Fitness Status Research Articles

Assessment for cardiovascular fitness in patients with stroke: which cardiopulmonary exercise testing method is better?

ABSTRACT Background: Assessment for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is important in stroke patients, both being one of the main factors limiting success in stroke rehabilitation and its increased risk in stroke patients. Reduced exercise capacity after stroke decreases patients’ functionality and further increases the risk of CVD. Carefully selected cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can be safely used to determine the risk of CVD and to prescribe exercise program in stroke rehabilitation. Objectives: The primary purpose of this study is to determine the most appropriate CPET in patients with stroke. The secondary aim is to determine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and functional status of the patients. Methods: Two CPETs using treadmill and bicycle ergometer protocols determined with a preliminary study were performed on participants. The main outcome measure was VO2peak. Patients were also evaluated according to Brunnstrom motor staging, Modified Ashworth Scale, Berg Balance Scale, and Functional Independence Measure. Results: In total, 38 patients reached higher VO2peak values at treadmill test compared to bicycle test (p < 0.001). The mean VO2peak reached at treadmill CPET was 62% of the control group where mean VO2peak reached at bicycle was 76% of the control group. No significant correlation was found between Brunnstrom staging, spasticity, Berg Balance Scale, and VO2peak . Discussion: The results of this study indicate that CPET can be performed safely in stroke patients when appropriate protocol was selected and that treadmill was more appropriate to determine cardiorespiratory fitness in this study population.

Prospective physical fitness status and development of cardiometabolic risk in children according to body fat and lifestyle behaviours: The IDEFICS study.

Elevated cardiometabolic risk (CMR) is an important factor for cardiovascular diseases later in life while physical fitness seems to decrease CMR. Thus, the aim of the present study is to assess the association between muscular fitness (MF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on CMR in European children, both cross-sectional and longitudinally. A total of 289 children (49.5% males) from eight European countries, aged 6 to 9, with longitudinal information on blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, homoeostasis model assessment, body mass index, data on fitness level, objectively measured physical activity (PA), diet quality, and total screen time were included. A CMR score was calculated and dichotomized. MF and CRF were also dichotomized. Cross-sectional and longitudinal multilevel logistic regressions adjusting for lifestyle behaviours were performed. Reaching a high level of MF during childhood as well as remaining in that level over-time were associated with an 82% and 62% lower probability of high CMR at follow-up, respectively. Also, children who became top CRF over time, showed a 77% lower probability (P < 0.05) of being in the highest CMR quartile at follow-up, independently of sociodemographic and lifestyle indicators. A high MF at early childhood and during childhood reduces the odds of having CMR. Same occurs with the improvement of CRF during childhood. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing fitness to avoid CMR already in children.

The Comparison of mDCF and mFOLFOX-6 as First-Line Treatment in Metastatic Gastric Cancer.

Introduction: Fluoropyrimidine and platinum-based chemotherapy regimens are widely accepted for metastatic gastric cancer (GC). Because of drug toxicity, a combined two-drug cytotoxic drug regimen is recommended for first-line therapy, while three-drug cytotoxic regimens are recommended for patients with medically fit and better performance status. In this study, it was aimed to compare modified FOLFOX-6 (mFOLFOX-6) and modified DCF (mDCF) regimens in terms of survival and side effects in first-line treatment in metastatic GC.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical record of patients with metastatic gastric or gastro-esophageal junction cancer who had received mDCF or mFOLFOX-6 as the first-line treatment, and followed up in our center between February 2013 and December 2020. The data were collected from the patients' registration database of the hospital and oncologic follow-up files of our center. In the mDCF arm, docetaxel 60 mg/m2 and cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1 intravenous (i.v.) infusion, and 600 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil (FU) as a continuous infusion for five days were administrated every three weeks for up to six cycles. In the mFOLFOX-6 arm, 85 mg/m2 oxaliplatin and 400 mg/m2 LV as an i.v. infusion over two hours and a 5-FU bolus of 400 mg/m2 as a 10-minute infusion, followed by 2.400 mg/m2 5-FU as a 46-hour continuous infusion were administrated every two weeks for up to six cycles. Univariate and multivariate analyses for overall survival (OS) were performed by Cox proportional hazards regression model. Survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method with the Long-rank test. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: A total of 70 patients included into the study. Of those, 40 (57%) patients had received mDCF and 30 (43%) had received FOLFOX-6 regimens as first-line treatment. There were no complete responses in both groups. The partial response rate was 28% and 27% for mDCF and mFOLFOX-6, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference regarding treatment response for both groups (p=0.787). The median OS was 13.9 months (95% CI: 7.5-20.4) in the mDCF arm, and 10.4 months (95% CI: 6.4-14.4) in the mFOLFOX-6 arm (p=0.409). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.2 months (95% CI: 3.6-6.9) in the mDCF arm, and 6.4 months (3.2-9.6) in the FOLFOX-6 arm (p=0.126). The ratio of dose reduction, treatment delay, and neutropenic fever were not statistically different between treatment arms.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that proper patient selection for metastatic GC may give rise to comparable survival rates without increased toxicity. mFOLFOX-6 and mDCF had similar response rates, OS, PFS, and side effect profiles.

