Body Flexibility Research Articles

ENGLISH

For a wide range of systems that requires reliable personal recognition schemes to either determine or confirm the identity of a person requesting the services, personal recognition using palm–vein patterns has emerged as a promising alternative for human recognition because of its uniqueness, stability, live body identification, flexibility, and difficulty to cheat. Palm vein imaging requires near infrared (NIR) light for the complex vascular structures residing inside the palm to become visible. The blood vessels which absorb the NIR illumination appear darker than other tissues. In this paper analysis of various palm vein recognition techniques that are widely applied in today’s palm vein recognition technology is represented. The process of the palm vein recognition starts right just from the process of image acquisition. In section III the pre-processing of the images is discussed which is followed by the feature extraction of the pre-processed image and the pattern recognition. After this a final result is obtained.

Effects of group sports on health-related physical fitness of overweight youth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Group sports interventions have been developed to improve health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth. However, its benefits are not systematically documented. This study synthesizes the evidence about the effects of group sports on health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth. Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Medline, CINAHL, SportDiscus, and Academic Search Complete were searched in February 2016. Studies assessing the effects of group sports on body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and neuromotor fitness of overweight/obese youth (aged <18years) were included. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated with Cohen's d and its 95% confidence intervals (CI). Improvements were found in (i) body composition - percentage of fat body mass (pooled ES=0.67; 95% CI=0.24-1.10) and waist circumference (ES=0.69; P=0.004); (ii) cardiorespiratory endurance - peak oxygen consumption (pooled ES=0.53; 95% CI=0.13-0.92) and (iii) muscle strength - hand grip strength (ES=0.72; P=0.003). No significant effects were found for body mass index (pooled ES=0.27; 95% CI=-0.14 to 0.69), percentage of lean body mass (ES=0.01; P>0.05), maximal power output (ES from 0 to 0.06; P>0.05), sit-and-reach test (pooled ES=0.26; 95% CI=-0.16 to 0.68) and agility test (ES=0; P=0.48). Group sports improve body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, and hand grip strength of overweight/obese youth. Flexibility and neuromotor fitness do not seem to change following group sports.

Mission Impossible? Physical Activity Programming for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

Purpose: A pilot study was conducted to describe the physical activity experiences and perceived benefits of and barriers to physical activity participation for patrons of a homeless shelter. The resulting pilot data may be used to inform the creation of and support for physical activity and sport programs for those experiencing homelessness. Method: Eighteen male patrons of a homeless shelter completed self-report questionnaires to assess psychosocial factors: global self-esteem, general self-efficacy, exercise intention and attitudes, and quality of life. Fitness tests were completed to determine participants' body mass index, cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, and general body strength. Interviews probed participants' social support, motivations, perceived benefits, and preferences related to physical activity. Results: Participants scored far below the acceptable range on the sit-and-reach test of flexibility. There were moderate correlations between several of the psychosocial variables and some of the fitness parameters. Conclusions: The participants could benefit from initiating a varied exercise program to increase their flexibility. Future research should explore intervention on psychosocial variables that may influence other psychosocial variables as well as fitness parameters. Despite limitations of a small sample size and limited access to fitness facilities, the preliminary evidence suggests that patrons of a homeless shelter are open to physical activity experiences and that the benefits may go beyond improving physical fitness levels.

Study on Vibration Reduction Design of Suspended Equipment of High Speed Railway Vehicles

The design methods of the under-chassis equipment of a high speed railway vehicle based on dynamic vibration absorber (DVA) theory and vibration isolation theory are proposed, respectively. A detailed rigid-flexible coupled dynamic model of a high speed railway vehicle which includes car body flexibility and the excitation of the suspended equipment is established. The vibrations of the car body and the suspension equipment with the proposed design methods are studied. Results show that the elastic vibration of the car body can be decreased effectively by mounting the under-chassis equipment with elastic suspension. Comparing with vibration isolation theory, the method based on DVA theory is more effective for suppressing the car body flexible vibration, but it will increase the vibration of the equipment to a certain extent. The method based on vibration isolation theory can reduce the vibration of both the car body and the equipment at the same time. Therefore, the design method should be selected appropriately according to the specific requirement.

