Endogeniniai hormonai vaidina svarbų vaidmenį fiziologinių reakcijų vyksmui organizme fizinio krūvio metu ir atsigaunant po jo. Formuojant šį efektą didelę reikšmę turi steroidiniai hormonai – testosteronas ir kortizolis ir peptidinės kilmės hormonas – somatotropinas. Literatūros šaltiniuose pakanka įrodymų, kad fizinis krūvis stimuliuoja šių hormonų sekreciją organizme. Tačiau dar nėra visiškai aišku, kaip įvairūs sportininkų vartojami maisto padildai reguliuoja hormonų sekreciją organizme. Atsižvelgiant į šios problemos aktualumą iškeltas darbo tikslas – įvertinti kai kurių maisto papildų – „Tribulus“, „Black Devil“, „Maca Booster“ – įtaką testosterono, kortizolio, somatotropino kaitai sportininkų organizme. Buvo tiriama 3 grupės sportininkų, iš kurių viena (n = 12) 20 dienų vartojo maisto papildą „Tribulus“, antra (n = 8) – „Black Devil“, trečioji (n = 16) – „Maca Booster“. Pirmos ir antros grupės sportininkų tyrimai buvo atlikti 3 kartus, trečios – 4 kartus. Kraujas buvo imamas iš venos, tyrimai buvo atlikti Universiteto ligoninės klinikų Laboratorinės diagnostikos centro laboratorijoje. Hormonų tyrimai sportininkų kraujyje parodė, kad testosterono koncentracija per pirmąsias 10 dienų vartojant maisto papildus „Tribulus“, „Balck Devil“ ir „Maca“ padidėjo statistiškai patikimai (p < 0,05). Didžiausią testosterono padidėjimo efektą – 36,8 proc. – sukėlė maisto papildo „Black Devil“ vartojimas, „Macos“ vartojimas testosterono koncentraciją padidino 33,6 proc., „Tribulus“ – 13,4 proc. Kortizolio koncentraciją labiau padidino „Tribulus“ maisto papildo vartojimas. Po 10 dienų šio papildo vartojimo kortizolio koncentracija tiriamųjų sportininkų kraujyje padidėjo 1,2 proc., po 20 dienų – 4,96 proc. Anabolizmo indeksą atspindintis testosterono ir kortizolio santykis buvo referentinės normos ribose (5–8 proc.). Didesnį anabolizmo intensyvumą skatino maisto papildo „Black Devil“ vartojimas. Vartojant „Tribulus“ anabolizmo indeksas (AI) padidėjo 8,0 proc., o vartojant „Black Devil“ – 26,0 proc. Maisto papildas „Maca“ turėjo teigiamą įtaką somatotropino koncentracijos didėjimui tiriamųjų sportininkų kraujyje, tačiau šie pokyčiai nebuvo statistiškai patikimi.

Specific qualities of competitive performance observed in different sports demand that athletes demonstrate definite special characteristics. Training and competitive performance provokes different adaptive changes within athletes' organisms. There are some sports giving preference to tall athletes. However in the greater part of sports, remarkable results may be achieved also by medium-height or even short athletes. To compare the specific influence produced by separate sports on athletes' organisms, it would be necessary to choose study groups involving athletes similar in terms of height characteristics. Study purpose was to examine specific characteristics of physical development, physical skills, and definite functions demonstrated by high performance athletes, very similar in their body height yet very different in terms of performed sport activity; and to carry out a corresponding comparative analysis. Our study involved 48 high performance athletes practising different sports. All of them were either member candidates or full members of Lithuanian Olympic Team: kayakers and canoeists (k/c) (n=12); - skiers and biathlonists (n=12); cyclists (n=12); and master team football players (n=12).). There was determined that body height and most other indices of physical development and capacity demonstrated by Lithuanian high performance athletes practising different sports differ slightly. It was only kayakers and canoeists who surpassed others in their body built and muscle power which allowed them to get among the leading athletes of the world. It was found that athletes' muscle mass was closely related to SMCP, AAMP, and high jump indices. Development of the mass of special muscles is one of the vital factors for the improvement of muscle power at short work. The study revealed problems existing in the area of selection and training of Lithuanian high performance athletes. This information may help elaborate further training of athletes...

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of high energy diets, which were elaborated by the study authors, on the change of physical fitness of athletes of various sports. 90 athletes aged 17–30 years participated in the research. They were divided into three groups of 30 each. Our research has shown that prepared high-energy diets, used during 3 months in the preparatory period, per week-long training microcycles, had a greater positive effect on changes in the fitness of elite athletes of various sports compared to changes in the fitness of lower-per-formance athletes.

