Search Results (256)

This study investigates the dynamic relationship between bearing gearbox condition indicators (BGCIs) and the lubrication oil temperature within the framework of health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) applications. Using the dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (DARDL) simulation model, we quantified both the short- and long-term responses of condition indicators to shocks in oil temperature, offering a robust framework for a counterfactual analysis. To complement the time-domain perspective, we applied a wavelet coherence analysis (WCA) to explore time–frequency co-movements and phase relationships between the condition indicators under varying operational regimes. The DARDL results revealed that the ball energy, cage energy, and inner and outer race indicators significantly increased in response to the oil temperature in the long run. The WCA results further confirmed the positive association between oil temperature and the condition indicators under examination, aligning with the DARDL estimations. The DARDL model revealed that the ball energy and the inner race energy have statistically significant long-term effects on the oil temperature, with p-values < 0.01. The adjusted R² of 0.785 and the root mean square error (MSE) of 0.008 confirm the model’s robustness. The wavelet coherence analysis showed strong time–frequency correlations, especially in the 8–16 scale range, while the frequency-domain causality (FDC) tests confirmed a bidirectional influence between the oil temperature and several condition indicators. The FDC analysis showed that the oil temperature significantly affected the BGCIs, with evidence of feedback effects, suggesting a mutual dependency. These findings contribute to the advancement of predictive maintenance frameworks in HUMSs by providing practical insights for enhancing system reliability and optimizing maintenance schedules. The integration of dynamic econometric approaches demonstrates a robust methodology for monitoring critical mechanical components and encourages further research in broader aerospace and industrial contexts. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sports tourism, particularly international running events such as half marathons and marathons, has rapidly grown due to rising health consciousness and active lifestyles. Runners competing abroad face unique nutritional challenges that extend beyond physiological needs, including adaptation to local food cultures and psychosocial factors. This study aims to explore the nutritional difficulties encountered by international runners during competitions abroad, using participants of the Poznan Half Marathon 2025 as a case example. Methods: A qualitative research design was employed, involving semi-structured in-depth interviews with 12 international runners from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine. Participants had at least two years of experience competing internationally. Results: Four primary categories of nutritional challenges emerged: (1) quality and availability of food, (2) adaptation to local eating habits and physiological impacts, (3) hydration and access to appropriate fluids, and (4) logistical factors and the interactions between psychological stress, physical well-being, and nutritional choices. These factors influenced runners’ preparation, race-day performance, and recovery, highlighting the complexity of managing nutrition in unfamiliar environments. Conclusions: Nutritional challenges for international runners are multidimensional, requiring flexible and culturally sensitive nutritional strategies. Although these findings offer useful insights, they are based on a small, specific sample and should be generalized with caution. Further research is necessary to explore the broader applicability of the findings and their relevance to diverse athletic populations and contexts. Full article

The performance of meta-heuristic algorithms on optimisation problems depend on the values of control parameters. These parameters greatly influence the behaviour of algorithms and affect the quality of the solutions. In order to optimise an algorithm for a specific problem set, a structured approach is followed to carefully select the appropriate control parameters. This approach is called control parameter tuning. Most existing tuning approaches focus on tuning an algorithm based on only one performance objective, such as accuracy or convergence speed. However, these objectives often work against each other, and improving the algorithm based on one objective can worsen the performance based on another objective. For example, obtaining a more accurate solution generally requires the algorithm to run for a longer time. The goal of this research is to develop a tuning approach that takes multiple performance objectives into account when tuning the control parameters of a meta-heuristic. The result of the tuning algorithm presents the experimenter with multiple values for control parameters, each representing different trade-offs between the various objectives. Experimental results demonstrate that M-race successfully discovered between 9 and 15 non-dominated parameter configurations across benchmark functions for both particle swarm optimisation (PSO) and differential evolution (DE) algorithms. These non-dominated parameter configurations represent balances among the tuning objectives used. Full article

