Physical Activity Stimuli Research Articles

Training older adults to inhibit the automatic attraction to sedentary stimuli: A cognitive-bias-modification protocol

Background: To counteract the pandemic of physical inactivity, current interventions rely mainly on reflective processes that focus on increasing the motivation to be physically active. Yet, while these interventions successfully increase the intention to be active, their effect on actual behavior is weak. Recent findings in line with the theory of effort minimization in physical activity (TEMPA) suggest that this inability to turn the intention into action is explained by positive automatic reactions to stimuli associated with sedentary behaviors. These automatic reactions could be particularly strong in older adults, who are more likely to associate physical activity with fear, pain, or discomfort. Objective: The aim of this program is to test the effect of an intervention aiming to counteract their automatic attraction toward sedentary stimuli and to respond positively to physical-activity stimuli in older adults. Training older adults to inhibit the automatic attraction toward sedentary stimuli is hypothesized to increase physical activity, thereby contributing to improved physical functioning and quality of life. Methods: To test these hypotheses, older adults (≥ 60 years) will be enrolled in a controlled double-blinded study with 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Participants will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive a 12-session cognitive-bias modification training for 3-week based on a go / no-go task either in an experimental or a control condition (placebo). The primary outcome is the number of steps per week. Secondary outcomes include automatic approach-avoidance tendencies toward sedentary and physical activity stimuli, explicit affective attitudes toward physical activity, physical function, and quality of life. Discussion: The study is expected to inform public-health policies and improve interventions aiming to counteract the pandemic of physical inactivity.

Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active

Using computerized reaction-time tasks assessing automatic attitudes, studies have shown that healthy young adults have faster reaction times when approaching physical activity stimuli than when avoiding them. The opposite has been observed for sedentary stimuli. However, it is unclear whether these results hold across the lifespan and when error rates and a possible generic approach-avoidance tendency are accounted for. Here, reaction times and errors in online approach-avoidance tasks of 130 participants aged 21 to 77 years were analyzed using mixed-effects models. Automatic approach-avoidance tendencies were tested using physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli. Explicit attitudes toward physical activity and intention to be physically active were self-reported. Results accounting for age, sex, gender, level of physical activity, body mass index, and chronic health condition confirmed a main tendency to approach physical activity stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to approach vs. avoid; p = .001) and to avoid sedentary stimuli (i.e., faster reaction to avoid vs. approach; p < .001). Results based on neutral stimuli revealed a generic approach tendency in early adulthood (i.e., faster approach before age 53 and fewer errors before age 36) and a generic avoidance tendency in older adults (i.e., more errors after age 60). When accounting for these generic tendencies, results showed a greater tendency (i.e., fewer errors) to avoid than approach sedentary stimuli after aged 50, but not before (p = .026). Exploratory analyses showed that irrespective of age, participants were faster at approaching physical activity (p = .028) and avoiding sedentary stimuli (p = .041) when they considered physical activity as pleasant and enjoyable (explicit attitude). However, results showed no evidence of an association between approach-avoidance tendencies and the intention to be physically active. Taken together, these results suggest that both age and explicit attitudes can affect the general tendency to approach physical activity stimuli and to avoid sedentary stimuli.

Relationship between age and physical and sedentary stimuli

A recommendation of: Ata Farajzadeh, Miriam Goubran, Alexa Beehler, Noura Cherkawi, Paula Morrison, Margaux de Chanaleilles, Silvio Maltagliati, Boris Cheval, Matthew W. Miller, Lisa Sheehy, Martin Bilodeau, Dan Orsholits, Matthieu P. Boisgontier Automatic approach-avoidance tendency toward physical activity, sedentary, and neutral stimuli as a function of age, explicit affective attitude, and intention to be active https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.09.05.22279509

Development of a multi-component intervention to promote sleep in older persons with dementia transitioning from hospital to home.

