Healthy Adult Females Research Articles

Lower Limbs Wearable Sports Garments for Muscle Recovery: An Umbrella Review.

This review aims to understand the different technologies incorporated into lower limbs wearable smart garments and their impact on post-exercise recovery. Electronic searches were conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane electronic databases. Eligibility criteria considered meta-analyses that examined the effects of wearable smart garments on physical fitness in healthy male and female adults. Seven meta-analyses were considered in the current umbrella review, indicating small effects on delayed-onset muscle soreness ([0.40–0.43]), rate of perceived exertion (0.20), proprioception (0.49), anaerobic performance (0.27), and sprints ([0.21–0.37]). The included meta-analyses also indicated wearable smart garments have trivial to large effects on muscle strength and power ([0.14–1.63]), creatine kinase ([0.02–0.44]), lactate dehydrogenase (0.52), muscle swelling (0.73), lactate (0.98) and aerobic pathway (0.24), and endurance (0.37), aerobic performance (0.60), and running performance ([0.06–6.10]). Wearing wearable smart garments did not alter the rate of perceived exertion and had a small effect on delayed-onset muscle soreness. Well-fitting wearable smart garments improve comfort and kinesthesia and proprioception and allow a reduction in strength loss and muscle damage after training and power performance following resistance training or eccentric exercise.

The effect of sex, stature, and limb length on the preferred walk-to-run transition speed

BackgroundThe preferred walk-to-run transition speed (PTS) for healthy adults is approximately 2 m∙s-1, however, PTS is influenced by anthropometric factors. Yet despite known sex differences in anthropometrics, studies have reported no sex differences in PTS. Research questionDo stature and limb length affect PTS in the same way for both male and female healthy adults? MethodsThirty-seven (19 female) non-injured adults volunteered for this study. Participants completed a walk-to-run transition protocol, where the treadmill speed was increased from 1.2 m∙s-1 to 2.2 m∙s-1, in increments of 0.1 m∙s-1 every two minutes. An independent t-test compared PTS between sexes. Multiple regression analysis determined the effect of sex and stature and sex and limb length on PTS. ResultsFemale participants transitioned at a lower PTS than male participants (1.8 (0.2) m∙s-1 versus 1.9 (0.1) m∙s-1; p ≤ 0.026). Sex and stature explained 19% of the variance in PTS, while sex and limb length explained 21% of the variance. Including interactions increased the variance explained by 23% and 2% for sex and stature and sex and limb length, respectively. The significant interaction between sex and stature showed PTS was inversely proportional to stature for male participants but directly proportional for female participants. SignificanceThese findings suggest that the extent to which stature and limb length influence the preferred transition speed may differ between sexes.

Trichoscopy in Healthy Adult Egyptian Females: Normal Values of Hair Measurable Parameters

Introduction: Documenting normal hair values through trichoscopy can provide a useful baseline when evaluating and treating hair loss in different populations. The aim of our study was to document normal values for measurable parameters of hair in adult Egyptian females. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 90 Egyptian females (age range 18–48 years), with no symptoms or signs of hair or scalp disease. Trichoscopy was performed in different scalp areas using FotoFinder Medicam 1000 videodermoscopy. Trichoscopy images were subjected to statistical processing using TrichoLAB system. Results: The frontal area demonstrated the highest number of hairs (190 ± 29/cm²), greatest average hair shaft thickness (63 ± 8 μm), greatest percentage of thick hairs (71% ± 12), highest mean cumulative hair thickness (12 ± 2 mm/cm²), and highest mean number of follicular units (82 ± 8/cm²). The temporal area showed the highest percentage of thin hairs (9% ± 5) and single-hair pilosebaceous units (23% ± 7), lowest mean number of hairs (154 ± 25/cm²), least average hair shaft thickness (60 ± 9 μm), least mean cumulative hair thickness (9 ± 2 mm/cm²), and least mean number of follicular units (70 ± 8/cm²). The occipital area showed the greatest percentage of triple-hair follicles (43% ± 12). Based on trichoscopy, the norms for hair parameters were calculated. Conclusion: Normal hair parameters in adult Egyptian females differ from those documented from other ethnicities. Evaluating and treating hair loss in clinical practice should be done in reference to documented normal values, which can be set through trichoscopy.