Association of Knee Extensor Muscle Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Bone Stiffness in Japanese Adults: A Cross-sectional Study.

Knee extensor muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are major components of physical fitness. Because the interactive association of knee extensor muscle strength and CRF with bone health remains unclear, we aimed to investigate such association in Japanese adults. Altogether, 8,829 Japanese adults (3,731 men and 5,098 women) aged ≥45 years completed the maximum voluntary knee extension test, submaximal exercise test, medical examination, and a questionnaire on lifestyle habits. Using an osteo-sono assessment index, low bone stiffness tendency was defined as 80% under the young-adults mean. Multivariable odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated after confounder adjustment. Overall, 542 men (14.5%) and 978 women (19.2%) had low bone stiffness tendency. We observed an inverse association between muscle strength and low bone stiffness tendency after adjustment for CRF in both sexes (P for linear trend <0.001). Compared with the lowest CRF, the multivariable ORs for low bone stiffness tendency in the highest CRF were 0.47 (95% CI, 0.36-0.62) for men and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.82-1.35) for post-menopausal women (P < 0.001 and P = 0.704, respectively). No interactive association between muscle strength and CRF for low bone stiffness tendency existed in both sexes and irrespective of menopausal status. Knee extensor muscle strength and CRF were associated additively, not synergistically, with bone health. Maintaining high levels of both physical fitness components may improve musculoskeletal health in the cohort. The relationship between physical fitness and bone status should be longitudinally investigated in the future.

ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ ДОБОВОЇ РУХОВОЇ АКТИВ НОСТІ ДІТЕЙ 10-11 РОКІВ У КЛУБАХ ЗА МІСЦЕМ ПРОЖИВАННЯ

У статті представлена теоретично обґрунтована та практично перевірена методика підвищення рівня добової рухової активності молодших підлітків 10-11 років у клубах за місцем проживання. В основу методики покладено ігровий метод з елементами інтеграції когнітивної та рухової складових щодо здоров’язбереження. Також проаналізовано вплив методики на рівень рухової підготовленості респондентів, функціональний стан серцево-судинної та дихальної систем і на рівень здоров’язбережувальної компетентності.Після впровадження інтегрованої методології в роботу клубів за місцем проживання рівень добової рухової активності дітей статистично значимий і має позитивну динаміку росту (р ≤ 0,001) від дуже низького до достатнього. Показники рівня рухових якостей респондентів були статистично значущі (p ≤ 0,001) і мали значну динаміку. Серцево-судинна система також мала статистично значущі покращення як у хлопчиків, так і у дівчат.Рівень знань дітей у галузі здоров'язбереження в контексті цього дослідження суттєво зріс із високою статистичною надійністю (p ≤ 0,001).Інтегровані рухливі ігри, засновані на принципах інтегративного фізичного виховання, індивідуалізують фізичне навантаження для кожної дитини, що впливає на позитивну динаміку збільшення щоденної рухової активності дітей, зростання рухової підготовленості та функціонального стану ССС та дихальної системи. Інтеграція когнітивного та рухового компонентів цієї методології також позитивно впливає на підвищення рівня здоров’язбережувальної компетентності молодих підлітків 10-11 років.

