Tag archive for: sports
The World University Games are an international collegiate sports competition in which elite student-athletes compete. They are organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) every two years.
This season, the games will be held in Chengdu, China, and will bring together 6,000 elite student-athletes from 120 countries competing in 18 different sports, from July 28 to August 8.
The Faculty is proud to announce that one of its medical students, Romain Didelot, has been selected for the French national track and field team! We sat down with him:
Can you tell us about your background, both academically and athletically?
“I started track and field at age 7, always with the same club in Montpellier, and my passion for the sport has never left me. Track and field—and my decision to specialize in the long jump—has been a part of my personal life and has instilled in me discipline, a love of hard work, and the drive to push myself to new heights. After high school years marked by several national titles, as soon as I passed the entrance exam for my first year of medical school in Montpellier, I returned to the Philippidès Stadium, and since then, I’ve been doing my best to balance my medical studies with elite-level sports. This requires daily organizational efforts to juggle classes, internships, studying, training, and competitions.”
What does this selection mean to you?
“This selection for the World University Games is the culmination of a busy but successful year. Academically, I’m entering my fifth year of medical school and am thus continuing to pursue my main goal. On the athletic front, the results have also been impressive: French University Indoor Long Jump Champion (Eaubonne, Jan. 2023) and French University Outdoor Vice-Champion (Salon-de-Provence, May 2023), FFA French Senior Indoor Champion (Miramas, Feb. 2023), and bronze medalist at the FFA French Elite Indoor Championships (Clermont-Ferrand, Feb. 2023).”
Would you like to add anything?
“I am particularly happy and honored to have been selected, and proud to represent the Montpellier School of Medicine and the University of Montpellier. I am also very proud to represent my city there, since I was born in Montpellier and have always lived there. And, by a twist of fate, I will be competing in Chengdu, one of Montpellier’s sister cities!”
Following our feature on Othofaso a few days ago, it’s now time to spotlight ASMM, the Montpellier Medical School Sports Association! Today we’re speaking with Amandine, the vice president of communications, who’s here to tell us more!
Could you tell us a little about your organization? What is its mission?
The Association Sportive Médecine Montpellier (ASMM) is an organization founded about ten years ago with the goal of promoting physical activity among medical students in a friendly atmosphere. While this objective has remained unchanged over the years, the ASMM has evolved, notably by welcoming students in the PACES program (soon to be known as PASS-LAS) and midwifery students.Our association allows health students to reconnect with sports—often neglected during their studies—in a friendly and relaxed setting. These moments are especially important for PACES/PASS/LAS students, who face considerable pressure regarding their entrance exams. The entire team is therefore there to listen to them, providing moral support and a friendly outlet. This year’s goal is to open membership to other health-related programs, particularly to physical therapy and dental students.
What activities do you organize throughout the year? Could you tell us about them?
Throughout the year, we hold two sessions per week: one exclusively for PACES/PASS/LAS students and the other for medical and midwifery students. The content of our sessions varies based on the members’ preferences. Sessions often consist of exercises focused on endurance or strength training, as well as a more recreational component featuring team sports like Ultimate.
We also organize activities outside of class: canoeing, beach volleyball, trampoline, pétanque, laser tag, indoor soccer…
Why and how can I join your organization?
Joining our association gives students access to our sessions and sports events all year round. Membership costs €5 for PACES, LAS, PASS, and second- and third-year medical and midwifery students. Registration is free for students in higher years. You can sign up at any time throughout the year, either online via the Pumpkin app or in person at the start of a session or before an event: it’s easy—just download the app and create an account using the code ASMM.
Could you tell us a little about the 2020–21 executive board election?
A new executive board is elected internally each year. It consists mainly of third-year medical students, as well as one midwifery student. The current executive board consists of:
- Tristan Georger: President
- Juliette Cuminal: Secretary
- Cécile Burgalieres: Treasurer
- Romane Barbier and Nicolas Rouvière: Vice Presidents in charge of partnerships
- Pietro Rosso: Vice President in Charge of Sessions
- Aurélien Clamens: Vice President of Communications, Sage-Femme
- Amandine Sautel and Matthieu Branchereau: Vice Presidents of Medical Communications
COVID-19 Update
The current health crisis has led us to rethink our sessions, particularly by no longer offering team sports. We have also divided participants into groups of 10, then 6, to limit the spread of the virus and protect our members. Safety protocols (wearing masks, using hand sanitizer) are also strictly enforced during our sessions and events. We also prioritize outdoor activities, such as our running sessions. We also collaborate with partner sports facilities to offer small-group activities to our members, who can participate whenever they like (bowling, rock climbing, escape rooms, laser tag, etc.). We have also launched live Instagram yoga sessions, which help balance student well-being with the need to limit group activities.
How can I contact you on social media?
Instagram: tim_asmm
Facebook: tim asmm
Website: ASMM Association
Physical activity isn’t just a way to lose weight. Exercise offers significant benefits from medical, social, and economic perspectives. It actually helps boost the immune system and promotes overall well-being: walking, running, or gardening activates metabolic processes—in other words, biological reactions—that take place within our bodies.
The benefits of exercise can be seen not only in one's physical appearance but also in one's mental health:
Physical health
Combating obesity and diabetes-related diseases
Strictly speaking, exercise alone cannot prevent obesity or being overweight. However, physical activity is often recommended as a complement to appropriate treatment to help patients achieve their goals.
In general, exercise helps regulate weight with the goal of achieving a more toned physique. Muscles can produce certain hormones, called myokines, which have metabolic effects on various organs at a distance. As Cédric Moro (research director at Inserm within the Institute of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases in Toulouse) explains, “In an obese patient, muscle tissue contains some fat. Exercise burns this fat, and insulin then becomes more effective at supplying the muscle with glucose. This notably reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”
The positive effects of exercise on weight issues or diabetes are only beneficial if done correctly. There are guidelines that must be followed to ensure effectiveness with minimal side effects.