High-Definition Transcranial Stimulation over the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Alters the Sunk Cost Effect: A Mental Accounting Framework.

The sunk cost effect refers to the fact that human decisions are consistently influenced by previous irrecoverable and irrelevant costs. Recent neuroimaging experiments suggest that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) plays a pivotal role in the sunk cost effect yet the causal and neurocomputational role of the dlPFC remains elusive. In this study, two cohorts of healthy human male and female adults were recruited to complete a novel two-step decision-making task during the anodal-sham or cathodal-sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the dlPFC, respectively. Consistent with previous studies, we showed that the sunk cost deterred participants from making further investment and therefore engendered a de-escalation effect. Such behavior can be captured by a weighted mental accounting model with a recalibrated reference point in which the direction and magnitude of the sunk cost effects hinge on the decision weights apportioned to the option values. Interestingly, transcranial stimulation did not influence participants' initial willingness to incur sunk costs but only altered sunk costs' downstream effects. Specifically, anodal stimulation over the right dlPFC amplified the de-escalation effect of sunk costs whereas cathodal stimulation yielded the opposite result. HD-tDCS also changed the decision weights of the mental accounting model, providing a causal and computational link between PFC and sunk cost effects.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Traditional economic theory assumes that decisions only concern the marginal costs and benefits yet human choices are notoriously susceptible to previously-incurred costs (termed the sunk cost effect). In the current study, we showed that direct current stimulation (DCS) of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) altered sunk cost effects in participants' subsequent choices. Such effects can be captured by a mental accounting model where transcranial stimulation modulates the decision weights assigned to different options in the value integration process. These findings help elucidate the computational and causal role of the dlPFC in the context of sunk costs.

Cytological Characterization of the Oral Cavity of the Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Abstract Cytological analyses of the oral cavity are necessary for the identification and correct evaluation of lesions in this anatomical region. Literature on this subject in reptiles is scarce, in contrast to other species kept as pets. The main objective of this descriptive study was to evaluate the normal cytological characteristics of the oral cavity of inland bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Twenty-eight clinically healthy inland bearded dragons, including juveniles and adult males and females, from private collections were evaluated. Oral samples from the tongue and palate were obtained from each animal. Slides were stained with modified Wright–Giemsa stain and analyzed under an optical microscope. The contents of the slides were mostly hypocellular, with no evidence of microbiological overgrowth or inflammation, and showed mostly keratinized squamous cells; basal epithelial cells were seldom observed. Occasionally, goblet cells were observed in tongue samples, but were rare in palate samples. The results of this study contribute to a better characterization of the normal oral mucosa of inland bearded dragon and are in accordance with the few previously published studies.

Exploring the physical activity level and sleep quality among a cohort of healthy females in Egypt: a cross-sectional survey.

In healthy adults, the short-term effects of sleep disruption include disorders of mood, impaired coping ability, deficits in cognition, and reduced quality of life. Increased physical activity may improve sleep duration and quality. The aim was to investigate the physical activity level and sleep quality and their relationship among a cohort of healthy females in Egypt. We conducted a cross-sectional, self-reported survey. 688 healthy young adult females aged 18-45 years without a prior history of chronic disease were recruited for this study. Demographic data as well as physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were collected. 73.5% reported poor sleep quality, which was worse for housewives. 50.4% of participants were either obese or overweight. Approximately 29.7% of the participants were physically inactive. High physical activity levels were associated with higher sleep efficiency compared to moderate physical activity (p=0.01). However, high physical activity resulted in poorer sleep quality overall (p=0.001). The majority of participants reported poor sleep quality and high levels of physical activity, but the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality was not clear. Poor sleep quality in our study is one of, if not the highest, reported in the literature for a similar age range in females.

