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1.
Moving more and sitting less in schools: What's the next step?
Strieter, L, Arena, R, Huizar, M
Progress in cardiovascular diseases. 2021;:22-26
Abstract
Schools serve as the ideal location for implementing interventions to increase physical activity (PA) as children spend most of their day in the school setting. As adolescents become more and more sedentary and obesity statistics become more dire, efforts to increase physical literacy and PA should be heightened. Physical literacy is the ability for a child to understand the movement of their body and how it can be manipulated to increase activity for recreation or sports movement. When physical literacy is paired with school-based multi-component programs, children are more likely to make a behavior change. As educators know, children are more likely to make a behavior change when mastery of content is achieved, and the lesson is tailored to their needs. Even small changes, like moving a little more or adding an additional serving of vegetables to the diet, can make a profound impact. In the current review we discuss: 1) the state of PA within school systems; 2) provide a rationale for why school systems fail to meet said guidelines; and 3) suggest how guidelines can eventually be achieved through the promotion of physical literacy and effective school-based multi component programs.
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2.
Associations Between Digital Health Intervention Engagement, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Mclaughlin, M, Delaney, T, Hall, A, Byaruhanga, J, Mackie, P, Grady, A, Reilly, K, Campbell, E, Sutherland, R, Wiggers, J, et al
Journal of medical Internet research. 2021;(2):e23180
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effectiveness of digital health interventions is commonly assumed to be related to the level of user engagement with the digital health intervention, including measures of both digital health intervention use and users' subjective experience. However, little is known about the relationships between the measures of digital health intervention engagement and physical activity or sedentary behavior. OBJECTIVE This study aims to describe the direction and strength of the association between engagement with digital health interventions and physical activity or sedentary behavior in adults and explore whether the direction of association of digital health intervention engagement with physical activity or sedentary behavior varies with the type of engagement with the digital health intervention (ie, subjective experience, activities completed, time, and logins). METHODS Four databases were searched from inception to December 2019. Grey literature and reference lists of key systematic reviews and journals were also searched. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they examined a quantitative association between a measure of engagement with a digital health intervention targeting physical activity and a measure of physical activity or sedentary behavior in adults (aged ≥18 years). Studies that purposely sampled or recruited individuals on the basis of pre-existing health-related conditions were excluded. In addition, studies were excluded if the individual engaging with the digital health intervention was not the target of the physical activity intervention, the study had a non-digital health intervention component, or the digital health interventions targeted multiple health behaviors. A random effects meta-analysis and direction of association vote counting (for studies not included in meta-analysis) were used to address objective 1. Objective 2 used vote counting on the direction of the association. RESULTS Overall, 10,653 unique citations were identified and 375 full texts were reviewed. Of these, 19 studies (26 associations) were included in the review, with no studies reporting a measure of sedentary behavior. A meta-analysis of 11 studies indicated a small statistically significant positive association between digital health engagement (based on all usage measures) and physical activity (0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.14, SD 0.11). Heterogeneity was high, with 77% of the variation in the point estimates explained by the between-study heterogeneity. Vote counting indicated that the relationship between physical activity and digital health intervention engagement was consistently positive for three measures: subjective experience measures (2 of 3 associations), activities completed (5 of 8 associations), and logins (6 of 10 associations). However, the direction of associations between physical activity and time-based measures of usage (time spent using the intervention) were mixed (2 of 5 associations supported the hypothesis, 2 were inconclusive, and 1 rejected the hypothesis). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate a weak but consistent positive association between engagement with a physical activity digital health intervention and physical activity outcomes. No studies have targeted sedentary behavior outcomes. The findings were consistent across most constructs of engagement; however, the associations were weak.
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3.
Relative Efficacy of Weight Management, Exercise, and Combined Treatment for Muscle Mass and Physical Sarcopenia Indices in Adults with Overweight or Obesity and Osteoarthritis: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Chu, SF, Liou, TH, Chen, HC, Huang, SW, Liao, CD
Nutrients. 2021;(6)
Abstract
Aging and osteoarthritis are associated with high risk of muscle mass loss, which leads to physical disability; this loss can be effectively alleviated by diet (DI) and exercise (ET) interventions. This study investigated the relative effects of different types of diet, exercise, and combined treatment (DI+ET) on muscle mass and functional outcomes in individuals with obesity and lower-limb osteoarthritis. A comprehensive search of online databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the efficacy of DI, ET, and DI+ET in patients with obesity and lower-extremity osteoarthritis. The included RCTs were analyzed through network meta-analysis and risk-of-bias assessment. We finally included 34 RCTs with a median (range/total) Physiotherapy Evidence Database score of 6.5 (4-8/10). DI plus resistance ET, resistance ET alone, and aerobic ET alone were ranked as the most effective treatments for increasing muscle mass (standard mean difference (SMD) = 1.40), muscle strength (SMD = 1.93), and walking speed (SMD = 0.46). Our findings suggest that DI+ET is beneficial overall for muscle mass in overweight or obese adults with lower-limb osteoarthritis, especially those who are undergoing weight management.
