Professional sports performance relies critically on the interaction between the brain and muscles during movement. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique which modulates cortical excitability and can be used to improve motor performance in athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of bilateral anodal tDCS (2 mA, 20 min) over the premotor cortex or cerebellum on motor and physiological functions and peak performance of professional gymnastics athletes. Seventeen professional gymnastics athletes participated in a randomized, sham-controlled, crossover study. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of two anodal tDCS protocols (2 mA, 20 min) with stimulation over the bilateral premotor cortex or cerebellum with the return electrodes placed over the opposite supraorbital areas. Power speed, strength coordination, endurance, static and dynamic strength, static and dynamic flexibility, and rating of perceived exertion were measured before and immediately after tDCS interventions (bilateral anodal tDCS over premotor cortices, anodal tDCS over the cerebellum, and sham tDCS). Additionally, physiological muscle performance parameters, including maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of upper body muscles, were assessed during tDCS. Bilateral anodal tDCS over the premotor cortex, compared to anodal tDCS over the cerebellum and sham tDCS conditions, significantly improved power speed, strength coordination, and static and dynamic strength variables of professional gymnastics athletes. Furthermore, bilateral anodal tDCS over the cerebellum, compared to sham tDCS, significantly improved strength coordination. Moreover, bilateral premotor anodal tDCS significantly increased MVIC of all upper body muscles during stimulation, while anodal tDCS over the cerebellum increased MVIC in only some muscles. Bilateral anodal tDCS over the premotor cortex, and to a minor degree over the cerebellum, might be suited to improve some aspects of motor and physiological functions and peak performance levels of professional gymnastics athletes.Clinical Trial Registration ID: IRCT20180724040579N2.

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Exercise and dietary interventions have been described to positively affect metabolic syndrome (MetS) via molecular induced changes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary carbohydrate restriction and aerobic exercise on Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) and Fatty Acid Binding Protein 5 (FABP5) in middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome. The study had a randomized, double-blinded, parallel controlled design. Forty middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome (age: 53.97 ± 2.85 years, body mass index = 31.09 ± 1.04 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to four groups, aerobic exercise (AE; n=10), Ketogenic diet (KD; n=10), AE combined with KD (AE+KD; n=10) or control (C; n=10). RBP4, FABP5, body composition [body mass, body mass index and body fat], insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, and MetS factors were evaluated prior to and after the 12-weeks intervention. AE+KD significantly decreased the body fat percentage (p = 0.006), body mass index (p = 0.001), Zmets (p = 0.017), RBP4 (p = 0.017) and the homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.001) as compared to control group and marginally significantly decreased the Zmets as compared to exercise group (p = 0.086). KD significantly decreased RBP4 levels as compared to control group (p = 0.041). Only the AE intervention (p = 0.045) significantly decreased FABP5 levels. Combining intervention of carbohydrate restriction with AE compared with carbohydrate restriction and AE alone, improved RBP4, HOMA-IR as well as different body composition and MetS factors in middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome.

Background and Aim: Heart rate variability used as a non-invasive method to investigate the effect of aerobics exercise on the cardiac autonomic system. The aim of this study was the nonlinear analysis of the effect of aerobic exercise in the water on the cardiac autonomic system in academic young's males. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 young men were randomly assigned to two groups of control and aerobic exercise in water. In the pre-test period and after the training intervention, all parameters of heart rate variability were measured by examining heart rate sequences, In the pre-test period and after the training intervention, all parameters of heart rate variability were measured by examining heart rate sequences, and then the standard deviation of the recorded sequences was interpreted by using the Poincare plot method. Independent t-test and paired t-test were used to compare the differences in the research stages. Results: Regular participation in aerobic exercise in water caused a significant (45.1±9.2 vs. 34.1±12.3) and standard deviation of time intervals of heart rate sequences compared to their adjacent sequence compared to the control group (P=0.03). The longitudinal standard deviation of time intervals of heart rate sequences compared to the pre-test (P=0.04) had a significant increase (79.5±12.5 vs. 56.9±15.8 After transferring the absolute results to normal, the normal state of the standard deviation of time intervals of heart rate sequences compared to its adjacent sequence compared to the control group (P=0.03) had a significant increase (44.7±12.05 vs. 36.5±13.52). Also, the normal state of the longitudinal standard deviation of time intervals of heart rate sequences compared to the pre-test (P=0.02) increased significantly (76.4±15.29 vs. 61.3±9.32). Conclusion: Performing aerobic exercise in an aqueous environment can be used as a useful training method to improve the responsiveness of the cardiac autonomic system.