Background: With the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many studies’ attention to this world’s complexity increased dramatically. Different views on sports and physical activities have been presented, which have addressed the advantages and disadvantages of sports activities in this period differently. The purpose of this review was to investigate the physiological and psychological effects of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Using PubMed, Science Direct, Medline, and Web of Science electronic databases, this review summarizes the current knowledge of direct and indirect effects of physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating the advantages and drawbacks of specific exercise physiology conditions. All types of studies were assessed, including systematic reviews, case-studies, and clinical guidelines. The literature search identified 40 articles that discussed COVID-19, immune system, the relation between immune system and exercise or diet, and psychological impacts of physical activity.
Results: Forty articles review showed that the immune system depends on the type, frequency, intensity, and duration of the exercise.
Intense or prolonged exercise with short recovery periods can progressively weaken the immune system and increase the risk of COVID-19. One of the acute responses after moderate-intensity training is improved immune function and a decrease in inflammatory cytokines. Paying attention to dietary intakes of micro-and macronutrients in conjunction with exercise can strengthen the condition to fight against coronavirus. Exercise can also affect the psychological dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic, including depression, anxiety, and stress, which improve community mental health during the quarantine.
Conclusion: Setting appropriate physical activity based on individuals’ properties and proper diet plan may enhance the physiological and psychological body’s condition to fight against coronavirus.
Background: Rotation of the femoral component in total knee replacement (TKR) is very important for good long-term results. Malrotation of the femoral component usually requires subsequent reimplantation. We performed X-ray projections of the knee at 90° to determine proper rotation of the femoral component without use of computed tomography.
Methods: The axial projection of the distal femur was measured in post-TKR cases. During the TKR operation, Whiteside’s method had been used to provide symmetrical flexion space. The exact outer rotation of the femoral component was measured by x-ray determination of the middle condylar twist angle, from the central epicondylar axis and posterior condylar axis.
Results: The middle condylar twist angle was in outer rotation, with an average of 3.36° (range: 1-7.6), similar to the literature. Six of the patients underwent bilateral TKR. In total, the case series included 18 women and 15 men, with average age of 71.34 years-old (range: 56-85). As a clinical evaluation we used Knee Society Score (2011). From results 2 patients were not very satisfied with the instability TKR. Axially X-ray seemed to be only which could distribute these patients.
Summary: X-ray values have the same evaluation as computed tomography. The results were 2 patients in pattern of 48, which were sufficient to extrapolate to whole population according to the statistical methods. This corresponds to 4% which we can add to evaluate satisfaction of all patients after TKR and eventually lower the total of unsatisfactory patients which is total of ¼ of total. It is also forensic reason for all patients. Our recommendation to have good results and patient satisfaction in TKR is to do x-rays before and after operation. Important are x-rays antero-posterior, lateral, and Kanekasu projection to know the rotation after TKR. Other cases without stability in flexion are nor very rarely planed for revision surgery, which is much more expensive, and burdens overall health system.
Purpose: The time course of muscle stiffness of muscles around the shoulder joint and the scapula was investigated according to the degree of muscle weakness. This study was conducted to clarify the recovery process of muscle hardness of the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint and the scapula after the shoulder internal and external rotational exercises.
Methods: Participants were 7 healthy men (23.6 ± 1.4 yr), repeated internal and external rotations of the shoulder joint until the mean work of three internal and external rotations each was less than 90%, 80%, or 70% of the standard. Muscle hardness of the supraspinatus muscle, the infraspinatus muscle, and the rhomboideus muscle was measured before, immediately after, and 1to 72 hr after each bout of exercise.
Muscle hardness was measured as Strain ratio using an ultrasound real-time tissue elastography. In addition, the rates of change were calculated using muscle hardness before exercise as the standard, to compare differences in the rate of change after exercise between conditions.
Results: The rates of change of the Strain ratio between measurements taken before and after exercise were compared among conditions for the infraspinatus muscle. Results were -7.1 ± 5.3, -15.2 ± 10.3, and -25.0 ± 8.8, respectively, at 90%, 80%, and 70%, with a significant difference between a decrease to 90% and to 70% (p < 0.05). Significant difference was found in the change over time for the infraspinatus muscle only between values obtained immediately after exercise and after 72 hr at a decrease to 70% (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Those results described above demonstrated that the infraspinatus muscle and the supraspinatus muscle were harder immediately after exercise when the shoulder joint was at a higher degree of muscle weakness, and demonstrated that the change was likely to be recovered after 72 hr.
