Sports Medicine and Health Science最新文献

This study compares the physical activity levels and enjoyment of parents (n ​= ​50; age ​= ​41.8 ​± ​4.0 years) during outdoor, self-paced walking sessions while walking alone and when walking with their 6-to-12-year-old child. Step counts, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), vigorous physical activity, and enjoyment were compared using paired t-tests. Regression modeling was used to examine the impact of children's age and adults' and children's body mass index on the disparity in step counts experienced by adults. Adults attained high percentages of time spent in MVPA while walking alone (99.8%) and when walking with their child (96.6%). However, more of this time was categorized as vigorous physical activity when walking alone (13.6% vs. 3.0%, p ​= ​0.006). Adults' step counts decreased by an average of 6.4% while walking with their child compared to walking alone (p ​< ​0.001). This reduction was greater for parents of younger children (p ​= ​0.004). In obese adults, the reduction in step counts experienced while walking with their child was not as great as the reduction experienced by normal-weight adults (p ​= ​0.042). Although adults obtained higher step counts and vigorous physical activity while walking alone, they enjoyed walking more with their child (p ​< ​0.001). Health practitioners should be aware of this tradeoff when making recommendations for parent-child co-participation in physical activity, and parents may wish to supplement their physical activity obtained while walking with their child(ren) with additional activities that result in vigorous physical activity.

We purpose to determine the nationality of the European middle-distance athletes under 18 years (U18) and under 20 years (U20) during the last decade, to verify the participation trend for each country, and to assess whether the place of competition can be associated with the athletes ranking position. The sample comprised 902 European male runners, ranked among the best finishers from 2009 to 2020. The athletes were divided into two categories (n_U18 ​= ​266; and n_U20 ​= ​636) of two distances (n_{1 500 ​m} ​= ​397; n_{3 000 ​m} ​= ​505). The Mantel test was used for participation trend and the Chi-square test (χ²) was used to verify differences between the ranking position and the place of competition. For both distances, the highest number of athletes were from Spain (n = 127), followed by Turkey (n = 62) and Great Britain (n = 50). No significant trends were shown for most of the countries, in both distances. A positive trend was shown for Slovenia (i.e., 3000 ​m) over the years. A non-significant association was verified between the countries and the ranking position, as non-significant differences were proved for the place of competition. This information may be useful to guide athlete development programs in each country.

Since the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which caused several respiratory diseases, was formally declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, it affected the lifestyle and health of athletes, both directly through cardiorespiratory and other health related effects, and indirectly as the pandemic has forced the suspension, postponement, or cancellation of most professional sporting events around the world. In this review, we explore the journey of athletes throughout the pandemic and during their return to their competitive routine. We also highlight potential pitfalls during the process and summarize the recommendations for the optimal return to sport participation. We further discuss the impact of the pandemic on the psychology of athletes, the variance between the team and individual athletes, and their ability to cope with the changes. Moreover, we specifically reviewed the pandemic impact on younger professional athletes in terms of mental and fitness health. Finally, we shaded light on the various impacts of mass gathering events and recommendations for managing upcoming events.

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects gait and postural stability. Tai Chi (TC) is recommended for PD for management of the condition, however biomechanical understanding to its effects on gait and postural stability is limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of an online 12-week biomechanical-based TC intervention on gait and posture in people with PD. Fifteen individuals in early-stage PD were recruited (Hoehn & Yahr stages 1–2). The TC intervention program was 60 ​min session, three times weekly for 12 weeks. The pre- and post-intervention test in obstacle crossing, timed-up-and-go (TUG) test, and single leg standing (SLS) with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC) were conducted. Gait speed, crossing stride length, clearance height of the heel and toe, anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) displacement and velocity of the center of mass (COM) and separation of the COM-center of pressure (COP) were analyzed. The participants significantly improved their pre-vs. post-TC intervention performance on TUG test (p ​= ​0.002). During obstacle crossing, the participants significantly increased crossing stride length of the trailing foot, increased AP COM displacement and decreased ML COM-COP separation (p ​< ​0.05); the maximal dorsiflexion angle of the leading limb significantly increased and maximal plantarflexion angle of the trailing limb significantly decreased (p ​< ​0.05). A 12-week biomechanical-based online TC training was effective towards improvement of gait and postural stability among people in the early-stage of PD. The TC program and online training could be applied for management of PD.