Hypothyroidism among Female Medical Students in a Teaching Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Hypothyroidism is a common clinical condition of thyroid hormone deficiency and is frequently seen in women. Studies regarding the prevalence of hypothyroidism among healthy young adult females are very less. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of hypothyroidism among female medical students in a teaching hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among first to final-year female medical students in a teaching hospital from 15 August 2021 to 22 January 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (Registration number: 296). A semi-structured questionnaire was filled out by the students followed by a clinical examination to recognize the high-risk group by Zulewski's scoring criteria. Blood samples were taken from those who were having a score of >5 points for the thyroid function test to confirm hypothyroidism. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Among 141 female medical students, the hypothyroidism was found in 3 (2.12%) (0-4.50, 95% Confidence Interval). The prevalence of hypothyroidism among the female medical students in a teaching hospital was lesser when compared with other studies from similar settings. hypothyroidism; medical student; prevalence; thyroid stimulating hormone; thyroxine.

Effects of Green Space in an Apartment Complex on the Environmental Cognition and Stress Response of Residents

Background and objective With an increasing interest in health-related issues in urban environments, there has been growing attention to the relationship between green space and psychological states of residents in apartment complexes. This study investigated resident perceptions of green space and their stress responses in an apartment complex. Methods The psychological stress responses that arose during residents’ observation of two types of environments―an indoor living room and an outdoor green space―were investigated through a field experiment. Sixteen healthy adult females in child care participated in the within-group comparison study. The semantic differential (SD) method was used to examine environmental perception, and three psychological tests were administered to quantify stress responses to the two environments: the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Revised Perceived Restorativeness Scale (RPRS), and the Zuckerman Inventory of Personal Reactions Scale (ZIPERS). Results Feeling of pleasure, familiarity, and beauty showed significantly higher scores in outdoor green space than indoor space. In the POMS analysis, significantly more positive mood states were found in outdoor green space than indoor space. The ZIPERS and RPRS data showed that outdoor green space was more suitable for fatigue recovery because it relieved negative emotions and psychological stress to a greater degree than indoor space. Conclusion This field study suggested that green spaces have the potential to reduce psychological stress and restore psychological well-being in female residents. Despite limited exposure to the green space in the apartment complex, improved mood states and positive health-related effects were observed among the participants.

Sex differences in the effect of muscle fatigue on static postural control under different vision and task conditions.

The main aim of this study was to compare the effects of ankle plantar flexors fatigue on postural control between healthy young adult males and females. The secondary aim was to determine the effects of vision on the fatigue-induced postural changes. Ten healthy young males and nine females were asked to perform quiet standing (QS) and standing forward lean (FL) tasks with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC) before and immediately following exercise, and throughout a 15-min recovery period. A sustained isometric exercise of ankle plantar flexors was performed until participants were no longer able to maintain a target torque of 50% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Mean anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) positions of the center of pressure (COP), mean COP sway velocity, and 95% ellipse area of COP sway were measured. Ankle plantar flexors fatigue had significant effects on all dependent variables, except for sway area. A fatigue X sex interaction was found for sway velocity with the most challenging task condition (FL-EC), where males showed a significant increase in sway velocity up to 15 min following exercise, whereas females did not. Fatigue X vision interactions for AP position were also found, with the withdrawal of vision leading to a greater backward shift during recovery for both the QS (5 to 15 min) and FL (5 to 10 min) tasks. Our findings suggest the use of different postural control strategies with ankle fatigue between males and females, and also a contribution of vision to compensate for fatigue-induced instability that is not dependent on task difficulty.