During high-intensity exercise, many biochemical reactions and physiological processes take place in the body of athletes, which can lead to hyperbilirubinemia. Therefore, specialists in medicine, biochemistry and sports are constantly looking for laboratory markers that can accurately reflect the metabolic changes that occur due to exercise in various systems, organs and tissues of the body. One such factor that determines an athlete’s functions, his state of health, and his quality of life is the link between bilirubin metabolism in the body. Bilirubin (latbilium – pigment, ruber – red) is a pigment of liver and bile activity formed by the breakdown of erythrocytes, myoglobin. The literature indicates that bilirubin levels increase in the blood during highintensity exercise. Factors contributing to this phenomenon include muscle microtrauma syndrome, erythrocyte hemolysis, functional anemia, exacerbating acidosis, and protein deficiency. Increasing blood acidity during exercise reduces binding to albumin and this promotes an increase in bilirubin IX-alpha, which has toxic effects. The degree of expression of these signs, in turn, depends on the athlete’s body’s adaptation to the level of physical activity. One way to reduce hyperbiliribinaemia to help maintain physical function is to use substances that maintain liver function. Immunomodulatory agents, substances that promote the transport of oxygen to the muscles, maintain the condition of erythrocyte membranes, might be of use. Although the effects of food supplements on the human body are widely studied, there is still insufficient research to confirm the effectiveness of each food supplement. Very few such studies have been performed with high performance athletes, whose metabolism varies greatly during strenuous exercise.[...]

22 male and 14 female road cyclists, 20 male and 9 female skiers, 17 male and 11 female rowers, 15 male and 8 female biathlon athletes, 14 male kayak and canoe rowers, 8 male pentathlon athletes, 9 male racewalkers and 2 male swimmers participated in the research. Indices of the athletes’ height and weight were recorded. Aerobic capacity of the athletes used to be established by gas analyzer Oxycon Mobile (Germany). Mathematical statistics was applied for data processing. Arithmetical mean, standard deviation and mean error were calculated. VO2 max determines ability of an athlete to maintain speed and to perform great aerobic work. Degree of VO2 max increase during training session depends on personal training condition level, as well as on intensity and duration of exercises. According to the data of our longitudinal researches, the greatest correspondence to elite athletes’ VO2 max model characteristics, among the other endurance sports representatives, is demonstrated by Lithuanian male modern pentathlon athletes, female cyclists (including four World champions), and female rowers. Close approach to model characteristics in charge was demonstrated by male cyclists and kayak rowers, while skiers, biathlon athletes, long and short distance runners were the furthest from model VO2 max level. Overview of the results, demonstrated by the most capacious Lithuanian endurance sports athletes,shows that maximal oxygen consumption of the athletes  – numerous Olympic Games, World and European Championships and other international events winners – is great and matches the requirements for elite athletes.

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami kūno kultūros specialybės studentų sportininkų kraujo morfologinės sudėties pokyčiai dėl biolo giškai aktyvių medžiagų vartojimo. Tiriamųjų sportininkų gmpės papildomai vartojo bičių produktus, geležies preparatus (“Tot’hema”, “Feroglobin B12”) ir jų mišinius su bičių produktais. Kraujo hemoglobino koncentracija ir jo hematokritas buvo nustatomi prieš preparatų vartojimą, tuoj po jų vartojimo ir praėjus 2-3 savaitėms po jų vartojimo. Nustatyta, kad visi preparatai skatina hemoglobino gamybą, tačiau labiausiai jo gamybą suaktyvina bičių produktų ir geležies preparato “Tot’hema” mišinys. Itin svarbu yra tai, kad didėjant hemoglobino koncentracijai sportininkų kraujyje nedidėtų hematokritas. Nustatėme, kad tuomet geriau tinka vartoti preparatą “Feroglobin B 12”.

Today, requirements for the major functional systems of athlete’s body are extremely high in sports training. Evidence show that, during physical exercise, human body must maintain the proper concentration of vitamins, as well as macro- and microelements, which are subjected to regulate metabolic and body adaptation to training load processes. All mineral elements are directly or indirectly involved in the processes of regulation of metabolism, thus, they must be received via food intake. Organism of an athlete is in greater demand for macro- and microelements due to a greater loss of salts resulted by great training loads. Usual order of vital processes is often being disturbed not only by lack of minerals, but by their surplus or misbalance as well. Many different ways exist to determine concentration of body minerals. One of the most advanced ways to study mass fraction of chemical elements in hair is X-ray fluorescence method. Hair is a favourable biological substance for such studies and has numerous advantages: a sample is taken without damage for an athlete, storage of a biological substance does not require any special equipment, and it does not deteriorate for an unlimited period of time, while information about the hair content is obtained in 30–40 min. Among the numerous publications, dealing with macro- and microelements influence on human body, several publications present results of the influence of physical loads on the concentration of such substances in hair or blood serum, however, there is a shortage of scientific works, dealing with the influence of multivitamins complex on macro- and microelements in physically active person’s hair. [...].