Physical and functional fitness changes in older adults in response to a traditional training program and a Wii enhanced training program

The Wii Fit Plus Balance program has been recommended as an alternative training tool for older adults to improve physical and functional fitness. However, the effectiveness of the Wii Fit Plus in combination with traditional training approaches in older adults is unclear. PURPOSE: To compare changes in physical fitness measures in older adults (OA) engaging in two different training programs: 1) traditional exercises performed by the control group (CG) and 2) traditional exercises complemented by Wii balance games performed by the experimental group (EG). METHODS: 35 untrained OA (mean ± SD Age: 68.86 ± 6.13; BMI: 28.89 ± 5.32) with no exercise history were recruited and randomly assigned to either the CG or EG group. CG and EG programs both included cardio, strength, flexibility, and balance training exercises. However, subjects in the EG group performed additional balance exercises using Wii fit plus program. Both CG and EG subjects exercised twice per week for twelve weeks. Fitness assessments were based on standard procedures including the chair stand, gallon jug transfer, 8 foot up-and-go tests, as well as a long ramp walk and medicine ball throw tests. Data were collected at weeks 1, 6, and 12. Data analysis was conducted using the general linear mixed model with alpha level set at p\u3c0.05. RESULTS: A significant time effect was found for all fitness measures in both groups from week 1 to 6 (p\u3c0.001) and week 1 to 12 (p\u3c0.001). In general CG and EG subjects made 5.5% to 31.7% improvement from Week 1 to 6 and 8.1% to 52.5% improvement from Week 1 to 12. No significant group effects were observed between the CG and EG groups (p\u3e0.370). Also, no significant group by time interactions were observed for any of the fitness measures (p\u3e0.290). CONCLUSION: It appears that the use of the Wii Fit Plus Balance in conjunction with a traditional exercise program does not provide added significant fitness benefits for older adults. While additional fitness benefits are not evident, it appears that both a traditional exercise program alone and a traditional exercise program combined with the Wii Fit Plus Balance training may elicit significant fitness improvements

The Effects of Two Different Sprint Training Modalities on Sprint Speed, Aerobic Fitness and Body Composition

Previous studies on sprint training have shown subjects to improve not only sprint speed, but also aerobic fitness and body composition. However, it is unclear whether sprint training on the track is more effective in improving these variables compared to training on a high-speed treadmill. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-week track (TR) vs. high-speed treadmill (TM) sprint training on maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), sprint speed and body composition. Twelve subjects were randomly assigned to the TR (n=6; 3 males, 3 females) or TM training group (n=6; 3 males, 3 females). All subjects performed 2 training sessions weekly, performing 4 maximal sprints with 3-4 minutes rest in between attempts. Four cones were placed along the track to simulate progression of speed to replicate treadmill conditions. TR started from an upright jog position and progressively increased speed at each cone (60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%) of maximal speed and 100% maximal speed through the recording zone (5-6 seconds). A treadmill speed test was applied increasing treadmill speed to the subjects’ loss of control, while suspended in a safety harness. VO2max was measured by Parvomedics True Max 2400 metabolic cart and body composition was measured by Dual Energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at baseline and after the 6 weeks of training. Treadmill sprint speed improved significantly in both groups (TR 16.36±0.54 to 17.79±0.52 miles/hr, p=0.0003; TM 17.13±0.84 to 18.63±0.93 miles/hr, p=0.0018). VO2 max was improved in both groups (TR 46.60±2.03 to 49.54±1.71 ml/kg/min, p=0.03; TM 47.59±4.152 to 51.05±4.445 ml/kg/min, p=0.04). There was no significant change in body mass index (TR 24.1±1.0 to 24.0±1.0 kg/m2; p=0.51; TM 24.5±0.7 to 24.1±0.8; p=0.30) or in lean mass (TR 44.08±3.12 to 43.80±2.62 kg; p=0.73; TM 48.41±5.29 to 44.55±7.49 kg; p=0.36) in either group. There was a significant decrease in percent body fat in the TR group (30.36±3.75 to 29.20±3.75%; p=0.01) but not in the TM group (27.83±5.50 to 27.20±5.95%; p=0.38). In summary, both the track and treadmill sprint training modalities appear to be effective to improve sprint speed and aerobic power after only 6 weeks of training. However, only track sprint training appears to be beneficial towards decreasing body fat

