Benefits Of Regular Exercise Research Articles

The impact of exercise on mental health: a narrative review

It has become increasingly clear that exercise not only improves physical health but also significantly affects mental well-being, presenting a non-pharmaceutical approach to manage various psychological conditions. This narrative review summarizes studies from the literature to understand the effects of exercise on mental health, particularly in depression, anxiety, and global psychological well-being. Results indicate that regular physical activity, including aerobic and resistance exercises, reduces depression and anxiety symptoms, improves mood, and enhances cognitive abilities. Theoretical models, such as the endorphin hypothesis and neurogenesis hypothesis, explain these benefits through mechanisms including endorphin release, reduced stress hormones, improved sleep, and neurogenesis. Evidence suggests that structured exercise programs can match the effectiveness of psychotherapy or medication with fewer adverse effects. The benefits of regular exercise have garnered attention from professionals, physicians, and policymakers, highlighting the necessity of incorporating exercise plans into mental health clinical practice. Additionally, this review advocates for more specific and personalized exercise interventions tailored to individual characteristics and preferences. It also aims to inform health and research agendas by specifying the optimal exercise type and intensity for eliciting desired benefits, and evaluating the potential for exercise interventions to sustain long-term psychological well-being.

From sweat to hope: The role of exercise-induced extracellular vesicles in cancer prevention and treatment.

The benefits of regular physical exercise on cancer prevention, as well as reducing fatigue, treatment side effects and recurrence, and improving quality of life and overall survival of cancer patients, are increasingly recognised. Initial studies showed that the concentration of extracellular vesicles (EVs) increases during physical activity and that EVs carry biologically active cargo. These EVs are released by blood cells, skeletal muscle and other organs involved in exercise, thus suggesting that EVs may mediate tissue crosstalk during exercise. This possibility triggered a great interest in the study of the roles of EVs in systemic adaptation to exercise and in their potential applications in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including cancer. This review presents studies exploring the concentration and molecular cargo of EVs released during exercise. Furthermore, we discuss putative stimuli that may trigger EV release from various cell types, the biological functions and the impact of exercise-induced EVs on cancer development and progression. Understanding the interplay between exercise, EVs, and cancer biology may offer insights into novel therapeutic strategies and preventive measures for cancer.

Resistance exercise in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: what clinicians need to know

AbstractThe benefits of regular exercise in children and young people (CYP) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are undisputed. Although encouraged, the total amount of exercise in this cohort remains suboptimal, with uncertainty of glycaemic response a barrier to exercise involvement. The bulk of the exercise literature for T1D concentrates on aerobic activities, but resistance exercise (RE) must not be overlooked. There are many benefits of RE – including physiological, psychological, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular effects – and emerging evidence highlights the possible glucose‐stabilising impact for individuals with T1D. In this review we describe the evidence base for the safety and benefits of RE in CYP with T1D, alongside strategies for optimising glycaemic management when engaging in this exercise modality, to minimise perceived barriers. Copyright © 2024 John Wiley & Sons.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduate students.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are rapidly rising in Saudi Arabia, reaching levels similar to those in the Western world. Hence, we aimed to assess the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and lower back pains (musculoskeletal pain, MSP) among students at King Khalid University in Abha, Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Khalid University in Abha, Saudi Arabia, from March 2023 to August 2023. Inclusion criteria were: university students aged 18 years and older of both sexes who agreed to participate in the study. The modified Nordic questionnaire was used, which comprised three parts. Out of 536 respondents, 337 were women and 199 were men. The average body mass index (BMI) of the study population was 25.3 ± 4.01. In total, 223 (41.60%) had a history of MSDs. Only 232 (43.28%) of the population did regular exercise. According to multiple logistic regression analysis, factors associated with MSDs are mobile device use (with both hands) with a large neck tilt below the horizon line position (OR = 2.276, CI 1.178-4.397, p = 0.014), family history of trauma (OR = 5.450, 95% CI 3.371-8.811, p = 0.000), family history of MSDs (OR = 4.241, 95% CI 2.296-7.835, p = 0.000), coffee consumption (OR = 1.967, CI 1.281-3.020, p = 0.002), and time spent on electronic devices: 1-3 h (OR = 0.252, 95% CI 0.124-0.511, p = 0.0001), 4-6 h (OR = 0.455, 95% CI 0.237-0.873, p = 0.018), and 6-9 h (OR = 0.348, 95% CI 0.184-0.660, p = 0.001). The present study concludes that MSP among university students is high. A history of trauma, a family history of MSDs, the hand and neck position when using electronic devices, the amount of time spent using them, and regular exercise are risk factors that are strongly associated with MSP. There is strong evidence to suggest that increasing physical activity plays a significant role in enhancing the functionality of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system and alleviating pain. It is recommended that universities implement educational programs to raise awareness and health screenings about the impact of device usage on MSK health and the benefits of regular exercise.