Association between [Formula: see text]O2 kinetics and [Formula: see text]O2max in groups differing in fitness status.

This study evaluated (i) the relationship between oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O2) kinetics and maximal [Formula: see text]O2 ([Formula: see text]O2max) within groups differing in fitness status, and (ii) the adjustment of [Formula: see text]O2 kinetics compared to that of central [cardiac output (Q̇), heart rate (HR)] and peripheral (deoxyhemoglobin over [Formula: see text]O2 ratio ([HHb]/[Formula: see text]O2)] O2 delivery, during step-transitions to moderate-intensity exercise. Thirty-six young healthy male participants (18 untrained; 18 trained) performed a ramp-incremental test to exhaustion and 3 step-transitions to moderate-intensity exercise. Q̇ and HR kinetics were measured in 18 participants (9 untrained; 9 trained). No significant correlation between τ̇[Formula: see text]O2 and [Formula: see text]O2max was found in trained participants (r = 0.29; p > 0.05) whereas a significant negative correlation was found in untrained (r = - 0.58; p < 0.05) and all participants (r = - 0.82; p < 0.05). τQ̇ (18.8 ± 5.5s) and τHR (20.1 ± 6.2s) were significantly greater than τ[Formula: see text]O2 (13.9 ± 2.7s) for trained (p < 0.05). No differences were found between τQ̇ (22.8 ± 8.45s), τHR (21.2 ± 8.3s) and τ[Formula: see text]O2 (28.9 ± 5.7s) for untrained (p > 0.05). τQ̇ demonstrated a significant strong positive correlation with τHR in trained (r = 0.76; p < 0.05) but not untrained (r = 0.61; p > 0.05). A significant overshoot in the [HHb]/[Formula: see text]O2 ratio was found in the untrained groups (p < 0.05) but not in the trained groups (p > 0.05) CONCLUSION: The results indicated that when comparing participants of different fitness status (i) there is a point at which greater V̇O2max valuesare not accompanied by faster [Formula: see text]O2 kinetics; (ii) central delivery of O2 does not seem to limit the kinetics of [Formula: see text]O2; and (iii) O2 delivery within the active tissues might contribute to the slower [Formula: see text]O2 kinetics response in untrained participants.

Состояние гемодинамики и вариабельность сердечного ритма у тяжелобольных COVID‑19 в разгар заболевания и в процессе реабилитации