Effect of a Daily Collagen Peptide Supplement on Digestive Symptoms in Healthy Women: 2-Phase Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundThe effect of dietary collagen on managing digestive symptoms is currently lacking in the literature.ObjectiveTo gain a better understanding of this issue, we conducted a 2-phase mixed methods study.MethodsPhase 1 was a mixed methods design to explore current attitude and practice among consumers and health care practitioners. The findings were used to design an 8-week phase 2 digital study called Gutme! conducted in the United States in healthy female volunteers (BMI>25 kg/m2). Our aim was, first, to determine the feasibility of conducting a fully digital mixed methods study; second, the study explored the effect of an 8-week daily supplementation of 20 g dietary collagen peptide (Peptan) on digestive symptoms. Phase 2 was a prospective, open-label, longitudinal, single-arm study. Participation involved 2 weeks of baseline tracking (digestive symptoms, mood, stool, and lifestyle) using an app, followed by 8 weeks of tracking and taking 20 g collagen peptide supplement split into 2 dosages per day. Participants were required to complete a web-based symptom questionnaire at baseline, week 2, and week 8, as well as participate in 2 scheduled video interviews.ResultsPhase 1 revealed that consumer awareness of collagen for digestive health is low (64/204, 31.4%). Among the dietitians prescribing collagen for their patients, the most common dosage was 20 g a day with notable effects after 6 weeks of intake. Within the phase 2 study, of the 40 recruited participants, 14 (35%) completed the full course of supplementation. The findings indicate that 93% (13/14) of those who completed the study experienced a reduction in digestive symptoms, which included bloating.ConclusionsA mixed methods digital study design is feasible and acceptable for collecting relevant data in a real-life setting. The use of a 20 g daily collagen peptide supplement may reduce bloating and improve mild digestive symptoms in otherwise healthy female adults in the absence of any other dietary or lifestyle interventions.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04245254; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04245254

Gender-dependent frequency of unconventional T cells in a healthy adult Caucasian population: A combinational study of invariant NKT cells, γδ T cells, and mucosa-associated invariant T cells.

This study tested the hypothesis of gender bias in frequency of unconventional T cells. Unconventional T cells exist as minor subsets of T cells in peripheral blood. Despite their low number, they play a crucial role in various immune-mediated diseases such as inflammation, autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer. Gender-based frequency of these cells altogether on large number of healthy individuals are unestablished creating hurdles to manifest association with various immune-mediated pathologic conditions. In this study, we used a multicolor flow cytometric panel to identify iNKT cells, γδ T cells, and MAIT cells altogether in the peripheral blood samples of 93 healthy adult males and 109 healthy adult females from the Caucasian population. The results revealed iNKT cell median value (% T cells) in females was higher: 0.114% ranging from 0.011 to 3.84%, than males: 0.076% (p value 0.0292), ranging from 0.007 to 0.816% and found to be negatively correlated with age in females (p value 0.0047). However, γδ T cell median value in males was higher: 2.52% ranging from 0.31 to 16.09%, than females: 1.79% (p value 0.0155), ranging from 0.078 to 12.49% and each gender was negatively correlated with age (male p value 0.0003 and female p value 0.0007). MAIT cell median values were 3.04% ranging from 0.11 to 10.75% in males and 2.67% ranging from 0.2 to 18.36% in females. MAIT cells did not show any statistically significant difference between genders and found to be negatively correlated with age (p value<0.0001). Our results could be used for further gender-wise investigations of various pathologic conditions such as cancer and their prognosis, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and their pathogenicity.

Influence of Maternal Exercise on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Offspring Stem Cells: ENHANCED by Mom.

