Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness最新文献

Background

Probiotic supplementation has a positive effect on endurance exercise performance and body composition in athletes, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Gut microbiota can provide measurable markers of immune function in athletes, and microbial composition analysis may be sensitive enough to detect stress and metabolic disorders caused by exercise.

Methods

Nineteen healthy active amateur marathon runners (15 male and 4 female) with a mean age of 29.11 years volunteered to participate in this double-blind controlled study. Based on the performance of the Cooper 12-min running test (CRT), the participants were allocated into two groups to receive either a probiotic formulation comprising lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium longum (n = 10) or placebo containing maltodextrin (n = 9) for five weeks. Consistency of diet and exercise was ensured throughout the experimental period. Before and after the intervention, all participants were assessed for CRT, emotional stability and gastrointestinal symptoms, gut microbiota composition, body composition and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicators of skeletal muscle microcirculation.

Results

Compared to before the intervention, the probiotics group showed an increase in CRT score (2.88 ± 0.57 vs 3.01 ± 0.60 km, P＜0.05), significant improvement in GSRS and GIQLI (9.20 ± 4.64 vs 7.40 ± 3.24, 118.90 ± 12.30 vs 127.50 ± 9.85, P＜0.05), while these indicators remained unchanged in the control group, with a significant time-group interaction effect on gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, some MRI metabolic cycling indicators of the thigh skeletal muscle also changed in the probiotics group (P＜0.05). Regarding microbiota abundance, the probiotics group exhibited a significant increase in the abundance of beneficial bacteria and a significant decrease in the abundance of harmful bacteria post-intervention (P＜0.05).

Conclusion

As a sports nutritional supplement, probiotics have the potential to improve athletic performance by optimizing the balance of gut microbiota, alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms.

Background/objective

Post-COVID-19 subjects typically experience symptoms of fatigue, cognitive impairment, and sleep difficulty, which can be relieved by conventional aerobic exercise. Virtual Reality (VR) technology to support conventional exercise has recently gained much attention. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of traditional treadmill exercise compared to virtual reality-simulated treadmill exercise on fatigue, cognitive function, sleep quality, and participant satisfaction with the exercise program in post-COVID-19 subjects.

Methods

This single-centered, randomized, parallel-group intervention study was conducted between December 2021 and March 2022. Sixteen of twenty post-COVID-19 subjects completed this study (n1 = 8, n2 = 8). Inclusion criteria were persistent dyspnea/fatigue, mild cognitive problems, and age from 30–60 years. Exclusion criteria were previous severe COVID-19 infection and ICU admission, concomitant respiratory or cardiovascular disease, and musculoskeletal or neurological disease. Eligible subjects were assigned randomly to two groups: a non-VR group that received traditional treadmill aerobic exercise only and a VR group that received treadmill exercise with non-immersive VR. Both groups received moderate-intensity exercise on a treadmill at [50–60 % (peak HR－resting HR) + resting HR] for 30–45 min, three times per week, and for four weeks. The outcome measures were the Chalder Fatigue Scale, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and participant satisfaction with the exercise program rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

Results

Both groups showed significant improvements in the Chalder Fatigue Scale, the MoCA questionnaire, and the PSQI scores after training compared to baseline (p < 0.05), without significant differences between them (p > 0.05). However, participant satisfaction with the exercise program was significantly higher in the VR group than in the non-VR group (p = 0.037).

Conclusion

A moderate-intensity 4-week treadmill exercise program with and without non-immersive VR may improve fatigue, cognitive function, and sleep quality to the same extent in COVID-19 survivors. However, participant satisfaction with the exercise program could be greater after conventional treadmill training assisted by non-immersive VR than after conventional treadmill training alone in this cohort.

Trial registration

Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, PACTR202311561948428, retrospectively registered.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the timing sequence recovery effects of single and repeated Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (MHOT) on muscle fatigue induced by cycling exercise through a comprehensive set of parameters.

Methods

This study employed a controlled crossover design involving 12 Chinese secondary national-level male athletes. Each participant completed two identical trials over six days. Each trial consisted of a 90-min cycling exercise followed by either a Control (CON) intervention (1 atm absolute (ATA), 20.9 % oxygen, 60 min) or MHOT intervention (1.25 ATA, 26%–28 % oxygen, 60 min). Various physiological parameters including Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Heart Rate (HR), Peripheral Oxygen Saturation (SpO2), Perfusion Index (PI%), Creatine Kinase (CK), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Lactic Acid (LA), Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Malondialdehyde (MDA), and Standing Long Jump Distance (SLJ) were measured at six different time points throughout the trials.

