In order to consider sports nutrition, the position of dietitians and nutritionists needs to be recognized first among people involved in sports. The author, therefore, introduced the roles of nutritionists.

What is the most required nutrition for athletes?The author thinks it is carbohydrates, not proteins. The least required is fat. If that is the case, the percentage composition of total energy intake from traditional Japanese meals seems to be very close to the most ideal diet for athletes. Fluid intake is significant to prevent hyperthermia. In order to estimate the amount of sweat, body mass before and after training as well as the amount of water intake needs to be measured. Fluid intake is considered based on these values.
In addition, instructors should pay special attention to other problems especially with female athletes. Next, the author introduces a diet intervention that we provided for female lacrosse players at our university. Based on this research, it was proven that short-term diet intervention can produce effects on the athletes'body composition, tenacity and the feeling of fatigue.

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In this review the author scrutinizes the effects of exercise on the immune system on two points. One is the effect of usual proper exercise on the immune system, and the other is the acute effect of intense exercise on the immune system. Concerning the first point, exercise augments physiological activities such as circulation, metabolism and physiological regulatory systems. These effects cause augmentation of the defense mechanisms, i.e. fortification of barrier systems, increases in the number of cells in the immune system and augmentation of cell migration and potentiation of cytokine production. As a result, daily exercise habits show prophylactic effects against infection, improvement in predisposition and depressed immunosuppression by senescence. Concerning the second point, acute intense exercise triggers activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and, as a result, the immune response is suppressed by corticosteroid. Moreover, intense exercise induces harmful factors which suppress the immune system. Proper daily exercise is, therefore, recommended to maintain the immune system in good condition.

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The scientific basis of moxibustion using moxa was investigated, focusing on the characteristics and thermal stimulation properties of moxa, its biochemical characteristics and actions, and morphological changes in skin tissue treated with moxibustion. The presentations by and viewpoints of the symposists are outlined below:
1) Characteristics and thermal stimulation properties of moxa:The thermal stimulation properties of Artemisia princes Pamp., moxa, materials other than Artemisia princes Pamp., and materials similar to moxa were presented. Re-investigation of the results of common views of Artemisia princes Pamp. and moxa by experiments and a survey were also presented.
2) Biochemical characteristics and actions of moxa:Chemical substances contained in Artemisia princes Pamp. and moxa, and diverse physiological actions of moxa, such as an anti-oxidative stress action, signal transduction, activation of energy metabolism, and anti-inflammatory action, were presented with viewpoints. In addition, biochemical actions were reviewed based on the extraction of new chemical components.
3) Morphological changes in skin tissue treated with moxibustion:Moxibustion-induced morphological changes in the epidermis, connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerve tissue were presented. Regarding skin tissue regeneration, viewpoints were presented, emphasizing that actions of corneocytes and fibroblasts are particularly important, in addition to revascularization, nerve fibers are not regenerated unless the skin tissue is repaired to a certain degree.

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Acupuncture and Moxibustion are useful traditional medicine that are widely applicable for various kinds of health care services including health maintenance, health promotion or palliative care. Conventional medicine has been developed focusing mainly on curing diseases. However, recent changes in the medical structure that is characterized by an increase in the elderly and chronic diseases emphasize the importance of preventive or amenity medicine or medicine that focuses more on welfare services. Since a unitary system of modern medicine was not suitable to respond to these demands, the necessity of medicine that cares for patients with the view point of welfare has emerged. Also, from the viewpoint of holistic medicine, traditional therapies as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have been attracting public attention and extending its field of application. These changes suggest the importance of an integrated approach from the viewpoint of patient oriented, holistic, and welfare medicine. We herein discuss the 'Role of Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Welfare'. In order to understand the situation, we need a common point of view to mediate between welfare and medicine with the knowledge of the relationship between these systems. We should discuss how acupuncture and moxibustion medicine can bear the role as well as its possibilities. Outlines of the presentations by invited specialists are as following;Dr. Tadakazu Kumatani will present the relationship between medicine and welfare. He will introduce social workers who support care-at-home or rehabilitation by assisting the patients and their families to solve or regulate economic, psychological and social problems in the health care system as well as their histories. Dr. Ippei Watanabe will state the idea and viewpoint that is common between welfare and acupuncture and moxibustion, and Dr. Tadasu Matsumoto will introduce practical applications of acupuncture and moxibustion in welfare and will state the usefulness and possibilities of acupuncture and moxibustion in the field.
When we view society in the future, medicine is expected to be developed in cooperation with welfare systems. It is necessary for specialists in each field to cooperate. Also, it is necessary to develop a welfare-medical system to provide sufficient services in compliance with demands of each patient, which is based on a firm idea. We would like to suggest role of acupuncture in welfare systems as well as its future and ideas.

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[Objective]As fundamental research on the acupuncture treatment to shin-splints, we studied what kind of acupuncture stimulus raises the pain threshold and deep tissue temperature of the periosteal part of the tibia.
[Methods]Twelve healthy subjects (Age: 22 ± 2years old) participated in this study. We recorded how the pain threshold of the periosteum would change under the influence of the kind of stimulus of leaving a needle, sparrow pecking a needle and no stimulation. Simultaneously, we measured the deep tissue temperature near the measured part of pain threshold with a deep tissue thermometer.
[Results]The pain threshold of leaving a needle group rose significantly (p < 0.05) as compared with the control group. The sparrow pecking group showed an upward tendency. There was no significant difference in the deep tissue temperature between each group at all times.
[Conclusion]The leaving the needle technique is suitable for needle stimulus to shin-splints. It was suggested that pain control was expected with a leaving needle stimulus. The needle stimulus did not show a remarkable effect on the reaction of regional circulation.

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[in Japanese]

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On 9-11 November 2007 Annual Conference of the Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR) was held at Baltimore in Maryland in the US. In addition, Pre-Conference workshops were prepared on the 8th November 2007.
The conference was organized by SAR, Center for Integrative Medicine (CIM), the University of Maryland at Baltimore, with the theme "The Status and Future of Acupuncture Research: 10 Years Post-NIH Consensus Conference"
The number of people who paid to attend the conference was 324. They were from 22 countries and regions as below;USA (179 paid), China (49), Korea (25), Japan (16), England (13), etc.
The conference unveiled the process of expanding NIH funds on the variable objects of acupuncture research, the current status of researches and issues to solve to develop the evidence, and made suggestions for future directions.

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20th anniversary congress of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) was held in Beijing, China on 20-22 October 2007. The congress was characterized by 1) cerebration of 20th anniversary of WFAS, 2) distinguished guests from World Health Organization (WHO) were invited, and they gave us a lecture, 3) WFAS executive committee showed a strategic plan for future 10 years.
Although WFAS strategic plan has not carried out properly in the past 10 years, it could be completed in the next 10 years. WFAS is changing from what it used to be. Therefore, JSAM has to reconsider its strategic plan for WFAS and for the worldwide spread of acupuncture and moxibustion.

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