Recent preclinical data suggest exercise during pregnancy can improve the metabolic phenotype not only of the mother, but of the developing offspring as well. However, investigations in human offspring are lacking. To characterize the effect of maternal aerobic exercise on the metabolic phenotype of the offspring's mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Randomized controlled trial. Clinical research facility. Healthy female adults between 18 and 35 years of age and ≤ 16 weeks' gestation. Mothers were randomized into 1 of 2 groups: aerobic exercise (AE, n = 10) or nonexercise control (CTRL, n = 10). The AE group completed 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity exercise, according to American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, during pregnancy, whereas controls attended stretching sessions. Following delivery, MSCs were isolated from the umbilical cord of the offspring and metabolic tracer and immunoblotting experiments were completed in the undifferentiated (D0) or myogenically differentiated (D21) state. AE-MSCs at D0 had an elevated fold-change over basal in insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis and reduced nonoxidized glucose metabolite (NOGM) production (P ≤ 0.05). At D21, AE-MSCs had a significant elevation in glucose partitioning toward oxidation (oxidation/NOGM ratio) compared with CTRL (P ≤ 0.05). Immunoblot analysis revealed elevated complex I expression in the AE-MSCs at D21 (P ≤ 0.05). Basal and palmitate-stimulated lipid metabolism was similar between groups at D0 and D21. These data provide evidence of a programmed metabolic phenotype in human offspring with maternal AE during pregnancy.

Dopaminergic Modulation of Dynamic Emotion Perception.

Emotion recognition abilities are fundamental to our everyday social interaction. A large number of clinical populations show impairments in this domain, with emotion recognition atypicalities being particularly prevalent among disorders exhibiting a dopamine system disruption (e.g., Parkinson's disease). Although this suggests a role for dopamine in emotion recognition, studies employing dopamine manipulation in healthy volunteers have exhibited mixed neural findings and no behavioral modulation. Interestingly, while a dependence of dopaminergic drug effects on individual baseline dopamine function has been well established in other cognitive domains, the emotion recognition literature so far has failed to account for these possible interindividual differences. The present within-subjects study therefore tested the effects of the dopamine D2 antagonist haloperidol on emotion recognition from dynamic, whole-body stimuli while accounting for interindividual differences in baseline dopamine. A total of 33 healthy male and female adults rated emotional point-light walkers (PLWs) once after ingestion of 2.5 mg haloperidol and once after placebo. To evaluate potential mechanistic pathways of the dopaminergic modulation of emotion recognition, participants also performed motoric and counting-based indices of temporal processing. Confirming our hypotheses, effects of haloperidol on emotion recognition depended on baseline dopamine function, where individuals with low baseline dopamine showed enhanced, and those with high baseline dopamine decreased emotion recognition. Drug effects on emotion recognition were related to drug effects on movement-based and explicit timing mechanisms, indicating possible mediating effects of temporal processing. Results highlight the need for future studies to account for baseline dopamine and suggest putative mechanisms underlying the dopaminergic modulation of emotion recognition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A high prevalence of emotion recognition difficulties among clinical conditions where the dopamine system is affected suggests an involvement of dopamine in emotion recognition processes. However, previous psychopharmacological studies seeking to confirm this role in healthy volunteers thus far have failed to establish whether dopamine affects emotion recognition and lack mechanistic insights. The present study uncovered effects of dopamine on emotion recognition in healthy individuals by controlling for interindividual differences in baseline dopamine function and investigated potential mechanistic pathways via which dopamine may modulate emotion recognition. Our findings suggest that dopamine may influence emotion recognition via its effects on temporal processing, providing new directions for future research on typical and atypical emotion recognition.

Effects of a Bonded Arginine Silicate Inositol combination (nooLVL®) on Cognitive function in esports Gamers