Background: Literature on ACL injury is limited when assessing for the presence and interaction of multiple risk factors simultaneously. Identifying risk factor interaction may increase the impact of prevention programmes to target ACL injury reduction. The aim of this study was to retrospectively assess ACL injured female athletes to identify which modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were present at the time of injury.
Method: Seventeen female athletes who had sustained a non-contact ACL injury were interviewed retrospectively to assess for the presence of reported risk factors for ACL injury.
Result: This retrospective analysis ACL injury cases highlighted a number of factors which were present with high frequency across this group of cases. All had non-contact ACL injury occurring during cutting or landing, which suggests a predisposing deficit in neuromuscular control. This poor neuromuscular control could be exacerbated by the presence of fatigue identified within the cohort. This poor control could be further influenced by the fact a majority of athletes had another significant injury in the 12 weeks prior to ACL injury. The restriction to training could have either decreased fatigue resistance, or potentially changed their movement pattern because of the method of injury management undertaken.
Conclusion: This case series provides insight into the interaction of risk factors for ACL injury in sportswomen, with the presence of another injury disrupting training, decreasing the athletes work capacity and fatigue resistance, being compounded perceived or actually elevated levels of fatigue, leading to the potential for abhorrent movement patterns and increased injury risk.
Background: SCI Action Canada partnered with researchers to adapt an evidence-based leisure-time physical activity (LPTA) counselling service (Get-in-Motion (GIM). A satellite GIM service called Passez à l’action was established within a French-speaking context for persons with physical disabilities. An understanding of the determinants that infl uenced the implementation and functioning of the GIM service within the Adaptavie context are required to maximize the potential of other community-based LTPA services being successfully introduced in similar organizations.
Purpose: The case study objectives are to: 1) describe the characteristics and implementation contexts of two leisure-time physical activity counselling services for Canadians with a physical disability and the adoption process that took place when the protocol was translated to a new context, and 2) elucidate, from the point of view of the service providers, the organizational determinants that could have facilitated and/or hindered the implementation and functioning of these services.
Methods: Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, focus groups were held with the directors and staff of each service. Mixed-content and thematic analyses were then used to determine overarching themes.
Results: Findings suggest that the presence of service innovators fosters ownership of the service and facilitates ongoing staff training and support. A thoughtful implementation plan should be included as a component of translation between contexts.
Conclusions: Lessons learned and recommendations for future translation of similar evidence-based services to additional contexts are discussed.
Juliana Bassalobre Carvalho Borges, Débora Tazinaffo Bueno, Monique Fernandes Peres, Ana Paula Aparecida Mantuani, Andréia Maria Silva and Giovane Galdino*
Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is considered an important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to verify the effects of a short cardiovascular rehabilitation program (CR) in hypertensive subjects. The clinical pilot study involved a sample composed of 11 hypertensive subjects. It was evaluated the weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, waist hip ratio, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and six-minute walk test (6-MWT) before and after CR. CR was performed twice a week for 60 minutes. The results shown that after CR occurred a reduction of waist circumference (99.86±8.7 to 95.2±8.6 cm, p=0.0002) and hip circumference (110.18±14.75 to 105.00±12.7 cm p=0.01) values. About the mean distance walked in the 6-MWT there was an increase after the CR program (335.9±123.5 m to 554.56±87.9 m, p=0.000). In conclusion, the results suggest that a short CR is an effective for the treatment of hypertensive subjects. After 16 CR sessions, functional and musculoskeletal capacity was improved, evaluated by 6-MWT. Furthermore, the short CR program decreased waist and hip circumferences, being an important option for these subjects. Although. There were no changes in baseline blood pressure levels.
Introduction: Acupuncture is a practice that has been used to treat multiple medical conditions for thousands of years and is one of the most popular alternative treatments applied in Western medical practice. Acupuncture is a modality that has significant potential for further integration into the treatment of sports medicine conditions.
Methodology: The search strategy in this review included electronic databases-MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct. Randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews were preferred for article inclusion, but other study types were included when the number or quality of evidence was limited.
Results: Back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and knee pain related to OA tend to respond well to acupuncture treatment. There is evidence to support the use of acupuncture for the short-term treatment of plantar fasciitis, although long-term efficacy data is lacking. Acupuncture may be a useful treatment modality for epicondylitis and Achilles tendinopathy, but the current data is limited. While acupuncture may improve athletic performance and prevent Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) symptoms, there is little current evidence to support this use.