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4.
Acute Whole-Body Vibration Exercise Promotes Favorable Handgrip Neuromuscular Modifications in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Over Randomized Clinical.
Coelho-Oliveira, AC, Lacerda, ACR, de Souza, ALC, Santos, LMM, da Fonseca, SF, Dos Santos, JM, Ribeiro, VGC, Leite, HR, Figueiredo, PHS, Fernandes, JSC, et al
BioMed research international. 2021;:9774980
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes progressive changes in the musculoskeletal system compromising neuromuscular control especially in the hands. Whole-body vibration (WBV) could be an alternative for the rehabilitation in this population. This study investigated the immediate effect of WBV while in the modified push-up position on neural ratio (NR) in a single session during handgrip strength (HS) in women with stable RA. METHODS Twenty-one women with RA (diagnosis of disease: ±8 years, erythrocyte sedimentation rate: ±24.8, age: 54± 11 years, BMI: 28 ± 4 kg·m-2) received three experimental interventions for five minutes in a randomized and balanced cross-over order: (1) control-seated with hands at rest, (2) sham-push-up position with hands on the vibration platform that remained disconnected, and (3) vibration-push-up position with hands on the vibration platform turned on (45 Hz, 2 mm, 159.73 m·s-2). At the baseline and immediately after the three experimental interventions, the HS, the electromyographic records (EMGrms), and range of motion (ROM) of the dominant hand were measured. The NR, i.e., the ratio between EMGrms of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) muscle and HS, was also determined. The lower NR represented the greater neuromuscular efficiency (NE). RESULTS The NR was similar at baseline in the three experimental interventions. Despite the nonsignificance of within-interventions (p = 0.0611) and interaction effect (p = 0.1907), WBV exercise reduced the NR compared with the sham and control (p = 0.0003, F = 8.86, η 2 = 0.85, power = 1.00). CONCLUSION Acute WBV exercise under the hands promotes neuromuscular modifications during the handgrip of women with stable RA. Thus, acute WBV exercise may be used as a preparatory exercise for the rehabilitation of the hands in this population. This trial is registered with trial registration 2.544.850 (ReBEC-RBR-2n932c).
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5.
Influence of upper limb training and analyzed muscles on estimate of physical activity during cereal grinding using saddle quern and rotary quern.
Struška, M, Hora, M, Rocek, TR, Sládek, V
PloS one. 2021;(8):e0243669
Abstract
Experimental grinding has been used to study the relationship between human humeral robusticity and cereal grinding in the early Holocene. However, such replication studies raise two questions regarding the robusticity of the results: whether female nonathletes used in previous research are sufficiently comparable to early agricultural females, and whether previous analysis of muscle activation of only four upper limb muscles is sufficient to capture the stress of cereal grinding on upper limb bones. We test the influence of both of these factors. Electromyographic activity of eight upper limb muscles was recorded during cereal grinding in an athletic sample of 10 female rowers and in 25 female nonathletes and analyzed using both an eight- and four-muscle model. Athletes had lower activation than nonathletes in the majority of measured muscles, but except for posterior deltoid these differences were non-significant. Furthermore, both athletes and nonathletes had lower muscle activation during saddle quern grinding than rotary quern grinding suggesting that the nonathletes can be used to model early agricultural females during saddle and rotary quern grinding. Similarly, in both eight- and four-muscle models, upper limb loading was lower during saddle quern grinding than during rotary quern grinding, suggesting that the upper limb muscles may be reduced to the previously used four-muscle model for evaluation of the upper limb loading during cereal grinding. Another implication of our measurements is to question the assumption that skeletal indicators of high involvement of the biceps brachii muscle can be interpreted as specifically indicative of saddle quern grinding.
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6.
Whole-Body Vibration Stimulates Microvascular Blood Flow in Skeletal Muscle.