Moderate intensity continuous versus high intensity interval training: Metabolic responses of slow and fast skeletal muscles in rat.

The healthy benefits of regular physical exercise are mainly mediated by the stimulation of oxidative and antioxidant capacities in skeletal muscle. Our understanding of the cellular and molecular responses involved in these processes remain often uncomplete particularly regarding muscle typology. The main aim of the present study was to compare the effects of two types of exercise training protocol: a moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on metabolic processes in two muscles with different typologies: soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL). Training effects in male Wistar rats were studied from whole organism level (maximal aerobic speed, morphometric and systemic parameters) to muscle level (transcripts, protein contents and enzymatic activities involved in antioxidant defences, aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms). Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: untrained (UNTR), n = 7; MICT, n = 8; and HIIT, n = 8. Rats of the MICT and HIIT groups ran five times a week for six weeks at moderate and high intensity, respectively. HIIT improved more than MICT the endurance performance (a trend to increased maximal aerobic speed, p = 0.07) and oxidative capacities in both muscles, as determined through protein and transcript assays (AMPK-PGC-1α signalling pathway, antioxidant defences, mitochondrial functioning and dynamics). Whatever the training protocol, the genes involved in these processes were largely more significantly upregulated in soleus (slow-twitch fibres) than in EDL (fast-twitch fibres). Solely on the basis of the transcript changes, we conclude that the training protocols tested here lead to specific muscular responses.

Treadmill exercise prevents the hyperexcitability of pyramidal neurons in medial entorhinal cortex in the 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Neuronal hyperactivity is a key abnormality in early stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). Medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) plays a vital role in memory function and is affected early in AD. Growing evidence indicates benefits of regular exercise on memory and cognitive function in humans with AD, although, the underlying mechanisms are not clear. Therefore, this study was designed to test the effects of 16 weeks treadmill exercise on spatial learning memory and the underlying cellular mechanisms in 6-month-old 3xTg-AD mice. Whole-cell patch clamp was used to examine neuronal intrinsic excitability, spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) and spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) of mEC layer II/III pyramidal neurons in the following groups: wild type (WT + sham), 3xTg-AD (AD+sham), WT receiving exercise (WT + Ex), and AD receiving exercise (AD+Ex). We found that at a behavioral level, treadmill exercise decreased working memory errors in radial arm maze (RAM) test in 6-month-old AD mice. At a cellular level, we found that treadmill exercise prevented the abnormal increase in mEC pyramidal neuron input resistance and action potential firing in 6-month-old 3xTg-AD mice compared with WT + sham and AD+Ex mice; further, sEPSC amplitude and frequency were normal in AD+Ex but overactive in AD+sham; additionally, GABAergic inhibition was normal in AD+Ex mice but reduced in AD+sham. In conclusion, our results indicate that treadmill exercise improves spatial learning memory and prevents network hyperexcitability in mEC by reducing pyramidal neuronal intrinsic excitability and normalizing excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in 3xTg-AD mice.