CONCURRENT VALIDITY OF THE CONTINUOUS SCALE-PHYSICAL FUNCTIONAL PEFORMANCE-10 (CS-PFP-10) TEST IN TRANSFEMORAL AMPUTEES.

The Continuous Scale-Physical Functional Performance-10 (CS-PFP-10) test consists of 10 standardized daily living tasks that evaluate overall physical functional performance and performance in five individual functional domains: upper body strength (UBS), upper body flexibility (UBF), lower body strength (LBS), balance and coordination (BAL), and endurance (END). This study sought to determine the concurrent validity of the CS-PFP-10 test and its functional domains that involve the lower extremities (LBS, BAL, or END) in comparison to measures that have established validity for use in persons with transfemoral amputation (TFA). Ten TFA patients functioning at K3 or higher (Medicare Functional Classification Level) completed the study. Participants were assessed performing the CS-PFP-10, Amputee Mobility Predictor (AMP), 75 m self-selected walking speed (75 m SSWS) test, timed down stair walking (DN stair time), and the limits of stability (LOS) balance test. Concurrent validity was assessed using correlation analysis. The AMP, 75 m SSWS, LOS, and the DN stair time tests were strongly correlated (r = ± 0.76 to 0.86) with their paired CS-PFP-10 domain score (LBS, BAL, or END) and CS-PFP-10 total score. These findings indicate that the lower limb and balance domains of the CS-PFP-10 are valid measures to assess the physical functional performance of TFA patients.

Metabolic adaptations to HFHS overfeeding: how whole body and tissues postprandial metabolic flexibility adapt in Yucatan mini-pigs

In the present study, we aimed to metabolically characterize the postprandial adaptations of the major tissues involved in energy, lipids and amino acids metabolisms in mini-pigs. Mini-pigs were fed on high-fat-high-sucrose (HFHS) diet for 2months and several tissues explored for metabolic analyses. Further, the urine metabolome was followed over the time to picture the metabolic adaptations occurring at the whole body level following overfeeding. After 2months of HFHS consumption, mini-pigs displayed an obese phenotype characterized by high circulating insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol levels. At the tissue level, a general (muscle, adipose tissue, intestine) reduction in the capacity to phosphorylate glucose was observed. This was also supported by the enhanced hepatic gluconeogenesis potential, despite the concomitant normoglycaemia, suggesting that the high circulating insulin levels would be enough to maintain glucose homoeostasis. The HFHS feeding also resulted in a reduced capacity of two other pathways: the de novo lipogenesis, and the branched-chain amino acids transamination. Finally, the follow-up of the urine metabolome over the time allowed determining breaking points in the metabolic trajectory of the animals. Several features confirmed the pertinence of the animal model, including increased body weight, adiposity and porcine obesity index. At the metabolic level, we observed a perturbed glucose and amino acid metabolism, known to be related to the onset of the obesity. The urine metabolome analyses revealed several metabolic pathways potentially involved in the obesity onset, including TCA (citrate, pantothenic acid), amino acids catabolism (cysteine, threonine, leucine).

BERMAIN DALAM RANGKA MENGEMBANGKAN MOTORIK PADA ANAK USIA DINI

Outdoor playing emphasis on the development of gross motor coordination, namely the leg muscles, hands and body flexibility, while developing fine motor skills are usually carried out by playing in the room. By playingchildren can learn to explore, develop potential, and develop a curiosity and increase his confidence. The first five years of a child’s life is important to develop motor skill include gross and fine motor skill. What is interesting about this motor development can be separated whith a dynamic posture that will achieve movement and can be separated from environmental influences and the maturation of motor nerve system