Betik, AC, Parker, L, Kaur, G, Wadley, GD, Keske, MA
Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2021;(2):375-383
Abstract
PURPOSE Whole-body vibration (WBV) therapy has been reported to potentially act as an exercise mimetic by improving muscle function and exercise capacity in a variety of healthy and clinical populations. Considering the important role that microvascular blood flow plays in muscle metabolism and exercise capacity, we investigated the muscle microvascular responses of acute WBV to knee extension exercise (KEX) in healthy individuals. METHODS Eleven healthy adults (age: 33 ± 2 yr; body mass index: 23.6 ± 1.1 kg·m-2) underwent 3 min of WBV, or 3 min of KEX at 25% of one-repetition maximum, in a randomized order separated by a minimum of 72 h. Femoral arterial blood flow was measured via Doppler ultrasound, and thigh muscle microvascular blood flow was measured via contrast-enhanced ultrasound at baseline and throughout the 3-min postintervention recovery period. RESULTS Both WBV and KEX significantly increased peak microvascular blood flow (WBV, 5.6-fold; KEX, 21-fold; both P < 0.05) during the 3-min recovery period. Despite a similar increase in femoral arterial blood flow (~4-fold; both P < 0.05 vs baseline) and whole-body oxygen consumption measured by indirect calorimetry (WBV, 48%; KEX, 60%; both P < 0.05 vs baseline) in both conditions, microvascular blood flow was stimulated to a greater extent after KEX. CONCLUSION A single 3-min session of WBV in healthy individuals is sufficient to significantly enhance muscle microvascular blood flow. Despite KEX providing a more potent stimulus, WBV may be an effective method for improving microvascular blood flow in populations reported to exhibit microvascular dysfunction such as patients with type 2 diabetes.
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7.
Acute hyperglycaemia does not have a consistent adverse effect on exercise performance in recreationally active young people with type 1 diabetes: a randomised crossover in-clinic study.
Rothacker, KM, Armstrong, S, Smith, GJ, Benjanuvatra, N, Lay, B, Adolfsson, P, Jones, TW, Fournier, PA, Davis, EA
Diabetologia. 2021;(8):1737-1748
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS In individuals with type 1 diabetes, chronic hyperglycaemia impairs aerobic fitness. However, the effect of acute marked hyperglycaemia on aerobic fitness is unclear, and the impact of insulin level has not been examined. In this study, we explored if acute hyperglycaemia with higher or low insulin levels affects [Formula: see text] and other exercise performance indicators in individuals with type 1 diabetes. METHODS Eligible participants were aged 14 to 30 years, with complication-free, type 1 diabetes and HbA1c ≤ 75 mmol/mol (≤9%). Participants exercised in a clinical laboratory under three clamp (constant insulin, variable glucose infusion) conditions: euglycaemia (5 mmol/l) with 20 mU [m2 BSA]-1 min-1 insulin (where BSA is body surface area) (Eu20); hyperglycaemia (17 mmol/l) with 20 mU [m2 BSA]-1 min-1 insulin (Hyper20); and hyperglycaemia (17 mmol/l) with 5 mU [m2 BSA]-1 min-1 insulin (Hyper5) on separate days. Participants and the single testing assessor were blinded to condition, with participants allocated to randomised testing condition sequences as they were consecutively recruited. Standardised testing (in order) conducted on each of the three study days included: triplicate 6 second sprint cycling, grip strength, single leg static balance, vertical jump and modified Star Excursion Balance Test, ten simple and choice reaction times and one cycle ergometer [Formula: see text] test. The difference between conditions in the aforementioned testing measures was analysed, with the primary outcome being the difference in [Formula: see text]. RESULTS Twelve recreationally active individuals with type 1 diabetes (8 male, mean ± SD 17.9 ± 3.9 years, HbA1c 61 ± 11 mmol/mol [7.7 ± 1.0%], 7 ± 3 h exercise/week) were analysed. Compared with Eu20, [Formula: see text] was lower in Hyper20 (difference 0.17 l/min [95% CI 0.31, 0.04; p = 0.02] 6.6% of mean Eu20 level), but Hyper5 was not different (p = 0.39). Compared with Eu20, sprint cycling peak power was not different in Hyper20 (p = 0.20), but was higher in Hyper5 (64 W [95% CI 13, 115; p = 0.02] 13.1%). Hyper20 reaction times were not different (simple: p = 0.12) but Hyper5 reaction times were slower (simple: 11 milliseconds [95% CI 1, 22; p = 0.04] 4.7%) than Eu20. No differences between Eu20 and either hyperglycaemic condition were observed for the other testing measures (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Acute marked hyperglycaemia in the higher but not low insulin state impaired [Formula: see text] but to a small extent. Acute hyperglycaemia had an insulin-dependent effect on sprint cycling absolute power output and reaction time but with differing directionality (positive for sprint cycling and negative for reaction time) and no effect on the other indicators of exercise performance examined. We find that acute hyperglycaemia is not consistently adverse and does not impair overall exercise performance to an extent clinically relevant for recreationally active individuals with type 1 diabetes. FUNDING This research was funded by Diabetes Research Western Australia and Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group grants.