Marathon running exerts physical stress and may lead to transient immune dysregulation, increasing susceptibility to airway inflammation and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). This study investigated systemic levels of antimicrobial peptides in athletes and their association with EIB. Serum concentrations of angiogenin, human beta-defensin 2 (hBD-2), major basic protein (MBP), S100A8, and S100A8/A9 were measured in 34 marathoners and 36 half-marathoners at baseline, immediately after a race, and seven days postrace using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and compared with 30 sedentary controls. Lung function was assessed by spirometry to identify bronchoconstriction. Levels of hBD-2 and S100A8/A9 were significantly elevated postrace in runners compared to baseline and controls, returning to baseline during recovery. During recovery, S100A8 levels remained slightly elevated in marathoners with EIB. Similarly, human beta-defensin 2 was modestly increased in runners who developed bronchoconstriction. Notably, S100A8 levels correlated negatively with lung function parameters, including forced expiratory volume and mid-expiratory flows. These findings suggest that endurance running induces systemic inflammatory responses and modulates innate immune peptides, particularly in individuals prone to bronchoconstriction. These peptides may serve as biomarkers of respiratory stress and help guide personalized strategies in endurance sports. Full article

Ultramarathon running elicits a profound inflammatory response, characterized by significant increases in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), with comparatively modest changes in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). We reviewed approximately 80 field studies of ultramarathon events (distances >42.2 km) that measured IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α before and after races. IL-6 typically spiked immediately post-race—often rising dozens or even thousands of times above baseline—then rapidly declined, usually returning to near baseline within 24–48 h. CRP, an acute-phase protein, exhibited a slower, sustained elevation, peaking 24–72 h after race completion and remaining above baseline for 2–3 days before gradually returning to normal. TNF-α responses were variable: some studies reported small but significant post-race increases (roughly 1.2–1.7-fold above baseline), while others found no significant change in circulating TNF-α despite the extreme effort. Longer race durations and distances generally correlated with higher peak IL-6 and CRP levels. Experienced ultramarathon runners tended to exhibit attenuated inflammatory responses compared with less-trained individuals, and anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-10) increased in tandem with IL-6 in well-trained athletes, helping to mitigate TNF-α elevations. In total, 28 studies were included in the final synthesis, and their quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Visual synthesis tools, including a PRISMA flowchart and time course plots, are provided to enhance the narrative’s interpretability. In summary, ultramarathon running elicits a robust systemic inflammatory response with distinct temporal patterns for IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α. These findings have important implications for athlete recovery, monitoring, and understanding the physiological limits of the inflammatory response to extreme endurance stress. Full article

The individual marathon optimal pacing sparring the runner to hit the “wall” after 2 h of running remain unclear. In the current study we examined to what extent Deep neural Network contributes to identify the individual optimal pacing training a Variational Auto Encoder (VAE) with a small dataset of nine runners. This last one has been constructed from an original one that contains the values of multiple physiological variables for 10 different runners during a marathon. We plot the Lyapunov exponent/Time graph on these variables for each runner showing that the marathon wall could be anticipated. The pacing strategy that this innovative technique sheds light on is to predict and delay the moment when the runner empties his reserves and ’hits the wall’ while considering the individual physical capabilities of each athlete. Our data suggest that given that a further increase of marathon runner using a cardio-GPS could benefit of their pacing run for optimizing their performance if AI would be used for learning how to self-pace his marathon race for avoiding hitting the wall. Full article

This study presents one of the most extensive analyses of the lifecycle of leaked authentication credentials to date, bridging the gap between database breaches and real-world cyberattacks. We analyze over 27 billion leaked credentials—nearly 4 billion unique—using a sophisticated data filtering and normalization pipeline to handle breach inconsistencies. Following this analysis, we deploy a distributed sensor network of 39 honeypots running 14 unique services across 9 networks over a one-year-long experiment, capturing one of the most comprehensive authentication datasets in the literature. We analyze leaked credentials, SSH and Telnet session data, and HTTP authentication requests for their composition, characteristics, attack patterns, and occurrence. We comparatively assess whether credentials from leaks surface in real-world attacks. We observe a significant overlap of honeypot logins with common password wordlists (e.g., Nmap, John) and defaultlists (e.g., Piata, Mirai), and limited overlaps between leaked credentials, logins, and dictionaries. We examine generative algorithms (e.g., keywalk patterns, hashcat rules), finding they are widely used by users but not attackers—unless included in wordlists. Our analyses uncover unseen passwords and methods likely designed to detect honeypots, highlighting an adversarial arms race. Our findings offer critical insights into password reuse, mutation, and attacker strategies, with implications for authentication security, attack detection, and digital forensics. Full article