Results

RPE revealed that the MHOT group experienced reduced subjective fatigue in comparison to the CON group (P < 0.05). Additionally, MHOT demonstrated quicker recovery in HR and PI% compared to the CON group (P < 0.05). Regarding CK, LA, BUN, SOD, and MDA levels, the MHOT group exhibited accelerated recovery post-6 intervention and at the 24-h mark after six interventions, showing significant improvement over the CON group (P < 0.05). However, no notable disparity was observed between groups concerning SpO2, LDH, and SLJ.

Conclusions

Both single and repeated sessions of MHOT demonstrated efficacy in alleviating subjective fatigue and promoting recovery of heart rate and blood perfusion following muscle fatigue, ensuring parallel structure and consistency in their effects. Repeated MHOT sessions (six times) exhibit a significant reduction in levels of blood markers associated with muscle damage, metabolites, and oxidative stress. However, the impact of a single MHOT intervention was less pronounced.

Background

The lack of Physical Activity (PA) and prolonged Recreational Screen Time (RST) among children and adolescents has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing this issue to escalate into a crucial public health concern. This study aims to investigate the trends in PA and RST among Chinese children and adolescents from 2019 to 2022, thereby analyzing the short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic on PA and RST among Chinese children and adolescents.

Methods

A nationally representative sample of Chinese primary, middle, and high school students was surveyed annually between September and December from 2019 to 2022 using a consistent set of questionnaires. Trends in PA and RST across different school levels, genders, areas (urban/rural), and regions (north/south) were analyzed using Segmented Linear Regression.

Results

From 2019 to 2022, the PA and RST of children and adolescents displayed an inverted U-shaped trend, initially increasing and subsequently declining. Specifically, from 2019 to 2021, the PA of children and adolescents significantly increased but dramatically declined from 2021 to 2022. This trend in PA is more pronounced among primary, male, urban, and northern children and adolescent. The RST of children and adolescents increased from 2019 to 2020 but significantly decreased from 2020 to 2022. This trend in RST is more pronounced among primary, urban, and southern children and adolescent.

Conclusions

This research unveils the effects of the pandemic on PA and RST in children and adolescents, suggesting short-term beneficial and long-term adverse effects on PA and short-term adverse and long-term beneficial effects on RST. These findings provide a foundation for formulating policies related to children and adolescents' PA and RST during the pandemic.

Background

/Objective. An explosion in global obesity epidemic poses threats to the healthcare system by provoking risks of many debilitating diseases, including cognitive dysfunction. Physical activity has been shown to alleviate the deleterious effects of obesity-associated cognitive deficits across the lifespan. Given the strong neuroprotective role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and exercise training as a known modulator for its elevation, this systematic review sought to examine the strength of the association between exercise and BDNF levels in healthy people with overweight and obesity.

Methods

Six electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid Nursing Database, and SPORTDiscus) were searched from their inceptions through December 2022. The primary outcome of interest was BDNF levels. Interventional studies (randomized and quasi-experimental) with English full text available were included. Risk of bias of the included studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale. Data were extracted for meta-analyses by random-effects models.

Results

Thirteen studies (n = 750), of which 69.2% (9/13) had low risk of bias, were included. In the meta-analysis, exercise interventions had no significant effect on resting BDNF levels (standardized mean difference: −0.30, 95% CI -0.80 to 0.21, P = 0.25). Subgroup analyses also indicated no effects of age and types of control groups being compared on moderating the association.

Conclusion

To further inform the role of BDNF in obesity-related cognitive functioning, rigorous studies with larger samples of participants and raw data available were imperatively deserved.

Background/objective

Many COVID-19 survivors, especially those who have been hospitalized, have been suffering numerous complications that limit their activities of daily living, although changes that persist 3 years after infection are still not known. We aimed to investigate the impact of long COVID on the Glittre-ADL test (TGlittre) 3 years after acute infection in men who needed hospitalization and explore whether the performance on the TGlittre is associated with impairments in lung function, muscle strength, physical function and quality of life (QoL).

Methods

Cross-sectional study with 42 men with long COVID who took the TGlittre. They underwent pulmonary function tests and measurements of handgrip strength and quadriceps strength (QS). Additionally, they also completed the Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM).

