Exercise Physiology

This investigation examined the long term effect of Karate techniques training on communication of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Thirty school aged children with ASD were randomly assigned to an exercise (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Participants in the exercise group were engaged in 14 weeks of Karate techniques training. Communication deficit at baseline, post-intervention (week 14), and at 1 month follow up were evaluated. Exercise group showed significant reduction in communication deficit compared to control group. Moreover, reduction in communication deficit in the exercise group at one month follow up remained unchanged compared to post-intervention time. We concluded that teaching Karate techniques to children with ASD leads to significant reduction in their communication deficit

The main purposes of the present study were to substantiate the existence of the four types of performance categories (i.e., optimal-automatic, optimal-controlled, suboptimal-controlled, and suboptimal-automatic) as hypothesised in the multi-action plan (MAP) model, and to investigate whether some specific affective, behavioural, psychophysiological, and postural trends may typify each type of performance. A 20-year-old athlete of the Italian shooting team, and a 46-year-old athlete of the Italian dart-throwing team participated in the study. Athletes were asked to identify the core components of the action and then to execute a large number of shots/flights. A 2 × 2 (optimal/suboptimal × automated/controlled) within subjects multivariate analysis of variance was performed to test the differences among the four types of performance. Findings provided preliminary evidence of psychophysiological and postural differences among four performance categories as conceptualized within the MA...

Currently, there is a debate about which percentage of body mass loss can compromise performance and lead to complications to athletes’ health. Most of the drinking guidelines for exercise recommend replacing all the body mass lost during exercise and drinking as much as tolerable to avoid body mass loss over 2%. A greater dehydration can compromise aerobic exercise and cognitive/mental performance in warm-hot environments and increase the risk for heat stroke, heat exhaustion and cramps. A “cardiovascular model of thermoregulation” is used to explain the thermal regulation during exercise, which proposes that sweating reduces body water content, reducing blood flow and increasing the cardiovascular strain. However, this model has been criticized by many authors, who state that sweating response is regulated by neural mechanisms that are not dependant of the cardiovascular response to the exercise. The aim of this study was to review the recommendations for fluid replacement during exercise and detail the real necessity to replace all body mass lost during exercise for better performance. We searched the following electronic databases with no data limitation: national and international articles related to the subject, in the scientific portals of Capes, Scielo, PubMed, Science Direct, Highwire and randomized control trails, in English and Portuguese. The inclusion criteria was considered human studies, papers on dehydration and performance, recommendations on hydration and exercise, ingestion of electrolytic beverages in exercise and the effects of hydration status and thermoregulation. The exclusion criteria were: experimental articles and general recommendation for non athletes.

Key words: hydration, dehydration, performance, exercise, thermoregulation.

BACKGROUND:Current guidelines for exercise training in coronary patients state that in the presence of exercise-induced ischemia, the heart rate during exercise should be at least 10 beats/min below the heart rate associated with an ST segment depression of 1 mm or greater. For patients with a relatively low ischemic threshold, this recommendation does not allow for a sufficient training stimulus.OBJECTIVE:To document the effects of a single session of exercise above the ischemic threshold on biochemical markers of myocardial injury in stable coronary patients with exercise-induced ischemia. Because creatine kinase (CK) and its MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) can both increase after exercise because of skeletal muscle injury, troponin T was also measured.METHODS:Twenty-one patients with documented coronary artery disease underwent two 20 min exercise sessions. The intensity of the first exercise training session was fixed at a heart rate below the ischemic threshold (ie, approximately 10 beats/min lower than the heart rate associated with the appearance of an ST segment depression of 1 mm or greater). The intensity of the second exercise session was fixed at a heart rate above the ischemic threshold.RESULTS:Blood test measurements at baseline, 6 h after and 24 h after the exercise sessions did not show any increase in total CK, CK-MB or troponin. The value of all measurements remained well below the lower limits associated with myocardial damage.CONCLUSION:A 20 min period of exercise above the ischemic threshold did not result in myocardial necrosis.