Hospitalised older persons with dementia are commonly discharged with intensified sleep disturbances. These disturbances can impede the recovery process. Nurses are well-positioned to assist persons with dementia and their family caregivers in managing sleep disturbances during the transition from hospital to home. To describe the development of a multi-component intervention to promote sleep. We applied three stages of the intervention mapping method to develop a non-pharmacological, multi-component sleep intervention. The first stage involved a review of the literature to generate an understanding of the determinants of sleep disturbances experienced by persons with dementia in hospital and home settings. The second stage consisted of a literature review to identify therapies for managing commonly reported determinants of sleep disturbances. The third stage entailed delineation of the intervention components. The most common determinants of sleep disturbances experienced by persons with dementia in hospital and home settings were: physiological changes associated with ageing, sleep environments non-conducive to sleep, limited exposure to light and engagement in physical activity, stress and sleep-related beliefs and behaviours. Therapies found effective included: light therapy, physical activity therapy, sleep hygiene, and stimulus control therapy. These therapies were integrated into a multi-component sleep intervention to be provided using the teach-back technique, during and following hospitalisation. Consistent with the principles of patient engagement, the multi-component sleep intervention will be evaluated for its acceptability and feasibility. The intervention has potentials to improve sleep during the transition from hospital to home.

Inhibitory control elicited by physical activity and inactivity stimuli: An electroencephalography study.

Inhibitory control elicited by physical activity and inactivity stimuli: An electroencephalography study.

Stair climbing and mortality: a prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank.

BackgroundRegular stair climbing has the potential to lower the risk of premature death, but current evidence is scarce. We aimed to examine whether daily stair climbing is associated with lower risk of all‐cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.MethodsUsing the UK Biobank cohort, we extracted information of self‐reported daily flights of stairs climbed at home, categorized as none, 1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15, and ≥16 flights per day. Associations between flights of stair climbed per day and mortality were examined as hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographic, clinical, and behavioural covariates including time spent in other physical activities. We calculated the restricted mean survival time as an absolute measure of association. The risk of residual confounding was examined using propensity score matching and by using lung cancer as negative control outcome. Participants were followed from baseline (2006–2010) through 31 March 2020.ResultsA total of 280 423 participants (median follow‐up 11.1 years, during which 9445 deaths occurred) were included. Compared with not climbing any stairs, climbing more than five flights of stairs at home per day was associated with lower risk of premature mortality. The lowest risk was found for those climbing 6–10 flights per day: 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85, 0.98, translated to approximately 44 to 55 days of additional survival. A similar pattern was found after applying propensity score matching and for cancer mortality (6–10 flights per day HR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.97), but not for CVD mortality (6–10 flights per day HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.29). The association between stair climbing and lung cancer was similar to that of all‐cause mortality.ConclusionsClimbing more than five flights of stairs at home per day was associated with a lower risk of all‐cause and cancer mortality, but not CVD mortality, compared with those who did not take the stairs. The magnitude of the association was small and appeared susceptible to residual confounding. It is unlikely that at‐home stair climbing is sufficient physical activity stimuli to lower the risk of premature mortality.

Supplemental Material for Inhibitory Control Elicited by Physical Activity and Inactivity Stimuli: An Electroencephalography Study

Supplemental Material for Inhibitory Control Elicited by Physical Activity and Inactivity Stimuli: An Electroencephalography Study

Higher inhibitory control is required to escape the innate attraction to effort minimization

Recent evidence suggests humans have an automatic attraction to effort minimization. Yet, how this attraction is associated with response inhibition is still unclear. Here, we used go/no-go tasks to capture inhibitory control in response to stimuli depicting physical activity versus physical inactivity in 59 healthy young individuals. Higher commission errors (i.e., failure to refrain a response to a “no-go” stimulus) indicated lower inhibitory control. Based on the energetic cost minimization theory, we hypothesized that participants would exhibit higher commission errors when responding to physical inactivity stimuli rather than physical activity stimuli. Mixed effects models showed that, compared to physical activity stimuli, participants exhibited higher commission errors when responding to stimuli depicting physical inactivity (odds ratio = 1.59, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.18 to 2.16, p = .003). These results suggest that physical inactivity stimuli might require high response inhibition. This study lends support for the hypothesis that an attraction to effort minimization might affect inhibitory processes in the presence of stimuli related to this minimization. The study pre-registration form can be found at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/RKYHB.

