12-week Training Regimen Research Articles

The interactive effects of different exercises and hawthorn consumption on the pain threshold of TMT-induced Alzheimer male rats

Exercise increases the pain threshold in healthy people. However, the pain threshold modulation effect of exercise and hawthorn is unclear because of its potential benefits in people with persistent pain, including those with Alzheimer's disease. Accordingly, after the induction of Alzheimer's disease by trimethyl chloride, male rats with Alzheimer's disease were subjected to a 12-week training regimen consisting of resistance training, swimming endurance exercises, and combined exercises. In addition, hawthorn extract was orally administered to the rats. Then, their pain threshold was evaluated using three Tail-flick, Hot-plate, and Formalin tests. Our results showed that Alzheimer's decreased the pain threshold in all three behavioral tests. Combined exercise with hawthorn consumption had the most statistically significant effect on Alzheimer's male rats' pain threshold in all three experiments. A combination of swimming endurance and resistance exercises with hawthorn consumption may modulate hyperalgesia in Alzheimer's rats. Future studies need to determine the effects of these factors on the treatment and/or management of painful conditions.Graphical

High-Intensity Interval Versus Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise Training on Glycemic Control, Beta Cell Function, and Aerobic Fitness in Women with Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) on glycemic control, beta-cell function, and aerobic fitness in women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Thirty-six women with T2DM were assigned equally to HIIT, MICT, and control (CON) groups. Participants in the exercise cohorts underwent a 12-week training regimen (three sessions per week), while the CON group maintained an inactive lifestyle. Glycaemia variables, beta-cell function, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), lipid profiles, and body composition were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Results: Both HIIT and MICT interventions led to significant improvements in glucose, insulin, HbA1c, and insulin resistance index. Moreover, visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels significantly decreased in the HIIT and MICT groups after 12 weeks. Triglyceride (TG) levels decreased only after MICT, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels increased after both interventions. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), body mass, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) significantly improved in all exercise groups. Notably, the HIIT group showed greater reductions in body mass compared to MICT. Nevertheless, beta-cell function remained unaltered after these two exercise regimens. Conclusion: Both HIIT and MICT interventions effectively managed T2DM in women, regardless of exercise intensity. The HIIT regimen can be considered for time-efficient lifestyle interventions in people with T2DM.

Combining sport and conventional military training provides superior improvements in physical test performance

Training for both sporting and military performance is common practice within army trainee populations, although it is currently unknown what effect this combination of training methods may have on the physical attributes required for overall physical preparedness. This study examined the effects of sport-specific training on general fitness in a professional military population. Four hundred and twenty-three Greek male army cadets completed a 12-week training regimen involving standard physical training (callisthenics, strength and endurance running exercises) and either general military training (GMT) or sport military training (SMT). A series of physical tests took place before and after the training period: a mile run, pull-ups, 50 m swim and an obstacle course run. Both the GMT and SMT groups showed significant (p < 0.001) improvements in all physical tests. However, the SMT group produced significantly greater improvements in all four tests (pull-ups [p < 0.001], 50 m swim [p < 0.05], obstacle course [p < 0.01] and mile run [p < 0.01]) compared to the GMT group. Furthermore, different types of SMT (e.g. rock climbing and track sprinting) achieved greater improvements (p < 0.001–0.01) in certain physical tests when compared to other forms of SMT (e.g. Pankration, Fencing). These results indicate that cadets undertaking concurrent participation in general and sport military training are overall better prepared for physical performance than their counterparts who undertake only general military training. Military conditioning personnel should be aware of the positive interplay between general and sports specific training in forming a preparation strategy designed for physical performance.

Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Mood in People With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study.

Exercise training is associated with elevations in mood in patients with various chronic illnesses and disabilities. However, little is known regarding the effect of exercise training on short and long-term mood changes in those with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this study was to examine the time course of mood alterations in response to a vigorous, 12-week aerobic exercise training regimen in ambulatory individuals with chronic TBI (>6 months postinjury). Short and long-term mood changes were measured using the Profile of Mood States-Short Form, before and after specific aerobic exercise bouts performed during the 12-week training regimen. Ten subjects with nonpenetrating TBI (6.6 ± 6.8 years after injury) completed the training regimen. A significant improvement in overall mood was observed following 12 weeks of aerobic exercise training (P = .04), with moderate to large effect sizes observed for short-term mood improvements following individual bouts of exercise. Specific improvements in long-term mood state and short-term mood responses following individual exercise sessions were observed in these individuals with TBI. The largest improvement in overall mood was observed at 12 weeks of exercise training, with improvements emerging as early as 4 weeks into the training regimen.

Influence of aerobic exercise training on post-exercise responses of aortic pulse pressure and augmentation pressure in postmenopausal women.

