Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in Long Distance Runners

The purpose was to measure the effects of intermittent pneumatic compression (NormaTec, NT) on muscle inflammation after long distance running. Methods: Ten long distance runners, five males and five females, ages 18-55 years performed two, 20 mile runs at 70 VO2 max. The runs were followed by either no treatment (control) or NT treatment for five consecutive days. For the NT run, subjects were treated for one hour immediately following the run and daily for five days after. For the control run, subjects did not receive any treatment. Serum C - reactive protein (CRP), a marker of muscle inflammation, was measured pre and post run and daily thereafter for five days for both trials. Repeated measures ANOVA and two-way ANOVA were used to assess treatment differences. Results: The results indicated no significant difference (P \u3e 0.05) between the control and treatment runs in CRP levels. There was also no gender differences or order effect of runs. Subjective pain ratings indicated no significant difference in pain between the control and treatment runs except when comparing the first run compared to the second run (regardless of whether the first run was a treatment or control run) there was a significant difference in which the subjects experienced less pain on the second run. There was no significant difference in mean weight loss, fluid intake, sweat rate, heart rate, percentage of maximum heart rate, or percentage of maximum VO2 max. There was, however, a significant difference (P = 0.038) in running time when comparing the control run (196.2 minutes) against the treatment run (204.8 minutes). Conclusions: Although the test subjects recovered one day earlier when using the NT device (Day 4) compared to the control (Day 5), this difference was not significan

Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in Long Distance Runners

The purpose was to measure the effects of intermittent pneumatic compression (NormaTec, NT) on muscle inflammation after long distance running. Methods: Ten long distance runners, five males and five females, ages 18-55 years performed two, 20 mile runs at 70 VO2 max. The runs were followed by either no treatment (control) or NT treatment for five consecutive days. For the NT run, subjects were treated for one hour immediately following the run and daily for five days after. For the control run, subjects did not receive any treatment. Serum C - reactive protein (CRP), a marker of muscle inflammation, was measured pre and post run and daily thereafter for five days for both trials. Repeated measures ANOVA and two-way ANOVA were used to assess treatment differences. Results: The results indicated no significant difference (P \u3e 0.05) between the control and treatment runs in CRP levels. There was also no gender differences or order effect of runs. Subjective pain ratings indicated no significant difference in pain between the control and treatment runs except when comparing the first run compared to the second run (regardless of whether the first run was a treatment or control run) there was a significant difference in which the subjects experienced less pain on the second run. There was no significant difference in mean weight loss, fluid intake, sweat rate, heart rate, percentage of maximum heart rate, or percentage of maximum VO2 max. There was, however, a significant difference (P = 0.038) in running time when comparing the control run (196.2 minutes) against the treatment run (204.8 minutes). Conclusions: Although the test subjects recovered one day earlier when using the NT device (Day 4) compared to the control (Day 5), this difference was not significan

Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) in Long Distance Runners

The purpose was to measure the effects of intermittent pneumatic compression (NormaTec, NT) on muscle inflammation after long distance running. Methods: Ten long distance runners, five males and five females, ages 18-55 years performed two, 20 mile runs at 70 VO2 max. The runs were followed by either no treatment (control) or NT treatment for five consecutive days. For the NT run, subjects were treated for one hour immediately following the run and daily for five days after. For the control run, subjects did not receive any treatment. Serum C - reactive protein (CRP), a marker of muscle inflammation, was measured pre and post run and daily thereafter for five days for both trials. Repeated measures ANOVA and two-way ANOVA were used to assess treatment differences. Results: The results indicated no significant difference (P \u3e 0.05) between the control and treatment runs in CRP levels. There was also no gender differences or order effect of runs. Subjective pain ratings indicated no significant difference in pain between the control and treatment runs except when comparing the first run compared to the second run (regardless of whether the first run was a treatment or control run) there was a significant difference in which the subjects experienced less pain on the second run. There was no significant difference in mean weight loss, fluid intake, sweat rate, heart rate, percentage of maximum heart rate, or percentage of maximum VO2 max. There was, however, a significant difference (P = 0.038) in running time when comparing the control run (196.2 minutes) against the treatment run (204.8 minutes). Conclusions: Although the test subjects recovered one day earlier when using the NT device (Day 4) compared to the control (Day 5), this difference was not significan