Results

The mean age was 52 ± 10.6 years, while the mean time after diagnosis of COVID-19 was 37 ± 3.5 months. The mean TGlittre time was 3.3 (3.1–4.1) min, which was 10% greater than the time expected for normal individuals to complete it. The TGlittre time was correlated significantly with the QS (r_s = −0.397, p = 0.009), pulmonary diffusion (r_s = − 0.364, p = 0.017), FIM (r_s = −0.364, p = 0.017) and the “activity” domain score of the SGRQ (r_s = 0.327, p = 0.034).

Conclusion

Functional capacity on exertion as measured by the TGlittre time is normal in most men with long COVID 3 years after hospitalization. However, this improvement in functional capacity does not seem to be reflected in muscle strength or QoL, requiring continued monitoring even after 3 years.

A valid assessment tool that measures active play is not yet available due to the sporadic and spontaneous nature of play, as well as the potential differences in how active play is understood and measured across different age groups, cultures, and contexts. The purpose of this review was to identify the scope and gaps in the measurement of active play based on data gathered from 68 countries that participated in the Global Matrix (GM) initiative, led by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA). GM is the global-level, biennial evaluation system of physical activity related behaviors among children and youth, including the Active Play indicator, and the sources of influence using letter grades (ranging between “A” and “F”). Based on the identified scope and gaps, this study offers recommendations for future research dedicated to the measurement/surveillance of active play. Out of the 68 countries involved in the previous GM (2014–22), 55% of the grades remained unassigned due to insufficient data on the Active Play indicator. The high number of unassigned grades, combined with the absence of valid measurement tool, highlight a need for a standardized measurement tool for improved global data generation of active play among children and youth. Our findings emphasize the need to address challenges in measuring active play. This review offers future considerations, research recommendations specific to the GM initiative, and two sets of age- and location-specific (indoor and outdoor settings) questionnaire items along with guidelines for its use. Together, these elements provide a roadmap for guiding future research and evaluation efforts on active play.

Objectives

Emerging evidence indicates that the composition of movement behaviours within a 24-h period is associated with multiple health benefits across the lifespan. A concept that emphasises an individual's active lifestyle is physical literacy (PL), yet empirical research exploring the potential associations between PL and 24-h movement guidelines remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between levels of PL and adherence to the guidelines among Chinese university students.

Study design

A cross-sectional study.

Methods

Seven hundred and ninety-eight university students (390 male, 19.2 ± 1.2 years) completed all the measurements. Levels of PL and participants’ adherence to guidelines including physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep were self-reported through Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument, International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Two-way ANOVA was conducted to determine the associations between the number of guidelines met (0, 1, 2, or 3) and levels of PL.

Results

The results demonstrate that 36.5% (n = 291) of the participants met all the three guidelines, while 4.1% (n = 33) met none. Further analysis indicated that meeting physical activity or sedentary behaviour guidelines was associated with significantly higher total PL scores, and scores in the sub-domains of Confidence and Physical Competence and Motivation.

Conclusions

The findings provide evidence that young adults who obtained higher PL scores may meet more guidelines during a 24-h period. Future studies should incorporate accelerometer-based physical activity measurements and investigate the causal relationship between PL and adherence to the movement guidelines.

Background/objective

Previous studies have indicated that mind-body exercises can reduce pain and improve function for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Yi Jin Bang is a novel home-based Chinese mind-body Qigong exercise for shoulder pain. However, few studies have evaluated its effects on subacromial pain syndrome. This study aimed to compare the effects of Yi Jin Bang with conventional exercises for subacromial pain syndrome.

Methods

Adults with subacromial pain syndrome (N = 105; mean [SD] age, 37 [16] years; 73 females [70%]; median [IQR] duration of symptoms, 12 [6–24] months) were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 53) or the control group (n = 52). The experimental group performed home-based Yi Jin Bang exercises, whereas the control group performed home-based conventional exercises (stretching, strengthening, and motor control exercises). Both interventions were performed four times a week for 16 weeks. The primary outcome was the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). Secondary outcomes included current shoulder pain intensity, active shoulder range of motion, back scratch test, isometric shoulder strength, and health-related quality of life. Assessments were performed at baseline and weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16. The primary endpoint was week 16.

Results

No significant between-group difference was observed in the SPADI score at week 16 (mean difference, Yi Jin Bang minus conventional exercise, 0.14, 95% confidence interval −2.96 to 3.24; p = 0.93).

Conclusion

There were no differences between Yi Jin Bang and conventional exercises in improving pain, disability, shoulder mobility, shoulder strength, and quality of life for people with subacromial pain syndrome.