Manual Resistance versus Conventional Resistance Training: Impact on Strength and Muscular Endurance in Recreationally Trained Men

Manual resistance training (MRT) has been widely used in the field of physical therapy. It has also been used as a strength training method due to the accommodating resistance nature of this modality. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of an 8-week MRT program on maximum strength and muscular endurance in comparison to conventional resistance training in recreationally trained men. Twenty healthy recreationally trained male subjects were recruited and divided into a MRT training group and a conventional training (CT) group. CT group performed bench press and lat pull-down exercises, and the MRT group performed similar movements with resistance provided by a personal trainer. Both groups completed similar training protocol and training load: 2 training sessions weekly for 3 sets of 8 repetitions at an intensity of 8 to 10 on the perceived exertion scale of 0-10. Initial maximum strength differences were not significant between the groups. Neither group showed significant changes in muscular strength or endurance. Despite the statistically non-significant pre- to post differences, a trend for improvement was observed and effect size (ES) calculations indicated greater magnitude of effects for strength and endurance changes in the MRT group in lat pulldown (g=0.84) compared to CT group. Effectiveness of MRT is similar to CT for improving muscular strength and endurance. MRT can be used as a supplemental or alternative strength training modality for recreationally trained subjects, or be considered by personal trainers especially in low equipped facility conditions

Retirement village physical activity and nutrition intervention process evaluation:Informing practice

© 2018 AJA Inc. Objective: This process evaluation aimed to determine participants’ perceptions of the strategies utilised in a six-month intervention that set out to improve physical activity and nutrition in retirement village (RV) residents. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from intervention participants residing in 17 RVs located in Perth, Western Australia, via self-report questionnaires (n = 139) and semi-structured interviews (n = 16). Results: Intervention resources were moderately useful and suitable. Program ambassadors were encouraging (86%), but more frequent, and more direct, contact were preferred. The main reason for withdrawing from the program was health-related conditions (aches, pains, injuries). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the intervention was reasonably appropriate for older adults residing in RVs. Program ambassadors were well accepted, a successful strategy that should be considered for future interventions in RVs. Increased face-to-face engagement was preferred, but such an approach will require greater investment. The findings contribute to a small research base concerned with health behaviour interventions in RVs

The Comparison of Time to Peak Rapid Force Production in Division One Collegiate Male Football, Track, and Basketball Players

Sports such as football (FB), track (TR), and basketball (BB) use movements that require rapid force development in order to be successful. An athlete’s ability to generate power is vital for performance in these sports. While many studies have looked at rapid force development in one sport, there is a paucity of research when comparing athletes across different sports for their time to peak force development. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare male FB, BB, and TR athletes’ time to peak force and rate of development performance. METHODS: A total of 138 athletes (n=14 BB, n=108 FB, n=16 TR) completed two trials of the isometric mid-thigh pull with force platforms used for measuring ground reaction data. Measures from the isometric mid-thigh pull included time to peak force and rate of force development (RFD) at epochs of 50ms, 100ms, 150ms, 200ms, 250ms. Individual linear mixed-models were constructed for each dependent variable (time to peak force and RFD 50,100,150,200,250 ms) with Sport and Trial as a Fixed Factor and an interaction of Sport*IMTP Trial with each athlete as a random intercept. More specifically, a generic model was constructed as y=Sport*Trial + (1|Athlete). Models met all the statistical assumptions and model performance was determined using AIC, BIC, and R2. RESULTS: There were no differences found in either time to peak force (BB =2.87 ±1.98s, FB =3.40 ±1.56s, TR =3.14 ±1.31s, p\u3e0.05), rate of force development at 50ms (BB M=6895.74 ±4155.87 N/s, FB M=6000.91 ±7143.80 N/s, TR M=6948.25 ±5957.56 N/s), 100ms (BB M=7389.82 ±4170.42 N/s, FB M=5138.16 ±4906.71 N/s, TR M=6832.68 ±4852.58 N/s), 150ms (BB M=6043.04 ±2363.08 N/s, FB M=4679.04 ±4053.51 N/s, TR M=6440.04 ±4001.19 N/s), 200ms (BB M=5577.99 ±2041.35 N/s, FB M=4285.77 ±3476.65 N/s, TR M=5778.63 ±2881.08 N/s), and 250ms (BB M=4899.58 ±1996.59 N/s, FB M=3796.88 ±2913.15 N/s, TR M=4917.58 ±2184.59 N/s) CONCLUSION: There were no differences in rapid force production between the athletes of the examined three sports. Practical Applications: Rapid force production is a vital aspect of these three sports, regardless of the different demands that each sport requires, which could explain the lack of differences found in this investigation

