The purpose of this review was to synthesise available knowledge on the main health effects associated with the use of probiotics, prebiotics and/or synbiotics in athletes and active individuals, including their effects on the immune system, oxidative stress, the gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, as well as other possible clinical outcomes. A systematic and comprehensive search in electronic databases, including Web of Science (WOS, Scielo), PubMed-MEDLINE, Biblioteca virtual de la Salud (LILACS, IBECS), EBSCO (Academic Search Complete CINAHL; SPORTDiscus) and Cochrane Library, focused on generic articles about probiotics, prebiotics and/or synbiotics and their functionality and effects on human health. The search process was completed using the keywords: ‘probiotics’, ‘prebiotics’, ‘synbiotics’, ‘athletes’ and ‘health’. The only exclusion criterion was experimental studies with animals. A total of 31 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The vast majority were experimental studies about probiotics and health effects (n=28), while only a few demonstrated the results of consuming prebiotics and/or synbiotics (n=3) in athletes and active individuals. Although most of the studies reported positive health effects in athletes and active individuals, there is still no substantial scientific evidence to suggest that probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics play an important role in improving an athlete´s performance. These studies are currently limited in number and quality, hence it is necessary to improve the selection of functional biomarkers and methodological approaches, as well as determining the specific nutritional supplement and exercise doses.

Flow cytometer measurements were made of the basal variations in peripheral blood functional monocytes and granulocytes over the course of a training season (January to November) of a cycling team. Parallel determinations were made of plasma concentration of catecholamines (chromatography) and cortisol (RIA) in a search for neuroendocrine markers. The results showed the greatest phagocytic capacity to occur in the central months (March, May, and July), coinciding with the greatest number and highest level of competitive events with good correlation with a peak in epinephrine during these months (r(2) = 0.998 for monocytes and r(2) = 0.674 for granulocytes). No good correlations were found between phagocytosis and norepinephrine or cortisol. The highest values for phagocytosis and epinephrine concentration were found in May. These results suggest that blood epinephrine concentration could be a good neuroendocrine marker of sportspeople's phagocytic response.

Background: Hypercholesterolemia is one of the principal causes of the development of cardiovascular diseases. Recently, probiotics consumption has been also proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention to control cholesterol concentrations. Objective: To evaluate in vitro assimilation of cholesterol by Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BPL1) under simulated intestinal environment in anaerobic conditions and to review and discuss potential physiological mechanisms in this context. Methods: Bacterial viability and cholesterol assimilation was evaluated in both standard MRS and stimulated intestinal fluid (SIF) medium under anaerobic conditions, and in presence or absence of cholesterol. For assimilation assays, cholesterol concentrations in the different suspensions, containing the probiotic or not, was determined by chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Results: Results showed that the growth of B. lactis BPL1 under intestinal conditions is favored when cholesterol is present in the culture medium. In addition, a cholesterol assimilation of up to 44.4% under intestinal and anaerobic conditions was observed. Conclusion: Taking into account the revised literature and the experimental results herein presented, administration of functional foodstuffs together with probiotic bacteria such as B. lactis BPL1 could be a potential effective option to decrease hypercholesterolemia, thus preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, further studies on mechanisms of effectiveness in animals and clinical trials are still needed.

Cuando en 1977 se despenalizó el juego en España como una más de las libertades que tan necesarias eran en nuestro país pocos podían imaginar que, diez años más tarde, cerca de un 2 % de nuestra población adulta necesitaría tratamiento psicológico por la explosión de una nueva patología: el juego patológico. Así surgió AMAJER, Asociación Madrileña de Jugadores en Rehabilitación, en 1989. Dos psicólogos y un pequeño grupo de personas que habían destrozado su vida por la adicción al juego decidieron fundar una asociación que les ayudara a ellos y a todos aquellos que sufrieran este mismo problema; tres años después AMAJER había atendido cerca de 3.000 consultas sobre juego patológico, había prestado ayuda terapéutica a 480 jugadores y a sus familiares y cuenta en la actualidad con 384 socios. Podemos definir brevemente al jugador patológico como el sujeto en el cual el juego llega a ser el factor más importante en su vida, anteponiéndolo a todos los demás valores, la conducta de juego se vive como independiente del control del sujeto y éste asume riesgos cada vez mayores en las apuestas, llegando a lesionar sus intereses personales, familiares y sociales. Este estudio está realizado, en base a una muestra aleatoria de 80 pacientes, de los tratados en la Asociación Madrileña de Jugadores en Rehabilitación (A.M.A.J.E.R.), en el periodo que abai-ca desde el 01-01-91 al 31-10-91. La elección de los individuos objeto del estudio se realizó tomando 80 nombres por insaculación, del libro de registro de entrada de pacientes a 31-10-91.

In the beginning of his scientific career, he was interested in the development of neuropeptidergic systems in the brain (oxytocin, vasopressin, prolactin) and their regulation by glucocorticoids.Then in the UK, he focused on the role of neuroactive steroids during brain development and their input to the sexual differentiation of brain functions. Back in Germany, he focused his research for several years on novel signal perception and intracellular signal transduction mechanisms of estrogens in the CNS, so-called nongenomic steroid signaling. After moving to Aachen, the scientific orientation of his team turned to the molecular and biochemical understanding of acute neurological and chronic neurodegenerative diseases of the brain.In particular, animal models for multiples sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and acute ischemic stroke and spinal cord injury were established in his group and served to analyze the underlying neuroinflammatory processes and neuroprotective strategies. Novel and only recently started research projects are concerned with the influence of steroid hormones such as estrogens for the therapeutic treatment of psychiatric disorders such as eating disorders and aggression.