Cualidades físicas del adulto mayor activo de la ciudad de Tunja

Introducción. La actividad física es un determinante de la calidad de vida del adulto mayor, razón por la cual, es necesario mantener la funcionalidad y la independencia mediante la potenciación de las cualidades físicas dado que el cuerpo envejece y sufre modificaciones de manera progresiva. &#x0D; Objetivo. Caracterizar las cualidades físicas del adulto mayor activo de la ciudad de Tunja. &#x0D; Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal, en una muestra de 237 participantes, obtenida por muestreo probabilístico estratificado por afijación proporcional. Para la medición de las cualidades físicas, se empleó el Senior Fitness Test.&#x0D; Resultados. La muestra incluyó 88,2 % de mujeres y 11,8 % de hombres, con una edad promedio de 68,73 años (desviación estándard, DE=6,65), la mayoría (48,1 %) del estrato socioeconómico 2. El promedio del índice de masa corporal fue de 27,67 kg/m2 (DE=3,94), la flexibilidad del tren inferior y el superior, de 4,2 % y 17,7 % presentaron desempeño excelente. Se reportaron asociaciones significativas entre el estrato socioeconómico y la fuerza muscular del tren superior (p=0,042) y, además, de la flexibilidad del tren inferior, la agilidad y el equilibrio dinámico, con el sexo (p=0,013 y p=0,042, respectivamente). &#x0D; Conclusiones. Se obtuvo una clasificación buena en fuerza, equilibrio y capacidad aeróbica, y una mala en flexibilidad, lo que se corresponde con lo reportado en la literatura científica que ratifica que con mejores condiciones de vida, se favorecen las prácticas de autocuidado, entre ellas, la realización de actividad física. &#x0D; Palabras clave: actividad física, adulto mayor, aptitud física, índice de masa corporal, fuerza muscular.

Effects of Sling Exercise on Flexibility, Balance Ability, Body Form, and Pain in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sling exercise on pain, balance, flexibility, and body form in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). The pretest-posttest control group design. Thirty participants with chronic lumbar pain were divided into three groups (Sling only, Sling + Swing stick flexible bar, and Sling + Ball cushion) and exercised for 12 weeks. All types of sling exercises provided significant positive effects on pain scale, body balance, flexibility, and body form. In particular, the sling exercise with swing stick flexible bar or ball cushion was more effective on body form, flexibility, and balance than a sling alone. In conclusion, sling exercises over a period of 12 weeks had positive effects on flexibility, balance, pain, and body form in patients with chronic lumbar pain. This study has generated effects of sling exercise, which will assist nursing practitioners in prescribing the beneficial physical rehabilitation for patients with chronic LBP.

The Role of Physical Fitness in the Neurocognitive Performance of Task Switching in Older Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Although elderly people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) have been found to show impaired behavioral performance in task switching, no research has yet explored the electrophysiological mechanisms and the potential correlation between physical fitness and neurocognitive (i.e., behavioral and electrophysiological) performance in aMCI. The present study was thus aimed to examine whether there are differences in electrophysiological (i.e., event-related potential) performance between aMCI participants and controls when performing a task-switching paradigm, and to investigate the role of physical fitness in the relationship between neurocognitive performance and aMCI. Sixty participants were classified into aMCI (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups, and performed a task-switching paradigm with concomitant electrophysiological recording, as well as underwent senior functional physical fitness tests. The aMCI group showed comparable scores on most parts of the physical fitness tests, but reduced lower body flexibility and VO2max as compared to the control group. When performing the task-switching paradigm, the aMCI group showed slower reaction times in the heterogeneous condition and larger global switching costs, although no significant difference was observed in accuracy rates between the two groups. In addition, the aMCI group showed significantly prolonged P3 latencies in the homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions, and a smaller P3 amplitude only in the heterogeneous condition. The level of cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly correlated with P3 amplitude in the aMCI group, particularly in the heterogeneous condition of the task-switching paradigm. These results show that the aMCI group exhibited abnormalities in their neurocognitive performance when performing the task-switching paradigm and such a deficit was likely associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, which was shown to be the important predictor of neurocognitive performance.