THE EFFECTS OF ECCENTRIC PHASE DURATION ON CONCENTRIC PHASE FORCE PRODUCTION DURING DEPTH JUMPS

The purpose of the study was to test the yet unproven theory, which states that the faster a muscle is stretched the greater force it produces in the subsequent concentric phase during plyometric exercises. Thirty-three trained male athletes performed plyometric depth jumps from two heights (trial A=33.02cm, trial B=47.94cm) landing on a force platform, followed by an immediate counter jump. Researchers determined the duration of eccentric phase and the relative peak concentric force of each jump using the data from the force platform. Results indicated a significant inverse relationship between eccentric duration and relative peak concentric force in both trials (p=0.019 and

A Comparison of Morphological, Jump, and Sprint Kinematic Asymmetries in Division I Track and Field Athletes

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(1): 1306-1319, 2023. Inter-limb asymmetries are the difference in performance in one limb with respect to the other. Running events in track and field are considered symmetrical while jumping and throwing events are considered asymmetrical. It is unknown if competing in these different events result in differences in inter-limb asymmetries, thus, this study compared the magnitude of jump, sprint, and morphological asymmetries in track and field athletes who compete in symmetrical and asymmetrical events. Forty-six Division I track and field athletes performed a series of vertical jumps (VJ) and broad jumps (BJ) with force platforms measuring peak force of each limb, and 30-meter fly sprints with kinematics (step length (SL), flight time (FT), and contact time (CT)) recorded during the sprints. Additionally, thirty-eight of these subjects underwent body composition analysis via dual x-ray absorptiometry to determine morphological asymmetries. Asymmetries were calculated using the symmetry index and the asymmetry measures were compared between sprinters, distance runners, throwers, and jumpers utilizing a one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis tests with post-hoc comparisons as necessary. There were no differences in VJ, BJ, and sprint kinematic asymmetries found between groups but there were differences in leg fat mass asymmetries (H(3)=8.259, p=0.041, eta2= 0.101) as well as arm lean mass (H(3)=9.404, p=0.024, eta2=0.152), fat mass (H(3)=17.822,

Validity of Vertical Jump Measuring Devices

The vertical jump has been used to assess athleticism in explosive sports. Field measuring methods have been recently introduced to the market. Some of these devices have been previously validated, however, they have not been validated by an independent research institute nor have been concurrently validated in the same training session. PURPOSE: This research intends to conduct an independent validation of alternative vertical jump devices and to validate multiple devices within the same training session. METHODS: 50 physically active University students were recruited for this study. The subjects performed a self-paced 5 minute jog on a treadmill as part of the general warm-up followed by an 8 minute specific dynamic warm up. Subjects then performed a familiarization phase on the force plates, which consisted of 3 repetitions of the countermovement jump (CMJ); in order to control for individual technical differences and intra-subject variability, subjects were instructed to perform a CMJ at a 90 degree angle squat for each repetition. Subjects then performed a CMJ at the researchers signal for 3 repetitions. We placed an accelerometer based device (Push-Band) on the subjects waist, an Iphone 7plus was used to record and analyze the subject’s CMJ on two video apps (MyJump2 and What’sMyVert), and a photoelectric cells system (optojump) bars were placed next to the force plates; the later were used as the gold standard for the vertical jump measure. 3 researchers measured synchronically each CMJ. A data analysis was conducted on IBM SPSS 23. An Intra-class correlation was used to analyze the correlation between devices. RESULTS: Compared to the force plates, the MyJump2 app showed a nearly perfect correlation (r=.968). The Whats’myVert video app and PushBand showed a moderate-large correlation (r=.619 and r=.641 respectively). Lastly, the Optojump showed a moderate correlation of r= .492. CONCLUSION: We observed a nearly perfect correlation of the MyJump2 app, this correlation appears to be consistent to a previous validation study. The What’sMyVert app showed a large correlation to the force plates, and to our knowledge, this is the first study looking at the validation of this app. We found some inconsistency between our data from the PushBand accelerometer and the Optojump to what has been previously published. In summary, based on our data, the video apps appear to be an excellent alternative to costly laboratory and field devices