Введение. Состояние системы гемостаза при COVID-19 детально исследовано. Вместе с тем совершенно не изучено состояние гемодинамики и вариабельность сердечного ритма (ВСР) у больных COVID-19 в разгар заболевания и в процессе реабилитации. Цель исследования: изучить состояние микроциркуляции и ВСР у больных с тяжелым течением COVID-19 в процессе заболевания, после выписки из стационара и после прохождения курса реабилитации. Материалы и методы. Наши наблюдения проведены на 43 пациентах, получавших лечение в ГУЗ «ГКБ № 1» (Чита), перепрофилированной для терапии больных COVID-19, а также на курорте «Дарасун» (Забайкальский край), предназначенном для реабилитации больных, перенесших COVID-19. Контрольную группу составили 69 человек, сопоставимых по полу возрасту и сопутствующим заболеваниям. Состояние кровотока и ВСР изучали с помощью датчика mDLS (Dynamic Light Scattering, Rehovot, Israel) и использования оригинального алгоритмического подхода. При этом сигнал разлагался на частотные компоненты, связанные с гемодинамическими источниками различной скорости сдвига слоев крови (гемодинамические индексы), в значительной степени отражающих состояние системы гемостаза. Результаты. У больных COVID‑19 абсолютные значения гемодинамических индексов оказались значительно выше, чем в контроле, что свидетельствует об усилении микроциркуляторной динамики. Особенно резко возрастали значения HI1и HI2, что связано с усилением пристеночного (эндотелиального) и промежуточного кровотока. Об этом же свидетельствует увеличение у тяжелобольных почти в 4 раза соотношения HI1/HI3, которое не восстанавливалось после выздоровления, а также после реабилитации. Одновременно в разгар заболевания происходило значительно усиление пульсовых (PULSE 1 и 2) и резкое снижение респираторных (RESP1, 2 и 3) осцилляторных индексов, значения которых оставались стабильными как у выздоровевших пациентов, так и у прошедших курс реабилитации. Заключение. У больных COVID-19 в разгар заболевания отмечаются выраженные сдвиги со стороны микроциркуляции и ВСР, обусловленные повышением тонуса симпатического отдела автономной нервной системы, и сохраняющееся после выписки из стационара и прохождения курса реабилитации. Background. Hemostasis in COVID‑19 has been studied in detail. The state of hemodynamics and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with COVID‑19 at the height of the disease and during rehabilitation has not been fully studied. Objectives: to study microcirculation and HRV in patients with severe COVID-19 during the course of the disease, after discharge from the hospital and after rehabilitation course. Patients/Methods. We examined 43 patients with COVID‑19 treated at City Clinical Hospital № 1 (Chita) and underwent rehabilitation at Darasun resort (Trans-Baikal Territory). The control group consisted of 69 people of same sex, age and concomitant diseases. Blood flow and HRV were studied using mDLS sensor (Dynamic Light Scattering, Rehovot, Israel) and an original algorithmic approach. The signal was decomposed into frequency components associated with hemodynamic sources of different shear rates of blood layers (hemodynamic indexes) that largely reflected hemostasis state. Results. In patients with COVID-19, the absolute values of hemodynamic indexes were significantly higher than in controls, it was the evidence of microcirculatory intensification. The HI1 and HI2 values increased especially sharply, that was associated with increased endothelial and intermediate blood flow. This was also evidenced by an almost 4‑fold increase in the HI1/HI3 ratio in seriously ill patients that does not restored after recovery, as well as after rehabilitation. At the same time, at the height of the disease, there was a significant increase of pulse (PULSE 1 and 2) and a sharp decrease of respiratory (RESP1, 2 and 3) oscillatory indexes, that remained stable both in recovered patients and in those who underwent a course of rehabilitation. Conclusions. In patients with COVID-19 at the height of the disease pronounced shifts in microcirculation and HRV are noted due to increased tonus of sympathetic nervous system that persisted after discharge and rehabilitation.

Physical Fitness in Young Padel Players: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study aimed to examine the fitness characteristics and to identify the influence of gender and practice experience between young amateur padel players. A total of thirty-four padel players (n = 19 boys and 15 girls) aged 13 to 17 years old (age 14.6 ± 1.5 years; body mass 63.4 ± 14.5 kg; height 166.6 ± 9.8 cm; 6.2 ± 2.5 padel experience) volunteered to participate. Body composition was assessed by bioimpedance. Change of direction and agility were evaluated by two padel-adapted tests. Upper-limb strength measurement included overhead and side medicine ball throws with dominant and non-dominant hands. One-way ANCOVA was used to determine whether there were significant differences between gender and experience on fitness variables adjusting for age as a covariate. Male and female young padel players presented an apparently healthy body composition and exhibited similar performance in all fitness tests except for jumping ability. Practice experience seemed to influence upper-limb throwing strength, however, sub-analyses revealed no conclusive results. These results contribute to the existing knowledge in padel by providing new data about the fitness status of amateur young players aged 13 to 17 years old and open a window for future interventions using padel as a health promotion tool among youths.