Benefits of 24 versus 12weeks of exercise and wellness programming for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Community exercise programs can help maintain or improve health in cancer survivors. However, the most effective and feasible duration of a community exercise program for breast cancer survivors who are undergoing treatment is not known. This pre-post-design study evaluated the effects of the "Breast cancer patients Engaging in Activity while Undergoing Treatment" (BEAUTY) program on physical and psychosocial outcomes after 12 and 24weeks. BEAUTY is an ongoing community exercise and wellness program for breast cancer patients who are undergoing, or within 3months of completing chemotherapy and radiation. Participants completed assessments at baseline, 12weeks, and 24weeks to measure body composition, hand-grip dynamometry, aerobic fitness, and flexibility. Self-report questionnaires assessed fatigue (FACIT-fatigue), cognitive function (FACT-cog), quality of life (QOL) (FACT-B), and depressive symptoms (CES-D). Main analyses were repeated measures general linear model for all outcomes. Assessments at all three time points were completed by N = 63 participants. At 24weeks, waist to hip ratio (p = .019), duration of the submaximal treadmill test (p = .013), and estimated VO2max (p = .018) improved compared to baseline. Fatigue improved at 24 compared to 12weeks (p = .002). FACT-B scores improved at 24weeks when compared to both baseline (p = .002) and 12weeks (p = .001). Depressive symptoms improved compared to baseline (p = .05) and 12weeks (p = .009). Additional benefits were seen after 24 versus 12weeks, suggesting that a longer duration exercise program during, or shortly after completing treatments for breast cancer, may be necessary to see improvements in fitness and psychosocial outcomes. Findings can be applied to community exercise and rehabilitation programs for breast cancer survivors.

12 weeks of Brazilian jiu-jitsu training improves functional fitness in elderly men

Worldwide, there are up to 900 million people over 60 years old, of which more than half are physically inactive. Low physical fitness seems to be the major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and mortality in this population. Alternative methods of exercise, such as martial arts, may be an option to improve physical fitness in the elderly. This study aimed to verify the effects of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) training on the functional fitness of elderly men. Sixty-two elderly men were divided in two groups (experimental and control). The experimental group was submitted to a 12-week intervention of BJJ (2 times week−1; 90-min session−1). Physical fitness tests and anthropometric measurements were performed before and after intervention in both groups. No statistical differences were found between groups before and after the intervention. The experimental group improved in all performed physical fitness tests. Effect size showed that intervention had a small effect on upper body flexibility; a moderate effect for upper body strength, lower body flexibility, and motor agility/dynamic balance; and a large effect on lower body strength and aerobic endurance. BJJ seems to improve functional fitness in elderly men and may be an alternative method to enhance this population’s health and quality of life.

Ontogenetic Allometry in Shape and Flexibility Underlies Life History Patterns of Labrid Cleaning Behavior.

Body shape plays a crucial role in the movement of organisms. In the aquatic environment, the shape of the body, fins, and the underlying axial skeleton reflect the ability of organisms to propel and maneuver through water. Ontogenetic changes in body shape and flexibility of the axial skeleton may coincide with shifts in ecology (e.g., changes in habitat or feeding mode). We use the evolution of cleaning behavior in the Labridae (wrasses and parrotfishes) as a case study. Cleaner fishes are species that remove and consume ectoparasites from other organisms. In many cases, cleaning involves a high degree of maneuverability, as cleaners on the hunt for parasites may continuously dart around the body of their clients. In labrids, at least 58 species are known to clean. Over two-thirds of these species, however, clean predominately as juveniles, exhibiting an ontogenetic shift away from cleaning as they enter adulthood. Using a phylogenetic comparative framework, we examined features of the axial skeleton, overall body shape, and pectoral fin shape in 31 species of labrids spread across four major clades to assess how scaling patterns in these systems are associated with the ontogeny of cleaning behavior. We find that across wrasses, the ontogeny of body shape shows evolutionary concordance with the degree of flexibility across the vertebral column. A key driver of this relationship is that species that shift away from cleaning over ontogeny show stronger positive allometry for body depth and vertebral moment of inertia than other taxa. Species that clean throughout their life histories show a more elongate body and vertebral column, and tend to maintain the combination of these characteristics over ontogeny. Cleaning behavior in labrid fishes is thus an excellent model with which to investigate morphological patterns as they relate to evolution, development, and ecology.

