Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness

Calisthenics, a form of resistance training, continue to increase in popularity; however, few studies have examined their effectiveness for muscle strength improvement. The purpose of this study was to compare progressive calisthenic push-up training (PUSH) to free weight bench press training (BENCH) as techniques to develop muscle strength and thickness. Twenty-three healthy, moderately trained males (mean ± SD: age 23 ± 6.8 years) were randomly assigned to PUSH (n=14) and BENCH (n=9), and trained three days per week for four weeks. Muscle thickness, seated medicine ball put, one repetition max bench press (1RM), and push-up progression (PUP) were measured pre- and post-training. Results revealed significant increases in 1RM (p<0.001) and PUP (p<0.05) for both groups post-training. The increase in PUP, however, was significantly greater for PUSH (p<0.001). This study is the first to demonstrate that calisthenics, using different progressive variations to maintain training principles, can improve upper body muscle strength.College of Human Development and Education and the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences at North Dakota State Universit

Strategies for the Reduction of Adipose Tissue and Retention of Muscle Mass in Overweight Individuals

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether time-restricted feeding (TRF) was an effective dietary strategy for reducing fat mass and preserving fat-free mass while evaluating potential changes in cardiometabolic biomarkers, hormones, muscle performance, and energy and macronutrient intake after eight weeks of aerobic exercise and resistance training in overweight and obese adults. Methods: This study was a randomized, controlled trial. Sedentary, overweight and obese adults (mean ± SD; age: 44.48 ± 7.28 years; BMI: 29.61 ± 2.62 kg/m2; females: 85.71%; males: 14.29%) were randomly assigned to a TRF or normal feeding (NF) dietary strategy group. The TRF group consumed all calories between 1200 and 2000 hours, whereas the NF group ate their typical diet. All groups completed eight weeks of aerobic exercise and supervised resistance training. Body composition, muscle performance, energy and macronutrient intake, physical activity, and physiological variables were assessed week zero and week nine. Results: A total of 21 participants completed the study (NF: n = 10; TRF: n = 11). A mild energy restriction was seen for the TRF (~300 kcal/day, 14.0%) and NF (~250 kcal/d, 11.0%) groups between baseline and week seven. Losses of total body mass were significantly greater for TRF (3.3%) relative to NF (0.2%), of which TRF had significantly greater losses of fat mass (9.0%) compared to NF (3.3%) despite similar reductions in energy intake. Lean mass increased across the intervention for both TRF (0.6%) and NF (1.9%), with no group differences. Conclusion: These data support the use of TRF and concurrent exercise training as a short-term dietary strategy for reducing fat mass and preserving lean mass in overweight and obese adults

The effects of short‐term caloric restriction on cardiometabolic health in overweight/obese men and women: A single‐arm trial

Abstract Overweight and obesity (Ow/Ob) is a risk factor for cardiometabolic disease. Caloric restriction (CR) have been investigated but little is known about the acute effects of CR and often such diets are not standardized. Thus, we aimed to assess the impact of a new standardized 3‐day CR diet (590 kcal/d intake) on cardiometabolic health in weight‐stable Ow/Ob individuals. In a single‐arm design, 15 Ow/Ob men and women were assessed pre‐post a 3‐day standardized CR diet; specifically, body weight/composition (%body fat, visceral fat score (Vfs), blood pressure (BP), and vascular stiffness (VS), resting energy expenditure (REE), substrate utilization (respiratory quotient, RQ), and blood glucose/lipid profile). CR lowered body weight (93.1 ± 15.2 to 90.67 ± 14.4 kg, p  0.05). Blood glucose (86 ± 7 to 84 ± 11 mg/dL, p = 0.33) and lipids (total cholesterol (196 ± 49 to 203 ± 54 mg/dL, p = 0.16) and TC/HDL (4.9 ± 2.4 to 6.1 ± 4.7, p = 0.13)) were unchanged. RQ decreased with CR (0.84 ± 0.01 to 0.76 ± 0.00, p < 0.001, d = 1.9), though REE was unchanged (p = 0.83). The 3‐day CR diet significantly improved fat metabolism, body weight and composition, and vascular stiffness