ObjectivesThe purpose of this open‐label study was to assess the ability of a bonded arginine silicate inositol combination (nooLVL) to affect reaction time and responses to cognitive tasks in esports gamers. nooLVL is a non‐stimulant complex of bonded arginine silicate with inositol. Previous studies have evaluated nooLVL in esports gamers showing improvements in accuracy, decision making, and reaction time during gaming. This study looks to further detect cognitive changes in esports gamers on an array of cognitive tests developed by Cambridge Brain Sciences.MethodsAssessments were evaluated on six Cambridge Brain Sciences (CBS) cognitive tasks: Feature Match, Double Trouble, Mental Rotations, Polygons, Odd One Out, and Spatial Planning. These tests measure visuospatial processing, deductive reasoning, intelligent behavior, concentration, and attention. The subjects were healthy adult males and females (age &gt;18; n=9) with minimum previous gaming experience of 3‐5 hours of video games per week for at least 6 months. All study participants consumed 1600mg per day of nooLVL (600mg arginine, 105mg silicon, 385mg inositol and 60mg potassium) for seven days. They completed the CBS tests at baseline, on day 1 after a single dose of nooLVL, and again on day 7.ResultsMean changes within group at baseline to day 1, day 1 to day 7 and baseline to day 7 were analyzed with paired t‐tests. Significant differences were found in Double Trouble (baseline vs day 1 [p=0.0019], day 1 vs day 7 [p=0.0369] and baseline vs day 7 [p=0.0005]), Mental Rotations (baseline to day 1 [p=0.0506] and baseline to day 7 [p=0.0192]), and Spatial Planning (baseline to day 7 was observed [p=0.0266]). The Double Trouble assessment measures concentration, Mental Rotations examination measures the function of visual representation in the brain, and Spatial Planning assessment measures intelligent behavior through forethought and sequencing performance.Outcomes of the Feature Match, Polygons, and Odd One Out tests did not show significance.ConclusionsThese data show that nooLVL® a complex of bonded arginine silicate with inositol, when used in esport gamers, improves outcomes on certain functioning tests such as visual processing, concentration, and spatial learning as early as after a single dose and lasting up to seven days.

Associations between aerobic exercise and dopamine-related reward-processing: Informing a model of human exercise engagement

Endurance or aerobic exercise has many physical and mental health benefits, but less is known about the specific impact that cardiovascular activity may have on dopamine-associated brain circuits involved in reward processing and mood regulation in humans. Understanding such effects will help to explain individual differences in both exercise uptake and maintenance. This study evaluated neural response to a classical taste-conditioning reward prediction error task with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, along with data on self-reported aerobic exercise among healthy young adult females (N = 111). Results indicated positive associations between reported aerobic exercise and regional brain response that remained significant after multiple comparison correction for the right medial orbital frontal cortex response to unexpected sucrose receipt (r = 0.315, p = .0008). The medial orbitofrontal cortex is implicated in reward and outcome value computation and the results suggest that aerobic exercise may strengthen this circuitry, or reciprocally, higher orbitofrontal cortical activity may reinforce exercise behavior. The findings aid in developing a model of how exercise engagement can modify reward-circuit function and could be used therapeutically in conditions associated with altered brain salience response.