Conclusion: Further studies are needed to assess the usefulness of acupuncture in sports medicine. However, there is good evidence for the current use of acupuncture in treatment of multiple pain conditions.
The Sit-to-Stand test (STST) involves comparing the change in a person’s non-weight-bearing and weight-bearing foot posture to quickly classify a person’s overall foot mobility. Despite the simplicity of the test, its reliability and validity has not been established. The purpose of this study is to determine the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the STST as well as its validity. Ninety-seven subjects with a mean age of 25 years (±3.7) participated in the study. Each subject’s foot posture from non-weight-bearing to weight-bearing was evaluated by two different raters. Each rater classified each subject’s change in foot posture as “Hypomobile”, “Normal” or “Hypermobile”. This same procedure was repeated approximately one week later without the raters being able to review what their original classification for that subject had been. The subjects also had their foot mobility quantified by measuring the height and width of their dorsal arch in both non-weight-bearing and weight-bearing. These quantitative measures of foot mobility were then classified as “Hypomobile”, “Normal”, or “Hypermobile” using quartiles. A series of Cohen’s Kappa coefficients were used to assess the amount of agreement between the visual classifications by each rater as well as the classification between the observational and objective classifications. The between-day Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.613 to 0.719 and the inter-rater Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.473 to 0.531. The Kappa coefficients between the visual and quantitative classifications ranged from 0.281 to 0.436. The STST should therefore be used with caution because of its moderate between-rater reliability and validity.
Most patients with anterolateral ankle pain report some history of trauma as the precipitating event. In the majority of cases of anterolateral ankle pain with no history of trauma the cause is proliferative synovitis, especially in the area of the anteroinferior tibiofibular ligament [1,2]. Our case report is about a patient with anterolateral ankle pain and snapping, with no history of trauma, caused by an abnormal peroneal tertius muscle belly. We have found only one similar case reported in the literature [3]. That particular case was treated with arthroscopic resection, which requires specialist arthroscopic skills. In our case we have done an open resection, which can be safely performed by most surgeons.
Background: Experimentally-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness of large muscle groups is frequently used in as an injurious model of muscle pain. We wanted to develop an experimental model of DOMS to to mimic overuse injuries from sports where repeated finger flexion activity is vital such as rock climbing. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the utility of a ‘finger trigger device’ to induce DOMS in the fingers, hands, wrists and lower arms.
Methods: A convenient sample of six participants completed an experiment in which they undertook finger exercises to exhaustion after which measurements of pain, skin sensitivity to fine touch, forearm circumference and grip strength in the hand, wrist and forearm were taken from the experimental and contralateral non-exercised (control) arms.
Results: Pain intensity was greater in the experimental arm at rest and on movement when compared with the control arm up to 24 hours after exercise, although the location of pain varied between participants. Pressure pain threshold was significantly lower in the experimental arm compared with the control arm immediately after exercises locations close to the medial epicondyle but not at other locations. There were no statistical significant differences between affected and non-affected limbs for mechanical detection threshold, forearm circumference or grip strength.
Conclusion: Repetitive finger flexion exercises of the index finger by pulling a trigger against a resistance can induced DOMS. We are currently undertaking a more detailed characterization of sensory and motor changes following repetitive finger flexion activity using a larger sample.
Time-efficient screening of lower extremity biomechanics to identify potential injurious movement patterns is crucial within athletic medicine settings. When considering biomechanical risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injuries, several screening tests have been used to assess dynamic knee valgus. Current methods involving 3-dimensional motion capture systems are considered gold standard for such assessment; however, these methods are time consuming and require expensive materials. This study investigated the use of 2-dimentional kinematic evaluation during a standardized vertical jump athletic assessment to screen for potential lower extremity risk of injury. 50 collegiate athletes, 25 male and 25 female, from various sports participated in the study. The vertical jump was chosen because it is a common performance evaluation test that is regularly performed several times a year, providing consistent opportunities for screening while not creating additional obligations for the student athletes. Results showed that the 2-dimentional evaluation method had strong correlations (P<0.0001) with the gold standard 3-dimensional evaluation, suggesting that an accelerated 2-dimentional screening process can be used as a first step to screen for potential injurious lower extremity movement patterns.
Background: There is paucity in studies reporting long-term results following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. A UK national ligament registry (NLR) designed to collect demographic, clinical and outcome data on patients undergoing ACL reconstruction was launched in 2013. There was therefore an emergent question on the role of such registry as an additional source of evidence.