Increased Cardiopulmonary Fitness Is Associated with a Greater Reduction in Depression among People Who Underwent Bariatric Surgery.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of changes in cardiopulmonary fitness on the mental health of patients with severe obesity who underwent gastric bypass surgery (prior to and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery). Study participants were recruited from among patients of a regional hospital in Czechia who underwent gastric bypass surgery between April 2018 and October 2019. They were eligible if they (a) were between 18 and 65 years old, (b) provided written informed consent, and (c) were able to walk independently. Twenty-six patients (age 45.4 ± 9.0 years, body mass index 45.1 ± 7.4 kg·m−2, body fat 43.8 ± 4.8%) were included in the analysis. The key finding revealed that the greater the increase in cardiopulmonary fitness (i.e., longer distance walked in the six-minute walk test, 6MWT), the better the improvement in depression score among patients who underwent bariatric surgery. In particular, increments of 10 m in the 6MWT lead to the improvement of 0.5 points on the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. As the main implication, these results suggest that patients should participate in exercise training programs to increase their fitness status for optimal physical and mental outcomes of bariatric surgery.

Comparative study on fitness, body mass index (BMI) and achievement motivation of tribal and non-tribal male football players

Physical fitness is an important aspect for better football playing ability but psychological ability also plays an important role for better performance. So the researcher worked on physical fitness, body mass index (BMI) and achievement motivation of football players. The purpose of the study was to identify the present status and differences of fitness, body mass index (BMI) and achievement motivation between tribal and non-tribal male football players. Twenty (20) tribal and twenty (20) non-tribal, total forty (40) district level male football players between 20-26 years of age were selected as the subject of this study. Selected fitness components, body mass index (BMI) and achievement motivational level were measured through standard procedures. After collected the data Mean, SD and ‘t’ were computed and results were analyzed. On the basis of result following conclusions were drawn - no significant differences were found in fitness, body mass index (BMI) and achievement motivation of tribal & non-tribal male footballers. So the present study results were revealed that the fitness, body mass index (BMI) and achievement motivational level of tribal and non-tribal male footballers were more or less similar.

The Role of Creatine in the Development and Activation of Immune Responses.

The use of dietary supplements has become increasingly common over the past 20 years. Whereas supplements were formerly used mainly by elite athletes, age and fitness status no longer dictates who uses these substances. Indeed, many nutritional supplements are recommended by health care professionals to their patients. Creatine (CR) is a widely used dietary supplement that has been well-studied for its effects on performance and health. CR also aids in recovery from strenuous bouts of exercise by reducing inflammation. Although CR is considered to be very safe in recommended doses, a caveat is that a preponderance of the studies have focused upon young athletic individuals; thus there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of CR on children or the elderly. In this review, we examine the potential of CR to impact the host outside of the musculoskeletal system, specifically, the immune system, and discuss the available data demonstrating that CR can impact both innate and adaptive immune responses, together with how the effects on the immune system might be exploited to enhance human health.

Levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in men exerts strong impact on lymphocyte function after mitogen stimulation.

Relationship between lymphocyte function and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is well-documented at rest; however, upon mitogen stimulation the proliferation and cytokine production alters, but knowledge is incipient about lymphocyte responses after mitogen stimulus according to CRF. So, the purpose of the present study was to analyze the lymphocyte function according to the physical fitness status of healthy young men. The study is divided in two experiments being the first analyzing the lymphocyte phenotypes profile and the inflammatory responses, according to CRF, in lymphocyte cell cultures treated for 48 h with concanavalin A (ConA). The second experiment analyzed the proliferation, reactive oxygen species production, viability, and mitochondrial polarization state in lymphocytes treated with ConA in different concentrations, considering the CRF levels. The results showed a difference in the percentage of total lymphocytes expression between groups (P = 0.011) observing a lower lymphocytes T expression in the group with high maximal oxygen consumption (V̇o2max) when compared with the moderate V̇o2max group. When treated with ConA, the lymphocytes of the low V̇o2max group released higher TNF-α concentration (P = 0.032), reflecting an elevated TNF-α/IL-10 ratio (P = 0.055), parallel with lower IL-6 production (P = 0.027), mainly when compared with the moderate V̇o2max group. In addition, there is a positive relationship between V̇o2max and IL-6 production (r = 0.507; P = 0.016), whereas the percentage of total lymphocytes (LyT%) shows a negative trend with V̇o2max (r = -0.497; P = 0.060). Also, individuals with lower V̇o2max showed reduced absolute and relative ROS production, lower cell proliferation, and higher mitochondrial membrane depolarization. In conclusion, cardiorespiratory fitness degree exerts a strong impact on lymphocyte function after mitogen stimulation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The innovation of the research is to elucidate the impact of different physical fitness status on metabolism, cell proliferation, and lymphocyte activity and, consequently, on the specific inflammatory response against a mitogen.