A Miniaturized MicroRNA Sensor Identifies Targets Associated with Weight Loss in a Diet and Exercise Intervention among Healthy Overweight Individuals

Weight loss through dietary and exercise intervention is commonly prescribed but is not effective for all individuals. Recent studies have demonstrated that circulating microRNA (miR) biomarkers could potentially be used to identify individuals who will likely lose weight through diet and exercise and attain a healthy body weight. However, accurate detection of miRs in clinical samples is difficult, error-prone, and expensive. To address this issue, we recently developed iLluminate—a low-cost and highly sensitive miR sensor suitable for point-of-care testing. To investigate if miR testing and iLluminate can be used in real-world obesity applications, we developed a pilot diet and exercise intervention and utilized iLluminate to evaluate miR biomarkers. We evaluated the expression of miRs-140, -935, -let-7b, and -99a, which are biomarkers for fat loss, energy metabolism, and adipogenic differentiation. Responders lost more total mass, tissue mass, and fat mass than non-responders. miRs-140, -935, -let-7b, and -99a, collectively accounted for 6.9% and 8.8% of the explained variability in fat and lean mass, respectively. At the level of the individual coefficients, miRs-140 and -935 were significantly associated with fat loss. Collectively, miRs-140 and -935 provide an additional degree of predictive capability in body mass and fat mass alternations

Measures Derived from Panoramic Ultrasonography and Animal-Based Protein Intake Are Related to Muscular Performance in Middle-Aged Adults

Ultrasonography advantageously measures skeletal muscle size and quality, but some muscles may be too large to capture with standardized brightness mode (B-mode) imaging. Panoramic ultrasonography can capture more complete images and may more accurately measure muscle size. We investigated measurements made using panoramic compared to B-mode ultrasonography images of the rectus femoris with muscular performance. Concurrently, protein intake plays an important role in preventing sarcopenia; therefore, we also sought to investigate the association between animal-based protein intake (ABPI) and muscular performance. Ninety-one middle-aged adults were recruited. Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and thickness were obtained using B-mode and panoramic ultrasound and analyzed with Image J software. Muscular performance was assessed using isokinetic dynamometry, a 30-s chair test, and handgrip strength. Three-day food diaries estimated dietary intakes. Linear regression models determined relationships between measures from ultrasonography and muscular performance. Mixed linear models were used to evaluate the association between ABPI and muscular performance. Muscle CSA from panoramic ultrasonography and ABPI were positively associated with lower-body strength (β ± S.E.; CSA, 42.622 ± 20.024, p = 0.005; ABPI, 65.874 ± 19.855, p = 0.001), lower-body endurance (β ± S.E.; CSA, 595 ± 200.221, p = 0.001; ABPI, 549.944 ± 232.478, p = 0.020), and handgrip strength (β ± S.E.; CSA, 6.966 ± 3.328, p = 0.004; ABPI, 0.349 ± 0.171, p = 0.045). Panoramic ultrasound shows promise as a method for assessing sarcopenia. ABPI is related to better muscular performance

Structural basis for the cooperative allosteric activation of the free fatty acid receptor GPR40

Clinical studies indicate that partial agonists of the G-protein-coupled, free fatty acid receptor 1 GPR40 enhance glucose-dependent insulin secretion and represent a potential mechanism for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Full allosteric agonists (AgoPAMs) of GPR40 bind to a site distinct from partial agonists and can provide additional efficacy. We report the 3.2-Å crystal structure of human GPR40 (hGPR40) in complex with both the partial agonist MK-8666 and an AgoPAM, which exposes a novel lipid-facing AgoPAM-binding pocket outside the transmembrane helical bundle. Comparison with an additional 2.2-Å structure of the hGPR40-MK-8666 binary complex reveals an induced-fit conformational coupling between the partial agonist and AgoPAM binding sites, involving rearrangements of the transmembrane helices 4 and 5 (TM4 and TM5) and transition of the intracellular loop 2 (ICL2) into a short helix. These conformational changes likely prime GPR40 to a more active-like state and explain the binding cooperativity between these ligands