During the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the physical activity of older adults is at a lower level. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of aerobic dancing on physical fitness and cognitive function in older adults. We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 34 older adults who were assigned into an aerobic dancing group and a control group. Three dance sessions weekly for 60 ​min were scheduled for the aerobic dancing group for a total of 12 weeks. Physical fitness, blood pressure, lipids, glucose, cognitive function were assessed before and after the intervention. Baseline adjusted Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine whether outcome variables varied between groups at pre-test and post-test. Effect size (Cohen's d) was calculated to determine the differences between groups from baseline to post-test. After 12 weeks, we found that the aerobic dancing group showed significant improvement in memory (portrait memory: F ​= ​10.45, p ​= ​0.003, d ​= ​1.18). The Limit of Stability (LOS) parameters in the aerobic dancing group displayed a significant increase after the intervention (right angle: F ​= ​5.90, p ​= ​0.022, d ​= ​0.60; right-anterior angle: F ​= ​4.23, p ​= ​0.049, d ​= ​0.12). Some beneficial effects were found on flexibility, grip strength, balance and subjective well-being (sit and reach: F ​= ​0.25, p ​= ​0.62, d ​= ​−0.40; grip strength: F ​= ​3.38, p ​= ​0.08, d ​= ​0.89; one-legged standing with eyes closed: F ​= ​1.26, p ​= ​0.27, d ​= ​0.50) in the aerobic dancing group. Aerobic dancing training was effective in improving memory and balance ability in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. In the future, aerobic dancing is a promising tool to encourage physical activity in older adults.

To explore the appropriate exercise methods and means for astronauts in confined and small isolation conditions, a set of XunTian Tai Chi suitable for the spaceflight workforce was created, with the aim of discovering the practical effects of XunTian Tai Chi and providing a scientific basis for the subsequent development of new astronaut health maintenance techniques with Chinese characteristics. Using the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) as a research platform, we observed the changes in a crew member’s emotion regulation-related indexes during 180 days of working and living in a confined isolation chamber through periodic interventions of the XunTian Tai Chi and conducted statistical analyses. During the 180-day cabin mission, expression suppression, cognitive reappraisal, attention index, and relaxation index were all lower than those before entering the cabin, suggesting that the crew member’s emotion regulation ability decreased during the in-cabin mission. A single Tai Chi exercise could cause favorable changes in the indicators, positively affecting the crew member's emotional regulation. The attention and relaxation indices of the occupants were improved significantly by both single and periodic Tai Chi exercises. After the Tai Chi exercise cycle, the results of each index showed a certain degree of effect. The 180-day ground-based simulation of Tai Chi in the confinement of a space capsule positively affects the occupant’s emotional regulation.