Establishment of the norms of Healthy Fitness Measurement Scale Version 1.0 (HFMS V1.0) for Chinese urban elderly

To establish the norms of Healthy Fitness Measurement Scale Version 1.0 (HFMS V1.0) for Chinese urban elderly. Using a multistage stratified sampling method, we conducted a large- scale epidemiological investigation among 5782 urban elderly residents sampled from Guangzhou (south China), Hefei (East China), Tianjin (north China), Shenyang (northeast China), Luzhou (southwest China) and Lanzhou (northwest China). The mean, percentile and threshold norms were established based on the characteristics of HFMS V1.0 scores for Chinese urban elderly. The mean and percentile norms of total, physical, mental and social healthy fitness of Chinese urban elderly were established according to gender and different age groups (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 years). The threshold norms of HFMS V1.0 were divided into 5 states, namely very low, low, moderate, high and very high states according to the Mean±SD and Mean±0.5SD of the converted scores. The established norms of Healthy Fitness Measurement Scale (HFMS V1.0) for Chinese urban elderly provide evaluation criteria for Chinese elderly healthy fitness level and facilitate exploration of healthy fitness status and its influencing factors in Chinese urban elderly.

Physical Demands and Internal Response in Football Sessions According to Tactical Periodization.

The objectives of the present study were (1)to analyze the internal and external load profile of training and competition carried out by semiprofessional football players during a 27-week period and (2)to examine the possible link between this type of periodization and players' fitness status and their readiness to compete. Training and match data were obtained from 26 semiprofessional football players belonging to the reserve squad of a Spanish La Liga club during the 2018/19 season. For the purpose of this study, the distribution of external and internal load during a typical training microcycle, with 6 or 7 days between matches, was analyzed. Five types of sessions were considered: strength, duration, velocity, preofficial match, and official match. The results showed a different internal and external load profile for each type of session, with the load being consistently higher during matches when compared with training sessions (28.9%-94% higher), showing significant differences in all the variables. There was a clear tapering strategy in the last days of the week to arrive with enough freshness to compete, shown by the decrease of the values in the 2 days before the match (15%-83% reduction, depending on the variable). Furthermore, the horizontal alternation of the load allowed the players to maintain their fitness level during the 27-week period. Our findings suggest that this weekly periodization approach could help achieve a double conditional target, allowing a short tapering strategy to face the match with enough freshness and serving as a strategy for maintaining or optimizing players' physical performance during the season.

Peripheral BDNF and psycho-behavioral aspects are positively modulated by high-intensity intermittent exercise and fitness in healthy women

Acute high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) induces the myokine secretion associated with neurogenesis, as well brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); however, it remains unknown how the menstrual phase influences this secretion after an acute exercise session. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of HIIE performed in luteal and follicular menstrual phases on BDNF, cognitive function, mood, and exercise enjoyment. Fourteen healthy women completed four experimental sessions, randomly. One graded exercise test (GXT) and one HIIE session (10 × 1-min runs 90% peak GXT velocity [1-min recovery]) were performed for each menstrual phase. Blood samples were collected at rest and immediately after efforts, and the profile of mood states questionnaire (POMS) and Stroop-task test were applied. During the HIIE, subjective scales were applied (feeling, felt arousal, rate of perceived exertion, and physical activity enjoyment). The main results showed that the serum BDNF presented no difference between menstrual phases (p = 0.870); however, HIIE increased BDNF concentration in both menstrual phases (p = 0.030). In addition, the magnitude of circulating BDNF variation (Δ%BDNF) and dot{text{V}}{{text{O}}}_{text{2max}} demonstrated an inverse relationship in the follicular phase (r = − 0.539, p = 0.046), whereas in the luteal phase, Δ%BDNF was negatively correlated with time test (r = − 0.684, p = 0.007) and RPE (r = − 0.726, p = 0.004) in GXT. No differences between menstrual phases were observed for POMS (p ≥ 0.05); however, HIIE attenuated tension (p < 0.01), depression (p < 0.01), and anger moods (p < 0.01), independently of menstrual phases. The subjective scales and Stroop-task test did not show differences. In conclusion, menstrual cycle phase does not affect serum BDNF levels, cognitive function, mood, and exercise enjoyment. Contrary, HIIE increases peripheral BDNF and attenuates tension, depression, and anger independently of menstrual phase. In addition, Δ%BDNF was correlated with physical fitness in the follicular phase, exhibiting higher changes in women with lower physical fitness status.

