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Due to the specific loads that occur in combat sports athletes' forearm muscles, we decided to compare the immediate effect of monotherapy with the use of compressive heat (HT), cold (CT), and alternating therapy (HCT) in terms of eliminating muscle tension, improving muscle elasticity and tissue perfusion and forearm muscle strength. This is a single-blind, randomized, experimental clinical trial. Group allocation was performed using simple 1:1 sequence randomization using the website randomizer.org. The study involved 40 40 combat sports athletes divided into four groups and four therapeutic sessions lasting 20 min. (1) Heat compression therapy session (HT, n = 10) (2) (CT, n = 10), (3) alternating (HCT, n = 10), and sham, control (ShT, n = 10). All participants had measurements of tissue perfusion (PU, [non-reference units]), muscle tension (T—[Hz]), elasticity (E—[arb- relative arbitrary unit]), and maximum isometric force (Fmax [kgf]) of the dominant hand at rest (Rest) after the muscle fatigue protocol (PostFat.5 min), after therapy (PostTh.5 min) and 24 h after therapy (PostTh.24 h) . A two-way ANOVA with repeated measures: Group (ColdT, HeatT, ContrstT, ControlT) × Time (Rest, PostFat.5 min, PostTh.5 min, Post.24 h) was used to examine the changes in examined variables. Post-hoc tests with Bonferroni correction and ± 95% confidence intervals (CI) for absolute differences (△) were used to analyze the pairwise comparisons when a significant main effect or interaction was found. The ANOVA for PU, T, E, and Fmax revealed statistically significant interactions of Group by Time factors ( p  < 0.0001), as well as main effects for the Group factors ( p  < 0.0001; except for Fmax). In the PostTh.5 min. Period, significantly ( p  < 0.001) higher PU values were recorded in the HT (19.45 ± 0.91) and HCT (18.71 ± 0.67) groups compared to the ShT (9.79 ± 0.35) group (△ = 9.66 [8.75; 10.57 CI] > MDC (0.73) , and △ = 8.92 [8.01; 9.83 CI] > MDC (0.73) , respectively). Also, significantly ( p  < 0.001) lower values were recorded in the CT (3.69 ± 0.93) compared to the ShT (9.79 ± 0.35) group △ = 6.1 [5.19; 7.01 CI] > MDC (0.73) . For muscle tone in the PostTh.5 m period significantly ( p  < 0.001) higher values were observed in the CT (20.08 ± 0.19 Hz) group compared to the HT (18.61 ± 0.21 Hz), HCT (18.95 ± 0.41 Hz) and ShT (19.28 ± 0.33 Hz) groups (respectively: △ = 1.47 [1.11; 1.83 CI] > MDC (0.845) ; △ = 1.13 [0.77; 1.49 CI] > MDC (0.845) , and △ = 0.8 [0.44; 1.16 CI], < MDC (0.845) ). The highest elasticity value in the PostTh.5 m period were observed in the CT (1.14 ± 0.07) group, and it was significantly higher than the values observed in the HT (0.97 ± 0.03, △ = 0.18 [0.11; 0.24 CI] > MDC (0.094) , p  < 0.001), HCT (0.90 ± 0.04, △ = 0.24 [0.17; 0.31 CI] > MDC (0.094) , p  < 0.001) and ShT (1.05 ± 0.07, △ = 0.094 [0.03; 0.16 CI] = MDC (0.094) , p  = 0.003) groups. For Fmax, there were no statistically significant differences between groups at any level of measurement. The results of the influence of the forearm of all three therapy forms on the muscles' biomechanical parameters confirmed their effectiveness. However, the effect size of alternating contrast therapy cannot be confirmed, especially in the PostTh24h period. Statistically significant changes were observed in favor of this therapy in PU and E measurements immediately after therapy (PostTh.5 min). Further research on contrast therapy is necessary.

Kinesio tape (KT) is a commonly used intervention in sports. It claims to be able to alter the muscle activity, in terms of both facilitation and inhibition, by certain application methods. This study compared the neuromuscular activity of the wrist extensor muscles and maximal grip strength with facilitatory, inhibitory KT, and tapeless condition in healthy adults who were ignorant about KT. Potential placebo effects were eliminated by deception. Randomized deceptive trial. 33 participants performed maximal grip assessment in a randomly assigned order of three taping conditions: true facilitatory KT, inhibitory KT, and no tape. The participants were blindfolded during the evaluation. Under the pretense of applying a series of adhesive muscle sensors, KT was applied to their wrist extensor muscles of the dominant forearm in the first two conditions. Within-subject comparisons of normalized root mean square of the wrist extensors electromyographic activity and maximal grip strength were conducted across three taping conditions. 31 out of 33 enlisted participants were confirmed to be ignorant about KT. No significant differences were found in the maximum grip strength (p=0.394), electromyographic activity (p=0.276), and self-perceived performance (p=0.825) between facilitatory KT, inhibitory KT, and tapeless conditions. Neither facilitatory nor inhibitory effects were observed between different application techniques of KT in healthy participants. Clinically, alternative method should be used for muscle activity modulation.

