Articles

Everyone can be placed somewhere on an exercise continuum with the idle at one end and the hyperactive at the other. At both extremes, health suffers. Exercise is essential to health and managing it is the responsibility of individuals but few know what they should do. Doctors seldom teach how to be healthy and act only when repair is needed.

Background: Epidemiological studies report that females experience greater rates of concussion when compared with males. Biomechanical factors may result in greater post-impact head velocities and accelerations for a given force for females when compared with males. Purpose: To quantify the magnitude, frequency, duration and distribution of impacts to the head and body in rugby league match activities for females versus males. Design: Prospective descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: 21 female and 35 male amateur rugby league players wore wireless impact measuring devices (X2Biosystems; xPatch) behind their right ear over the mastoid process during match participation across a single season. All impact data were collected and downloaded for further analysis. Results: Male amateur rugby league players experienced more head impacts than female amateur rugby league players (470 ±208 vs. 184 ±18; t(12)=-3.7; p=0.0028; d=1.94) per-match over the duration of the study. Male amateur rugby league players recorded a higher median resultant Peak Linear Acceleration (PLA(g)) (15.4 vs. 14.6 g; F(824,834)=51.6; p<0.0001; t(1658)=-3.3; p=0.0012; d=0.10) but a lower median resultant Peak Rotational Acceleration (PRA(rad/s2) (2,802.3 vs. 2,886.3 rad/s2; F(831,827)=3.1; p<0.0001; t(1658)=5.7; p<0.0001; d=0.13) when compared with female amateur rugby league players Conclusion: Females recorded lower median values for PLA(g) and Head Impact Telemetry severity profile (HITSP) for all positional groups but had a higher PRA(rad/s2) for Hit-up Forwards (HUF) and Outside Backs (OSB’s) when compared with male HUF and OSB’s. Females also recorded more impacts to the side of the head (48% vs. 42%) and had a higher 95th percentile resultant PRA(rad/s2) (12,015 vs. 9,523 rad/s2) to the top of the head when compared with male rugby league players.

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 4-week Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction (BPF Gold; Bergamet Sport) supplementation on serum nitric oxide (NO), asymmetric dimethyl-arginine (ADMA), Endopat indices of endothelial function and maximal oxygen uptake (V_ O2max) of athletes. Methods: The effects of dietary supplementation (BPF Gold, 650 mg twice a day for 4 weeks) and placebo administration on flow-mediated dilatation (via Endopat measurements), serum markers (NO, ADMA), lipid profile, and V_ O2max were analysed in 30 athletes both before and after dietary protocols. Results: Significant differences between pre- and post-intervention baseline NO levels were observed after BPF Gold dietary protocol. Higher post-intervention baseline NO level was observed after BPF Gold diet compared with placebo. Moreover BPF Gold Sport increased baseline NO concentration (ΔNO). The positive correlation was observed between baseline post-intervention NO concentration and maximal oxygen uptale and also between ΔNO and ΔVO2max in response to BPF Gold supplementation. There was an association between a higher Edopat values of endothelial function and higher V O2max after Bergamet Sport diet compared with lower values of placebo. Conclusions: These findings suggest that an increase in NO release in response to BPF Gold Sport supplementation may play a central role in cardiovascular adaptive mechanisms and enhanced exercise performance in athletes.

Purpose: Monolayer passage of chondrocytes results in dramatic phenotypic changes. This “de-differentiation” is expected to restore the chondrogenic properties such as “re-differentiation” in autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). The purpose of this study was to compare the chondrogenic re-differentiation potential of chondrocytes, from osteoarthritis (OA) patients and young adult patients, after monolayer culture. Methods: Chondrocytes from five old patients with knee OA (OAC) and five young patients with recurrent shoulder dislocation (non-OAC) were used. The chondrocytes from passages 1 to 3 were analyzed for the expression of cell surface markers (CD73, CD90, CD105, and CD44) by flow cytometric analysis. Chondrocytes of passage 4 were cultured as pellets for re-differentiation and evaluated histologically. Real-time PCR were performed to measure the chondrogenic related genes transcriptional levels. Results: OAC and non-OAC had comparable positive ratios for CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105. The expression of CD105 was upregulated from passage 1 to passage 3 in OAC, and it increased at the same level as in non-OAC during passage 2 and 3. The expression of COL2 decreased from passage 1 to passage 3 in both the groups. There were no statistical differences in the Bern Scores between OAC and non-OAC. Conclusion: The chondrocytes from OA patients and young adult patients had chondrogenic re-differentiation potential. The changes in cell surface markers and chondrogenic related genes showed similarity for both the groups. Our findings suggest that OAC can become the cell source for ACI.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify physical activity, enjoyment, and factors for future activity between an active video game (AVG) condition and self-paced exercise (SPE) among college-aged students. Methods: Thirty college-aged volunteers (age=22±1.68 years) completed 4-45 minute physical activity sessions (2 AVG; 2 self-paced). A survey and a brief structured interview followed. Results: Overall, participants expended more calories, accumulated more steps, and more physical activity during SPE; however, participants in the AVG condition met daily exercise recommendations. The majority of participants (81%) enjoyed playing the AVG. Autonomy and competence were found as common themes among those who preferred the SPE condition; whereas, lack of knowledge and exercise variety were emergent themes among those who preferred AVG. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that college students could meet daily exercise recommendations by participating in AVG interventions; although AVGs that provided autonomy and allowed users to demonstrate competence would be preferable.

