Making a HIIT: Methods for quantifying intensity in high-intensity interval training in schools and validity of session rating of perceived exertion

This is the final version. Available on open access from Routledge via the DOI in this recordUsing the data from Making a HIIT, this paper aimed to: 1) investigate the different heart rate (HR) quantification methods reported in school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) studies; and 2) assess the criterion validity of session rating of perceived exertion (RPE). During an 8-week HIIT intervention, 213 students (13.1 (0.6) years; 46% female) completed 10-minute HIIT workouts during physical education lessons. In total, 1057 HR and RPE measurements were collected across 68 HIIT workouts. For aim 1, the average and peak HR across all participants and workouts were 79% (8%) and 92% (6%) of HRmax, respectively. The average RPE was 6 (2) points on a 10-point scale. An average of 51% of students in a class had an average HR ≥ 80% for each workout. The between-person variation for peak and average HR were 19% and 30% , respectively. Both average and peak HR decreased by 0.5% each week (p < 0.001). To assess aim 2, a within-participant correlation was calculated for the internal training load produced using HR and RPE data. The correlation was 0.39 (p < 0.001), which suggests utility of using RPE when HR is not a viable option.QUEX InstituteSports Medicine Australi

Validation and calibration for embedding rating of perceived exertion into high-intensity interval exercise in adolescents: a lab-based study

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Human Kinetics via the DOI in this recordPURPOSE: Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is a convenient and cost-effective tool that can be used to monitor high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE). However, no methodological study has demonstrated the validity of RPE in this context. Therefore, the aim of this study was to validate and calibrate RPE for monitoring HIIE in adolescents. METHODS: RPE, heart rate (HR), and oxygen uptake (V˙O2) data were retrospectively extracted from 3 lab-based crossover studies, with a pooled sample size of 45 adolescents, performing either cycling-based or running-based HIIE sessions. Within-participant correlations were calculated for RPE-HR and RPE-V˙O2, and receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was used to establish RPE cut points. RESULTS: The results showed that RPE-HR demonstrated acceptable criterion validity (r = .53-.74, P < .01), while RPE-V˙O2 had poor validity (r = .40-.48, P < .01), except for HIIE at 100% peak power (r = .59, P < .01). RPE cut points of 4 and 5 were established in corresponding to HR/V˙O2 based thresholds. CONCLUSION: RPE has some utility in evaluating intensity during lab-based running or cycling HIIE in adolescents. Future studies should expand the validation and calibration of RPE for prescribing and monitoring HIIE in children and adolescents in field-based contexts

Was it a HIIT? A process evaluation of a school-based high-intensity interval training intervention

This is the final version. Available on on open access from BMC via the DOI in this recordAvailability of data and materials: Data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Background Despite a growing body of research investigating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in schools, there are limited process evaluations investigating their implementation. This is concerning because process evaluations are important for appropriately interpreting outcome findings and augmenting intervention design. This manuscript presents a process evaluation of Making a HIIT, a school-based HIIT intervention. Methods The Making a HIIT intervention spanned 8 weeks and was completed at three schools in Greater Brisbane, Australia. Ten classes (intervention group) completed 10-min teacher-led HIIT workouts at the beginning of health and physical education (HPE) lessons, and five classes (control group) continued with regular HPE lessons. The mixed methods evaluation was guided by the Framework for Effective Implementation by Durlak and DuPre. Results Program reach: Ten schools were contacted to successfully recruit three schools, from which 79% of eligible students (n = 308, age: 13.0 ± 0.6 years, 148 girls) provided consent. Dosage: The average number of HIIT workouts provided was 10 ± 3 and the average number attended by students was 6 ± 2. Fidelity: During HIIT workouts, the percentage of time students spent at ≥ 80% of maximum heart rate (HRmax) was 55% (interquartile range (IQR): 29%—76%). Monitoring of the control group: During lessons, the intervention and control groups spent 32% (IQR: 12%—54%) and 28% (IQR: 13%—46%) of their HPE lesson at ≥ 80% of HRmax, respectively. Responsiveness: On average, students rated their enjoyment of HIIT workouts as 3.3 ± 1.1 (neutral) on a 5-point scale. Quality: Teachers found the HIIT workouts simple to implement but provided insights into the time implications of integrating them into their lessons; elements that helped facilitate their implementation; and their use within the classroom. Differentiation: Making a HIIT involved students and teachers in the co-design of HIIT workouts. Adaption: Workouts were modified due to location and weather, the complexity of exercises, and time constraints. Conclusion The comprehensive evaluation of Making a HIIT provides important insights into the implementation of school-based HIIT, including encouraging findings for student enjoyment and fidelity and recommendations for improving dosage that should be considered when developing future interventions.QUEX Institute for Global ExcellenceSports Medicine Australi

Making a HIIT: study protocol for assessing the feasibility and effects of co-designing high-intensity interval training workouts with students and teachers