Physically active individuals look for more: An eye-tracking study of attentional bias.

Attentional capture by exercise-related stimuli is important for the regulation of physical activity. Attentional processing underlying this capture has been investigated with indirect behavioral measures based on reaction times. To investigate more direct measures of visual spatial attention toward physical activity (vs. inactivity) stimuli, we used eye-tracking and a visual dot probe task in 77 young adults with various level of physical activity. Reaction times to detect a dot appearing in the area previously occupied by a physical activity (vs. inactivity) stimulus were an indirect measure of attentional bias. The first picture gaze and viewing time were more direct measures of attentional orienting and attentional engagement, respectively. Pupil dilation was an indicator of arousal. Reaction times revealed a two-way interaction between the location of the dot and participants' usual level of physical activity. Only participants with a high level of physical activity more quickly detected a dot when it appeared in the area previously occupied by a physical activity stimulus. Eye-tracking results showed greater odds of first gazing at physical activity stimuli and for a longer time, and a greater decrease in pupil size when viewing physical activity stimuli when usual level of physical activity was moderate or high, but not low. The variance explained in the outcomes ranged from 13.9% (pupil dilation) to 40% (reaction times). Overall, as hypothesized, compared to less physically active participants, participants who were more physically active demonstrated indirect (reaction times) and direct (first gaze, viewing time) evidence of a more pronounced attentional bias toward physical activity. Physical activity stimuli biased attention, with a pronounced effect when the level of physical activity was higher. These findings suggest that physical activity stimuli are relevant to the current concerns of moderately and highly active individuals.

Bone mineral density in male weight-classified athletes is higher than that in male endurance-athletes and non-athletes

Weight-bearing physical activity and intense mechanical stimuli affect the bone through the endocrine system; hence, bone-loading sports affect bone mineral density. We hypothesized that weight-classified athletes, such as those practicing wrestling and judo, have relatively high bone mineral density because these activities have a higher impact on the entire body during daily training compared to low- or non-impact activities. We aimed to investigate the bone mineral density of weight-classified athletes (participating in wrestling and judo) to compare the parameters with those of endurance-athletes and non-athletes. Thirty-three college athletes (aged 18-22 years) were divided into three groups, wrestlers, judoka, and endurance-athletes, according to their sports history. Eight non-athletes participated as controls. Bone mineral density was determined by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Mean whole-body bone mineral density of wrestlers and judoka was higher than that of endurance-athletes and non-athletes (P<0.01). The bone mineral density of athletes competing in wrestling and judo was higher than that of non-athletes when adjusted for body mass. The present study demonstrated that weight-classified athletes have significantly higher bone mineral density compared to endurance- and non-athletes, despite rapid weight loss before competitions.

Changing implicit attitudes for physical activity with associative learning

This study evaluated the impact of 4‑day exposure to posters pairing physical activity or sedentary behavior with positive stimuli on implicit attitudes toward physical activity versus sedentary behavior, and physical activity measured with accelerometers. This study was conducted among participants enrolled in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Participants (N = 79) were randomized into groups exposed to (i) posters of people being physically active, (ii) posters of people engaged in sedentary behaviors, or (iii) control, not exposed. Over four days, different posters were put in patients’ bedrooms. Participants were not informed of the link between the intervention and the evaluations. Implicit attitudes were measured with an Implicit Association Test at the start and at the end of the intervention. Physical activity was measured with accelerometers the weekend after the intervention. Regarding implicit attitudes, results showed a non-significant time × group interaction. There were also no significant differences between groups regarding physical activity. Bayesian analyses confirmed these null hypotheses. Putting posters pairing physical activity stimuli with positive stimuli in patients’ bedroom during a rehabilitation program did not impact their implicit attitudes or physical activity behavior. Other studies are needed to develop effective interventions targeting implicit attitudes.