Study aims: A framework analysis aimed to provide a basis for the evaluation of outcomes following ACL management and formulate a structure of the evidence, which can be derived from the registry.
Methods: A systematic approach was adopted to select relevant studies. Qualitative thematic and meta-narrative analyses were conducted. Level-1 registry data were recorded for all primary ACL reconstruction procedures from January to June 2016. Registry data content and validity were evaluated.
Results: Seven studies were suitable for analyses yet none defined the pattern of meniscal injury following initial treatment. When reported the incidence varied markedly between 23% and 80%. There was evidence of collection of at least one principal outcome measure in at least 85% of participants across all studies. Thematic analysis identified four key domains of outcome measures (1) intervention selection, (2) Knee stability evaluation, (3) Patient reported outcomes, (4) Radiographic evaluation and risk of secondary osteoarthritis. Graft choice, rate of meniscal and chondral injuries and cumulative risk of revision surgery had incomplete and inconsistent reports. Comparison of demographic and clinical data with the first registry report demonstrated: predominately younger patient population; older female patients at time of intervention; and higher incidence of meniscal tears.
Conclusions: Registry data driven quality and research improvement open a new paradigm in ACL reconstruction evidence base and future practice. Early observations have consolidated the importance of associated meniscal injuries in the management of ACL rupture. Further work is needed to improve registry data completeness, accuracy and validity. A proposed data migration process using available technologies can help harmonise data collection without the added burden on clinical services.
As people get older, chronic diseases become an important reason of disability while a decline in physical functions is related to aging among the elders, which may lead to dependency and isolation of the older adults. Body asymmetry and imbalance body alignment can bring added stress to the joint structures that can cause dysfunction of the joint, ligaments, tendons, bursas, and related muscles, which in return brings about problem while walking or during activities of daily living. Joint Functional Screening (JFS) is a systemic clinical examination with clinical reasoning of the entire human joints body, with or without causative limitation to derive a holistic analysis of musculoskeletal system. JFS profile helps to assess body disorder of older people. This clinical screening include documentation of balance of the body, lower and upper body strength, joints flexibility, body composition, and body alignment. This is an innovation build to profile a normal musculoskeletal state to decode any anomaly in an otherwise a normal subject, who might be preparing to take up any activities in one’s lifespan that could elicit an injury which could be prevented. JFS could be a useful tool for physiotherapists, exercise therapist or even the personal trainers to screen a body prior to rehabilitative or an exercise program; and this clinical screening is presently a best guidance to prevent risk of fall or injury among individual healthy people and older adult.
Background: With the development of sports science and badminton equipment, the roles of badminton shoes, such as to alter lower - extremity biomechanical parameters, prevent sports injuries and enhance performance, were confirmed by a mass of studies.
Methods: In this study, a serial of methods including literature review, visualization analysis, mathematical statistics, are used to describe the progresses of the badminton shoes relate to exercise in some training aspects, which can be searched by CNKI and SCOPUS databases.
Results: Among the exiting research, most mainly focused on evaluation and design of badminton shoes, sports injuries and performance, some have tested and verified the roles mechanism of badminton shoes. However, there are still some disadvantages to can’t ignore, such as the quantities of studies the designed level and the mechanism exploration.
Conclusions: To sum up, the roles of the badminton shoes in sports training still need to be explored and confirmed.
Oswaldo Rivera Rodríguez, Juan José Ramos Álvarez, Juan Carlos Segovia Martínez, Francisco Javier Lopez-Silvarrey Varela and Ricardo De la Vega Marcos*
The purpose of the present study was to experimentally assess the effect of cognitive strategies of association and dissociation while running on central nervous activation. A total of 30 long distance runners volunteered for the study. The study protocol consisted on three sessions (scheduled in three different days): (1) maximal incremental treadmill test, (2) associative task session, and (3) dissociative task session. The order of sessions 2 and 3 was counterbalanced. During sessions 2 and 3, participants performed a 55 min treadmill run at moderate intensity. Both, associative and dissociative tasks responses were monitoring and recording in real time through dynamic measure tools. Consequently, was possible to have an objective control of the attentional. Results showed a positive session (exercise+attentional task) effect for central nervous activation. The benefits of aerobic exercise at moderate intensity for the performance of self-regulation cognitive tasks are highlighted. The used methodology is proposed as a valid and dynamic option to study cognitions while running in order to overcome the retrospective approach.