Central arterial blood pressure (BP) is more predictive of future cardiovascular events than is brachial BP because it reflects the BP load imposed on the left ventricle with greater accuracy. However, little is known about the effects of exercise training on central hemodynamic response to acute exercise. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of an aerobic exercise regimen on the response of aortic BP after a single aerobic exercise in postmenopausal women. Nine healthy postmenopausal women (age: 61 ± 2 years) participated in a 12-week aerobic exercise training regimen. Before and after the training, each subjects performed a single bout of cycling at ventilatory thresholds for 30 min. We evaluated the post-exercise aortic BP response, which was estimated via the general transfer function from applanation tonometry. After the initial pre-training aerobic exercise session, aortic BP did not change significantly: however, aortic pulse pressure and augmentation pressure were significantly attenuated after the single aerobic exercise session following the 12-week training regimen. The present study demonstrated that a regular aerobic exercise training regimen induced the post-exercise reduction of aortic pulse pressure and augmentation pressure. Regular aerobic exercise training may enhance post-exercise reduction in aortic BP.

Aerobic and resistance exercise training program intervention for enhancing gait function in elderly and chronically ill Taiwanese patients

ObjectivesThis study aimed to develop an effective exercise training program for enhancing the postural stability and gait function of chronically ill patients to avoid falls. Study designPre training–post-training. Analyses were limited to those randomized to the exercise intervention. MethodsThe participants were chronically ill patients over 45 years old (47–89 years), of whom 25 completed the 12-week training regimen and assessment in the exercise group, whereas 29 completed the assessment in the control group, suffering from cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or osteoporosis. The average age of the participants was 67.56 ± 10.70 years in the intervention group. All patients in this study signed institutional review board (IRB) agreements before participating (IRB approval no: FEMH-IRB-101029-E, v. 02, date: 20120429). ResultsThe results revealed the beneficial effects of regular aerobic and resistance training, which improved in elderly, chronically ill patients. According to our data, most of the gait function measurements exhibited significant differences between the exercise group and control group. The duration of the ‘timed up-and-go’ test decreased from 7.67 s to 6.76 s (P = 0.00013), and the ‘the base of support area’ increased from 392.0 cm2 to 433.2 cm2 (P = 0.0088). Women attained more significant differences than men in the exercise and control groups (P = 0.0008), and the participants aged 45–65 years had a more satisfactory outcome than those aged > 65 years (P = 0.0109). ConclusionRegular exercise regimens, such as aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training, enhance the gait function and sense of postural stability in elderly, chronically ill patients. Younger patients attained more positive results than older patients, and women attained more positive results than men. Regular exercise is a means of preventing falls; thus, the government and hospitals should increase promotional measures in aging communities to encourage regular exercise among elderly, chronically ill outpatients.

Effects of Concurrent Resistance and Aerobic Training on Load-Bearing Performance and the Army Physical Fitness Test

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of high intensity endurance training (ET) and resistance training (RT) alone and in combination on various military tasks. Thirty-five male soldiers were randomly assigned to one of four training groups: total body resistance training plus endurance training (RT + ET), upper body resistance training plus endurance training [UB + ET), RT only, and ET only. Training was performed 4 days per week for 12 weeks. Testing occurred before and after the 12-week training regimen. All groups significantly improved push-up performance, whereas only the RT + ET group did not improve sit-up performance. The groups that included ET significantly decreased 2-mile run time, however, only RT + ET and UB + ET showed improved loaded 2-mile run time. Leg power increased for groups that included lower body strengthening exercises (RT and RT + ET). Army Physical Fitness Test performance, loaded running, and leg power responded positively to training, however, it appears there is a high degree of specificity when concurrent training regimens are implemented.

Clenbuterol has a greater influence on untrained than on previously trained skeletal muscle in rats.

The effects of clenbuterol, a selective beta 2-adrenergic agonist, and of exercise training on the properties of skeletal muscle were studied in the hindlimb of sedentary and trained rats. A 2-week training programme, consisting of climbing on a grid with a load attached to the tail, did not increase the muscle mass of the soleus, the plantaris and the gastrocnemius muscles or modify the isometric in situ contractile properties of the medial gastrocnemius muscle. The only change observed in a 12-week training regimen was a significant increase in contractile forces (expressed in grams per gram of muscle) of the medial gastrocnemius muscle at sub-tetanic stimulating frequencies (twitch 42%, 25Hz 45% and 50Hz 47%). Both training programmes significantly increased fatigue resistance of the medial gastrocnemius muscle. A 2-week oral treatment with clenbuterol significantly increased the muscle mass of the soleus (19.8%), plantaris (16.9%) and gastrocnemius (15.3%) muscles in all animals treated with the agonist. However, clenbuterol had different effects in animals beginning their training programme than in animals that had been trained for the previous 10 weeks. Specifically, clenbuterol caused a significant increase in gastrocnemius muscle mass in the former group but not in the latter. These results suggest that the responses to the combination of clenbuterol and training in previously trained skeletal muscles are not as marked as those observed in untrained muscles.