International journal of exercise science最新文献

In martial arts, heart rate variability (HRV) measurements can potentially be used to assess injury risk and susceptibility to fatigue. Muay Thai uses the Frequency Speed of Kick Test (FSKT) to measure kick speed, but it is unknown whether better fitness results in improved autonomic function and body composition, which may affect athletic performance and recovery. We aimed to evaluate the correlations between FSKT, HRV, and body composition measures in amateur Muay Thai fighters. This is a cross-sectional study with 37 Muay Thai fighters. They underwent FSKT-10s and multiple FSKT to measure the kick fatigue index (KFI). In addition, body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis and HRV using a heart rate monitor. When comparing the values before and during the FSKT-10s, there was a decrease in the percentage of interval differences of consecutive successive NN intervals greater than 50 ms (pNN50), approximate entropy, and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) index, with an increase in the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) index. The number of kicks assessed by FSKT-10s positively correlated with fat-free mass (FFM) and low frequency (LF) of the HRV assessment. The KFI correlated negatively with the FFM and PNS index, and positively with the LF and SNS index. When amateur Muay Thai fighters perform the FSKT-10s, there is an acute effect on autonomic modulation with increased sympathetic activation and vagal withdrawal. FFM and sympathetic activation are related to performance and susceptibility to fatigue. These results indicate the importance of assessing HRV in Muay Thai fighters to improve performance.

Obese adults are faced with greater challenges to maintaining balance compared to their healthy-weight counterparts. Due in part to the ongoing national and global obesity epidemic, it's imperative to identify if body mass index (BMI) could negatively affect postural control and balance. The purpose of this study was to determine if CoP scores displayed a significant relationship with BMI in healthy adults. Cross-sectional, archival data from 225 adults (40 males; 185 females; age 29.6 ± 14.25 years; weight 77.95 ± 21.33 kilograms [kg]; height 168.43 ± 0.66 centimeters [cm]; BMI 27.52 ± 0.42 kg/m²) were analyzed. Four (4) CoP scores were collected using a Bertec® Dynamic Computerized Posturography Plate (Bertec, Columbus, OH) including Normal Surface Eyes Open (NSEO), Normal Surface Eyes Closed (NSEC), Perturbed Surface Eyes Open (PSEO), and Perturbed Surface Eyes Closed (PSEC). Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to determine if there were significant (p < 0.05) relationships between each of the 4 CoP conditions with BMI. A significant, weak negative relationship (r = -0.180; p = 0.007) was demonstrated between BMI and NSEO condition. Weak, insignificant negative relationships were demonstrated between BMI and NSEC (r = -0.065; p = 0.33) and PSEO (r = -0.021; p = 0.70) conditions. A weak, insignificant relationship was demonstrated between BMI and PSEC (r = 0.075; p = 0.25) condition. Obesity, as indicated by BMI, could lead to poorer postural control under normal surface, eyes open conditions.

Many law enforcement organizations are experiencing recruitment and retention challenges, of which physical fitness can be a factor. The study purpose was to collate information from Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission staff in each USA state to document current fitness mandates and policies for recruits/officers. A 10-question survey was allocated to an appropriate representative from every state POST organization. The survey collected information regarding minimum state-mandated fitness standards for academy entry and exit; minimum state-mandated requirements for fitness programming, including safety plans; education/training requirements for fitness training instructors; and minimum state-mandated fitness standards for incumbent officers. The response rate was 98% (49/50 states). Fewer than half of the states mandated: age- and gender-neutral statewide academy entry fitness tests (29%; n=14); ability-based fitness training (24%; n=12); minimum education or formal certifications for fitness training instructors (45%; n=22); statewide collection of fitness (25%; n=12) or injury (45%; n=18) data; a statewide fitness training safety plan (40%; n=19); age- and gender-neutral exit fitness tests for recruits/students (35%; n=17); and officer fitness standards (8%; n=4). Only thirteen states (27%) had an active work group focusing on survey topics. POST Commissions should be proactive in reviewing minimum fitness requirements for academies, and staff should continue and/or expand fitness education. Resources are available for POST Commissions to design/update safety plans and address other findings. Although difficult to mandate fitness standards for officers, they should be provided resources to remain physically active. Implementing these practices via appropriate policies should assist with personnel health and retention.