Cardiovascular diseases
When it comes to cardiovascular disease, the risk factors are well known: smoking, stress, high blood pressure… Regular physical activity improves and regulates the functioning of the cardiovascular system, thereby reducing cardiovascular risks:
- Potential 50% reduction in high blood pressure
- Increase in good cholesterol levels
- Blood sugar control
We also know that below a certain VO₂ max threshold—the maximum amount of oxygen the body consumes during intense exercise—a patient with heart failure requires a transplant. Thibaut Guiraud, a physiology researcher at I2MC, explains that “With exercise, you improve your physical capacity and can move out of the ‘red zone,’ which is above 5 METs (equivalent to the ability to walk at 4–5 km/h for a few minutes).”
Regular physical activity helps strengthen the heart and thus prevent or delay cardiovascular problems.
Cancer
It’s no secret that physical activity can help with the recovery from certain cancers.
Cancer is the leading cause of death, ahead of cardiovascular disease: the number of cases has doubled over the past 30 years.
Exercising during treatment helps the body counteract certain negative side effects of treatment, such as fatigue. Provided, of course, that the exercise is moderate and tailored to the specific treatment. Béatrice Fervers, an oncologist at the Léon-Bérard Center, explains that “The sooner a patient begins physical activity after diagnosis, the better they are able to counteract side effects.”
In fact, physical activity alters body composition (reducing visceral fat and maintaining or even increasing muscle mass) as well as muscle strength. The potential effects of regular physical activity on the mechanisms involved in tumor proliferation can be explained: the best-documented effects pertain to breast cancer and involve glycemic regulation, increased insulin sensitivity, an anti-inflammatory effect, and hormonal regulation.
According to researchers at ISERM, physical activity may help reduce the risk of recurrence in breast and colon cancer.
Mental health
As we saw in the article on meditation, physical activity contributes to better mental health.
Exercise doesn’t just help people with health conditions. It also promotes well-being in those who engage in it, helping to reduce psychological risks.
Stress relief
Physical activity can help reduce stress. In fact, exercise triggers the body to release hormones called endorphins, which are known as “feel-good” hormones. As a result, anxiety levels are reduced after physical activity.
Dr. Martine Duclos, an endocrinologist and head of the Sports Medicine Department at the Gabriel-Montpied and Estaing University Hospitals (Clermont-Ferrand), explains that exercise can help reduce the need for anti-anxiety medications; for example, “in anxious or stressed individuals, regular physical activity provides the same benefits as anti-anxiety medications, without the side effects or risk of dependency; it also has an effect similar to that of antidepressants in people suffering from mild to moderate depression.” Exercise also stimulates the release of neurotransmitters involved in depression when they are deficient, serotonin being the primary one.
Beyond its calming effect, exercise also allows us to take a break from our daily routine and forget the little worries that usually occupy our minds while we’re working out.
Sleep quality
It’s just a short step from reducing stress to improving sleep.
Dr. Duclos notes that “exercise has two positive effects: you’ll have less trouble falling asleep, and athletes will wake up less often in the middle of the night.”
This is largely due to the regulation of blood pressure and the release of endorphins, which help us relax more effectively. As a result, exercise reduces stress, leading to physical fatigue rather than mental fatigue.
In addition, participating in sports requires people to be more organized and, as a result, to regulate their biological rhythm (also known as the circadian rhythm). This also involves eating better to improve performance. All of these factors play an important role in sleep quality.
“However, it’s important not to exercise too late in the day, because that will push back your bedtime,” Martine Duclos points out.
The Brain and Depression
Finally, exercise causes the brain to release dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in the reward system.
Memory, cognition, mood: Physical exercise enhances mental performance and health.
A team led by Lisa Weinberg at the Georgia Institute of Technology (United States) conducted a study involving students who were asked to memorize 90 photos. The first group was asked to perform leg exercises while the other group remained seated. Two days later, the students were asked to identify as many images as possible from a set of 180: the group that exercised was able to identify 60%, 10% more than the control group.
Researcher Martine Duclos observed a “positive correlation between their physical fitness and the type of high school they attended (academic, vocational, agricultural).” According to Dr. Duclos, this can be explained by the fact that “muscle activity triggers the production of myokines, proteins that, through a complex mechanism, prompt the brain to produce growth factors, neurotrophins, and more specifically BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). It promotes the formation of microvessels (angiogenesis) and the production of new neurons (neurogenesis).”
Sports at the University – ASMM Association (Montpellier Medical Students' Association)
This sports club consists of 3–4 members dedicated to serving medical students who wish to engage in regular physical activity. With the aim of promoting sports, it provides them with sports facilities and equipment and organizes intercollegiate competitions.
Our projects:
- Formation of a women's volleyball team;
- Formation of a rugby team made up of medical and dental students;
- Formation of a basketball team made up of medical, pharmacy, and dental students;
- Organization of futsal, tennis, pétanque, and beach volleyball tournaments.
Office:
President: Mustapha MOUSTAFAOUI
Secretary: Maxime FOULQUIER
Treasurer: Youssef TRIGUI
Contact:
Institute of Biology
4 Boulevard Henri IV,
34965 Montpellier Cedex 2
Sources:
https://lejournal.cnrs.fr/articles/le-sport-est-bon-pour-la-sante-cest-prouve
https://www.naturaforce.com/blog/2017/06/03/bienfaits-du-sport-sur-la-sante/
https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/sante/bouger-ameliorer-le-cerveau_29226