Triathlon is a multi-sport event that combines swimming, cycling and running. The distances vary and the physiological demands are high. Objectives: This review compiles information on nutritional strategies and ergogenic supplements for triathlon training, competition and recovery. It aims to provide an understanding of the specific challenges and needs of the sport to help triathletes and coaches optimise performance through effective training and nutrition plans. Methods: English-language publications were searched using the keywords triathlon, nutrition, recovery and ergogenic aids, alone or in combination, in databases. Results: Maintaining good glycogen levels, consuming enough carbohydrates and staying properly hydrated are key to athletic performance, especially for triathletes. Education regarding nutrition, the role of probiotics and supplements, and diet modification for the enhancement of performance and recovery are pivotal considerations. Conclusions: Triathletes are at risk of RED-S due to negative energy balance and high fibre/plant protein diets, especially women. Optimising muscle glycogen through tailored diet and training, especially pre- and in-race nutrition, including carbohydrate loading and hydration strategies, is critical. Education is needed to improve post-exercise nutrition, while probiotics and certain supplements may aid performance and recovery. Dietary support is important for resistance training to optimise performance and recovery. Full article

This study aimed to examine how physiological determinants are associated with skiing technique and race performance in cross-country roller skiing by integrating motion data obtained via a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with laboratory-based physiological assessments. Nineteen well-trained male skiers completed a 10 km roller ski race, during which skiing velocity, cycle length, cycle time, and sub-technique usage were measured using GNSS. Whole-body and upper-body endurance and power were evaluated on the treadmill and ski ergometer. Time to exhaustion during the double poling test (r = −0.84, p < 0.01) and VO_2max from the pole walk and run test (r = −0.72, p < 0.01) were the strongest predictors of race performance, and both were significantly associated with skiing velocity (VO_2max: r = 0.79, p < 0.01; TTE-DPT: r = 0.81, p < 0.01) and cycle length (VO_2max: r = 0.58, p < 0.01; TTE-DPT: r = 0.47, p < 0.05) in the most frequently used technique. These findings suggest that the development of both whole-body and upper-body endurance plays a crucial role in improving technical efficiency and race performances. Full article

Background: Long-distance running impacts many organ systems. Aside from musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary events, the gastrointestinal and renal system as well as metabolic homeostasis and electrolyte balance can be affected. A respective medical support strategy enabling rapid diagnosis, triage, and treatment in the context of large sports events is thus of utmost importance. Incidents can be assessed and graded via point-of-care (POC) blood gas analysis (BGA). We thus aimed to evaluate the feasibility and benefits of its use during a large sports event. Methods: All documented patient contacts during the race of the Vienna City Marathon (VCM) 2023 were retrospectively assessed. Additionally, the BGAs conducted in all patients requiring intravenous access were analyzed. Data are presented in a descriptive manner. Results: There were 39,871 participants at the VCM 2023. Of these, 277 (0.7%) required medical support, localized most commonly in the finishing area of the race (n = 239, 86% of all incidents). Fifty-eight (20.9%) patients had to be hospitalized. The most frequent chief complaints were syncope or collapse (24.9%), followed by general pain (20.6%) and trauma (14.8%). Five patients (1.8%) suffered from seizures, and one experienced (0.4%) from spontaneous pneumothorax. Thirty-one patients (11.2%) received venous blood gas analyses, showing mean creatinine levels of 1.82 (±0.517) mg/dL, mean lactate concentrations of 6.03 (±4.5) mmol/L, mean pH of 7.42 (±0.0721), and a mean base excess of −0.72 (±3.72) mmol/L. No cases of hyponatremia occurred in the documented samples. In eight cases (25.8%), sodium concentrations were above 145 mmol/L, with a maximum of 149 mmol/L. No cardiac arrests occurred. Conclusions: The physical exertion during the assessed long-distance running race resulted in numerous contacts with the medical support teams. The use of POC BGA at a large-scale marathon event was shown to be easy and feasible, allowing for more extensive diagnostics on-site. It can be integrated into a medical support strategy and might be beneficial for decision-making regarding patient triage, treatment, hospitalization, or patient discharge. Full article

