Altered Core Temperature and Salivary Melatonin in Athletes with a Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Int J Sports Med DOI: 10.1055/a-1925-7531Sleep disturbances are common in athletes with a cervical spinal cord injury
(cSCI) and may be associated with circadian alterations. Therefore, the purpose
of this study was to compare physiological circadian outputs between athletes
with a cSCI and non-disabled controls (CON). Eight male wheelchair athletes with
a cSCI and eight male CON (30±4 and 30±6 yrs,
respectively) had their core body temperature (Tcore), skin
temperature (Tskin), and salivary melatonin measured during a
24 h period. In the cSCI group, daytime Tcore was
significantly lower (36.5 (0.2) vs 36.9 (0.3)°C; p=0.02) and
time of the Tcore sleep minimum was significantly earlier
(23:56±00:46 vs 02:39 ± 02:57; p=0.04). The
athletes with a cSCI had significantly lower Tcore values during the
beginning of the night compared with the CON group, but their Tcore
increased at a greater rate, thereafter, indicated by a significant
time/group interaction (p=0.04). Moreover, the cSCI group did
not display a salivary melatonin response and exhibited significantly lower
concentrations at 22:00 (p=0.01) and 07:00 (p=0.01) compared
with the CON group. Under natural living conditions, athletes with a cSCI
displayed circadian changes in the Tcore rhythm and nocturnal
melatonin production....
Source: International Journal of Sports Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Murphy, Conor J Hartescu, Iuliana Leicht, Christof A Goosey-Tolfrey, Victoria L Tags: Physiology & Biochemistry Source Type: research
More News: Biochemistry | Disability | Melatonin | Physiology | Skin | Sleep Disorders | Sleep Medicine | Spinal Cord Injury | Sports Medicine | Study