly populations especially due to physical limitations has become a key concern for health authorities. Aim : The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of cognitive and physical training on physiological and psychological Levels of anxiety in the elderly. Material and Methods: Forty-nine aged females (62.3±2.6 years) with BMI of 35-49.99 kg/m<sup>2 were assigned to one of three groups: Cognitive (n= 17), Physical training [yoga] (n= 16) and control group (n= 10). The cognitive training protocol included breathing and imagery/visualization techniques, which lasted for an 8-week period, three sessions a week. Yoga practices comprising Asana and Pranaya training, three times a week, for two months. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was given before and after intervention training. Biofeedback devices was used to monitor galvanic skin resistance and resting heart rate (as physiological and psychological markers of anxiety) in pretest and pre-test phases. The data were analyzed using analysis covariance and Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: It was indicated that anxiety score in cognitive training was significantly lower than control group ( P = 0.002) and also, anxiety score in physical Training was significantly lower than control group ( P = 0.01). No significant difference was found between the two training groups ( P = 0.18). Furthermore, both training groups had lower galvanic skin resistance ( P < 0.001). In addition, physical training group had a better status of resting heart rate after intervention compared to the cognitive and control groups (respectively, P = 0.04 and P = 0.001). Conclusions: It was concluded that the health benefits of Physical training [yoga] isn’t not specific to maintaining physical health, but also extends to lowering the anxiety in elderly with obesity. It was also suggested that cognitive training can mitigate the anxiety symptoms in the elderly while no physical changes were shown in cognitive training.

Background: Expression of mucosal levels would affect the function of internal organs of the body and the digestive system, such as by creating a blockage for the progression of cancerous tumors and the failure of the target tissue, especially the large intestine. Aim : The purpose of this sudy was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of quercetin supplementation and intermittent exercise on protein levels of intestinal Muc5Ac, Muc4 and polyphosphate in rats with colon cancer. Material and Methods: Tewenty-four rats were randomly assigned into four groups including quercetin (n=6), exercise (n=6), quercetin + exercise (n=6) and control group (n=6). Colon cancer induction was provided with the use of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine for 8 weeks and daily quercetin supplementation of 50 mg/kg body weight of mice by Gavagene method. Exercise protocol was performed 5 sessions per week with intensity of 60-70%, maximum speed of 23 m/min with 2-min rest in 8 weeks. ANOVA was used to analyze data. The level of significance was set at P <0.05. Results: It was suggested that there was a significant difference in protein levels of intestinal Muc5Ac, Muc4 and polyphosphate in all groups ( P <0.05). Furthermore, it was also indicated that Muc5Ac levels was significantly higher in the quercetin+ exercise group other than pther groups ( P <0.05). Conclusions: It was concluded that intermittent exercise and quercetin supplementation would increase the levels of Muc5Ac and Muc4 proteins in the large intestine of mice with colon cancer.