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Young women’s perceptions of life in urban South Africa: Contextualising the preconception knowledge gap

Raising awareness to support improved health and well-being of young women in sub-Saharan Africa is critical, particularly in thepreconception period in order to achieve improved health for multiple generations. To inform messaging campaign on preconceptionhealth, we conducted eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with young women in Soweto to understand their perceptions and accessto health messages. Preconception health was generally not a familiar topic for young women. Participants prioritised informationseeking for other pressing challenges they faced such as poverty and unemployment. Within this context, mental health was viewedas important, while physical health only gained importance when illness was present or during pregnancy. Television, radio andcommunity health workers were all viewed as useful communication channels for health messaging. Understanding the importanceof preconception health of young adults to benefit from the triple dividend of better health now, better health for the future and forchildren is a critical knowledge gap for young women. Messages aimed to improve preconception physical and mental health couldleverage significant health gains. Health messages should be contextualised within the experiences that young women face andshould offer information to help young women cope with their challenges. Keywords: Preconception health; Communication; Social media; Health promotion, Soweto, South Africa   La sensibilisation pour soutenir l'amélioration de la santé et du bien-être des jeunes femmes en Afrique subsaharienne est essentielle,en particulier pendant la période préconceptionnelle, afin d'améliorer la santé de plusieurs générations. Pour éclairer la campagnede messagerie sur la santé avant la conception, nous avons mené huit groupes de discussion avec des jeunes femmes de Soweto pourcomprendre leurs perceptions et accéder aux messages de santé. La santé avant la conception n'était généralement pas un sujetfamilier pour les jeunes femmes. Les participants ont donné la priorité à la recherche d'informations sur d'autres défis urgentsauxquels ils étaient confrontés, tels que la pauvreté et le chômage. Dans ce contexte, la santé mentale était considérée commeimportante, tandis que la santé physique ne gagnait en importance qu'en cas de maladie ou pendant la grossesse. La télévision, laradio et les agents de santé communautaires étaient tous considérés comme des canaux de communication utiles pour les messagessur la santé. Comprendre l'importance de la santé avant la conception des jeunes adultes pour bénéficier du triple dividende d'unemeilleure santé maintenant, d'une meilleure santé pour l'avenir et pour les enfants est un manque de connaissances critique pour lesjeunes femmes. Les messages visant à améliorer la santé physique et mentale préconception pourraient générer des gains de santésignificatifs. Les messages de santé devraient être contextualisés dans les expériences auxquelles les jeunes femmes sont confrontéeset devraient offrir des informations pour aider les jeunes femmes à faire face à leurs défis. Mots-clés: Santé avant la conception; La communication; Des médias sociaux; Promotion de la santé, Soweto, Afrique du Su

“Just because you’re pregnant, doesn’t mean you’re sick!” A qualitative study of beliefs regarding physical activity in black South African women

Background: Despite the benefits of physical activity during pregnancy, the physiological and psychological changes that occur during this unique period may put women at greater risk of being sedentary. Lifestyle and environmental transitions have left black South African women at increased risk of physical inactivity and associated health risks. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was to describe the beliefs regarding physical activity during pregnancy in an urban African population. Methods: Semi-structured interviews (n = 13) were conducted with pregnant black African women during their third trimester. Deductive thematic analysis was completed based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Coding and analysis was completed with the assistance of ATLAS.ti software. Results: Participants had a mean age of 28 (19–41) years, and a mean BMI of 30 (19.6–39.0) kg/m2. Although the majority of women believed that physical activity was beneficial, this did not appear to translate into behaviour. Reported reasons for this included barriers such as pregnancy-related discomforts, lack of time, money and physical activity related education, all of which can contribute to a reduced perceived control to become active. Opportunities to participate in group exercise classes was a commonly reported facilitator for becoming active. In addition, influential role players, such as family, friends and healthcare providers, as well as cultural beliefs, reportedly provided the women with vague, conflicting and often discouraging advice about physical activity during pregnancy. Conclusions: This study provides new theoretical insight on the beliefs of urban South African pregnant women regarding physical activity. Findings from this study suggest a holistic approach to improve physical activity compliance during pregnancy, inclusive of physical activity education and exercise opportunities within a community setting. This study presents critical formative work upon which contextually and culturally sensitive interventions can be developed