Journal of lifestyle medicine最新文献

Background: Hamstring flexibility is essential for preventing and treating musculoskeletal injuries, particularly low back pain. Self-myofascial release (SMR) of the plantar fascia, a technique involving a tennis ball, is often employed to enhance flexibility along the posterior "anatomy train." However, its specific effect on hamstring and lumbar spine flexibility remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of single-session and multiple-session SMR of the plantar fascia with those of traditional hamstring stretching on hamstring and lumbar spine flexibility.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted involving 24 participants, who were divided into three groups: Group A (single-session SMR), Group B (multiple-session SMR), and Group C (multiple-session hamstring stretching). Flexibility was assessed through the seated reach test (SRT) and active knee extension.

Results: The study population was predominantly female (58.33%), and no significant baseline differences were observed between the groups. Immediately after the intervention, all groups demonstrated slight improvements in flexibility, with Group B exhibiting the most significant gain (mean increase of 0.82 inches in the SRT). At the 6-day follow-up, Group B maintained the highest flexibility level (mean SRT of 13.05 inches). Groups B and C demonstrated significant long-term improvements in flexibility compared with baseline (Group B, p < 0.001; Group C, p = 0.01).

Conclusion: Multiple-session SMR of the plantar fascia is an effective intervention for improving hamstring flexibility and range of motion of the lumbar spine. It can complement traditional stretching to enhance lower body flexibility and prevent injuries.

Background: Physical activity significantly increases the production of reactive oxygen species in the body. Molecular hydrogen has been shown to have safe and effective antioxidant properties on athletes. However, research on elite athletes is scarce.

Methods: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 22 female elite athletes participating in handball and skeleton sports. The first group received hydrogen-rich water (HRW)-generating tablets, whereas the second group consumed a visually and organoleptically similar placebo. Various assessments were performed during HRW intake, such as anthropometric and biochemical measurements, stress, and recovery parameters, as well as biomechanical testing.

Results: HRW consumption resulted inan increase in muscle mass and a reduction in fat mass (p < 0.05). However, HRW did not significantly affect stress or recovery rates, as determined by the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire-Sport questionnaire. However, the HRW group exhibited a significant increase in torque, particularly after an intensive exercise test (p < 0.05). Moreover, HRW intake led to a reduction in total creatine kinase, vitamin C, and beta-carotene contents (p < 0.05), whereas the vitamin E and interleukin-10 levels increased compared with baseline levels (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The HRW-generating tablets were found to be safe and well-tolerated by the participants. These tablets also exerted ergogenic effects by reducing body fat percentage, increasing muscle mass percentage, improving maximal torque, decreasing muscle damage, and positively modulating the exercise-induced inflammatory and antioxidant responses to exercise. Although the mechanism of action of HRW remains unclear, these effects observed indicate its potential for diverse applications in high-performance sports.

Background: Respiratory muscle training (RMT) plays a vital role in improving respiratory muscle strength, mitigating inspiratory muscle fatigue, and influencing the metaboreflex mechanism, thereby enhancing cardiorespiratory endurance during sports. Performing endurance activities and using devices that improve lung function can delay inspiratory muscle fatigue and improve total sports performance. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of use of newly developed RMT devices under the golden ratio principle with conventional training on lung function enhancement in novice athletes, as well as compare a new RMT with conventional (CON) treatment.

Methods: This study included 12 participants who were allocated randomly to either the RMT or CON group (n = 6 each). Both groups were trained for 15 minutes daily for four weeks. Both groups were initially tested for respiratory pressures and capacities maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC at baseline and post-intervention. Within-group and between-group comparisons were performed using paired t-tests and independent t-tests, respectively.

Results: The respiratory pressures of the RMT group after training (pre-RMT 425.00 ± 277.04 mmWC vs. post-RMT 541.67 ± 274.62 mmWC) were significantly improved (t = 11.07, p < 0.001) compared with those of the CON treatment group (pre-RMT 508.33 ± 217.75 mmWC vs. post-RMT 575.00 ± 229.67 mmWC). The new RMT device improved MIP, MEP, and lung function, with greater gains in FEV1 (pre-RMT 2.66 ± 0.74 L vs. post-RMT 2.86 ± 0.70 L) (pre-CON 3.04 ± 0.80 L vs. post-CON 3.06 ± 0.74 L), FVC (pre-RMT 3.03 ± 0.99 L vs. post-RMT 3.22 ± 0.94 L) (pre-CON 3.33 ± 1.06 L vs. post-CON 3.29 ± 0.99 L), and the FEV1/FVC ratio compared with both the RMT and CON treatment groups. Although the between-group differences in MIP and MEP were not statistically significant, improvements in FEV1 and FVC were significantly higher in the new RMT group than in the CON treatment group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The findings revealed that the RMT devices helped to improve respiratory pressures and capacities to enhance endurance among novice athletes. Furthermore, this golden ratio-designed device was found to help improve lung performance.

Background: Diet, physical activity, and general lifestyle modifications are implicated in metabolic pathway prevention and may improve some chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study is to measure the effectiveness of a short-time nutrition restriction regime combined with a daily practice of physical and creative activities on metabolic syndrome parameters, inflammasome status, and the compliance of the patients to the proposed scheme.