The Relationship Between Exercise Addiction Levels and Healthy Nutrition Levels of Students Studying at the Faculty of Health Sciences

Introduction: Exercise is planned, structured, voluntary, continuous activities aimed at improving one or more elements of physical fitness. One aspect of healthy lifestyle behaviors is nutrition, while another aspect is exercise and physical activity. Many studies in the literature emphasize the physical, psychological, and physiological benefits of regular physical exercise. Therefore, in our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between exercise addiction levels and healthy nutrition levels of students studying at the faculty of health sciences.Method: The study was conducted on 133 students studying at the faculty of health sciences. Participants' demographic and income information was recorded. Exercise dependence levels were evaluated with the Exercise Dependence Scale, and nutritional levels were evaluated with the Nutrition Exercise Behavior Scale.Results: Average age and body mass index of the participants, respectively; It was 21.83±4.21 and 18.13±3.09. It was found that there was a correlation between the exercise addiction levels of the participants and their healthy eating habits (p<0.001-r=0.386). In addition, it was found that there was no significant correlation with the subscale evaluating unhealthy nutrition parameters (p=0.401-r=0.073).Conclusion: It has been observed that there is a positive correlation between exercise addiction and healthy nutrition levels of students studying at the faculty of health sciences. Accordingly, it is seen that more attention is paid to the level of exercise and healthy nutrition. We believe that exercise should be an integral part of daily activities for a healthy diet.

Cardiac electrophysiological remodeling associated with enhanced arrhythmia susceptibility in a canine model of elite exercise.

The health benefits of regular physical exercise are well known. Even so, there is increasing evidence that the exercise regimes of elite athletes can evoke cardiac arrhythmias including ventricular fibrillation and even sudden cardiac death (SCD). The mechanism of exercise-induced arrhythmia and SCD is poorly understood. Here, we show that chronic training in a canine model (12 sedentary and 12 trained dogs) that mimics the regime of elite athletes induces electrophysiological remodeling (measured by ECG, patch-clamp, and immunocytochemical techniques) resulting in increases of both the trigger and the substrate for ventricular arrhythmias. Thus, 4 months sustained training lengthened ventricular repolarization (QTc: 237.1±3.4 ms vs. 213.6±2.8 ms, n=12; APD90: 472.8±29.6 ms vs. 370.1±32.7 ms, n=29 vs. 25), decreased transient outward potassium current (6.4±0.5 pA/pF vs. 8.8±0.9 pA/pF at 50 mV, n=54 vs. 42), and increased the short-term variability of repolarization (29.5±3.8 ms vs. 17.5±4.0 ms, n=27 vs. 18). Left ventricular fibrosis and HCN4 protein expression were also enhanced. These changes were associated with enhanced ectopic activity (number of escape beats from 0/hr to 29.7±20.3/hr) in vivo and arrhythmia susceptibility (elicited ventricular fibrillation: 3 of 10 sedentary dogs vs. 6 of 10 trained dogs). Our findings provide in vivo, cellular electrophysiological and molecular biological evidence for the enhanced susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmia in an experimental large animal model of endurance training.

Exercise Predicts a Good Night's Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia.

Physical exercise can improve sleep quality in the general population. Understanding the negative impact of poor sleep quality on multiple domains of functioning among persons with schizophrenia is a new frontier of exploration. It is also imperative to investigate non-pharmacologic methods to improve sleep quality as these approaches may not carry the side effect burdens associated with medication. We examined the relationship between regular physical exercise and sleep quality among participants in an intervention consisting of both cognitive training and exercise. Participants (N = 48) were schizophrenia patients who had a first psychotic episode within two years of study entry. Participants received 4 h/week of internet-based cognitive training and an aerobic exercise program over a 6-month period. Sleep was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at baseline and six months later. During the 3 months prior to the 6-month follow-up sleep assessment, participants completed an average of 12.6 group exercise sessions and an average of 12.9 individual at-home exercise sessions. A significant relationship between the number of exercise sessions and global sleep quality was seen at month six, r = -0.44, df = 39, p < 0.01. Group exercise frequency was also associated with improvement in global sleep quality over the six-month intervention, t(34) = -2.84, p = 0.008. We demonstrated that a group of young adults with schizophrenia can be engaged in a regular exercise program, even during the tumultuous early course of the disorder. The number of exercise sessions in which they participated was associated with better sleep quality at six months and pre-postintervention improvement in sleep quality. Improved sleep quality appears to be a benefit of regular exercise among individuals with serious mental illness.