The purpose of this study was to assess the peculiarities of vertebral pain syndrome, parameters of physical performance and quality of life indices in women of older age depending on the presence of vertebral fractures (VF). This study was performed with participation of 215 women aged 50-89 years old which were divided into two groups: first one-women without any previous osteoporotic fractures (n=143), second group - patients with VF in thoracic and/or lumbar spine (n=72).
The presence and intensity of pain in the thoracic and lumbar spine were evaluated using the 11-component visual analog scale (VAS), physical performance-with following functional tests: 3-, 4- and 15-meter tests (gait speed), static balance (a side-by-side position, a semi-tandem position and a full-tandem position), 8-feet test and «five timed chair stands» (coordination and strength), hand grip strength (by dynamometer), measurement of arterial pressure (systolic and diastolic), heart and respiratory rates, breath holding, chest excursion (mean and on the inhalation and the exhalation), lateral trunk lean, Schober and Thomayer tests.
It was demonstrated that the intensity of vertebral pain (pain at the time of investigation, the most common level of pain, pain in the best periods of the disease) and some physical performance tests (lateral trunk lean and chest excursion (mean index, during the inhalation and exhalation), hand grip strength, 15-meter gait speed test and five-repetition sit-to-stand test) are significantly worse in women with VF than corresponding parameters in persons without fractures. It should be taken into account during the assessment of physical performance and development of rehabilitation programs for older age women with vertebral fractures.
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Navicular drop (ND) and Hallux valgus (HV) angles and their effects on foot-specific health related quality of life. Sixty female patients with bilateral HV aged between 32-60 participated in this study. The patients with the HV deformity degree of “2” or “3” according to the Manchester scale were included.
HV angle were obtained from standing (weight bearing) bilateral antero-posterior radiographs. HV angle (A angle), intermetatarsal angle (B angle), hallux interphalangeal angle (C angle) were measured. Subtalar pronation was measured the navicular drop (ND) test. ND test were performed for both feet and recorded in millimeters. Foot-specific health related quality of life was measured using the Manhester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOFQ).
There was a strong positive correlation between the ND qtest and the angles A, B, and C for the right foot (rho=0.749, 0.761 and 0.749 p<0.001, respectively,). There was a strong positive correlation between the MOFQ subscales and the angles A, B, and C for the right foot (p<0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between the MOFQ subscales and the angles A, B, and C for the right foot (p<0.001).
In conclusion, there were relationship between ND, HV angular severity and foot-specific health related quality of life. As the HV angular severity increased, there was greater drop in the navicula and reduction in quality of life.
The research investigated the perception of nutrition and exercise as a tool in controlling Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) among elderly civil servants in Anambra State of Nigeria. A total of 250 respondents comprising 150 elderly academic staff Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and 100 senior civil servants in the Anambra state civil service, who willingly, volunteered to participate in the study. Their ages ranged between 55-65 years purposively selected. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire, with a reliability value of 0.73 using the test retest method. All data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics of frequency, percentages and chi square tested at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study showed that nutrition (diet) and exercise have significant effect in the prevention/control of (CVDs) among the elderly. It is therefore recommended that at the civil service secretariats, universities and other establishments/parastatals, should establish high standard eateries (restaurants) where qualified caterers, would regularly provide nutritious diet, at subsidized rate for workers in this category. In order to enable these class of workers have at least one good meal per day, in addition to a mandatory one- work-free afternoon (2.00pm-4.00pm) for routine/regular physical exercises for these class of workers.
High blood pressure under medical palance is associated with a variety of circulatory diseases, and it has been estimated that over 12% of all deaths in the world is directly or remotely connected with hypertension. It is said that one out of every five persons, can expect to have high blood pressure at one time or the other, during one’s life time. Based on hemodynamic equation, the mean arterial pressure is equal to cardiac out-put, times resistance (p means=Q x R). Hence hypertension is usually as a result of either an increased cardiac output and/or an increased resistance. The most common form of high blood pressure in humans is called “essential hypertension”, while is said to have no known cause. However this research aims at showing how a 12-week moderate exercise with bicycle egometer (i.e., use of non-pharmacologic approach to reduce the resting heart rate and blood pressure of 6 volunteer retired civil servants from Anambra state civil service and 6 retired academic staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe university in Awka. The paired T-test analysis of data obtained revealed a statistical significant effect of the moderate 12-week exercise on bicycle egometer, on the resting heart rate and blood pressure of the experimental group of the respondents. Hence it could be concluded that the administration of moderate exercise on bicycle egometer could be an effective use of non-pharmacologic intervention in the control and prevention of high blood pressure or hypertension among the elderly.
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.
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