Introduction Anaerobic power is power used in high-intensity bouts of exercise lasting fewer than ten seconds; which is the peak amount of time for phosphocreatine reserves to empty as a primary fuel source. It is expressed in terms of watts of force per kilogram of bodyweight. Power is considered a crucial component in overall athleticism. Ample power tends to be a key difference maker in short-terms bouts of fast twitch, Type I myo-fiber, events. For example, athletic events, or competitions which call for optimal power output, are weight lifting, sprinting, jumping and wrestling, although may other team sports and individual sports and competitions also have high anaerobic power output demands. Anaerobic power can be measured and improved. The three physical assessments in this study are commonly used to measure power. Each has been researched and normative and standards have been established for force production by their use. They are the Vertec vertical jump, Force plate and Wi...

Background: Long-distance travel is common for professional athletes; thus, the impact of jetlag on athletic performance is a relevant topic. Additionally, older individuals take longer to recover from exercise and post-travel fatigue; therefore, it is likely that age and travel affect performance. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of age and travel on NFL quarterback performance. Method: A correlational research design is used to examine the effects of age and travel on NFL quarterback performance. Data were collected from pro-football-reference.com. Quarterback ratings from the 2018 NFL season are analyzed with age, distance traveled, season week, and weeks since the team's bye week. The interaction of age and distance is also included to examine the impact of the age-distance relationship on performance. Regression analysis is used to predict quarterback ratings. Results: Season week (p = 0.04), weeks since a bye week (p = 0.041), and distance traveled (p = 0.031) have negative effects on quarterback ratings. The age-performance relationship in NFL quarterbacks is nonlinear (p = 0.018), with quarterback performance decreasing during an athlete's 20s and then increasing during an athlete's 30s. Additionally, ratings of younger quarterbacks decrease with farther distances traveled, while the ratings of older quarterbacks increase with farther distances traveled (p = 0.072). Conclusions: Differences in performance by age with travel may be the result of different severities of jet-lag symptoms experienced by younger and older quarterbacks, as well differences in strategies for managing post-travel fatigue by athletes of different ages.

Objectives: The incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in menopausal women is one of the main health care concerns. MetS clusters are related to an imbalance in pro-and anti-inflammatory adipokines such as secreted frizzledÀrelated protein 5 (SFRP5) and wingless-type mammary tumor virus integration site family, member 5A (WNT5A). WNT5A induces an inflammatory state to induce insulin resistance and further patho-logic consequences. Recent strategies to prevent progression of MetS to diabetes have focused on conservative treatments such as exercise and herbal medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanistic effects of cotreatment with cinnamon extract and 12-wk high-intensity endurance training on MetS components considering the non-canonical WNT5A signaling. Method: Thirty-two female ovariectomized Wistar rats were divided into the following four groups (n = 8/ group): exercise (Ova+Exe), cinnamon extract (Ova+Cin), exercise with cinnamon extract (Ova+Exe+Cin) and saline (Ova+Sal). One group of rats undergoing surgery without removal of the ovaries was considered as a sham. After 3 mo of experimental intervention, waist circumference, serum concentrations of glucose, insulin , lipid profile, tumor necrosis factor-a, WNT5A, and SFRP5 were measured. Results: Data showed a significant reduction in serum glucose, low-density lipoprotein, homeostasis model assessment estimate of insulin resistance, and tumor necrosis factor-a, but an increase in SFRP5 level in Ova +Exe, Ova+Cin and Ova +Exe+Cin groups compared with Ova+Sal group (P < 0.05). Serum WNT5A significantly was reduced only in Ova+Exe+Cin group (P = 0.02). Conclusion: The present study indicated that high-endurance training combined with aqueous cinnamon extract supplementation for 12 wk more efficiently alleviated insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunctions via reduction in noncanonical WNT signaling in ovariectomized rats.

