Bezuglov, E, Shvets, E, Lyubushkina, A, Lazarev, A, Valova, Y, Zholinsky, A, and Waśkiewicz, Z. Relative age effect in Russian elite hockey. J Strength Cond Res 34(9): 2522–2527, 2020—A considerable amount of literature has been published on relative age effect (RAE) in many sports; however, only a few studies have investigated this phenomenon in European elite ice hockey. The objective of this research was to study RAE prevalence in Russian elite ice hockey, which for years has been holding leading positions in global ice hockey. To estimate RAE prevalence, birthdates of recruits of leading ice hockey academies, players of the leading junior and adult teams, and most successful Russian-born National Hockey League (worlds' strongest ice hockey league) players were identified (n = 2,285). A high prevalence of RAE was identified. The number of players born in the first half of the year was higher than those born later in the year—65.5 and 34.5%, respectively. The RAE prevalence was high among all age groups of recruits of the leading Russian hockey academies and junior teams. In contrast to junior hockey, more players born in the fourth quarter of the year were identified in elite adult teams. The high prevalence of RAE in Russian hockey might be explained by the fact of a high level of competition among young players during recruitment to hockey academies. Moreover, the coaches aim to achieve immediate progress, thus selecting more mature players who are better physically developed. However, “later-born” are widely present in elite adult ice hockey leagues.

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Injuries of the metatarsal bones in football are relatively rare and in most cases are localized in the fifth metatarsal. The gold standard of the diagnosis of fractures in this area can be X-rays, which in most cases allows verifying the diagnosis. The treatment tactics depend on the localization of the fracture according to Lawrence and Botte’s classification: 3 zones of localization are distinguished. Fractures located in zones 2 and 3 belong to a high-risk group due to delayed consolidation and nonunion and therefore athletes are most often treated with osteosynthesis using intramedullary screws. The minimal recovery time for this type of treatment is at least 8 weeks. This report describes 7 cases of the fifth metatarsal bone fractures, located in zones 2 and 3 in professional football players who were treated with an immobilization boot, cryotherapy, nutritional supplements of calcium and vitamin D, and local injections of platelet-rich plasma, which contains numerous growth factors. The deadline for returning to regular training activities was 43 to 50 days, and there was no relapse of damage within 6 months of follow-up. Levels of Evidence: Level of evidence 4: case report study

An effective system of children’s and youth sports, selection and preparation of a the reserve for national teams predetermines the success of athletes in international competitions. Therefore, the development of medical and biological support of children’s sports is an important part of sports medicine. It is proved that when building a training process for different ages, it is necessary to take into account the adaptation processes, as well as the energy supply of the child’s organism. Based on numerous studies, we can conclude that mitochondria play the most important role in the process of energy supply, as well as carnitine, a substance that is a carrier of long chain fatty acids into the cytosol, an activator of beta oxidation and the Krebs cycle. Timely detection of factors adversely affecting and limiting physical activity at the macro level (overtraining, incompatibility of physical activity with the body capabilities) and at the micro level (carnitine deficiency), the ability to eliminate these factors and the adequate use of correction tools help to achieve high results in sports and preserve the health of the athlete.

In recent decades, the prevalence of hyperuricemia (HU) is increasing worldwide; the role of uric acid (UA) in the genesis of various metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney disease is being discussed. There are very few investigations of the rate of HU and its role in the development of diseases in certain social groups, including in professional athletes.Objective:to estimate the prevalence of HU and its role in the genesis of various pathological conditions and metabolic disturbances in professional athletes.Patients and methods.A retrospective comparative one-stage study was conducted, for which 2148 athletes who met inclusion criteria were selected and examined in the Federal Research and Clinical Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Federal Biomedical Agency, in 2015. A control group consisted of 99 ageand sex-matched healthy volunteers examined at the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology in 2017. The analysis included a comparison of the rate of HU and other examined parameters in professional athletes and healthy volunteers. The examined parameters were separately compared in athletes with/without HU, followed by statistical processing of results.Results.HU was detected in 306 (14.2%) of the 2148 athletes, more often in men (n=253 (20%) than in women (n=53 (6%); (p<0.001). The rate of HU in the athletes was comparable with that in the healthy population (12.1%). The athletes with HU (n=306) compared with the other athletes (n=1842) had the following statistically higher indicators: the mean serum levels of creatinine, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, creatinine phosphokinase, and myoglobin, glomerular filtration rate, and body mass index (BMI) (p<0.00001 for all cases).Conclusion.HU is detected quite often in professional athletes (14.2%), which is comparable with the indicators seen in healthy volunteers (12.1%). The high prevalence of HU and its association with indicators reflecting kidney function, lipid metabolic disturbances, and BMI necessitate further investigations aimed at searching the causes of HU and methods of its prevention and treatment in professional athletes.