The purpose of this study was to understand whether or not physiological and biomechanical measures were influenced by cycling sway and intensity. Participants (n=13; 24.9±6.5 years; 1.7±0.1 m; 64.7±11.2 kg) completed two submaximal-effort cycling conditions using a stationary smart bike placed on a rocker board: 1) cycling with the rocker board set to allow sway (unblocked); 2) cycling with blocks placed in the rocker board to prevent sway (blocked). The order conditions were counterbalanced, and each condition was 12-mins. For each condition, four intensity levels were completed. Prior to testing, target power was identified for each Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) level (11, 13, 16, 17). Rate of oxygen consumption (V^·O₂; ml·kg^-1·min^-1) was measured using a metabolic cart (1 sample every 5 sec) along with RPE and heart rate (HR). Cadence, speed, and power were measured via the smart bike interface for each condition. Sway was measured using a custom rotary switch that measured (250 Hz) the angle of the rocker board while cycling. Each dependent variable was compared using a 2 (Condition: blocked, unblocked) x 4 (Intensity) repeated measures ANOVA. For sway, V^·O₂, HR, speed, and cadence, there was no interaction between Condition and Intensity (p>0.05). Sway was influenced by the main effect of Condition (p<0.001). V^·O₂, HR, and speed were each influenced by the main effect of Intensity (p<0.001). Overall, it was determined that participants did sway when there was the potential to sway; however, physiological or biomechanical measures were not influenced by the ability to sway.

Sport science serves many crucial functions in facilitating improvements in human performance, including advancing inclusivity. This may be realized through the conceptual framework of Adaptive Synergy, which integrates Adapted Physical Activity for athletes with physical disabilities while simultaneously optimizing athletic performance for all individuals. This paper introduces the Adaptive Synergy conceptual framework to sport science, applying this cross-disciplinary concept to biomechanics, exercise physiology, sport psychology, and neuroscience to more specific application of adaptive techniques and methods, which are essential to improving both accessibility and innovation in sports. Key areas of focus include the anatomical impairments of athletes with physical disabilities, their unique psychological needs, development of adaptive equipment, the implementation of tailored, evidence-based training protocols, and the reduction of financial and educational barriers to inclusivity. The Adaptive Synergy framework enables coaches and sport scientists to provide equitable opportunities for all athletes, exemplified by the creation of inclusive training environments, specialized coaching methodologies, and affordable sport participation programs. By fostering a culture of cross-disciplinary collaboration, this approach promotes the physical, mental, and social development of athletes with physical disabilities while driving innovation in sports performance for all. Consequently, Adaptive Synergy represents a transformative model that merges inclusivity with the pursuit of athletic excellence across diverse populations.

Cardiovascular fitness (VO_2max) predicts all-cause mortality and is vital to assess in cancer survivors (CS) for individualized exercise prescriptions. Metabolic carts confirm VO_2max with respiratory exchange ratio (RER) ≥1.10; other VO_2max criteria include ≤10 beats/minute of maximal predicted heart rate and/or a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of >8 on the Modified Borg Scale. Another suggested criterion is respiratory frequency (Rf) ≥ 40 breaths per minute. These criteria are assumed applicable for all populations, but due to cancer-related toxicities, frequency and validity of traditional VO_2max criteria usage in CS remains unconfirmed. The purpose was to evaluate the frequency of VO_2max criterion achievement of RER and alternate maximal criteria using HR, RPE, and Rf in CS. Forty CS performed three graded exercise tests (GXT) using gas analysis, totaling 111 GXTs. Max RER, HR, RPE, and Rf were measured. Differences in successful VO_2max criterion achievement frequency were assessed using a Cochran's Q test and Pairwise Comparison Dunn test with Bonferroni adjustment. Maximal criteria were successfully met in 84%, 79%, 92%, and 43% of trials when evaluating RER, HR, RPE, and Rf, respectively. Significant differences occurred between Rf and all other measures (p < 0.001); no significant differences occurred between RER, HR, RPE. Traditional VO_2max criteria may be feasibly obtained and used in CS; HR and RPE are valid alternatives to RER, but Rf is not. The equivalency between RER, RPE, and HR suggests metabolic carts may be unnecessary for CS during maximal testing, increasing accessibility and validity of VO_2max values.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.70252/EJIJ5619.].

