Haematuria in Sport: A Review

Hematuria after nocturnal exercise of a man: A case report

BACKGROUND

A man experienced multiple episodes of macroscopic hematuria following nocturnal exercise. Urinary stones and tumors were considered the two most likely causes. The patient had two hobbies: Consuming health care products in large quantities and engaging in late-night running.

CASE SUMMARY

Health care products contain a large amount of calcium phosphate, and we hypothesize that this could induce the formation of small phosphate stones. After exercise, the urinary system is abraded, resulting in bleeding. The patient was advised to stop using the health care products. Consequently, the aforementioned symptoms disappeared immediately. However, the patient resumed the above two habits one year later; correspondingly, the macroscopic hematuria reappeared.

CONCLUSION

This finding further confirmed the above inference and allowed for a new avenue to determine the cause of the patient's hematuria.

Medications mostly associated with hematuria: assessment of the EudraVigilance and Food and Drug Administration pharmacovigilance databases entries

BACKGROUND

Drugs may have a direct causative role in triggering hematuria. The range of medications which may be responsible for hematuria is wide, but little is known on those which are most frequently involved. The aim of our study was to identify and compare drugs mostly related with hematuria.

METHODS

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and the EudraVigilance (EV) database were queried to identify the drugs which were associated the most with hematuria individual reports till 30 September 2021. Rivaroxaban, aspirin, warfarin sodium, clopidogrel bisulfate, dabigatran etexilate mesylate, apixaban, warfarin, cyclophosphamide, lansoprazole, enoxaparin sodium, and ibuprofen were analyzed. Analysis per gender, age and severity was performed. Disproportional analysis was performed to compare drugs.

RESULTS

Overall, 15,687 reports of hematuria were recorded in the FDA database and 15 007 in the EV database. Rivaroxaban and Warfarin appear to be the most dangerous medications in terms of hematuria when compared to the other medications (PRR>1, P<0.05) while apixaban is the safest one (PRR<1, P<0.05) when compared to the other medications. In terms of severity only 162/15 007 (1.08%) were fatal. Between the drugs analyzed cyclophosphamide 7.2%, enoxaparin (3%) and dabigatran (2.5%) presented a higher number of fatal hematuria episodes when compared to the other drugs (<1%).

CONCLUSIONS

Anticoagulants and antiplatelets are more frequently related to hematuria episodes however some differences exist between them. Particularly warfarin and rivaroxaban should be prescribed with caution in patients at increased risk of hematuria. Prescribers should inform those treated with these medications about the risk of hematuria and its sequelae.

Anaesthesia for elite athletes

BACKGROUND

Sports participation has been growing rapidly since the 1960s. Anaesthesiologists are increasingly confronted with athletes in a peri-operative setting. The right choice of type of anaesthesia technique, pain management of injuries, specific physiologic adaptations of the athlete and knowledge of prohibited substances are eminent for a correct approach of this subpopulation.

PURPOSE

This review aims to give an overview of athletes' specific anaesthetic management in peri-operative and postoperative settings and to guide the nonspecialised anaesthetist.

METHODS

We comprehensively reviewed the literature, gathered all the information available on, and synthesised it in a narrative way, regarding preoperative evaluation, intraoperative implications and postoperative pain management of the elite athlete undergoing a surgical procedure.

RESULTS

An anaesthesiologist should recognise the most common benign ECG findings in athletes like bradycardia, isolated left ventricle hypertrophy on voltage criteria and early repolarisation as normal features in the athlete's heart. Isotonic physiology typically produces four-chamber dilation. In contrast, isometric stress creates high intravascular pressure leading to left ventricular hypertrophy. Pre-operative evaluation should also identify possible consumers of performance-enhancing drugs. Intraoperative points of interest for the anaesthesiologist is mainly avoiding drugs on the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Postoperative and chronic pain management are still developing fields in this population. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) proposed treating acute pain with a combination of paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), topical analgesics, injectable NSAIDs and local anaesthetics. It may be suggested that chronic pain management in elite athletes could benefit from treatment in specialised multidisciplinary pain clinics.