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8.
The Impact of Low Energy Availability on Nonexercise Activity Thermogenesis and Physical Activity Behavior in Recreationally Trained Adults.
Martin, A, Hofmann, H, Drenowatz, C, Wallmann-Sperlich, B, Sperlich, B, Koehler, K
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2021;(4):329-336
Abstract
Energy availability describes the amount of dietary energy remaining for physiological functionality after the energy cost of exercise is deducted. The physiological and hormonal consequences of low energy availability (LEA) are well established, but the impact of LEA on physical activity behavior outside of exercise and, specifically, nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) has not been systematically examined. The authors conducted a secondary analysis of a repeated-measures crossover study in which recreationally trained young men (n = 6, 25 ± 1.0 years) underwent two 4-day conditions of LEA (15 kcal·kg fat-free mass-1 ·day-1) with and without endurance exercise (LEA + EX and LEA EX) and two energy-balanced control conditions (CON + EX and CON EX). The duration and intensity of physical activity outside of prescribed exercise were assessed using the SenseWear Pro3 armband. LEA did not alter NEAT (p = .41), nor time spent in moderate to vigorous (p = .20) and low-intensity physical activity (p = .17). However, time spent in low-intensity physical activity was lower in LEA + EX than LEA - EX (13.7 ± 0.3 vs. 15.2 ± 0.3 hr/day; p = .002). Short-term LEA does not seem to impact NEAT per se, but the way it is attained may impact physical activity behavior outside of exercise. As the participants expended similar amounts of energy during NEAT (900-1,300 kcal/day = 12.5-18.0 kcal·kg fat-free mass-1·day-1) and prescribed exercise bouts (15.0 kcal·kg fat-free mass-1·day-1), excluding it as a component of energy expenditure may skew the true energy available for physiological functionality in active populations.
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9.
Neurobiological Processes Induced by Aerobic Exercise through the Endocannabinoidome.
Forteza, F, Giorgini, G, Raymond, F
Cells. 2021;(4)
Abstract
Evidence suggesting the triangulation of the endocannabinoid system, exercise, and neurological health is emerging. In addition to the endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), the expanded endocannabinoid system, known as the endocannabinoidome (eCBome), appears to be an important player in this relationship. The eCBome includes several endocannabinoid-like mediators such as N-acylethanolamines and 2-monoacylglycerols, the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis and degradation, and the receptors they affect. This review aims to relate the functional interactions between aerobic exercise, and the molecular and cellular pathways related to endocannabinoids, in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and the periphery, with special attention given to associations with emotional state, cognition, and mental health. Given the well-documented roles of many eCBome members in regulating stress and neurological processes, we posit that the eCBome is an important effector of exercise-induced central and peripheral adaptive mechanisms that benefit mental health. Gut microbiota imbalance, affecting the gut-brain axis and metabolism, also influences certain eCBome-modulated inflammation pathways. The integrity of the gut microbiota could thus be crucial in the onset of neuroinflammation and mental conditions. Further studies on how the modulation by exercise of the peripheral eCBome affects brain functions could reveal to be key elements in the prevention and treatment of neuropsychological disorders.
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10.
The fit-active profile to better reflect the benefits of a lifelong vigorous physical activity participation: mini-review of literature and population data.
Marin-Couture, E, Pérusse, L, Tremblay, A
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme. 2021;(7):763-770
Abstract
Physical activity is favourably considered for its effect on metabolic fitness and body composition. This observation is generally supported by observational studies and is concordant with endurance-trained individuals' metabolic and morphological profiles. However, in some contexts, the measurement of physical activity habits may not provide an adequate representation of its benefits. In this paper, we review relevant literature on the respective effects of fitness and physical activity on anthropometric and metabolic variables and the informative potential of a classification based on aerobic fitness and activity indicators. The relevance to defining a profile based on both fitness and activity is reinforced by data from the Quebec Family Study showing that, in both men and women, "fit-active" individuals displayed a much more favourable morphological and metabolic profile than "unfit-inactive" individuals. Moreover, these benefits seemed to be more related to variations in fitness than in physical activity. In summary, evidence suggests that a profile combining information on aerobic fitness and physical activity may better reflect the lifelong impact of physical activity on body composition and health. Novelty: The fit-active profile better reflects the long-term benefits of vigorous physical activity participation on health. The reported benefits seem to be more related to variations in aerobic fitness than to those in physical activity.