METTL14 is required for exercise-induced cardiac hypertrophy and protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

RNA m6A modification is the most widely distributed RNA methylation and is closely related to various pathophysiological processes. Although the benefit of regular exercise on the heart has been well recognized, the role of RNA m6A in exercise training and exercise-induced physiological cardiac hypertrophy remains largely unknown. Here, we show that endurance exercise training leads to reduced cardiac mRNA m6A levels. METTL14 is downregulated by exercise, both at the level of RNA m6A and at the protein level. In vivo, wild-type METTL14 overexpression, but not MTase inactive mutant METTL14, blocks exercise-induced physiological cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac-specific METTL14 knockdown attenuates acute ischemia-reperfusion injury as well as cardiac dysfunction in ischemia-reperfusion remodeling. Mechanistically, silencing METTL14 suppresses Phlpp2 mRNA m6A modifications and activates Akt-S473, in turn regulating cardiomyocyte growth and apoptosis. Our data indicates that METTL14 plays an important role in maintaining cardiac homeostasis. METTL14 downregulation represents a promising therapeutic strategy to attenuate cardiac remodeling.

Cardiac remodeling accompanied by increased arrhythmia susceptibility in a dog model of chronic high-intensity endurance training

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by NKFIH grants (K-19992, K-135464) and GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00047. Background Despite the cardiovascular benefits of regular physical exercise, chronic high-level exercise can evoke malignant arrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation and even sudden cardiac death, especially in young top athletes. In some cases the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Objectives The goal of this study was to assess mechanisms underlying cardiac structural-electrical changes and arrhythmia vulnerability by high-level vigorous exercise training in animal species that are electrophysiologically relevant to the human heart. Methods Beagle dogs were randomly assigned to matched sedentary (Sed) or intensive exercise-training (Ex) groups (n=12-12). Ex dogs underwent a 4-month-long intensive treadmill-running protocol (5 days a week, 6 hours a day at a speed of 14-21 km/h with an inclination from 5% to 12%). In vivo echocardiography and electrophysiological measurements were performed. Proarrhythmic sensitivity was tested and the autonomic alterations were examined. At study end, arrhythmia susceptibility was tested with high-frequency burst stimulation in open-chest anaesthetized dogs. This was followed by cardiac excision and cardiomyocyte isolation, formalin preservation for histology, snap-freezing in liquid nitrogen for molecular biology. Results The vigorous endurance training was resulted in increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, increased septal wall thickness and greater left ventricular mass index (Ex vs. Sed: 98±12 vs. 136±7 g/m2, p&amp;lt;0.05). Some degree of enhanced fibrosis was observed. Endurance training decreased heart rate both in whole animal and in vitro dog experiments. ECG recordings presented enhanced heart rate variability parameters, prolonged PQ (Ex vs. Sed: 98.3±2.9 vs. 116.7±3.6 ms, p&amp;lt;0.05), QRS (Ex vs. Sed : 60.5±2.4 vs 70.8±1.6 ms, p&amp;lt;0.05), QTc (Ex vs. Sed: 213.6±2.8 vs. 237.1±3.4 ms, p&amp;lt;0.05), Tp-Te (Ex vs. Sed: 27.9±2.5 vs.36.5±1.7 ms, p&amp;lt;0.05) intervals associated with significantly enhanced QT interval variability (eg. Ex vs. Sed: QT-STV, 2.5±0.2 vs. 3.6±0.4 ms, p&amp;lt;0.05), reflecting elevated level of repolarization dispersion. Ectopic activity was also enhanced in the exercised dog ventricle. Atropine treatment resulted in moderate heart rate increase in the Ex animals. Chronic endurance exercise elevated the proarrhythmic risk and consequent ventricular fibrillation in dogs subjected to burst electrical stimulation. Conclusion We developed a new animal model that shares similarities with the human endurance-trained athlete’s heart. The model represents increased arrhythmia susceptibility, an important clinical paradigm, and explores potential underlying mechanisms, including vagal enhancement, increased repolarization dispersion and enhanced fibrotic changes. Increased arrhythmia susceptibility is supported by the enhanced arrhythmia incidence in the exercised group. Similar changes may be present in young human top athletes, however further investigations are required.