Small-sided games: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

This umbrella review was conducted to summarize the evidence and qualify the methodological quality of SR and SRMA published on small-sided games in team ball sports. A systematic review of Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. From the 176 studies initially identified, 12 (eight SR and four SRMA) were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures were extracted and analyzed. Methodological quality (with the use of AMSTAR-2) revealed that seven reviews had low quality and five had critically low quality. Two major types of effects of SSGs were observed: (i) short-term acute effects and (ii) long-term adaptations. Four broad dimensions of analysis were found: (i) physiological demands (internal load); (ii) physical demands (external load) or fitness status; (iii) technical actions; and (iv) tactical behavior and collective organization. The psychological domain was reduced to an analysis of enjoyment. The main findings from this umbrella review revealed that SSGs present positive effects in improving aerobic capacity and tactical/technical behaviors, while neuromuscular adaptations present more heterogeneous findings. Factors such as sex, age group, expertise, skill level, or fitness status are also determinants of some acute effects and adaptations. The current umbrella review allowed to identify that most of the systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in SSGs presents low methodological quality considering the standards. Most of the systematic reviews included in this umbrella revealed that task constraints significantly change the acute responses in exercise, while SSGs are effective in improving aerobic capacity. Future original studies in this topic should improve the methodological quality and improve the experimental study designs for assessing changes in tactical/technical skills.

Prevalence trends of hypertension among 9\u201317 aged children and adolescents in Yunnan, 2017\u20132019: a serial cross-sectional surveillance survey

BackgroundWe aim to describe the prevalence and trends of hypertension among 9–17 school-aged students from 2017 to 2019 in Yunnan, China.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study by using data from the Students’ Health Surveillance Surveys of 2017, 2018 and 2019 in Yunnan. The Students’ Health Surveillance Surveys in Yunnan collected date on physical fitness and health status of students in Yunnan through multistage-stratified sampling in 3 prefectures. In each prefecture, the study population were classified by gender and region (urban or rural), and each group had an equal size. Diagnosing criteria of hypertension was set with reference to Chinese age-specific and height-specific blood pressure (BP), to identify the abnormal status of boys and girls separately. ANOVA test was adopted to measure the differences in the mean BP stratified by gender, age, prefecture and area, and Chi-square test was used to compare the percentages of hypertension in different areas. For comparability, the age-standard and gender-standard population prevalence was calculated by directly using China Census in 2010 as a standard population. Totally 24,890 participants aged 9–17 years were included in this study.ResultsFrom 2017 to 2019, there were 24,872 students completed physical examinations and included in the analysis, of which 3288 were diagnosed with hypertension. The total prevalence of hypertension was 13.72, 12.49 and 13.45% among 9–17 years school-aged population in Yunnan, respectively. The total age-standardized hypertension prevalence trended to decrease from 13.82 to 13.48%. For urban population, the age-standardized hypertension prevalence decreased slightly from 11.24 to 10.13%. While, for rural population, it increased from 17.58 to 19.16%. The average annual growth rate in rural population was 0.53%.ConclusionsFrom 2017to 2019, there was a significant and continuous increase in the prevalence of hypertension in 9–17 years school-aged population in Yunnan. Hypertension is epidemic among children and adolescents in Yunnan. We should take effective and comprehensive intervention measures to reduce its prevalence among school-aged children.

Simplified Geriatric Assessment in Older Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: The Prospective Elderly Project of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi.

