Changes of physical capabilities of muscular strength, power and flexibility in a karate competition

Karate is an ancient martial art practiced by around 100 million people worldwide. In Brazil, it is estimated that approximately 250,000 people practice this modality. However, limited data are available outlining the physical capabilities of these athletes. The purpose was to analyse changes in physical capabilities of muscular strength, power and flexibility in karate athletes during a state championship. Data were collected during a karate state championship. From a total of approximately 200 participating athletes, data were collected from male (n = 34, 19.0 ± 9.84 years, 67.6 ± 21.8 kg, 165 ± 11.2 cm, 24 .3 ± 5.99 kg/m²) and female athletes (n = 12, 16.0 ± 4.47 years, 59.1 ± 11.8 kg, 156 ± 6.35 cm, 24.1 ± 4.35 kg /m²). Measurements: body mass, height, flexibility, handgrip muscular strength and lower limb power were performed before and after competition fights by a team of trained evaluators. Data were analysed between sexes, pre and post-competition, as well as by age group and number of fights performed. After the fights, there was a significant increase in muscular strength (+5.2%, p = .004), with no difference between different age groups (p = .141), sexes (p = .196), and number of fights performed (p = .072). There were no significant changes in muscle power performance (p = .124) and flexibility (p = .241) across fights or between sexes. A karate tournament in which athletes are involved in one to three fights does not seem to impair their performance in terms of muscular strength, power and flexibility, regardless of age, sex and number of fights performed.This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001; by the Fundação de Apoio à UNESPAR; by Araucária Foundation; and by National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq/Brazil)

Quality of life of primary caregivers of spinal cord injury survivors Calidad de vida de cuidadores familiares de personas con lesión de medula espinal Qualidade de vida de cuidadores familiares de pessoas com lesão da medula espinal

The aim of this study was to analyze quality of life of caregivers who are relatives of patients with spine cord injury (SCI). Fourteen women (seven caregivers and seven controls) were evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) Questionnaires. The data from both questionnaires were compared using the Mann-Whitney U testing procedure for differences between caregivers and controls (p0.05), characterized by the percentage difference of 62%, 66.7%, 55%, 50%, 57% and 63% for tension, isolation, disappointment, emotional involvement, environment and overall score, respectively. The CBS questionnaire was more adequate for verifying quality of life of caregivers of SCI patients, and caregiving may have a negative impact on their quality of life.Este estudio objetivó evaluar la calidad de vida de los cuidadores familiares de pacientes con Lesión de Médula Espinal (LM). Catorce mujeres (siete cuidadores familiares y 7 controles) se sometieron a la evaluación del cuestionario SF-36 y el cuestionario CBS. Para la comparación entre los grupos acerca de los cuestionarios se utilizó el test de Mann-whitney (p0,05), por la diferencia de porcentaje del del 62 %, 66,7 %, 55 %, 50 %, 57 % y 63 %, para una tensión general, aislamiento, decepción, implicación emocional, el medio ambiente y puntuación global, respectivamente. El cuestionario CBS ha demostrado ser apropiado para comprobar la calidad de vida de los cuidadores de personas con LM y el ato de cuidar produce un impacto negativo sobre la calidad de vida de estos.Este estudo objetivou avaliar a qualidade de vida de cuidadores familiares de pacientes com Lesão da medula espinal (LM). Quatorze mulheres (sete cuidadoras familiares e sete controles) foram submetidas à avaliação pelo questionário Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) e pelo questionário Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS). Utilizou-se o Teste de Mann-Whitney (p0,05), caracterizada pela diferença percentual de 62%, 66,7%, 55%, 50%, 57% e 63%, para tensão geral, isolamento, decepção, envolvimento emocional, ambiente e escore global, respectivamente. O questionário CBS mostrou-se adequado para verificar a qualidade de vida dos cuidadores de pessoas com LM e o ato de cuidar produz um impacto negativo sobre a qualidade de vida destes

Quality of life of primary caregivers of spinal cord injury survivors

The aim of this study was to analyze quality of life of caregivers who are relatives of patients with spine cord injury (SCI). Fourteen women (seven caregivers and seven controls) were evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) Questionnaires. The data from both questionnaires were compared using the Mann-Whitney U testing procedure for differences between caregivers and controls (p<0.05). The results from SF-36 were not statistically significant between groups, however, for the CBS data, there were significant differences between groups (p>0.05), characterized by the percentage difference of 62%, 66.7%, 55%, 50%, 57% and 63% for tension, isolation, disappointment, emotional involvement, environment and overall score, respectively. The CBS questionnaire was more adequate for verifying quality of life of caregivers of SCI patients, and caregiving may have a negative impact on their quality of life

Effects of different order of combined training on functional capacity, blood pressure, and body composition in women from 53 to 79 years old

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of order of resistance training (RT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on functional capacity, blood pressure, and body composition in middle-aged and older women. METHODS: Twenty-two participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: RT followed by HIIT (RT-HIIT, n = 10, mean age 64.5 ± 7.9 years) or HIIT followed by RT (HIIT-RT, n = 10, mean age 59.32 ± 4.44 years). Both groups trained twice a week for 8 weeks. RT was composed of 7 exercises for the upper and lower body. HIIT was composed of alternate pairings of high-intensity (&gt; 85% of maximum heart rate [MHR]) and moderate-intensity (60% MHR) running. RESULTS: A time effect was found for upper-body muscle endurance (HIIT-RT = +9.43%; RT-HIIT = +6.16%), agility and dynamic balance (HIIT-RT = -5.96%; RT-HIIT = -8.57%), and cardiorespiratory fitness (HIIT-RT = +5.14%; RT-HIIT = +6.13%), with no difference between groups. Body composition and blood pressure did not change throughout the investigation for either group. CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of a combined HIIT and RT exercise program improved functional capacity of middle-aged and older women without altering blood pressure and body composition, regardless of the order of exercises.</p

Changes in the daily routine and life perceptions of older adults due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze changes in the daily routine and life perceptions of older adults due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 338 older adults (93 men and 238 women) residing in southern Brazil. An online questionnaire consisting of 20 questions was created using the Google Forms platform and was distributed to older adults (&gt; 60 years of age) during the isolation period caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic. Data analysis was conducted through Student’s-t and χ2 tests. RESULTS: Our results showed a significant association between social isolation and sex (p &lt; 0.01), revealing that women experienced higher levels of social isolation than men. We observed that 82.21% of the older adults participating in this study reported changes in their social routines during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: During this period of extended social isolation, women reported more negative effects than men.</p