Assessment of maximal fat oxidation rate (MFO) during a submaximal exercise test has been employed by many studies to investigate the differences in metabolic flexibility (MetFlex) across several populations. Nevertheless, many incorrect assumptions and methodological limitations exist in the procedures employed by previous studies, which might lead to misinterpretation of the reported findings. Considering the data retrieved from 19 trained men (Age: [27 ​± ​4] years; %Body fat: [16.4 ​± ​4.5]%; maximal oxygen consumption: [55.8 ​± ​5.3] mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) who performed a graded exercise test over a motor-driven treadmill, this opinion paper shows that MFO alone does not perfectly capture the MetFlex in response to submaximal intensity exercise and recommend a novel index that considers both fat oxidation and energy expenditure modifications for an accurate examination of MetFlex.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an individualized remote exercise program on the improvement of body composition and physical fitness of a heterogeneous group of patients who completed breast cancer treatment. This prospective study included 107 women aged 18 to 60, shortly after curative treatment for localized breast cancer, at the Erasto Gaertner Cancer Hospital (HEG) in Curitiba, PR, Brazil. Body composition, maximal oxygen consumption, and muscle resistance were evaluated after nine months of intervention while considering adherence to the program, level of physical activity, presence of binge eating disorder, tumor classification, and treatment type. Seventy-eight women (72.8%) adhered to the training program. Adherent participants showed significant changes in body mass ([-4.3 ​± ​3.6] kg; p ​< ​0.000 1), body mass index ([-1.6 ​± ​1.5] kg·m⁻²; p ​< ​0.000 1), body fat (−3.4% ​± ​3.1%; p ​< ​0.000 1), maximal oxygen consumption ([7.5 ​± ​2.0] ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹); p ​< ​0.000 1), and abdominal resistance ([11.2 ​± ​2.8] reps; p ​< ​0.000 1). In contrast, these variables did not change significantly in the non-adherent group. Among the adherent participants, those subclassified in the severe binge group showed a more noticeable reduction in body mass, body mass index, and body fat (p ​< ​0.05) than those in the non-binge group. Individualized remotely-guided physical exercise programs can improve the body composition and physical fitness of women undergoing post-breast cancer surveillance, regardless of pathological history or treatment.

It is unknown whether oxygen uptake (V̇O₂) sampling intervals influence the efficacy of a verification stage following a graded exercise test (GXT). Fifteen females and 14 males (18–25 years) completed a maximal treadmill GXT. After a 5 ​min recovery, the verification stage began at the speed and grade corresponding with the penultimate stage from the GXT. Maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O_2max) from the incremental GXT (iV̇O_2max) and V̇O_2max from the verification stage (verV̇O_2max) were determined using 10 seconds (s), 30 ​s, and 60 ​s from breath ​× ​breath averages. There was no main effect for V̇O_2max measure (iV̇O_2maxvs. verV̇O_2max) 10 ​s ([47.9 ​± ​8.31] ml∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹ vs [48.85 ​± ​7.97] ml∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹), 30 ​s ([46.94 ​± ​8.62] ml∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹ vs [47.28 ​± ​7.97] ml∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹), and 60 ​s ([46.17 ​± ​8.62] ml∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹ vs [46.00 ​± ​8.00] ml∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹]. There was a stage ​× ​sampling interval interaction as the difference between (verV̇O_2max−iV̇O_2max) was greater for 10-s than 60-s sampling intervals. The verV̇O_2max was > 4% higher than iV̇O_2maxin 31%, 31%, and 17% of the tests for the 10-s, 30-s, and 60-s sampling intervals respectively. Sensitivity for the plateau was < 30% for 10-s, 30-s, and 60-s sampling intervals. Specificity ranged from 44% to 60% for all sampling intervals. Sensitivity for heart rate ​+ ​respiratory exchange ratio was > 90% for all sampling intervals; while specificity was < 25%. Findings from the present study suggest that the efficacy of verification stages for eliciting a higher V̇O_2max may be influenced by the sampling interval utilized.

As an invisible “endocrine organ”, gut microbiota is widely involved in the regulation of nervous system, endocrine system, circulatory system, and digestive system. It is also closely related to host health and the occurrence of many chronic diseases. Relevant literature shows that high temperature, low temperature, and high-altitude hypoxia may have negative effects on commensal microorganisms. The stimulation of exercise may aggravate this reaction, which is related to the occurrence of exercise-induced fever and gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. The intervention of probiotics can alleviate the above problems to a certain extent. Therefore, this paper takes exercise in a special environment as the starting point, deeply analyses the intervention effect and potential mechanism of probiotics, and provides the theoretical basis and reference for follow-up research and application of probiotics in sports science.