CONCLUSION

This literature review aims to serve as a guide for the anaesthesiologist taking care of the elite athlete.

Discolored Urine in Horses and Foals

This article describes the most common causes of urine discoloration. The review includes a description of the most common disorders causing hematuria, highlighting clinical presentation, treatments, and pathophysiology. Causes of hemoglobinuria and myoglobinuria together with their mechanisms of renal injury are also reviewed.

Urological issues in cyclists

Cycle use has grown rapidly over the last few years in the UK. British Cycling membership has increased threefold since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and this is likely to rise in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. As urologists, day-to-day encounters with cyclists are commonplace, who may present with acute traumatic injuries or chronic overuse injuries. The aim of this literature review was to evaluate the effect of cycling on conditions presenting to the urology clinic, in particular those of raised prostate-specific antigen (PSA), haematuria and soft-tissue lesions (‘cyclist nodules’). Furthermore, the review aimed to summarize the relationship between cycling and pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE) syndromes. A PubMed search of the literature on cycling and genitourinary disorders was performed. The literature suggests no significant change in PSA levels after a bout of cycling. Age appears to have no effect on the change in PSA experienced following a bout of cycling, in particular when comparing those <50 years of age to those >50 years of age. Haematuria appears to be rare with cycling but has been described, even with stationary bike riding. It is imperative to exclude coexisting urinary-tract pathological conditions, and cycling-induced haematuria should always be considered a diagnosis of exclusion. Perineal nodular induration (‘cyclist nodules’) is a rare condition, related to pressure and repetitive micro-trauma between the perineum and saddle. Pudendal Nerve Entrapment (PNE) represents the most common bicycling-associated urogenital complaint. Numbness in the perineum, penis, scrotum or buttocks—‘genital numbness’—is the most common and most recognized symptom of pudendal compression. Despite several studies demonstrating a link between elite cyclists and erectile dysfunction, for the average cyclist riding may actually have a protective effect on sexual function.

Proteinuria and Bilirubinuria as Potential Risk Indicators of Acute Kidney Injury during Running in Outpatient Settings

Background and objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore which urinary markers could indicate acute kidney injury (AKI) during prolonged trail running in outpatient settings. Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine experienced trail runners (age 39.1 ± 8.8 years, weight 71.9 ± 11 kg, height 171.9 ± 8.3 cm) completed a 35 km event (cumulative positive ascend of 1815 m, altitude = 906 to 1178 m.a.s.l.) under a temperature of 25.52 ± 1.98 °C and humidity of 79.25 ± 7.45%). Two participant groups (AKI = 17 and No-AKI = 12) were made according to AKI diagnosis criteria based on pre- and post-race values of serum creatinine (sCr) (an increase of 1.5 times from baseline). Blood and urinalysis were performed immediately pre- and post-race. Results: Pre- vs. post-race differences in sCr and sBUN were found in both AKI and No-AKI groups (p < 0.01). Differences in post-race values were found between groups (p = 0.03). A total of 52% of AKI runners presented significant increases in proteinuria (χ² = 0.94, p = 0.01) and 47% in bilirubinuria (χ² = 0.94, p = 0.04). Conversely, No-AKI participants presented no significant increases in urine markers. Conclusions: These study’s findings may suggest the potential use of urinalysis as an accessible alternative in the outpatient setting to early identify transitional AKI until a clinical confirmation is performed.

The Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v on Iron Status and Physical Performance in Female Iron-Deficient Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Iron is an essential micronutrient for oxygen transport and mitochondrial metabolism and is critical for physical performance. Compromised iron stores are more commonly found among athletes, and females are especially at risk. Iron deficiency is generally treated using oral iron supplements. However, only a small proportion of ingested iron is absorbed, necessitating higher intakes, which may result in adverse side effects, reduced compliance, and inefficient repletion of iron stores. The probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v) significantly increases intestinal iron absorption in meal studies. The present study was conducted to explore the effects of 20 mg of iron with or without Lp299v on iron status, mood state, and physical performance. Fifty-three healthy non-anemic female athletes with low iron stores (ferritin < 30 μg/L) were randomized, and 39 completed the study. Intake of Lp299v with iron for four weeks increased ferritin levels more than iron alone (13.6 vs. 8.2 µg/L), but the difference between the groups was not significant (p = 0.056). The mean reticulocyte hemoglobin content increased after intake of Lp299v compared to control (1.5 vs. 0.82 pg) after 12 weeks, but the difference between the group was not significant (p = 0.083). The Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire showed increased vigor with Lp299v vs. iron alone after 12 weeks (3.5 vs. 0.1, p = 0.015). No conclusive effects on physical performance were observed. In conclusion, Lp299v, together with 20 mg of iron, could result in a more substantial and rapid improvement in iron status and improved vigor compared to 20 mg of iron alone. A larger clinical trial is needed to further explore these findings as well as the impact of Lp299v on physical performance.

Exertional hematuria: definition, epidemiology, diagnostic and clinical considerations

Exertional hematuria can be considered a subcategory of exercise-induced hematuria, characterized by painless appearance of erythrocytes in urine after recent physical exercise, not directly attributable to external traumatic injuries to the genitourinary system, and spontaneously resolving with rest. Although its frequency has enormous heterogeneity, depending on the athlete population, duration and intensity of exercise, technique used for identifying or quantifying hematuria and relative diagnostic thresholds, what clearly emerges from the scientific literature is that a certain degree of hematuria is commonplace after non-contact sports, especially running. This exertional hematuria, which appears self-limiting, may be attributable to some frequently concomitant causes, involving organs of the genitourinary system, and mostly encompassing bladder or urethral injuries. Renal injuries caused by internal movements, vascular spasm and ischemia are also potential causes of increased glomerular permeability to erythrocytes, whilst the presence of preexisting genitourinary diseases cannot be ruled out, especially when post-exercise hematuria is recurrent or endures. Therefore, whenever hematuria is observed in a random urine specimen, recent sports performance (especially running) should be investigated and urinalyses scheduled for the following days. When no temporal association of hematuria with exercise can be found, when genitourinary traumas have been excluded or hematuria persists for >72 h, specific diagnostic investigations should be planned to identify possible genitourinary diseases.

Association Between Hematological Parameters and Iron Metabolism Response After Marathon Race and ACTN3 Genotype

α-Actinin-3 (ACTN3 R577X, rs.1815739) polymorphism is a genetic variation that shows the most consistent influence on metabolic pathway and muscle phenotype. XX genotype is associated with higher metabolic efficiency of skeletal muscle; however, the role of ACTN3 polymorphism in oxygen transport and utilization system has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the influence of ACTN3 polymorphisms on hematological and iron metabolism response induced by marathon race. Eighty-one Brazilian amateur male endurance runners participated in the study. Blood samples and urine were collected before; immediately after; and 1, 3, and 15 days after the marathon race. Urine, hematological parameters, iron metabolism, and ACTN3 genotyping analyses were performed. The marathon race induced a decrease in erythrocytes, Hb, and Ht, and an increase in hematuria, creatinine, myoglobin, red cell distribution width, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, direct and indirect bilirubin and erythropoietin. Moreover, an elevation immediately or 1 day after the marathon race follows a reduction 3 or 15 days after the marathon race were observed on transferrin saturation and iron and transferrin levels. Hematological parameters and iron metabolism changes induced by marathon race were not observed in XX genotypes. Hematuria and decreased erythrocytes, Hb, Ht, and iron and transferrin levels were observed only in RR and/or RX genotypes but not in XX genotypes. The percentage of runners with hematuria, leukocyturia, iron deficiency, creatinine, myoglobin, and bilirubin imbalance was higher in RR compared to XX genotypes. ACTN3 polymorphism is associated with iron metabolism and hematological responses after endurance exercise. Despite these results being based on a small sample, they highlight a protective role of the XX genotype on hematological and renal changes induced by long-distance exercise. Therefore, these findings should be further replicated.