Functional fitness: A key to independent and active living in the later age

Aging is a biological process and is associated with decrease in the physical activity level. With the aim of assessing the functional fitness level of senior citizens, sample size comprised of 90 i.e. 45 males and 45 females (15 male and 15 female from each age group viz. 60-64 year 65-69 year and 70-74 year) were chosen conveniently from Haldwani Block of district Nainital, Uttarakhand, India. The Senior Fitness Test was conducted to collect experimental data. With age, lower body strength of males changes but not in case of females. The other functional parameters amongst males and females i.e. upper Body Strength, lower and Upper Body Flexibility, AerobicEndurance and Balance does not depend on the age. Out of six parameters of functional fitness, it was found that the average mean score of lower body strength (5.96), upper body strength (3.52) and aerobic endurance (4.85) of males and females are highly significant at 1% level of significant while average upper body flexibility (2.52) of males and females were significant at 5 % level of significance. With time, society has witnessed significant changes in lifestyle pattern, arising nuclear family groups, dual-earner families, competitiveness and rural-urban or cross-country immigration among young children. The scenario thus further placed need to lay emphasis onfunctional fitness of elderly population so that the older parents who are living alone can be functionally active and independent and care and rare themselves. Assessing the functional level of elderly can serve as a preventive measure prior to any functional limitations.

Dança e flexibilidade: Interferências na Qualidade de Vida de Adultos

&lt;p class="resumo"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OBJETIVO:&lt;/strong&gt; Avaliar como a prática regular de dança, ligada a uma proposta de flexibilidade, pode interferir na qualidade de vida de indivíduos adultos.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MÉTODOS:&lt;/strong&gt; Dez participantes entre 40 e 65 anos, de ambos os sexos, foram submetidos a 30 aulas de dança – com duração de uma hora e frequência de duas vezes por semana – com propostas de flexibilidade e dança inspiradas em cinco gêneros da dança de salão: bolero, salsa, forró, soltinho e samba. A flexibilidade foi avaliada através da medida de amplitude de movimento utilizando um Goniômetro e a qualidade de vida a partir do questionário SF-36. Esses instrumentos de coleta de dados foram aplicados antes e depois do período de prática. Para a análise dos dados foi utilizado o software SPSS versão 18, sendo aplicado o Teste Wilcoxon para dados não paramétricos e o Teste t pareado para dados paramétricos, com o intuito de comparar o pré e o pós-intervenção. O nível de significância adotado para ambos os testes foi de p&amp;lt;0,05.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESULTADOS:&lt;/strong&gt; Aconteceram ganhos significativos (p&amp;lt;0,05) de flexibilidade em todas as articulações analisadas: flexão do quadril (direito=9,36%; esquerdo=9,40%), flexão lateral da coluna vertebral (direita=57,00%; esquerda=54,20%), flexão lateral da coluna cervical (direita=38,98%; esquerda=33,98%), rotação lateral da coluna cervical (direita=12,90%; esquerda=16,58%) e flexão da coluna cervical (37,30%); e melhora significativa em sete dos oito domínios da qualidade de vida no instrumento SF-36.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="resumo"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CONCLUSÕES:&lt;/strong&gt; A prática regular de dança, ligada a uma proposta de flexibilidade, promoveu incrementos na flexibilidade e interferiu positivamente na qualidade de vida de indivíduos adultos.&lt;/p&gt;

Physical Fitness Characteristics of Rural Firefighters on the Northern Coast of California

Limited research has been conducted on the health-related physical fitness level of rural firefighters on the northern coast of California. The geographic isolation of rural firefighters creates unique challenges, including staffing shortages placing individual firefighters under unusual physiological stress. PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to examine the health-related physical fitness status of rural firefighters. METHODS:20 male firefighters (mean±sd, age = 32±7 yr, height = 180±5 cm, body mass = 96±16 kg, fire service = 9±7 yr) on the northern coast of California performed body composition, strength, flexibility, and aerobic capacity tests. Data were compared with age-based normative data. RESULTS:Fitness testing revealed that rural firefighters ranked above average on tests of upper body muscular strength (bench press) and aerobic capacity (VO2max) and average on tests of body composition (% fat) and flexibility (sit-and-reach). (Table 1) CONCLUSIONS:Exercise programs for firefighters should focus on improving flexibility and body composition, while maintaining muscular strength and aerobic fitness to meet the demands of firefighting.Table 1: Health-related physical fitness characteristics of rural firefighters