From Petri dish to human: new insights into the mechanisms mediating muscle pain and fatigue, with implications for health and disease.

With the onset of physical activity, contraction-induced mechanical and metabolic stimuli within working muscle activate molecular receptors located on the terminals of both thinly myelinated (group III) and unmyelinated neurons (group IV). These thin-fibre muscle afferents project, via the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, to spinal and supraspinal sites within the CNS. Over the past 80 years, scientists have recognized the critical involvement of these afferents in the cardiovascular and respiratory responses to exercise, fatigue mediated by the CNS, and musculoskeletal pain (Amann et al. 2015). However, despite a century of research, the exact metabolites and intramuscular receptors mediating group III/IV-activated physiological responses and noxious sensations have not been established. Furthermore, the effect of diseases such as heart failure, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or fibromyalgia on the muscle afferent feedback system and the potential role of maladaptations of this system in debilitating symptoms of these diseases are largely unknown.

Characterization of Pain in Fabry Disease

To give a detailed characterization of pain in a large cohort of patients with Fabry disease. In this single-center, retrospective study we performed a detailed analysis of pain prevalence and characteristics of 132 patients with Fabry disease. Data were obtained by screening all medical records and using standardized extraction forms. Missing data were completed by telephone interviews. We show that men and women with Fabry disease frequently experience pain, mostly starting in early childhood. Pain is typically episodic with pain attacks being the predominant phenotype. The most frequent localization is in the distal extremities, the most often named pain quality is "burning." Fabry pain is triggerable by physical activity and thermal stimuli and improves over time. Frequently used acute pain medication consists of nonsteroidal antirheumatics and nonopioid analgesics. Long-term medications such as drugs used to treat neuropathic pain syndromes are rarely taken by Fabry patients. Pain in Fabry disease affects both sexes and has a complex phenotype that requires comprehensive assessment. Current pain questionnaires fail to cover the entire scope of Fabry pain. Although basically neuropathic, some types of Fabry pain may respond to nonsteroidal antirheumatics and nonopioid analgesics.

DNA demethylation enhances myoblasts hypertrophy during the late phase of myogenesis activating the IGF-I pathway

Skeletal muscle regeneration and hypertrophy are important adaptive responses to both physical activity and pathological stimuli. This research was performed to investigate DNA demethylation action on the late phase of muscle differentiation and early stage of hypertrophy. The epigenetic process involved in myogenesis was studied with the DNA-demethylating agent 5-azacytidine (AZA). We induced muscle differentiation in C2C12 mouse myoblasts in the presence of 5 μM AZA and growth or differentiation medium for 48, 72, and 96 h. To study a potential AZA hypertrophic effect, we stimulated 72 h differentiated myotubes with AZA for 24 h. Unstimulated cells were used as control. By western blot and immunofluorescence analysis, we examined AZA action on myogenic regulatory factors expression, hypertrophic signaling pathway and myotube morphology. During differentiation, protein levels of myogenic markers, Myf6 and Myosin Heavy Chain (MyHC), were higher in AZA stimulated cells compared to control. Myostatin and p21 analysis revealed morphological changes which reflect a tendency to hypertrophy in myotubes. In AZA stimulated neo formed myotubes, we observed that IGF-I pathway, kinases p70 S6, 4E-BP1, and ERK1/2 were activated. Furthermore, AZA treatment increased MyHC protein content in stimulated neo myotubes. Our work demonstrates that DNA demethylation could plays an important role in promoting the late phase of myogenesis, activating endocellular pathways involved in protein increment and stimulating the hypertrophic process.

