Mariusz Panek

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an underdiagnosed condition in athletes, strongly influenced by anthropometric factors such as body mass index (BMI) and neck circumference, which often reflect long-term sport-specific training and nutritional strategies. This review examines the impact of OSA on athletes’ recovery, injury risk, and performance, with emphasis on BMI and neck circumference as key risk markers. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2015 and 2025. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings indicate a substantial prevalence of OSA in athletes, particularly those involved in collision sports such as rugby and American football, where higher BMI and increased neck circumference were consistently associated with increased risk of OSA. OSA was associated with reduced sleep quality, hormonal disruption, excessive daytime sleepiness, and slower reaction times. These factors may collectively impair recovery, increase injury susceptibility, and negatively affect aerobic capacity, cognitive function, and sport-specific performance. The results highlight the need for routine sleep screening in athletes, especially those with elevated BMI or larger neck circumference. Early detection and management of OSA may improve recovery and performance. Further longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of OSA treatment in athletic populations.

Background/Objectives: We evaluated the effects of a 12-week hypocaloric ketogenic diet (KD) on glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as body mass, in overweight, obese, and healthy-weight females. One hundred adult females completed the study, including 64 obese (97.99 ± 11.48 kg), 23 overweight (75.50 ± 5.12 kg), and 11 with normal body mass (65.93 ± 3.40 kg). All participants followed a KD consisting of less than 30 g of carbohydrates, approximately 60 g of protein, and 140 g of fat per day (80% unsaturated and 20% saturated fat). Methods: Glucose (Gl), insulin (I), glycated haemoglobin (HBA1c), HOMA-IR, triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured before and after the intervention. Additionally, body mass (BM), BMI (Body Mass Index), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and thigh circumference (TC) were recorded. Results: After 12 weeks of the KD, significant improvements were observed in GL, I, TG, HDL-C, HOMA-_IR across all groups. Also BM, BMI, TC, WC, and HC were significantly reduced in all participants. Notably, obese participants showed greater reductions in all variables compared to overweight and healthy-weight females. Conclusions: A 12-week KD led to more pronounced improvements in biochemical markers and body mass in obese females compared to other groups. A KD may be particularly beneficial for obese females with hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinemia, and lipid profile disturbances.

We evaluated the effects of a 12-week hypocaloric ketogenic diet (KD) on glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as body mass, in overweight, obese, and healthy-weight females. One hundred adult females completed the study, including 64 obese (97.99±11.48kg), 23 overweight (75.50±5.12 kg), and 11 with optimal body mass (65.93±3.40 kg). All participants followed a KD consisting of less than 30 g of carbohydrates, approximately 60 g of protein, and 140 g of fat per day (80% unsaturated and 20% saturated fat).Methods: Glucose (Gl), insulin (I), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), HOMA-IR, triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured before and after the intervention. Additionally, body mass (BM), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and thigh circumference (TC) were recorded. Results: After 12 weeks of the KD, significant improvements were observed in most biochemical variables across all groups. BM, TC, WC, and HC were significantly reduced in all participants. Notably, obese participants showed greater reductions in all variables compared to overweight and healthy-weight females. Conclusion: A 12-week KD led to more pronounced improvements in biochemical markers and body mass in obese females compared to other groups. A KD may be particularly beneficial for obese females with hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinemia, and lipid profile disturbances.