Effects of Resistance Training on Strength, Physical Function and Quality of Life in Older Adults

Muscle weakness can limit older adults’ ability to perform daily activities and could negatively affect quality of life (QOL). Resistance training using loads of approximately 65-75% of one repetition maximum (1-RM) are recommended to improve strength in older adults, however, the use of low-load (30% 1-RM) blood flow restricted (BFR) resistance training may result in similar strength gains. PURPOSE: To compare strength, physical function and QOL adaptations following 12-weeks of high-load (HL) and BFR training in older adults at risk of mobility limitations. METHODS: Thirty-six male and female older adults (76.0+7.6 years; 26.6+3.3 kg·m-2) who possessed low knee extension muscle strength placing them at risk of developing mobility limitations participated. They were randomly assigned to perform twice weekly sessions of HL (70% 1-RM), BFR (30% 1-RM coupled with a vascular restriction of 1.5 times systolic blood pressure at the proximal thigh) or attention control (CON) exercise for 12 weeks. HL and BFR groups engaged in three sets of leg extension (LE), leg press, and leg curl resistance training to muscular failure. The CON group performed three sets of light upper body resistance and flexibility training that was not expected to result in muscle adaptations. LE 1-RM, isometric strength, strength-to-weight (STW) ratio, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), 400 m walking speed and four domains of QOL via survey were assessed before, midway and after 12 weeks of training. RESULTS: HL and BFR groups had increases of 8-56% in LE 1-RM, isometric strength and STW ratio within 6-weeks of training and maintained these changes at 12-weeks while the CON group had no changes (time x group P.05). Walking speed and SPPB improved 3% and 5%, respectively among all groups (time main effect P>.05). There were no changes in QOL in any group (time x group P>.05). CONCLUSION: HL and BFR training improves muscle strength similarly in older adults at risk of mobility limitations, suggesting BFR exercise is a viable exercise modality. Enhanced physical function without changes in QOL was seen in all groups. The impact of increased strength on physical function should be further evaluated with additional tests of daily activities. Supported by NIH grant 1R15 A6040700-01A1.

A Commercial Program is Effective for Weight Loss and Improving Health-Related Outcomes in Adults

Given the wide variety of commercial weight loss programs, independent evaluations of the effectiveness of these programs are critical to help inform choices by patients and practitioners. PURPOSE: This study evaluated changes in body weight, food cravings, flexibility, physical activity tolerance, and sleep quality (if you have room) in participants enrolled in a Weight Watchers program with the new SmartPointsTM plan. METHODS: Participants (N=150; mean age: 47.3 ± 12.7 years; mean BMI: 33.9 ± 4.3 kg/m2) were enrolled in a 6-month Weight Watchers program with the new SmartPointsTM plan. The intervention was delivered by trained Weight Watchers leaders and evaluated by independent research staff that was not engaged in intervention delivery. The intervention included weekly group sessions, instructions on behavioral methods of weight control and the use of an app to log points for foods and beverages. Body weight, food cravings, flexibility using the YMCA sit and reach test, physical activity tolerance using the 6 minute walk test, and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were assessed at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS: Of the 150 enrolled participants, 144 (95.3%) completed the 6-month assessment and provided data for weight, food cravings, flexibility, and sleep, with 143 providing data for the 6 minute walk. There was a significant reduction in weight of 2.8 ± 5.0 kg (3.1 ± 5.5%) from 0 at 6 months (p<0.001). There was a significant decrease in cravings for: sweets; carbohydrates and starches; fats; and fats from fast food (all p-values<0.001). There was no change in cravings for fruits and vegetables (p=0.326). Flexibility increased by 15.1±26.3% (p<0.001) and distance during the 6 minute walk increased by 23.8±39.0 meters (p<0.001). There was a significant decrease in the percent of participants classified as a “poor sleeper” at baseline (48.6%) compared to 6 months (43.8%) (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Weight Watchers SmartPointsTM plan produced significant 6-month improvements in body weight, food craving, flexibility and function, and sleep quality. Thus, this program provides an effective treatment option for adults who are overweight or obese.