Background/Objectives: To investigate the value of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), D-Lactate, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), electrolytes and creatinine in athletes with lower gastrointestinal symptoms in a cohort of ultra-trailers. Methods: This is a prospective study set in the ultra-trail of Puy Mary Aurillac, a 105 km race. Athletes included were given two questionnaires to collect demographic data and clinical signs related to the race. Blood samples were also collected before and 1 h after the race. Biomarker results were interpreted according to the occurrence of exercise-induced lower gastrointestinal symptoms, and whether the race was completed or forfeited. Results: Of the 76 runners included, 35 (45.5%) presented lower gastrointestinal symptoms. Runners that presented these symptoms had significantly higher IL-10 concentrations (8.7 pg/mL (interquartile range (IQR): 4.2–1.6)) when compared to runners without symptoms (4.8 pg/mL (IQR: 2.4–9)) (p = 0.01). The pre/post-race amplitude of IL-1Ra variation was greater in the group of runners with lower gastrointestinal symptoms (median: +231% (IQR: 169–551)) compared to runners without symptoms (median: +172% (IQR: 91–393)) (p = 0.04). Finally, the 13 (16.9%) runners who forfeited the race displayed lower AST (p < 0.001), LDH (p = 0.002) and IL-6 (p = 0.002) concentrations, compared to runners who finished the race. These lower concentrations were independent from running time. Conclusions: IL-10 and IL-1Ra could be associated with the occurrence of lower gastrointestinal symptoms. Full article

In recent years, advanced footwear technology (AFT) has been shown to improve performance in long-distance road running by altering biomechanics and perceived comfort. This type of footwear is now being marketed for mountain running, although its effects in such races remain unevaluated. This study aimed to examine the impact of AFT on performance, biomechanics, and perceived comfort during a simulated mountain running event. Twelve trained mountain runners participated in a 3-day experiment, with a 7-day recovery between sessions. On the first day, a maximal aerobic speed test assessed the runners’ performance levels. On the second day, participants familiarized themselves with a 5.19 km mountain circuit and comfort scale. On the third day, they completed two time trials on the same circuit, separated by 30 min of passive recovery, using conventional and AFT shoes in a randomized order. Physiological and biomechanical variables were recorded, including body mass, blood lactate, running biomechanics, vertical stiffness, shoe comfort, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). The findings indicate that AFT does not improve performance or physiological responses during a simulated mountain race, regardless of segment (uphill, downhill, or mixed). However, AFT significantly alters running biomechanics, reducing step frequency and increasing the vertical oscillation of the center of gravity, especially in uphill and downhill sections. While overall comfort remained unchanged, specific differences were observed with AFT. Coaches and practitioners should consider these findings when using AFT in mountain running training or competition. Full article