We hypothesized acute moderate and drastic reductions in uric acid concentration exert different effects on arterial function in healthy normotensive and hypertensive adults. Thirty‐six adults (aged 58 [55;63] years) with or without primary hypertension participated in a three‐way, randomized, double‐blind, crossover study in which [placebo] and [febuxostat] and [febuxostat and rasburicase] were administered. Febuxostat and rasburicase reduce the uric acid concentration by xanthine oxidoreductase inhibition and uric acid degradation into allantoin, respectively. Endothelial function was assessed in response to acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, heating (with and without nitric oxide synthase inhibition) using a laser Doppler imager. Arterial stiffness was determined by applanation tonometry, together with blood pressure, renin–angiotensin system activity, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Uric acid concentration was 5.1 [4.1;5.9], 1.9 [1.2;2.2] and 0.2 [0.2;0.3] mg/dL with [placebo], [febuxostat] and [febuxostat–rasburicase] treatments, respectively (p < 0.0001). Febuxostat improved endothelial response to heat particularly when nitric oxide synthase was inhibited (p < 0.05) and reduced diastolic and mean arterial pressure (p = 0.008 and 0.02, respectively). The augmentation index decreased with febuxostat (ANOVA p < 0.04). Myeloperoxidase activity profoundly decreased with febuxostat combined with rasburicase (p < 0.0001). When uric acid dropped, plasmatic antioxidant capacity markedly decreased, while superoxide dismutase activity increased (p < 0.0001). Other inflammatory and oxidant markers did not differ. Acute moderate hypouricemia encompasses minor improvements in endothelial function, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT03395977, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03395977 Acute moderate hypouricemia encompasses minor improvements in endothelial function, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness.

PurposeChanges in mean skin temperature (Tsk) have been shown to modify the maximum rate of sweat ion reabsorption. This study aims to extend this knowledge by investigating if modifications could also be caused by local Tsk.MethodsThe influence of local Tsk on the sweat gland maximum ion reabsorption rates was investigated in ten healthy volunteers (three female and seven male; 20.8 ± 1.2 years, 60.4 ± 7.7 kg, 169.4 ± 10.4 cm) during passive heating (water-perfused suit and lower leg water immersion). In two separate trials, in a randomized order, one forearm was always manipulated to 33 °C (Neutral), whilst the other was manipulated to either 30 °C (Cool) or 36 °C (Warm) using water-perfused patches. Oesophageal temperature (Tes), forearm Tsk, sweat rate (SR), galvanic skin conductance (GSC) and salivary aldosterone concentrations were measured. The sweat gland maximum ion reabsorption rates were identified using the ∆SR threshold for an increasing ∆GSC.ResultsThermal [Tes and body temperature (Tb)] and non-thermal responses (aldosterone) were similar across all conditions (p > 0.05). A temperature-dependent response for the sweat gland maximum ion reabsorption rates was evident between 30 °C (0.18 ± 0.10 mg/cm2/min) and 36 °C (0.28 ± 0.14 mg/cm2/min, d = 0.88, p < 0.05), but not for 33 °C (0.22 ± 0.12 mg/cm2/min), d = 0.44 and d = 0.36, p > 0.05.ConclusionThe data indicate that small variations in local Tsk may not affect the sweat gland maximum ion reabsorption rates but when the local Tsk increases by > 6 °C, ion reabsorption rates also increase.

To explore the immediate effects of Kinesio taping applied over the wrist extensors and flexors on muscle strength and endurance during isometric and isokinetic muscle actions. The study had a single-blinded, placebo control, and randomized design. Fourteen trained male volunteers were required to complete 5s isometric maximal voluntary contractions and 50 consecutive maximal concentric wrist extension and flexion repetitions at each of two angular speeds (60°/s and 210°/s) in three taping conditions: Kinesio taping (KT), placebo taping (PT), and no taping (NT). KT did not improve peak moment, peak power, average power, and total work for wrist extensors and flexors in the isometric and isokinetic contractions. However, KT showed a 13% decrease in work fatigue of the wrist flexors compare to NT (p=0.014) at 60°/s. Furthermore, a 20% decrease was also observed in the rate of decline of moment (k) of the wrist flexors in KT compared to NT (p=0.007), and the k in PT was also significantly lower in magnitude compared to NT (p=0.035). Moreover, there was also a trend in terms of magnitudes for kKT

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