Does exercise reduce brain oxidative stress? A systematic review

The aim of the present systematic review was to investigate the influence of different exercise programs on brain oxidative stress. A search of the literature was conducted up to 1 December 2012 across five databases: PUBMED, SCOPUS, SPORTS DISCUS, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library. The search strategy used in the electronic databases mentioned was established as: (swim* OR exercise OR training) AND ("oxidative stress" AND brain) for each database. A methodological quality assessment valuation/estimation was additionally carried out in the final sample of studies. Of 1553 potentially eligible papers, 19 were included after inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methodological quality assessment showed a total score in the Quality Index between 40% and 80%, with a mean quality of 56.8%. Overall, regular moderate aerobic exercise appears to promote antioxidant capacity on brain. In contrast, anaerobic or high-intensity exercise, aerobic-exhausted exercise, or the combination of both types of training could deteriorate the antioxidant response. Future investigations should be focused on establishing a standardized exercise protocol, depending on the exercise metabolism wanted to test, which could enhance the objective knowledge in this topic

Commuting to University: Self-Reported and Device-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour

Background: Active commuting could provide an opportunity to counteract unhealthy behaviours, such as insufficient levels of Physical Activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour, which are major health problems in the university population. The aims of this study were to describe and compare self-reported and device-measured in commuting behaviours, PA, and sedentary behaviour in both trips (to and from university) by mode of commuting per weekday, and to identify associations between self-reported and device-measured of commuting behaviours, PA, and sedentary behaviour. Methods: After inclusion criteria, a total of 63 students (65.1% women) from a public university in Cadiz, Spain, participated in this study. Self-reported and device-measured information was used. Results: Commuting time, distance, and speed were lower in active commuters than public and private commuters in both trips (to and from university) (all,

Influence of weight status on physical and mental health in Moroccan perimenopausal women

Introduction: There is a lack of information about fitness and other health indicators in women from countries such as Morocco. This study aims to explore the association of weight status with physical and mental health in Moroccan perimenopausal women. Methods: 151 women (45-65 years) from the North of Morocco were analyzed by standardized field-based fitness tests to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, agility and balance. Quality of life was assessed by means of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey. Resting heart rate, blood pressure and plasma fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were also measured. Results: Blood pressure (P=0.001), plasma triglycerides (P=0.041) and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (P<0.001) increased as weight status increased. Levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, upper-body flexibility (both, P<0.001), static balance (P<0.05) and dynamic balance (P<0.01) decreased as weight status increased. Pairwise comparisons showed differences mainly between normal-weight and overweight vs. obese groups. No differences between groups were observed on quality of life. Conclusion: Cardiovascular and lipid profile and fitness, important indicators of cardiovascular disease risk, worsened as weight status increased, whereas quality of life appears to be independent of weight status. Exercise and nutritional programs focus on weight management may be advisable in this under studied population.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Interval aerobic training combined with strength-endurance exercise improves metabolic markers beyond caloric restriction in Zucker rats: Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

Aims: To investigate the effects of interval aerobic training combined with strength-endurance exercise (IASE) and caloric restriction (CR) on body composition, glycaemic and lipid profile and inflammatory markers. Methods and results: Thirty-two Zucker diabetic fatty rats were randomised into 4 groups (sedentary + CR; sedentary + adlibitum; IASE + CR; and IASE + adlibitum). Training groups conducted an IASE programme in the same session, 5 days/week for 2 months. Body weight, fat and muscle mass and body water were measured using a body composition analyser. Plasma total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides, insulin, adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1 and 10 were measured. Blood fasting and postprandial glucose were assessed. Body weight was lower in the CR compared to the adlibitum groups (p <0.001). Fat mass was lower in the CR compared to the adlibitum (p <0.05) and in the IASE compared to the sedentary groups (p <0.001), but IASE increased lean mass (p <0.001). Triglycerides were lower in the CR compared to the adlibitum groups (p <0.001) whereas total and LDL-cholesterol and fasting glucose were reduced only in the IASE groups (all, p <0.001). Phospholipids decreased in the CR compared to the adlibitum (p <0.05) and the IASE compared to the sedentary groups (p <0.001). The area under the curve after oral glucose tolerance test, insulin and homoeostatic model assessment were lower in the IASE and the CR compared to the sedentary and adlibitum groups, respectively (all, p <0.001). Adiponectin was lower in the CR groups (p <0.001). Conclusion: Overall, IASE as well as CR were both useful interventions, especially when combined. However, IASE showed greater improvements on body composition, inflammatory and glycaemic profile than CR did. (C) 2016 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The associations between physical fitness and cardiometabolic risk and body-size phenotypes in perimenopausal women

Objective: To study the association between physical fitness and body-size phenotypes, and to test which aspects of physical fitness show the greatest independent association with cardiometabolic risk in perimenopausal women. Study design: This cross-sectional study involved 228 women aged 53 +/- 5 years from southern Spain. Main outcome measurements: Physical fitness was assessed by means of the Senior Fitness Test Battery (additionally including handgrip strength and timed up-and-go tests). Anthropometry, resting heart rate, blood pressure and plasma markers of lipid, glycaemic and inflammatory status were measured by standard procedures. The harmonized definition of the 'metabolically healthy but obese' (MHO) phenotype was employed to classify individuals. Results: The overall prevalence of the MHO phenotype was 13% but was 43% among the obese women. Apart from traditional markers, metabolically healthy non-obese women had lower levels of C-reactive protein than women with the other phenotypes (p <0.001), and levels of glycosylated haemoglobin were lower in MHO women than in metabolically abnormal non-obese women (overall p = 0.004). Most of the components of physical fitness differed with body-size phenotypes. The 6-min walk and the back-scratch tests presented the most robust differences (both p <0.001). Moreover, the women's performance on the back-scratch (beta = 0.32; p <0.001) and the 6-min walk (beta = 0.22; p = 0.003) tests was independently associated with the clustered cardiometabolic risk. The back-scratch test explained 10% of the variability (step 1, p <0.001), and the final model, which also included the 6-min walk test (step 2, p = 0.003), explained 14% of the variability. Conclusion: Low upper-body flexibility was the most important fitness indicator of cardiometabolic risk in perimenopausal women, but cardiorespiratory fitness also played an important role. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Effects of interval aerobic training combined with strength exercise on body composition, glycaemic and lipid profile and aerobic capacity of obese rats: Journal of Sports Sciences

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of interval aerobic training combined with strength exercise in the same training session on body composition, and glycaemic and lipid profile in obese rats. Sixteen lean Zucker rats and sixteen obese Zucker rats were randomly divided into exercise and sedentary subgroups (4 groups, n=8). Exercise consisted of interval aerobic training combined with strength exercise in the same training session. The animals trained 60min/day, 5days/week for 8weeks. Body composition, lipid and glycaemic profiles and inflammatory markers were assessed.Results showed that fat mass was reduced in both lean and obese rats following the exercise training (effect size (95% confidence interval (CI))=1.8 (0.5-3.0)). Plasma low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and fasting glucose were lower in the exercise compared to the sedentary groups (d=2.0 (0.7-3.2) and 1.8 (0.5-3.0), respectively). Plasma insulin was reduced in exercise compared to sedentary groups (d=2.1 (0.8-3.4)). Some exercise x phenotype interactions showed that the highest decreases in insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, fasting and postprandial glucose were observed in the obese+exercise group (all,