Factors Associated with Non-Adherence among Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: Results from Primary Care Clinics in Faisalabad Pakistan

Background: The global increase in rates of type 2 diabetes has become a serious public health concern. Adherence to treatment is an important predictor of glycemic control. Poor adherence to treatment regimens is a major clinical problem in the management of diabetes. This study aims to identify the associated factors with non adherence to diabetes treatment among patients of type 2 diabetes. Study Design: Cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study: Primary Care Clinics of Faisalabad, Pakistan from 1stDecember 2020 to 28thFebruary 2021. Methodology: Five hundred and forty nine adults (&gt;18 years of age) confirmed cases of type 2 diabetes were consecutively approached. Results: 56.6% were less than 50 and 43.4% were more than 50 years of age and 59.9% of the participants were females. About 42.7% of the participants were non-adherent to diabetes treatment. Participants aged less than 50 years were two times more at risk of being non-adherent (aOR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.29-2.76). Level of education and duration to diagnosis of DM were marginally significant (p-0.07, p-0.06) to non-adherence respectively. Conclusion: Adherence to treatment of diabetes and to achieve glycemic control is a challenging concern across countries including Pakistan. Therefore, aggressive counseling about benefits of regular exercise and diet with special emphasis on younger patients who recently diagnosed with diabetes should be implemented. Governments should reduce the costs of treatment to make it cheap and affordable and more parks, walking tracks should be introduced to make it accessible for population. Keywords: Type 2 DM, Non-adherence, Physical activity, Pakistan

218 Coronary artery disease in athletes: a case report

Abstract Aims Despite the proven benefits of regular physical exercise, and although sportsmen are the paradigm of healthy individuals, the athletes population is not risk-free and can suffer severe clinical conditions including coronary artery disease (CAD) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Identification of athletes with higher cardiovascular risk is a crucial goal of pre-participation screening. Methods and results In this report, we discuss the case of a 79-year-old male. He was a cyclist, who performed a visit to the sports doctor to have issued a certificate for competitive fitness. He was dyslipidaemic, hypertensive, diabetic, and he reported no symptoms. The patient’s ECG revealed an advanced second-degree atrioventricular block. For this reason, he was admitted to the emergency department and he underwent urgent coronary angiography and a temporary Pacemaker. Indeed, a diagnosis of bivasal coronary artery disease was made, and for the first time the patient was subjected to angioplasty of the anterior descending branch and circumflex branch. Subsequently, for the persistence of bradyarrhythmia, he was subjected to a definitive Pacemaker implant. Conclusions The benefits of exercise in the overall population are multiple and indisputable, but in athletes with cardiovascular disease exercise can also be associated with adverse clinical events, including SCD. In veterans, a growing group of athletes, CAD is the most common cause of SCD. Detection of subclinical CAD should be the main objective of veteran athlete screening, since the performance of classical cardiovascular risk stratification based on clinical factors appears to be suboptimal.

Differences in Physiological Signals Due to Age and Exercise Habits of Subjects during Cycling Exercise.