The effect of resistance training interventions on weight status in youth:a meta-analysis

Abstract Background There has been a rise in research into obesity prevention and treatment programmes in youth, including the effectiveness of resistance-based exercise. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the effect of resistance training interventions on weight status in youth. Methods Meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and was registered on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42016038365). Eligible studies were from English language peer-reviewed published articles. Searches were conducted in seven databases between May 2016 and June 2017. Studies were included that examined the effect of resistance training on weight status in youth, with participants of school age (5–18 years). Results There were 24 complete sets of data from 18 controlled trials (CTs) which explored 8 outcomes related to weight status. Significant, small effect sizes were identified for body fat% (Hedges’ g = 0.215, 95% CI 0.059 to 0.371, P = 0.007) and skinfolds (Hedges’ g = 0.274, 95% CI 0.066 to 0.483, P = 0.01). Effect sizes were not significant for: body mass (Hedges’ g = 0.043, 95% CI − 0.103 to 0.189, P = 0.564), body mass index (Hedges’ g = 0.024, 95% CI − 0.205 to 0.253, P = 0.838), fat-free mass (Hedges’ g = 0.073, 95% CI − 0.169 to 0.316, P = 0.554), fat mass (Hedges’ g = 0.180, 95% CI − 0.090 to 0.451, P = 0.192), lean mass (Hedges’ g = 0.089, 95% CI − 0.122 to 0.301, P = 0.408) or waist circumference (Hedges’ g = 0.209, 95% CI − 0.075 to 0.494, P = 0.149). Conclusions The results of this meta-analysis suggest that an isolated resistance training intervention may have an effect on weight status in youth. Overall, more quality research should be undertaken to investigate the impact of resistance training in youth as it could have a role to play in the treatment and prevention of obesity

Walk with Me: a protocol for a pilot RCT of a peer-led walking programme to increase physical activity in inactive older adults

Background: Levels of physical activity decline with age. Some of the most disadvantaged individuals in society, such as those from lower socio-economic position, are also the most inactive. Increasing physical activity levels, particularly among those most inactive, is a public health priority. Peer-led physical activity interventions may offer a model to increase physical activity in the older adult population. This study aims to test the feasibility of a peer-led, multicomponent physical activity intervention in socio-economically disadvantaged community dwelling older adults. Methods: The Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions will be used to design and test the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a multicomponent peer-led physical activity intervention. Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention (12 weeks) and 6 months after baseline measures. The pilot RCT will provide information on recruitment of peer mentors and participants and attrition rates, intervention fidelity, and data on the variability of the primary outcome (minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity measured with an accelerometer). The pilot trail will also assess the acceptability of the intervention and identify potential resources needed to undertake a definitive study. Data analyses will be descriptive and include an evaluation of eligibility, recruitment, and retention rates. The findings will be used to estimate the sample size required for a definitive trial. A detailed process evaluation using qualitative and quantitative methods will be conducted with a variety of stakeholders to identify areas of success and necessary improvements. Discussion: This paper describes the protocol for the ‘Walk with Me’ pilot RCT which will provide the information necessary to inform the design and delivery of a fully powered trial should the Walk with Me intervention prove feasible