Impaired inhibitory control in anorexia nervosa elicited by physical activity stimuli

Besides food restriction, hyperactivity is considered a key behavioral trait of anorexia nervosa (AN), playing a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of the disorder. However, the underlying neurophysiology remains poorly understood. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging during two affective go/no-go tasks to probe inhibitory control in response to stimuli depicting physical activity vs inactivity and food vs non-food in AN patients compared with 26 healthy athlete and non-athlete controls. We hypothesized that neural correlates of behavioral inhibition are biased by the emotional information of the stimuli in AN patients, leading to a differential neural inhibitory pattern during the two tasks. Indeed, we found reduced response inhibition for food and non-food images in the putamen, while stimuli depicting physical activity resulted in an exaggerated response of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cerebellum in AN patients. However, both AN patients and athletes revealed an increased response in the somatosensory cortex to physical activity stimuli. These results suggest that physical activity stimuli might place an increased demand on the inhibitory control system in AN patients. The resulting hyperactivity of the PFC and cerebellum may lead to altered executive function and motor control, sustaining increased physical activity in AN patients.

Short- and Long-Term Blood Pressure Variability

It has long been known that blood pressure (BP) is characterized by an array of spontaneous variations.1 That is, BP values vary markedly within the 24 hours because of day-night changes but also because of differences among hours, minutes, and even adjacent beats. They also show variations over more prolonged periods because of differences among days, months, and seasons,2 also with a trend for systolic BP to increase over the years and for diastolic BP to display an age-related biphasic change.3 This article summarizes current knowledge on short-term (within the 24 hours) and long-term BP variability. Mention will be made of the following: (1) factors responsible for BP variations and mechanisms through which they occur; (2) the relationship of BP variability with BP mean values in absence and during antihypertensive treatment; and (3) the prognostic significance of BP variability. Current limitations of the studies on BP variability will be also discussed to emphasize what future studies should address. ### Factors and Mechanisms A large body of evidence shows that, over the 24 hours, BP undergoes marked variations in response to physical activity, sleep, and emotional stimuli of various nature and duration, thereby documenting the profound involvement of behavioral influences on BP variability. However, spontaneous BP variations also occur independently on behavior. For example, throughout the day and night, BP oscillates regularly at different frequencies, presumably because of influences originating within the brain.4 Furthermore, BP varies more or less regularly in response to the mechanical forces generated by ventilation and also shows irregular nonbehaviorally and nonmechanically related changes with a possible origin from humoral influences and even local vasomotor phenomena. Finally, BP variations are opposed throughout the 24 hours by the baroreflex, which makes the magnitude of 24-hour BP variability in a given individual the net effect of pro-oscillatory and antioscillatory …

Physiological relevance and health cost benefits. Reply: “Disputing the Claims for Physiological Fitness and Health Adaptations from Purposeful Training using Off-road Vehicles” by Milburn et al.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the Letter to the Editor entitled ‘‘Disputing the Claims for Physiological Fitness and Health Adaptations from Purposeful Training using Off-road Vehicles’’ by Milburn et al. (2012). We have several concerns with this Letter. First, we take exception to the authors’ opening sentence in which they imply a conflict of interest and appear to be attempting to discredit our research through our association with the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicles Distributors Council (COHV). We stated quite explicitly in our article that ‘‘This study was supported through a research grant organized by the COHV which included funds from both private and government sources’’. The COHV had no involvement at any stage of the research or manuscript preparation. Let us be clear that our interest in off-road vehicle riding has been, and remains, purely scientific in relation to the physiological and health-related indices associated with acute and habitual physical activity participation. We will accept it as true that the authors’ Letter to the Editor is similarly concerned only with the current science presented, and is in no way influenced by their previously published opinions objecting to the environmental, social and financial aspects of this activity (Bissix and Medicraft 2008). Milburn and colleagues appear to have overlooked important aspects of our article and of pertinent basic physiology research, in relation to the health benefits of physical activity participation. All physical activity participation has inherent risks (Goodman et al. 2011)—some more than others, and informed decisions regarding participation are only possible through consideration of both the risks and rewards. As we have acknowledged previously (Burr et al. 2010a), we do not deny the important concerns in regard to potential traumatic injury (and other issues such as land use and environmental impact); however, these issues are not germane to the evaluation of the effects on physiological health, fitness and chronic disease risk. We feel that the authors’ suggestion to disregard the possible health benefits of this activity for reasons apart from the question at hand (i.e. ‘‘is the physical activity stimulus capable of stimulating changes in health?’’) to be misguided. Given their previous publication exploring ‘‘...the problems of beer consumption as well as the emerging evidence of benefit’’ (Preedy 2009), we think the authors can appreciate our belief that these outlying objections to the validity of our results are analogous to suggesting evidence of the beneficial cardiovascular health effects of modest alcohol consumption (Gaziano et al. 1993) be similarly ignored owing to the role of alcohol in traumatic injury, the environmental impact of producing and shipping wine, or the ill effects of alcohol abuse on health (Eckardt et al. 1981; Ogden and Moskowitz 2004). Certainly these are all areas of concern, but do not change the original evidence of an association with health from a physiological perspective. Milburn and colleagues’ suggested that ‘‘none of the data indicates that riders met the important threshold of a minimum of 10 min at moderate intensity to conform to ACSM guidelines’’ is simply incorrect. Intensity and Communicated by Susan A. Ward.