Introduction: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a group of sporadic or familial disorders, characterized by upper and lower motor neuron involvement, with variable progression. Areas covered: The authors present the role of exercise in counteracting muscle disuse, particularly on limb weakness, that might antagonize denervation. The persistence of inactivity can affect many systems and the patient can develop deconditioning, muscle joint tightness, which causes contractures and pain. The main area of the review is the evaluation of the studies done on ALS exercise rehabilitation protocols, this was done by the evaluation of outcome function and patient independence exerting a positive psychological impact on both patients and caregivers. A second target is underlying differences between endurance and resistance exercise protocols, which may throw light on the biological mechanism of skeletal muscle repair, functional performance, and metabolism. The authors present not only exercise trials but also molecular biomarkers that might help define changes induced by physical rehabilitation. Our findings might help to achieve the best rehabilitation program. A standardized rehabilitation protocol is important: the instructed patients may continue therapy at home or be followed by telemedicine. Expert opinion: This review evaluates exercise rehabilitation, a controversial issue, evidence is weak and non-conclusive but represents the art status.

The rest duration between sets is one of the most essential resistance training variables; however, research on the effects of rest intervals between sets has shown inconsistencies on whether short or long rest intervals significantly increase overall performance during resistance training. This literature review aimed to investigate how different rest intervals between sets affect the maintenance of repetitions, training volume, and overall strength gains from resistance exercises in both trained and non-trained individuals. Fifteen original investigations and three textbooks involving the effect of between set rest intervals during resistance training are summarized in this review. The results for the studies interested in repetition maintenance suggested longer rest intervals significantly increased the number of repetitions and helped repetitions stay more consistent throughout sets. Longer rest intervals were also determined to increase training volume but had no significant effect on overall strength gains. Biochemical substrates that provide the catalyst for energy creation can take up to eight minutes to fully resynthesize; therefore, more research is needed on longer rest intervals to see if there are further increases in resistance training performance.

Background Although higher psychological well-being has been linked with a range of positive biological processes and health outcomes, the prospective association between psychological well-being and physical activity among older adults has been understudied. Purpose We tested whether higher baseline psychological well-being predicted higher levels of physical activity over time. Methods Prospective data were from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationally representative sample of English adults over the age of 50. Our sample included 9986 adults who were assessed up to six times across an average of 11 years. Results After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, each standard deviation increase in baseline psychological well-being was associated with higher median physical activity in linear regression models that examined physical activity across all six waves (β = 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18–0.21) and in linear mixed effect models that examined repeated measures of physical activity over the entire follow-up period (β = 0.20; 95% CI 0.19–0.21). Further, higher baseline psychological well-being was associated with a slower rate of decline in physical activity among people who were active at baseline (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.79, 95% CI 0.76–0.82) and increasing physical activity among people who were inactive at baseline (HR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.22–1.35). Findings were maintained after adjusting for baseline health status and depression. Conclusions Psychological well-being was independently associated with attaining and maintaining higher physical activity levels over 11 years, suggesting that it may be a valuable target for interventions aimed at helping older adults acquire more physical activity.

Corrêa DA, Soares DS, Gonelli PRG, Cesar MC, Sindorf MAG, Crisp AH, Verlengia R, Balbino HF, Lopes CR. Effect of 29 Weeks of Periodized Soccer Training on the Neuromuscular Performance of Soccer Players Under 20 Years of Age. JEPonline 2016;19(4):3241. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 29 weeks of periodized soccer training (linear during pre-season and ondulatory during the competitive period) on the neuromuscular performance of soccer players under 20 yrs of age. Ten regionally ranked male athletes (19.2 ± 1.3 yrs, body mass 71.1 ± 6.8 kg, height 179.0 ± 0.2 cm) participated in this study. The pre-season physical training program lasted 9 wks. The competitive period lasted 19 wks. The assessments were conducted at specific times during training periodization: baseline, 4, 8, and 19 wks. The results showed improvements in squat jump performance and maximal strength during the pre-season and the competitive period, respectively. On the other hand, repeated ...