The age at which athletes compete at a high-level provides understanding of human physiology, development, aging and skill refinement. The Olympics, with high-level performances across events with differing metabolic demands, provide unique data for analysis of optimal performance age given the type of performance required. The aim of this study was to classify Olympic events from 1988-2024 into aerobic, anaerobic, mixed, or skill, and compare male and female athlete ages in each classification. Events of maximal effort under 2-minutes duration were classified as anaerobic. Events longer than 5 minutes were classified as aerobic with those 2-5 minutes duration classified as mixed. Other events that are unlikely to stress aerobic or anaerobic metabolic systems were classified as skill. Athlete age was 24.1 ± 4.6 years for anaerobic, 26.8 ± 4.7 years for aerobic, 24.8 ± 4.6 years for mixed, and 27.8 ± 6.9 years for skill. When separated by sex, female athletes were younger in each classification. Male anaerobic athletes (24.7 ± 4.2) were younger than aerobic (26.9 ± 4.6) and skill (28.9 ± 6.9), but similar in age to mixed athletes (25.0 ± 4.4). Female anaerobic athletes (23.2 ± 5.0) were younger than aerobic (26.7 ± 4.8), skill (26.4 ± 6.5), and mixed (24.4 ± 4.8). Male Olympic athletes in skill-based events that do not stress energy systems compete at older ages than those in events that tax physiologic systems. Female Olympic aerobic and skill athletes, compete at older ages than those in events requiring a significant anaerobic contribution. This analysis provides evidence that event demands likely differ by classification and sex and therefore influence performance age.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a complex and debilitating disorder characterized by persistent fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, and cognitive impairments. The global prevalence is estimated between 0.2% and 0.4%, affecting over 17 million individuals worldwide, with an estimated burden exceeding 40,000 cases in Spain. Despite the exploration of exercise-based rehabilitation as a therapeutic strategy, its clinical efficacy remains a subject of ongoing debate. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise-based rehabilitation relative to conventional treatments in improving functional capacity and alleviating fatigue among adults with CFS A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines and registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42024573955). Searches were systematically performed across MEDLINE, PEDro, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Scopus, and SportDiscus, covering studies published between January 2010 and January 2024. Methodological quality and risk of bias, assessed using the validated PEDro Scale and Cochrane tool, ranged from moderate to good, with bias levels varying from low to high. Inclusion criteria targeted studies investigating structured therapeutic exercise interventions, including aerobic training, resistance exercises, and mind-body therapies. A total of 11 studies were included in the qualitative review, and with 7 randomized controlled trials (n = 2,276 participants) were finally incorporated in the meta-analysis. Exercise-based interventions, including aerobic training, resistance exercises, graded exercise therapy (GET), mind-body therapies and multimodal programs, showed significantly significant reductions in fatigue in both the short term (n = 720) SMD = -0.50; 95% CI: [-0.75, -0.24]; Z = 3.81; p < 0.001) and medium term (n = 501; SMD = -0.53; 95% CI: [-0.95, -0.12]; Z = 2.52; p = 0.01). Medium-term improvements in functionality were also significant (n = 685; SMD = 0.31; 95% CI: [0.11, 0.52]; Z = 2.96; p = 0.003), whereas short-term functionality outcomes were lesser compared to controls (n = 366; SMD = 0.10; 95% CI: [-0.05, 0.25]; Z = 1.29; p = 0.20). Notably, the meta-analytic findings indicated that medium-term functional outcomes slightly favored control groups over exercise interventions, and no significant long-term benefits were observed in either fatigue reduction or functional capacity enhancement. These findings underscore the selective efficacy of exercise-based rehabilitation for CFS, particularly in mitigating fatigue over the short to medium term. However, the transient nature of functional improvements highlights the need for further research to optimize exercise protocols, determine the most effective modalities, and develop strategies to sustain long-term therapeutic outcomes. While the results support exercise as a potential adjunctive therapy for CFS, they also emphasize the necessity of rigorous, longitudinal investigations to establish its cli

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions placed on daily life may have negatively impacted overall physical and psychological health as well as health behaviors such as decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behavior. It is important to understand if these potential changes during the pandemic may be predictive of current health behaviors where pandemic-related restrictions are no longer being implemented. This study aimed to assess the relationships between perceived changes in physical activity, sitting, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic to current measures of these same variables. In April 2022, participants (N = 208) completed a survey in which they indicated perceived changes in physical activity, sitting, and stress during the pandemic. Participants then self-reported their current total physical activity, daily sitting, and anxiety. Multiple Pearson correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationships between perceived measures of physical activity, sitting, and stress during the pandemic to current measures of these same variables. Greater perceived inactivity (i.e., reduced physical activity) during the pandemic was associated with lower current total physical activity (r = -0.28, p < 0.001) and greater daily sitting (r = 0.19, p = 0.007). Greater perceived sitting during the pandemic was associated with lower current total physical activity (r = -0.26, p < 0.001). Lastly, greater perceived stress during the pandemic was associated with greater current anxiety (r = 0.35, p < 0.001). This suggests that individuals who perceived negative health-related changes during the pandemic may still be impacted by persisting effects.