درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between gut microbiome composition, athletic performance, and post-exercise recovery in endurance athletes following probiotic supplementation.  Method: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 40 male endurance runners (age: 28.3 ± 5.2 years) were randomly assigned to either a probiotic (n=20) or placebo (n=20) group for 8 weeks. The probiotic group received a daily supplement containing a blend of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus plantarum (20 billion CFU total). Fecal samples were collected before and after the intervention and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Athletic performance was assessed through VO2max testing and time to exhaustion. Recovery was evaluated by measuring delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and creatine kinase (CK) levels. Results: The probiotic group showed a significant increase in gut microbial diversity (Shannon index: p<0.01) and relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (p<0.001). Significant improvements were observed in VO2max (4.7%, p<0.05) and time to exhaustion (7.2%, p<0.01) in the probiotic group compared to placebo. The probiotic group also demonstrated reduced DOMS (23%, p<0.05) and lower peak CK levels (18%, p<0.01) relative to the placebo group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that changes in Akkermansia muciniphila and Bifidobacterium abundances were significant predictors of performance improvement (R² = 0.68, p<0.001). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that gut microbiome modulation through probiotic supplementation can enhance athletic performance and accelerate post-exercise recovery in endurance runners. These findings suggest that targeted manipulation of the gut microbiome may be a novel strategy for improving sports performance and recovery.

Employment is one of the most fundamental forms of human activity, the damages of which can cause job burnout and reduce quality of life. In recent years, dealing with this issue has been the main goal of most organizations. The present study aims to compare job burnout and quality of life among active and inactive clerks in one of Tehran universities. In the present causative comparative study, 100 clerks of the age range (mean and standard deviation 40.93 ±8.63) of the university which was chosen by access sampling. According to Sharkey's physical activity questionnaire, they were then divided into two active and inactive groups. Then, they filled out two Maslach job burnout and quality of life questionnaires. A multivariate variance analysis test was used with SPSS 20 for data analysis. The data and findings indicate that concerning job burnout and its subscales (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization), physically inactive individuals had higher means; in contrast, people with more activity had higher means; also, physically active individuals showed higher mean scores in quality-of-life variable, in both physical health and mental health total scores and physical function, emotional wellbeing, social function, and general health subscales. Physically inactive individuals showed higher means concerning function disorder owing to physical health and function disorder owing to emotional health and pain. There was no significant difference concerning the subscale of energy/fatigue. Findings indicate that physical activity, as a strategy, improves the capacity of the clerks so they have a better quality of life and deal with job burnout. Thus, it is suggested that physical activity be used as a strategic plan to increase the clerks' efficiency.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of online sports programs became popular. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of online body balance program on anxiety, depression, and aggression of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Body balance is a sport based on yoga, tai chi, and Pilates. The present study was a semi-experimental and applied type of study. The participants of the present study were 30 volunteer children with ADHD who were divided into two experimental (15 people) and control (15 people) groups by random assignment method. Aggression, depression, and anxiety variables were evaluated by Bass and Perry questionnaire, Maria Kvas children's depression questionnaire, and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. The experimental group performed online body balance training for 8 weeks (3 sessions per week for 60 minutes) online, and the control group did their current activities. In order to investigate intra-group and inter-group differences, repeated measures ANOVA at the error level of 0.05 was used by SPSS software. The results showed there was significant difference in the average level of symptoms of depression, anxiety and aggression in the pre-test and post-test stages (P≤0.05), between the two control and experimental groups (P≤0.05) and the interaction effect of time and group (P≤0.05). The results of Tukey's test showed that there was a significant reduction of these symptoms between the two experimental and control groups in the variables of depression symptoms (-5.500), anxiety symptoms (-5.133) and aggression symptoms (-13.133). Based on the results of this research, eight weeks of body balance training reduced depression, aggression and anxiety symptoms in 7-9 year old children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, the improvement of mental disorders caused by this disease in children following the body balance exercise program emphasizes the importance of using this intervention method for children with ADHD.