Background: After menopause, women increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Physical exercise is one of the treatments for reducing the incidence of these diseases, and the Pilates method consists of a complete conditioning program. Aims: To verify the responses of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) and Blood Pressure Variability after a single session of Mat Pilates in non-obese post menopause women. Methods: This is a randomized crossover study with 15 normotensive postmenopausal women, who participated in a single Mat Pilates session and a control session. The Mat Pilates session lasted 50 minutes, with 5 minutes of warm-up. In each exercise, there was 1 set of 10 repetitions with 45 seconds of rest between sets. The control session should have the same duration, but the volunteers remained seated. ABPM was assessed for 24 hours after the intervention. Statistical analysis: Two-way ANOVA with Newman-Keuls post hoc was used to analyze ABPM variables and Stu...

The aim of this study was to examine differences in cycling efficiency between competitive male and female cyclists. Thirteen trained male (mean ± SD: 34 ± 8 yr, 74.1 ± 6.0 kg, Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP) 414 ± 40 W, VO2max 61.3 ± 5.4 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) and 13 trained female (34 ± 9 yr, 60.1 ± 5.2 kg, MAP 293 ± 22 W, VO2max 48.9 ± 6.1 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) competitive cyclists completed a cycling test to ascertain their gross efficiency (GE). Leg and lean leg volume of all cyclists was also measured. Calculated GE was significantly higher in female cyclists at 150W (22.5 ± 2.1 vs 19.9 ± 1. 8%; p &lt; 0.01) and 180W (22.3 ± 1.8 vs 20.4 ± 1.5%; p = 0.01). Cadence was not significantly different between the groups (88 ± 6 vs 91 ± 5 rev·min(-1)). Lean leg volume was significantly lower for female cyclists (4.04 ± 0.5 vs 5.51 ± 0.8 dm(3); p &lt; 0.01) and was inversely related to GE in both groups at 150 and 180W (r = -0.59 and -0.58; p &lt; 0.05). Lean leg volume was shown to account for t...

Introduction: Pull-ups is one of the most popular and traditional exercises that involves one’s body weight which acts as a resistance against gravity. The exercise focuses mainly on upper back muscles (Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboid), Posterior Deltoid and Biceps Brachii.
Objective: This study aimed at investigating the effects of different hand positions (grips) on the Electromyographic (EMG) activity of Latissimus Dorsi (LD) and Biceps Brachii (BB) muscles during pullups.
Novelty: To the best of our knowledge none of the studies has analyzed the muscle activation of Latissimus Dorsi (LD) and Biceps Brachii (BB) muscles with the selected exercises.
Materials and Method: Ten healthy men performed 1 repetition of six different grip pull-ups. The maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) was recorded with the help of biograph infinity software (EMG). Surface ElectroMyoGraphy (SEMG) was used for measuring muscle electrical activity that occurs during muscle contraction.
Results and Discussion: The results of the study shows that, in case of muscles activation in Biceps Brachii, all the exercises reveal significant differences with the Supine Narrow Grip pull-ups (SNG). Similarly, Prone Narrow Grip pull-ups showed a significant difference in Latissimus Dorsi with Prone wide Grip pull-ups and Prone Extreme wide Grip pull-ups, suggesting that other pull-ups exercises may be similarly effective in activating Latissimus Dorsi.
Application: It will help the professional trainers and coaches to design a training schedule for all level of Athletes which may consist of different variations of pull-ups.
Conclusion: Supine Narrow Grip pull-ups is the best exercise to activate the Biceps Brachii as compared to other pull-ups variations. Similarly, Prone Wide Grip pull-ups found to be a more effective exercise for the activation of upper back muscle - Latissimus Dorsi.
Keywords: Electromyography, Muscle activation, Pull-Ups, Latissimus Dorsi and Biceps Brachii