This review paper analyzes the response of renal function during two types of exercise: 1) exercise of increasing intensity and 2) exercise of submaximal intensity and prolonged duration. During an effort of increasing intensity there is a decrease in renal blood flow that, theoretically, could compromise renal function. However, several studies seem to show that the kidney has self-regulatory mechanisms that allow maintaining the filtration fraction. On the other hand, ultra resistance exercises, such as ironman, are becoming more frequent. Knowing the renal response to this type of exercise is essential to apply knowledge to emergency situations such as dehydration or hyponatremia.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world and affects people of all ages. But having an asthma patient with a good overall fitness level helps reduce the chances of getting a seizure. Aqua-aerobic exercises is appropriate programs for the treatment of asthma. The aim of this study was to propose a rehabilitation program using aqua-aerobic exercises and to determine its effect on some functional parameters (forced Expiratory Volume in first Second Fev1, Peak Expiratory Flow PEF, and the Forced Vital Capacity FVC), and improve the respiratory functions to reduce the intensity and severity of asthma attacks for asthmatic children.

Anthropometric characteristics, represent one of the most important subsystems within the “system” of man, and which can be in affected by physical exercises in the direction of the desired transformation. Very often the anthropometric parameters (height and weight) are used in the assessment of the morphological status of an individual, and on the basis of the results of Body Mass Index (BMI) bring certain estimates and conclusions. BMI as a statistical measures, is used in many public health campaigns as an approximate measure of the ideal body mass and the degree of nutrition of a population. The main goal of the research was to determine and analyze differences in BMI parameters between male and female students, aged 18±0.5 years, and determine the trend of changes. Using the T-test module, the obtained results confirmed that there are statistically significant differences in body height (t=8,17; p<0.001) and body weight (t=5,29; p<0.001), while in BMI values there are not statistically significant differences (t=-0.68, p>0.001). Based on BMI values, a positive trend of somatic changes of both poles is evident.

Hand-to-hand bioelectrical impedance (HH BIA) is a low-cost method to estimate percent body fat (%BF). The BIA method is consistently reliable, but questions on validity remain. We have observed anecdotally that elbow position can render consistently different measures of %BF while using HH BIA, thus leading to the question: Does elbow angle influence the validity of measures derived using HH BIA? The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of elbow position (i.e., IN=flexed to 90° versus OUT=fully extended) on the reliability of HH BIA on 44 male and 24 female healthy adults (age=21±2 yrs, BMI=23±3). An additional aim was to assess the validity of the HH BIA %BF on a subset of subjects (n=12) using air displacement plethysmography (BOD POD®) as the criterion measure. The IN position was ~4%BF lower than the OUT position for HH BIA (p=0.05, effect size=0.67). Measures of %BF for both trials for the IN [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.99, coefficient of variation (CV)=2.99%] and OUT (ICC=0.99, CV=1.48%) conditions were highly reliable. On the subsample, the OUT (18.3±6.7 %BF) position exceeded both the IN (14.5±7.4 %BF) and the BOD POD® (16.1±7.8 %BF) measures (p<0.05); however, IN and BOD POD® measures of %BF did not differ (p=0.21). These findings support that HH BIA is a reliable measure at both elbow positions; however, %BF estimations vary considerably (~4%) with respect to the criterion measure depending on elbow position. The OUT position was found to overestimate criteria %BF. Further research may reveal an optimum elbow angle position for HH BIA estimates of %BF.

This paper analyses the effect of virtual reality visualization (VRV) on climbers, with respect to the traditional visualization methodology. The study sample was made up of 21 novel climbers: Control Group CG (N=7), Traditional Visualization Group TVG (N=7) and Virtual Reality Group VRG (N=7). In order to implement the mental imagery through virtual reality, a 360º Ricoh Theta S camera and a pair of Woxter Neo VR1 goggles were used. The data analysis was carried out with a simple ANOVA of three means. No statistically significant differences were found. The results are discussed and future lines of research are established.