Multi-component Exercise Training and Protein-pacing Improves Fitness Outcomes in Women

Multimodal training (Resistance, Interval, Stretching, and Endurance, RISE) improves body composition in overweight adults. However, it’s unclear how RISE might affect active normal weight women and whether high dietary protein intake (P) might modify the responses to RISE (PRISE), including the effects on performance outcomes. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of RISE alone, or PRISE on performance outcomes, cardio-metabolic health, and body composition in active normal weight women. METHODS: 27 healthy active females (BMI < 30kg/m2; 42±8 yrs) were recruited for this study and randomized to either standard dietary protein intake (CON: 1.0 g/kg/body weight/day) or high dietary protein intake (HP: 2.0 g/kg/bw/d). Baseline assessment of performance assessed via abdominal, upper and lower body muscular strength (situps, pushups, 1 RM bench and leg presses), power (jump squats and bench throws), aerobic power (5km cycling time trial), flexibility (sit and reach), and balance (stork stand), cardiovascular health (blood pressure, and augmentation index (AIx)), body composition (iDEXA: Fat free mass, fat mass, abdominal/visceral fat, %body fat), hunger/satiety ratings (visual analog scales), and cardio-metabolic profile (energy expenditure, fasting lipids, glucose, insulin). RESULTS: At baseline, no differences existed between groups in any variable. Some aspects of performance, while improved from baseline (1RM bench 10±15 [INCREMENT]lbs, 1RM leg press 123±120 [INCREMENT]lbs, SJ peak power 90±207 [INCREMENT]watts, flexibility 3±2 [INCREMENT]cm, balance 5.5±3 [INCREMENT]sec, 5km TT -28±11 [INCREMENT]sec, p<0.05), were not different between groups. However, other improvements in performance were enhanced in the HP group (Situps 6±7 v. 10±7 [INCREMENT]reps, Pushups 8±13 v. 14±12 [INCREMENT]reps, bench throw peak power 11±35 v. 44±34 [INCREMENT]watts, CON v. HP, p<0.05). BP and AIx were improved with training, but the changes in AIx (1±9 v. -5±11 %) and DBP (-5±9 v. -11±11 mmHg) were greater in the HP group (p<0.05). All aspects of body composition were improved, but no group differences existed. CONCLUSION: The RISE protocol improves multiple aspects of performance, cardiovascular health, and body composition and inclusion of high dietary protein (PRISE) seems to confer additional benefit in terms of strength, power, and cardiovascular health. Funding was provided by Isagenix International LLC to PJA

Association of Health Physical Fitness and Serum Vitamin D with Global Cognitive Performance in Older Persons

In a cross-sectional design, this study investigated the association between physical fitness and serum vitamin D levels and cognitive performance in a sample of 275 community-dwelling older adults. Senior fitness test was used to assess several domains of physical fitness including upper and lower body strength, upper and lower body flexibility, and endurance. Serum vitamin D levels were measured with a direct, competitive chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination of Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) was used to assess global cognitive performance. Pearson correlation showed that physical fitness parameters along with serum vitamin D levels were positively associated with MMSE scores. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to determine independent predictors of MMSE scores. Statistical significances were tested with SPSS-PC (version 18.0) at p=0.05. Pearson correlation showed that except for lower body flexibility, all the measured domains of physical fitness and serum vitamin D levels were positively associated with MMSE-based cognitive function. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that cardiorespiratory fitness and serum vitamin D levels were independent predictors for cognitive function. The current findings of the study suggest that promotion of physical fitness and serum vitamin D supplement should be incorporated in interventions against cognitive declines with normal aging.