The aim of this study was to establish the validity and reliability and verification
of the reproducibility of the lactate minimum test (LM) to predict
the maximal lactate steady state exercise intensity (MLSS) on a futsal-specific
circuit (Futsal_circuit) which takes into consideration the technical
movements performed. 16 male Brazilian futsal players (body mass:
67.7 ± 8.3 kg; height: 1.73 ± 0.05 m) were distributed randomly into 2
studies with 8 athletes in each (Study A – reproducibility; Study B – validity).
First, aerobic capacity was determined by adapting the protocol of
the LM to the futsal_circuit. In study A, the evaluation was repeated after
7 days (test e re-test) and, in study B, the MLSS on the futsal_circuit was
performed. LM intensity (test = 7.7 ± 0.3 km.h-1; retest = 7.7 ± 0.4 km.h-1)
showed a concordance (CV = 4.13 and ET = 0.32) on study A. No significant
differences, high association (r = 0.80; p < 0.05) and concordance (lower
limits: − 0.58 km.h-1; Upper limits: 0.55 km.h-1) between LM and MLSS
(7.5 ± 0.5 km.h-1 LM; 7.5 ± 0.4 km.h-1 MLSS) on study B. According to the
results, we can conclude that the Futsal_circuit is reliable, reproducible
and valid for assessing the functional aerobic capacity of futsal players.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of corrective exercise programmes on the foot condition. The research was attended by 66 subjects (students of the Jovan Cvijić elementary school, Banja Luka) aged 11-12 years. Of the total number of subjects on initial testing, 44 subjects (72.7%) had flat foot deformity (first, second and third degree) and they participated in further research. The Footplate currex platform was used to assess the arch of the foot. The programme of flat foot corrective exercises lasted a total of 4 months. Exercises were performed twice a week for 20 minutes. The programme included a total of 13 exercises and each exercise was repeated 20 times. A Chi-squared test was applied to determine if there was a difference in the frequency of foot deformities between the initial and final measurements, as well as gender differences, i.e. whether the applied exercise programme affected the reduction of foot arch deformity (p &lt;0.05). The obtained results s...

To achieve the purpose of the present study, thirty male inter-collegiate level players have been randomly selected from intercollegiate badminton club players, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu state, India. The age of subjects ranged from 18 to 25 years. The subjects had at least three years of experience in Badminton represented at the inter-collegiate level tournaments were taken as subjects. Totally thirty (N=30) players were selected as subjects and divided into three equal groups of ten subjects each. Group-I (n=10) underwent Kettlebell training, Group-II (n=10) underwent Swiss ball training, and Group-III (n=10) acted as the control group. The experimental group participated in the Kettlebell and Swiss ball training respectively for 6 weeks, 3 days a week, one session per day, and each session lasted 90 minutes. The control group maintained their daily routine activities and no special training was given. The badminton performance variables namely such as short service and long service are selected as variables. Short service was assessed by French short service test, long service assessed by Scott, and French long service test. The related group research design was used in this study. The data were collected beginning (pre-test) and end of the experimental period of 6 weeks (post-test). The collected data from the three groups prior to and after the experimental treatments on selected performance-related variables were statistically analyzed by using the statistical technique of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Whenever the 'F' ratio for adjusted post-test means was found to be significant Scheffe's test was followed as a post hoc test to determine which of the paired means difference was significant.