Numerous studies indicated the physical benefits of regular exercise, but the neurophysiological mechanisms of regular exercise in elders were less investigated. We aimed to compare changes in brain activity during exercise in elderly people and in young adults with and without regular exercise habits. A total of 36 healthy young adults (M/F:18/18) and 35 healthy elderly adults (M/F:20/15) participated in this study. According to exercise habits, each age group were classified into regular and occasional exerciser groups. ECG, EEG, and EMG signals were recorded using V-AMP with a 1-kHz sampling rate. The participants were instructed to perform three 5-min bicycle rides with different exercise loads. The EEG spectral power of elders who exercised regularly revealed the strongest positive correlation with their exercise intensity by using Pearson correlation analysis. The results demonstrate that exercise-induced significant cortical activation in the elderly participants who exercised regularly, and most of the p-values are less than 0.001. No significant correlation was observed between spectral power and exercise intensity in the elders who exercised occasionally. The young participants who exercised regularly had greater cardiac and neurobiological efficiency. Our results may provide a new exercise therapy reference for adult groups with different exercise habits, especially for the elders.

Physical Inactivity: A Modifiable Risk Factor for Morbidity and Mortality in Kidney Transplantation.

In patients with chronic kidney disease, sedentary behavior is widely recognized as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, and depression. Nevertheless, the real impact of physical inactivity on the health of kidney transplant (KT) recipients remains uncertain. Over the last decade, there has been a renewed interest in exploring the effects of regular physical exercise on transplant-related outcomes. There is now mounting evidence that physical activity may reduce the burden of cardiovascular risk factors, preserve allograft function, minimize immunosuppression requirement, and ameliorate the quality of life of KT recipients. Many positive feedbacks can be detected in the early stages of the interventions and with a minimal exercise load. Despite these encouraging results, the perceived role of physical activity in the management of KT candidates and recipients is often underrated. The majority of trials on exercise training are small, relatively short, and focused on surrogate outcomes. While waiting for larger studies with longer follow-up, these statistical limitations should not discourage patients and doctors from initiating exercise and progressively increasing intensity and duration. This narrative review summarizes current knowledge about the deleterious effects of physical inactivity after KT. The benefits of regular physical exercise are also outlined.

Neuroprotective Effects of Physical Activity via the Adaptation of Astrocytes.

The multifold benefits of regular physical exercise have been largely demonstrated in human and animal models. Several studies have reported the beneficial effects of physical activity, both in peripheral tissues and in the central nervous system (CNS). Regular exercise improves cognition, brain plasticity, neurogenesis and reduces the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, making timeless the principle of “mens sana in corpore sano” (i.e., a healthy mind in a healthy body). Physical exercise promotes morphological and functional changes in the brain, acting not only in neurons but also in astrocytes, which represent the most numerous glial cells in the brain. The multiple effects of exercise on astrocytes comprise the increased number of new astrocytes, the maintenance of basal levels of catecholamine, the increase in glutamate uptake, the major release of trophic factors and better astrocytic coverage of cerebral blood vessels. The purpose of this review is to highlight the effects of exercise on brain function, emphasize the role of astrocytes in the healthy CNS, and provide an update for a better understanding of the effects of physical exercise in the modulation of astrocyte function.

Prolonged Sitting Posture: Massage and Physical Exercise Program as Effective Therapy in 45 Sedentary Officers using Their Vehicles Full Time

The high prevalence of low back pain associated with prolonged sitting as a result of work demands, is a major public health problem. Added to this is the sedentary lifestyle and full-time use of vehicles, keeping workers in this seated position. We now know the many benefits of regular exercise and physical activity. Inactivity is considered a risk factor associated with the development of lower back pain. We undertook this study to make subjects aware of the consequences of this posture. In addition, we wanted to help them relieve lower back pain and functional disability caused by prolonged sitting posture. To achieve this, we have set ourselves the goal of assessing the effect that the combination of a physical exercise program and massage with shea butter could have on lumbar pain and functional disability in inactive sedentary officials with full-time lumbar pain driving their vehicles. To achieve this goal, we brought together 45 subjects divided into three experimental groups. The results show that the group receiving the combination of an exercise and massage program with shea butter, experienced a significant decrease in pain and functional disability over the 6 weeks. Thus, the combination of an exercise and massage program with shea butter allows effective management of pain and functional disability in inactive sedentary officials.