Dynamic Muscle Fatigue and Potentiation in Human Plantar Flexors

Activation history can enhance or impair subsequent contractile responses. Following a brief high‐intensity voluntary contraction, the contractile response for the same submaximal input stimulus will be enhanced (post‐activation potentiation; PAP). However, prolonged voluntary activation can impair contractile responses due to neuromuscular fatigue. Because both effects are dependent on immediate prior activation, a co‐existence between these two competing processes is observed. Specifically, submaximal frequencies are enhanced (PAP) while maximal frequencies are simultaneously depressed (fatigue). Due to preferential enhancement of low frequency activation, PAP can mitigate the effects of prolonged low‐frequency force depression (PLFFD), ‐ a long‐lasting reduction of force evoked at low‐frequencies following fatiguing exercise. Usually, this relationship has been evaluated using isometric contractions. The purpose was to assess the relationship between PAP, muscle fatigue and recovery during and following an isotonic (dynamic) fatiguing protocol through which power (force and velocity) are assessed. It is hypothesized that PAP will attenuate PLFFD during the fatiguing protocol and throughout 30 minutes of recovery.The plantar flexors of 5 healthy young adult males (n=4) and females (n=1) to date have been tested while lying prone in a Cybex dynamometer. The ankle was at 90° and knee joint at 180° (straight leg). Inelastic large Velcro straps firmly secured the hips, shoulders and thighs to the dynamometer. Participants performed isotonic plantar flexion contractions over a 20° range of motion (90° to 110°) of the ankle joint with a load of 20% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) until peak power was reduced by 20%, 50% and 75% of baseline values. At these intervals of power loss, electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve in the popliteal fossa was done to record unloaded power responses at 10 Hz and 50 Hz. Following task failure (75% power loss), recovery was assessed immediately and at 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes. For these, voluntary contractions (10 concentric at 20% MVC) were done to induce PAP. Evoked unloaded dynamic measurements were done prior to and following the 10 concentric contractions to assess any effect of PAP.PLFFD is a preferential loss of low frequency force assessed by comparing a stimulated force ratio between responses at 10 Hz to 50 Hz. During dynamic contractions we used a peak power 10:50 Hz ratio to incorporate the factor of velocity. During fatigue the peak power 10:50 Hz ratio was enhanced by ~35% at 20% power loss, by ~15% at 50% power loss, and minimally enhanced (~9%) at task failure (75% power loss). During recovery this ratio was enhanced follow the potentiating contractions compared to non‐potentiated; task failure (~3%), 3 min (~26%), 5 min (~45%), 10 min (~20%), 20 min (~25%) and 30 min (~38%).These results indicate that during dynamic muscle fatigue and recovery, PAP may mitigate PLFFD to varying degrees.

Correlation between Post Exercise Heart Rate Recovery and Body Composition in Healthy Female Adults

Introduction: Post-exercise heart rate recovery (HRR) is an indicator of parasympathetic stimulation and impaired HRR is an independent predictor of cardiometabolic risk factors.&#x0D; Aims &amp; Objectives: This study aims at documenting the correlation between different body composition variables and post-exercise HRR in the apparently healthy female population of Pakistan.&#x0D; Place and duration of study: The study was conducted at Shifa College of Medicine from April 10, 2019 to July 20, 2020.&#x0D; Material &amp; Methods: Ninety healthy females aged 18 to 50 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Body composition variables including waist circumference (WC), body fat ratio (BFR), body mass index (BMI), and physical activity were measured. Resting heart rate and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure prior to the exercise were measured. Peak heart rate (HR) was recorded immediately after exercise. After two minutes of rest, the drop in HR was measured and HRR was calculated.&#x0D; Results: Mean age and BMI of the participants were 30.63±9.18 years and 24.56±4.24, respectively. Impaired HRR after two minutes of exercise (HRR2) was found in 63.3% of participants. A significant negative correlation was found between the BMI, BFR and WC with heart rate recovery (r=-0.64, r=-0.67 and -0.66 respectively; p&lt;0.001*). Participants with BMI less than 23 reported higher HRR compared to the subjects with BMI ? 23 (p&lt;0.001*). Study subjects with a BFR of less than 30 reported significantly higher HRR compared to the participants with a body fat ratio?30 (p&lt;0.001*).&#x0D; Conclusion: A significant correlation was found between HRR2 and body composition variables in healthy female adults.

Sex-Based Differences in the Myogenic Response and Inflammatory Gene Expression Following Eccentric Contractions in Humans.