Methods: This pilot study analyzed 95 volunteers who took part in a residential one-week lasting experimental lifestyle period. The program proposed was structured in a four-day detox nutrition based only on vegetable products derived from organic, biologic, synergic, and integrated farming, without animal proteins, fats, and simple sugars. These four days were followed by a three-day fasting or fasting-mimicking diet, consisting of one or two hypocaloric meals based on complex sugars, vegetables, oleaginous seeds, and only in some cases vegetable proteins. Finally, a three-day "weaning" period was administered. During the whole period, 95 participants were offered a daily postural physical activity and a creative activity program. The basal data of the participants were collected (T₀). A medical evaluation was conducted to collect the personal and anthropometric data. During this basal evaluation (T₀), height, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), glycemic value, and blood pressure were collected and reevaluated at the end of the 10-day experience (T₁).

Results: The data were evaluated according to the three metabolic syndrome parameters (i.e., WtHR, glycemic value, and blood pressure). A significant improvement in the variables analyzed at the end of the program was observed.

Conclusion: This study revealed that a short integrated lifestyle program can influence some well-defined metabolic parameters and might decrease damage from metabolic syndrome.

Dentists are susceptible to work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to the extensive hand dexterity and endurance required for performing various dental procedures. This systematic review will evaluate the randomized controlled trials that have implemented physical and cognitive ergonomic interventions in a population of dentists to prevent WMSDs. The research question was formulated by using the population-intervention-comparison-outcome format. Relevant articles were identified from various databases, such as PubMed, PubMed Central, and ScienceDirect. Two reviewers analyzed the study characteristics and conducted the final analysis of the five selected studies. The quality of the included studies was assessed independently by both authors using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. The risk of bias was assessed using RevMan software 5.4.1. In this review, five randomized controlled trials were included. The two reviewers demonstrated good agreement (κ = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-0.821, p < 0.005) during the screening stage and very good agreement (κ = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.65-1.000, p < 0.005) during the eligibility stage. Studies incorporating physical and cognitive ergonomic interventions demonstrated a significant reduction in symptoms associated with musculoskeletal disorders. Cognitive interventions, when introduced early in a dentist's career, can raise awareness and guide them on the dos and don'ts of comfortable ergonomics while achieving patient-friendly treatment.

The spread of a coronavirus infection can result in a pandemic, similar to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Such an infection also accounts for a considerable portion of common cold cases. Although coronavirus medicines are already available, alternative treatments are still required as the coronavirus can produce many variants. Matairesinol, a lignan family compound, is the constituent of cereals, such as rye. We used the human coronavirus OC43 to evaluate the antiviral activity of matairesinol. Matairesinol treatment interferes with coronavirus replication. This treatment decreases the expression of coronavirus protein and RNA as well as the number of coronavirus-induced plaque formations. Our experimental results collectively indicate that matairesinol treatment can potentially reduce coronavirus replication.

Naturopathic medicine is a popular form of complementary and alternative medicine systems practiced worldwide. This study provides an overview of a typical inpatient yoga and naturopathy protocol followed in India. Naturopathic medicine is commonly used in the management of certain lifestyle-related disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, endocrine disorders, and neurological disorders. Moreover, naturopathic medicine integrates different lifestyle medicine practices, such as yoga, diet, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and color therapy into its treatment plans. Moreover, India is one of the few countries that offer naturopathy treatments through inpatient hospitals. Although the clinical efficacy of naturopathic medicine practices in various pathological conditions has been confirmed, no studies have yet investigated the effectiveness of naturopathic medicines protocols in naturopathic inpatient settings. Naturopathic physicians use a set of philosophical principles when determining their therapeutic order and all therapies that upregulate physiological homeostasis.

Gender inequality has a significant and complex impact on stroke recovery and rehabilitation outcomes. Moreover, the influence of gender on post-stroke recovery is multifactorial, primarily biological, social, and behavioral issues. The recovery paths for men and women may have different outlines in relation to stroke occurrence, injury sites, and hormonal effects. These collectively influence the effective summarization of recovery strategies and outcomes. Furthermore, societal and cultural elements play a significant role in shaping access to resources, social support networks, and participation in rehabilitation programs, which consequently affect the outcomes. Considering the gender-specific nuances is important in developing effective rehabilitation strategies. Furthermore, effective stroke rehabilitation programs are needed to achieve equitable and improved recovery outcomes for all stroke survivors and to create inclusive interventions that consider these differences.

The landscape of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMA) in biomedicine has expanded exponentially, driven by the growing demand for evidence-based healthcare decision-making. However, the rapid increase of SRMAs has often outpaced the development of rigorous methodological standards, resulting in variability in quality and potentially limiting their effectiveness in informing healthcare practices. This gap highlights the critical need for advanced methodological guidance to enhance the quality and impact of SRMAs. Our contribution aims to provide comprehensive methodological direction for authors to conduct robust SRMAs. By effectively integrating qualitative and quantitative evidence, SRMAs can address complex healthcare questions more thoroughly than traditional reviews. Furthermore, these step-by-step guidelines will help researchers to address the challenges of synthesizing diverse types of evidence, thereby improving the rigor, relevance, and applicability of their findings in healthcare decision-making processes.