Supported exercise programme for adults with Congenital Heart Disease (SEACHange)

BackgroundCongenital heart disease (CHD) is a lifelong condition. Many patients will require repeated interventions. Long term morbidity due to heart failure, arrhythmias and recurrent hospital admissions is common. The benefits of regular exercise are well known. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of introducing a supported exercise programme to develop physical and psychological wellbeing in adults with CHD, living in Scotland. MethodsPatients were mainly recruited via the Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) review clinic at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital (GJNH). Participants were initially assessed using a 6-min walk test (6MWT) and stratified in to either Group 1 (n = 10) or Group 2 (n = 18). Further baseline measurements (Grip strength, Bicep strength, Quadriceps strength, and psychological measurements) were completed for both groups. Sniff Nasal Inspiratory Pressure (SNIP) was also assessed for Group 1. All measurements were repeated after 12 weeks. ResultsFor both groups 1 and 2 the majority of individuals improved upon their baseline measurements across all physical metrics (6MWT, quadriceps, bicep and grip strength). Although not achieving statistical significance individually, when combined groups 1 and 2 demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the objective measures of fitness from those measured at baseline to week 12. ConclusionsExercise in the adult congenital cardiac population is safe when patients are given guidance and structure.

PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF EXERCISE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN WADATA, MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE

This research study was carried out on the perceived benefits of exercise among pregnant women in Wadata, Makurdi Local Government, Benue State. The objectives of the study are to examine the perception of the benefits of exercise among pregnant women in Wadata, Makurdi Local Government Area, Benue State, to examine the importance and benefit of exercise among pregnant women in Wadata, to identify the factors affecting pregnant women’s participation in exercise. The significance of the study will reveal the perception of pregnant women on exercise, educate on the benefits of regular exercise by pregnant women and factors affecting women participation in exercise during pregnancy and contribute to the body of literature in the area of exercise in pregnancy as it will serve as a valuable resource material to future researchers. A descriptive research design was used and a total number of 100 respondents were selected through simple and systematic random sampling. The instrument used for data collection was structured questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using frequency and percentage. Findings revealed that pregnant women perceive exercise as beneficial and important during pregnancy; and age, culture and beliefs do not hinder women from engaging in exercise during pregnancy.

Regular Voluntary Running Inhibits Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer Growth in Mice

Benefits of regular physical exercise were demonstrated as preventive and coadjuvant nonpharmacological anticancer therapy. However, the role of exercise in modulating prostate cancer behavior has yet to be established. Prostate tumors were induced in C57BL/6 male mice (n = 28) by subcutaneous inoculation of a suspension of murine androgen-independent RM1 cells (1.5 × 105 cells/500 μL phosphate-buffered saline) in the dorsal region. Mice were randomly allocated into 2 study groups: sedentary tumor-induced (n = 14) and exercised tumor-induced (n = 14). Exercise consisted of voluntary running in wheeled cages. Mice (n = 7 per group) were sacrificed either 14 or 28days after cell inoculation to evaluate tumor weight and percentage of area occupied by immunohistochemistry stained cells for Ki-67 and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling, used as surrogate markers of cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Compared with sedentary tumor-induced mice, the tumors developed by exercised tumor-induced mice were significantly smaller at 14days (0.17 [0.12]g vs 0.48 [0.24]g, P < .05) and at 28days (0.92 [0.73]g vs 2.09 [1.31]g, P < .05), with smaller Ki-67 and greater TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling stained areas (P < .05). These results suggest that regular voluntary running inhibits prostate cancer cell growth by reducing cell proliferation and enhancing apoptosis.