The study aimed to compare the effects of elastic and weight resistance exercise on muscular activation patterns. Twenty‐one moderately active males (age = 25 ± 8) performed ten bicep curls and leg extensions with weights (W), an equivalent elastic resistance (T), and a combined condition (TW) of half elastic tension and half weight resistance. Muscular activations of the biceps, triceps, rectus femoris, vastus me- dialis, and lateralis were recorded with Trigno wireless electrodes, and joint angles were recorded with Qualisys Track Manager. Biceps total activation was highest (P < .001) with weights during the bicep curl due to an increased (P ≤ .007) activa- tion in the eccentric phase. The biceps was also active over a larger portion of the ROM under TW (110°‐70° elbow angle), while W and T exhibited peak activations at mid (90°)‐ and late (50°) stages of ROM, respectively. The triceps (bicep curl) was least active (P < .05) with W throughout the concentric phase, as were the vastus medialis and lateralis (leg extension). Although peak and total activation were simi- lar for most muscles in all conditions, muscular activation patterns differed between conditions indicating that TW may enhance strength gains by increasing time under tension, engaging agonist muscles at less advantageous lengths, and increasing the recruitment of auxiliary muscles.

The study compares the effects of in-water and on-land exercises on respiratory functions. 29 moderately active individuals (age: 20,68±1,4 height: 176,37±5,5 weight 75,15±13,7) participated in voluntarly were divided randomly into two groups as Land and Water. The participants of Water(in a pool of 90 cm deep) and Land(athletic track) groups attained in a training program of 60 minutes per day, 3 days per week along 8 week. The participants' forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1 / FVC and peak expiration flow rate (PEF) values were measured with a spirometer before and after the training program. Within group differences are not significant at all variables other than the forced vital capacity. The 5.34% increase in forced vital capacity of the Land group was statistically significant (p <0.05). The effect of training does not make a difference in respiratory functions between the groups. It may be more efficient for coaches to focus on muscles that specifically affect respiration muscles in addition to the standard exercises in training plan to increase respiratory function.

There are many factors in mucosal secretions that contribute to innate immunity and the 'first line of defence' at mucosal surfaces. Few studies, however, have investigated the effects of exercise on many of these 'defence' factors. The aim of the present study was to determine the acute effects of prolonged exercise on salivary levels of selected antimicrobial peptides (AMP) that have not yet been studied in response to exercise (HNP1-3 and LL-37) in addition to immunoglobulin A (IgA). A secondary objective was to assess the effects of exercise on saliva antibacterial capacity. Twelve active men exercised on a cycle ergometer for 2.5 h at approximately 60% of maximal oxygen uptake. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were obtained before and after exercise. There was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in salivary IgA:osmolality ratio, following exercise, but IgA concentration and secretion rate were unaltered. Salivary HNP1-3 and LL-37 concentrations (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively), concentration:osmolality ratios (P < 0.01) and secretion rates (P < 0.01) all increased following exercise. Salivary antibacterial capacity (against E. coli) did not change. The increased concentration of AMPs in saliva may confer some benefit to the 'first line of defence' and could result from synergistic compensation within the mucosal immune system and/or airway inflammation and epithelial damage. Further study is required to determine the significance of such changes on the overall 'defence' capacity of saliva and how this influences the overall risk for infection.

У статті визначено модельні характеристики кваліфікованих волейболісток, які включали 36 показників підготовленості та змагальної діяльності. На основі отриманих результатів було розроблено десятибальну шкалу оцінки, використовуючи яку вдалося побудувати індивідуальні моделі волейболісток різних амплуа.
In this article are identified model characteristics of skilled female volleyball players, which included 36 indicators of preparedness and competitive activity. Based on these results, we have developed a ten-point scale assessment, using which we were able to build individual models of different game roles female volleyball players.

Hierarchical regression analyses indicate that specific AIQ factors accounted for a statistically significant increase in the explanation of variance beyond the current level of evaluation for several performance metrics (e.g., career approximate value; sacks, tackles, rushing yards). Further, specific factors of the AIQ are related to position specific statistics, offering the possibility that performance prediction can be focused in for the specific skills required by a given position. Discussion Given the recent impact of analytics in professional sports, and the significant findings noted in the current investigation, the authors discuss the potential importance of the AIQ in the selection and coaching processes.