To prospectively validate the use of a simplified geriatric assessment (sGA) at diagnosis and to integrate it into a prognostic score for older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We conducted the prospective Elderly Project study on patients with DLBCL older than 64 years who underwent our Fondazione Italiana Linfomi original geriatric assessment (oGA) (age, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics, activities of daily living, and instrumental activities of daily living) before treatment. Treatment choice was left to the physician's discretion. The primary end point was overall survival (OS) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02364050). We analyzed 1,163 patients (median age 76 years), with a 3-year OS of 65% (95% CI, 62 to 68). Because at multivariate analysis on oGA, age > 80 years retained an independent correlation with OS, we also developed a new, simplified version of the GA (sGA) that classifies patients as fit (55%), unfit (28%), and frail (18%) with significantly different 3-year OS of 75%, 58%, and 43%, respectively. The sGA groups, International Prognostic Index, and hemoglobin levels were independent predictors of OS and were used to build the Elderly Prognostic Index (EPI). Three risk groups were identified: low (23%), intermediate (48%), and high (29%), with an estimated 3-year OS of 87% (95% CI, 81 to 91), 69% (95% CI, 63 to 73), and 42% (95% CI, 36 to 49), respectively. The EPI was validated using an independent external series of 328 cases. The Elderly Project validates sGA as an objective tool to assess fitness status and defines the new EPI to predict OS of older patients with DLBCL.

A 3-year school-based intervention improved physical fitness and reduced the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Italian prepubertal children.

Schools constitute the ideal setting in which children's physical activity, physical fitness, and health status can improve. However, intervention protocols and their effectiveness vary considerably. The purpose of the study was to investigate the differences in physical fitness and overweight and obesity prevalence between children attending structured physical education classes held by a specialized teacher (EXP) or traditional classes of equal duration held by an ordinary teacher (TRAD). Anthropometric and fitness parameters were assessed in a convenience sample of 12,519 1st grade schoolchildren over 3 subsequent school years. Six field-based tests were used to assess physical fitness. Physical fitness improved more in the EXP group than in the TRAD group, except for flexibility (sit and reach). At the end of the 3rd year, the EXP children performed better than did the TRAD children (P<0.001) in Léger (girls: +34%, boys: +30%), agility shuttle (girls: -10%, boys: -9%), long jump (girls: +9%, boys: +8%), frontal basketball throw (girls: +11%, boys: +10%), and standing balance (girls: +18%, boys: +28%). The prevalence of obesity and overweight was 5% lower in the EXP than in the TRAD group at the 3-year follow-up. The proposed teacher-driven intervention, which was focused on the quality rather than the duration of time spent in the gym during school hours, was effective in improving children's physical fitness. Furthermore, the decrease in the prevalence of obesity and overweight suggests the intervention can improve heavier children's weight status.

Interpreting fitness: self-tracking with fitness apps through a postphenomenology lens.

Fitness apps on mobile devices are gaining popularity, as more people are engaging in self-tracking activities to record their status of fitness and exercise routines. These technologies also evolved from simply recording steps and offering exercise suggestions to an integrated lifestyle guide for physical wellbeing, thus exemplify a new era of "quantified self" in the context of health as individual responsibility. There is a considerable amount of literature in science, technology and society (STS) studies looking at this phenomenon from different perspectives, linking it with the sociology of self-surveillance and neoliberal regimes of health. However, the human-technology interface, through which the micro- (behavioral) and macro- (social) aspects converge, still calls for extensive examination. This paper approaches this topic from the postphenomenological perspective, in combination with empirical studies of design analysis and interviews of fitness apps, to reveal the human-technology link between the design elements and people's perception through the direct experiences and interpretations of technology. It argues that the intentionality of self-tracking fitness app designs mediates the human-technology relations by "guiding" people into a quantified knowledge regime. It shapes the perceptions of fitness and health with representations of meanings about a "good life" of individual success and management. This paper also gives a critique of current individual, performance-oriented fitness app designs and offers the possibility of seeking alternatives through the multistable nature of human-technology relations—how altering interpretation and meaning of the design with a cultural or social context could change the form of technological embodiment.