Left ventricular hypertrabeculation (LVHT) used to be a rare phenotypic trait. With advances in diagnostic imaging techniques, LVHT is being recognised in an increasing number of people. The scientific data show the possibility of the overdiagnosis of this cardiomyopathy in a population of people who have very high levels of physical activity. We describe the case of a young athlete with no medical history, who presented with syncope during a marathon running race. Initial evaluation showed elevated troponin I; transthoracic echocardiography showed a trabeculated ventricle and subsequent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) revealed left ventricular hypertrabeculation (LVHT). During subsequent evaluation by tilt table testing, vasovagal syncope was identified as the likely aetiology of the syncope. The patient was advised to cease sports and stimulants like caffeine use. At the 29-month follow-up, CMR showed the normalisation of the non-compacted to compacted myocardial ratio and an improvement in left ventricular function, with no further syncopal episodes reported. This is an example of the physiological hypertrabeculation of the LV apex in a recreational endurance athlete, with the normalisation of the non-compacted to compacted myocardial layer ratio after detraining. Physiological hypertrabeculation, a benign component of exercise-induced cardiac remodelling, must be differentiated from non-compaction cardiomyopathy and other pathologies causing syncope. This case underscores the importance of distinguishing physiological hypertrabeculation from pathological LVHT in athletes, highlighting that exercise-induced cardiac remodelling can normalise with detraining. Full article

Air pollution is a major health-related environmental challenge that affects many aspects of people’s daily lives. For amateur endurance athletes/exercisers, air pollution can cause, apart from the common health issues, reduced performance capacity during training and races. The most significant inconveniences that these amateur athletes/exercisers have to deal with, are related to breathing difficulty, increased heart rate, cough or respiratory problems, and eye or nose discomfort. The aim of this study is to create a psychometric scale that estimates the nuisance/discomfort that amateur endurance athletes/exercisers (triathlon, cycling, running, swimming) feel during their training, under conditions of increased air pollution, and to see how this is linked to demographic characteristics. The main overall purpose is the identification of possible correlation between air pollution and reduced athletic performance, as well as between air pollution and the wellbeing of amateur endurance athletes/exercisers, and to thus enable recommendations on training in a polluted environment. To this aim, a questionnaire was developed, initially through a pilot stage. The fully developed scale was provided to two hundred and ninety-two (292) amateur endurance athletes/exercisers for an exploratory factor analysis to be carried out. The exploratory factor analysis indicated three (3) factors accounting for 37.11% of the overall variance. The first factor “Physical discomfort” included nine (9) questions, the second factor “Lack of discomfort” five (5) questions, and the third factor “No general discomfort” six (6) questions. The degree of reliability was satisfactory, since Cronbach’s a coefficient was 0.841 for the first factor, 0.642 for the second, and 0.766 for the third factor. Subsequently, fluctuation analysis (ANOVA), multivariate fluctuation analysis (MANOVA), and Pearson’s r coefficient were used to indicate correlations between the independent variables and the three factors identified. Correlation between discomfort due to air pollution and the place of residence, as well as the presence or absence of allergies, was indicated. On the other hand, there were no significant statistical differences between gender, type of sport, the volume of training, the presence or not of respiratory problems, and smoking. Overall, the scale can be considered both valid and reliable. Full article

RaceRunning is a sport for disabled people and successful performance depends on reducing the amount of time spent travelling a specific distance. Performance analysis in RaceRunning athletes is based on traditional methods such as recording race time, distances travelled and frequency (sets and reps) that are not sufficient for monitoring training loads. The aims of this study were to monitor training loads in typical training sessions and evaluate technical adaptations in RaceRunning performance by acquiring sensor metrics. Five elite and competitive RaceRunning athletes (18.2 ± 2.3 yrs) at RR2 and RR3 levels were monitored for 8 weeks, performing in their usual training sessions while wearing unobtrusive motion sensors. The motion sensors were attached to the waist and lower leg in all training sessions, each lasting between 80 and 90 min. Performance metrics data collected from the motion sensors included player loads, race loads, work/rest ratio and impact shock directions, along with training factors (duration, frequency, distance, race time and rest time). Results showed that weekly training loads (player and race loads) followed acceptable threshold levels, according to assessment criteria (smallest worthwhile change, acute/chronic work ratio). The relationship between race velocity (performance index) and race load was non-linear and statistically significant, which led to different performance efficiency groups. Wearable motion sensor metrics revealed small to moderate technical adaptations following repeated sprint attempts in temporal running performance, variability and consistency. In conclusion, using a wearable-based system is an effective feedback tool to monitor training quality, revealing important insights into adaptations to training volumes in disabled athletes. Full article