Family physical activity and sedentary environments and weight change in children

To examine associations between family physical activity and sedentary environment and changes in body mass index (BMI) z-scores among 10-12-year-old children over three years. Design. Longitudinal (three-year follow-up). Subjects. In total, 152 boys and 192 girls aged 10-12 years at baseline. Measured height and weight at baseline and follow-up (weight status, BMI z-scores); aspects of the family physical activity and sedentary environment (parental and sibling modelling, reinforcement, social support, family-related barriers, rules/restrictions, home physical environment) measured with a questionnaire completed by parents at baseline. At baseline, 29.6% of boys and 21.9% of girls were overweight or obese, and mean (standard deviation, SD) BMI z-scores were 0.44 (0.99) and 0.28 (0.89), respectively. There was a significant change in BMI z-score among girls (mean change = 0.19, SD = 0.55, p < 0.001), but not boys. Among boys, the number of items at home able to be used for sedentary behaviour (B = 0.11, p = 0.037) was associated with relatively greater increases in BMI z-score. Among girls, sibling engagement in physical activity at least three times/wk (B = -0.17, p = 0.010) and the number of physical activity equipment items at home (B = -0.05, p = 0.018) were associated with relatively greater decreases in BMI z-score. Sibling physical activity and environmental stimuli for sedentary behaviours and physical activity within the home may be important targets for prevention of weight gain during the transition from childhood to adolescence.

Skeletal muscle hypertrophy is mediated by a Ca2+-dependent calcineurin signalling pathway.

Skeletal muscle hypertrophy and regeneration are important adaptive responses to both physical activity and pathological stimuli. Failure to maintain these processes underlies the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength that occurs with ageing and in myopathies. Here we show that stable expression of a gene encoding insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells, or treatment of these cells with recombinant IGF-1 or with insulin and dexamethasone, results in hypertrophy of differentiated myotubes and a switch to glycolytic metabolism. Treatment with IGF-1 or insulin and dexamethasone mobilizes intracellular calcium, activates the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, and induces the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NF-ATc1. Hypertrophy is suppressed by the calcineurin inhibitors cyclosporin A or FK506, but not by inhibitors of the MAP-kinase or phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase pathways. Injecting rat latissimus dorsi muscle with a plasmid encoding IGF-1 also activates calcineurin, mobilizes satellite cells and causes a switch to glycolytic metabolism. We propose that growth-factor-induced skeletal-muscle hypertrophy and changes in myofibre phenotype are mediated by calcium mobilization and are critically regulated by the calcineurin/NF-ATc1 signalling pathway.