After muscle injury, the interaction between muscle satellite cells (SC) and the immune response is instrumental for the repair and regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue. Studies have reported sex-based differences in the skeletal muscle inflammatory and regenerative response following injury. However, many of these studies investigated such differences by manipulating the concentration of estradiol, in rodents and humans, without directly comparing males to females. We sought to explore differences in the myogenic and inflammatory response following unaccustomed eccentric exercise in males and females. We hypothesized that females would have a blunted myogenic and inflammatory response as compared to males. Methods: 26 (13 male, 13 female) healthy young adults (22 ± 0.4 years [mean ± SEM]) performed 300 maximal eccentric contractions (180°/s) of the knee extensors. Muscle biopsies were taken before (pre) and 48 h (post) following eccentric damage. SC content and activation were determined by immunohistochemical and real time-polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) analysis. Inflammatory markers were analyzed using rt-PCR. Results: Following eccentric damage, males had a greater expansion of type I-associated SC (p < 0.05), and there was a trend for a greater expansion in total SC (type I + II fibers) (p = 0.06) compared to females. There was a trend for a greater increase in Pax7 and CCL2 gene expression in males compared to females (p = 0.09). Conclusion: We conclude that there are sex-based differences in the myogenic and inflammatory response, where females have a blunted SC and inflammatory response.

Sympathetic transduction of blood pressure during graded lower body negative pressure in young healthy adults.

Sympathetic transduction of blood pressure (BP) is correlated negatively with resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in cross-sectional data, but the acute effects of increasing MSNA are unclear. Sixteen (4 female) healthy adults (26 ± 3 years) underwent continuous measurement of heart rate, BP, and MSNA at rest and during graded lower body negative pressure (LBNP) at -10, -20, and -30 mmHg. Sympathetic transduction of BP was quantified in the time (signal averaging) and frequency (MSNA-BP gain) domains. The proportions of MSNA bursts firing within each tertile of BP were calculated. As expected, LBNP increased MSNA burst frequency (P < 0.01) and burst amplitude (P < 0.02), although the proportions of MSNA bursts firing across each BP tertile remained stable (all P > 0.44). The MSNA-diastolic BP low-frequency transfer function gain (P = 0.25) was unchanged during LBNP; the spectral coherence was increased (P = 0.03). Signal-averaged sympathetic transduction of diastolic BP was unchanged (from 2.1 ± 1.0 at rest to 2.4 ± 1.5, 2.2 ± 1.3, and 2.3 ± 1.4 mmHg; P = 0.43) during LBNP, but diastolic BP responses following nonburst cardiac cycles progressively decreased (from -0.8 ± 0.4 at rest to -1.0 ± 0.6, -1.2 ± 0.6, and -1.6 ± 0.9 mmHg; P < 0.01). As a result, the difference between MSNA burst and nonburst diastolic BP responses was increased (from 2.9 ± 1.4 at rest to 3.4 ± 1.9, 3.4 ± 1.9, and 3.9 ± 2.1 mmHg; P < 0.01). In conclusion, acute increases in MSNA using LBNP did not alter traditional signal-averaged or frequency-domain measures of sympathetic transduction of BP or the proportion of MSNA bursts firing at different BP levels. The factors that determine changes in the firing of MSNA bursts relative to oscillations in BP require further investigation.

Association between high levels of body-esteem and increased degree of midcingulate cortex global connectivity: A resting-state fMRI study.

Multiple neuroimaging studies have examined the neural underpinnings of body image disturbances in patients with eating disorders. However, key brain regions related to body image, such as body-esteem (BE), among healthy individuals are understudied. Given the extremely crucial role of BE in eating behaviors and physical and mental health, the current study conducted data-driven analysis and characterized the neurobiological correlates of BE with the network properties of the resting brain using the voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) measures of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data and seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). A total of 694 healthy young adults (females=474, mean age=18.38 years, range=17-22) underwent rs-fMRI, and completed the Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, the Eating Disorder Diagnosis Scale, and the Restraint Scale. After correcting for differences in age, gender, body mass index, and head motion, whole-brain correlation analyses revealed that a high level of BE was associated with increased DC within the right midcingulate cortex (MCC) and subsequent high levels of MCC-based RSFC strengths. Furthermore, MCC connectivity patterns related to BE were inversely associated with disordered eating behaviors. These findings suggest that adaptive cognitive and emotional regulation (i.e., self-evaluation and emotion based on body image) may explain the potential relationship between MCC connectivity patterns and BE to a certain extent. As such, future studies should investigate these interesting possibilities.