Endless diving project: step 36. Successfully completed

Aim: Endless Diving project’s a complex and articulated idea moved through several progressively deeper levels and mainly aimed to determine positive and negative factors in the relationship between man and subaquatic environment. A program tailored through the years upon an athlete’s health conditions; a tight pairing of sporting achievements and scientific research. This final step has been the actual fulfillment of a promise and, but just incidentally, an incredible world record. Materials: A no-stop underwater endurance performance, lasting 36 hours at 10 swm (33 feet), wearing a wet-suit. It took place into theMaratea harbour waters on Sept 12th–13th, 2014. The challenge stood in not having possibilities to take a resting sleep and in some necessary feeding limitations, merely freeze-dried foods and juices to keep hydroelectrolytic balance unchanged. A spirometry has been taken at the pre- and post-dive phase, as well as basal measurements (weight, BP/HR, BT), blood and muscle samples. Results: Where compared our pre- to post-dive findings, Francesco Colletta showed: unchanged both muscle conditions and Body Temperature (36.5 vs. 36.8) and spirometry reports as well, nevertheless there were interesting changes in some other physical, haematological and haematochemical responses to this challenging test. We registered a weight loss of 5.5 kgs, and an increase in: hepatic functional indexes, LDH (650 U/I), CK 892 (0–190 U/L), c-reactive protein (2.435 mg/dL), insulin (33.5 lUI/ml), cortisol (0.95 lg/dL), ACTH (2.6 pg/ml) and WBC count (11.200). Any value returned to its range by few days from the end of the ‘‘STEP-36’’ attempt, but a slight decrease in PLTs volume at 12 days (6.7 fl). Conclusions: A well-prepared athlete and a specialized team, with expertise in the field and a careful preparation on the ground, have made possible that this new challenge to human limits can be said definitely won, and ‘‘STEP-36’’ as successfully completed.