Metabolic detection of insulin abuse in sport

Insulin exhibits a number of actions involving metabolic regulation, body fluid control and cell proliferation. There are, however, insulin effects which directly affect muscle size and contractility and can potentially affect sport performance.  Insulin is the main anabolic hormone. It is responsible for the shift from the muscle catabolism associated with overnight fasting to the anabolic response to feeding. Insulin has the potential to stimulate synthesis and inhibit degradation of contractile proteins. In addition, it enhances inward amino acid transport. In skeletal muscle and at the whole body level, the insulin anabolic response is enhanced by protein/amino acid feeding. Muscle glycogen stores are the primary carbohydrate source during exercise. Exercise time to exhaustion directly correlates with muscle glycogen content. The acute hypoglycemic insulin effect is largely mediated by stimulation of muscle glucose uptake. Glycogen synthesis represents a large proportion of total glucose utilization in muscle. The aim of the project is to develop methodologies to detect insulin abuse through identification of metabolic markers of exogenous insulin administration.

The bed rest study is conducted with close collaboration with European space agency following research trends in space physiology study programmes. The lead Institute for Kinesiology Research organise the studies according to Helsinki declaration with obtaining appropriate Ethical approval, medical care to participant's and managing collaboration between organisations.
In year 2001 we started this study programme with first study and continued with another three studies in 2006, 2007 and 2008. We will continue with bed rest studies in next years focusing on countermeasures and reconditioning after bed rest deconditioning. The bed rest studies are conducted together with another two co-organisers Institute of Jožef Stefan from Ljubljana and Karolinska Institute from Stockholm and research partners from University of Udine, University of Trieste, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of La Sapienza Rome, Swedish Defence Research Agency, University of Napoli, Politecnico di Torino, University of Padova, … Our research approach is holistic, where we study all human systems. Participants of the studies are carefully selected, treated with care and under strict medical supervision. After 35 days of bed rest we also assure that participants are well recovered.

Biolo et al. 2008
Cankar et al. 2009
De Boer et al. 2008
Dolenc et al. 2008
Dolenc et al. 2008
Pišot et al. 2008
Plazar et al. 2008
Rittweger et al. 2009
Šimunič et al. 2008

Longitudinal project was carried out in European Athletics Championships of Master Athletes in Ljubljana (EVACS 2008) Twelve research groups from six European countries collaborated in this study. All together of twenty-four tests were performed in competitors. Pre competition an information system application was built to collect data from different tests, generate reports and offer longitudinal concept of the study. Next measurement will be performed in their future competitions in Finland 2009 and Hungary 2010. The results are very important for understanding of impact of regular sport activity on human ageing.