This is the final version. Available on open access from BMC via the DOI in this recordBACKGROUND: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective strategy for improving a variety of health outcomes within the school setting. However, there is limited research on the implementation of school-based HIIT interventions and the integration of HIIT within the Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum. The aims of the Making a HIIT study are to: 1) describe the methodology and evaluate the feasibility of co-designing HIIT workouts with students and teachers in HPE; 2) determine the effect of co-designed HIIT workouts on cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and executive function; 3) understand the effect of co-design on students' motivation, enjoyment, and self-efficacy towards the workouts; and 4) evaluate the implementation of the intervention. METHODS: Three schools will participate. Within each school, three different groups will be formed from Year 7 and 8 classes: 1) Co-Designers; 2) HIIT Only; and 3) Control. The study will include two phases. In phase one, Group 1 will co-design HIIT workouts as part of the HPE curriculum using an iterative process with the researcher, teacher, and students as collaborators. This process will be evaluated using student discussions, student surveys, and teacher interviews. In phase two, Groups 1 and 2 will use the co-designed 10-minute HIIT workouts in HPE for 8-weeks. Group 3 (control) will continue their regular HPE lessons. All students will participate in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and executive function assessments before and after the HIIT program or control period. Students will complete questionnaires on their motivation, enjoyment, and self-efficacy of the workouts. Differences between groups will be assessed using linear regressions to account for covariates. Heart rate and rating of perceived exertion will be collected during each HIIT session. The implementation will be evaluated using the Framework for Effective Implementation. Ethical approval was granted by the University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee and other relevant bodies. DISCUSSION: This study will be the first to co-design HIIT workouts with teachers and students within the HPE curriculum. As this study relies on co-design, each HIIT workout will differ, which will add variability between HIIT workouts but increase the ecological validity of the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN, ACTRN12622000534785, Registered 5 April 2022 - Retrospectively registered, https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12622000534785.aspx.QUEX Institute for Global ExcellenceSports Medicine Australia

Microfluidics: reframing biological enquiry

The underlying physical properties of microfluidic tools have led to new biological insights through the development of microsystems that can manipulate, mimic and measure biology at a resolution that has not been possible with macroscale tools. Microsystems readily handle sub-microlitre volumes, precisely route predictable laminar fluid flows and match both perturbations and measurements to the length scales and timescales of biological systems. The advent of fabrication techniques that do not require highly specialized engineering facilities is fuelling the broad dissemination of microfluidic systems and their adaptation to specific biological questions. We describe how our understanding of molecular and cell biology is being and will continue to be advanced by precision microfluidic approaches and posit that microfluidic tools - in conjunction with advanced imaging, bioinformatics and molecular biology approaches - will transform biology into a precision science

Making a HIIT: co-design of high-intensity interval training workouts with students & teachers within the curriculum

This is the final version. Available on open access from BMC via the DOI in this recordAvailability of data and materials: The data analysed during this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.BACKGROUND: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions are becoming more common in schools. However, limited input has been sought from end-users, which can help design interventions that are more engaging and context appropriate, therefore increasing their potential for successful implementation. One method of engaging end-users is co-design, which involves an active collaboration to design solutions to pre-specified problems. This paper aimed to: (1) describe the methodology and results of the co-design process in Making a HIIT to develop HIIT workouts for a school-based intervention; and (2) evaluate the feasibility and impact of co-designing HIIT workouts with students and teachers within the health and physical education (HPE) curriculum. METHODS: The development of the HIIT workouts occurred during obligatory HPE lessons with year seven and eight students. The co-design process included: (1) identifying barriers and facilitators to exercise to create evaluation criteria for creating the HIIT workouts; (2) exploring HIIT; (3) defining HIIT parameters (intensity and interval length); (4) creating HIIT workouts using the parameters and evaluation criteria; (5) trialling and modifying the HIIT workouts based on class feedback and intensity data. To evaluate the feasibility and impact of the co-design process, a thematic analysis was completed using teacher interviews, student discussions, and student surveys. RESULTS: Five classes comprised of 121 students (12-14 years; 49% female) and five teachers were involved in the co-design process across three schools in Queensland, Australia. A total of 33 HIIT workouts were created aimed at satisfying the HIIT parameters and variations of the following evaluation criteria: (1) fun; (2) social; (3) achievable skill level; (4) feeling accomplished; and (5) beneficial for health. From the thematic analysis, three themes (acceptability; implementation; integration) and 12 codes contributed to the overarching understanding of the feasibility of the lessons within the curriculum and a further three themes (perceived changes to lessons; educative outcomes; personal and social capabilities) and three codes contributed towards understanding their impact. CONCLUSION: Overall, co-designing HIIT workouts was feasible within the HPE curriculum and may have contributed to positive educative outcomes. Using this methodology could improve the implementation of HIIT interventions within HPE while supporting educative benefits.QUEX InstituteSports Medicine Australi

Therapeutic factors in expressive art therapy for persons with eating disorders

Abstract: Group therapy has been widely discussed in terms of factors that work. Most of the previous work in this field is related to verbal psychotherapy, but it should not be assumed that non-verbal, activity-based groups, as well as combined group forms, have the same operating mechanisms as verbal psychotherapy groups. Thus, there is a need for more knowledge concerning the therapeutic mechanisms that other types of groups rely on. This article describes and discusses the expressive art therapy group at an eating disorders unit in Norway. Particular emphasis is placed on linking specific elements of a case example to a framework for describing therapeutic factors in groups

Real-time size modulation and synchronization of a microfluidic dropmaker with pulsed surface acoustic waves (SAW)

We show that a microfluidic flow focusing drop maker can be synchronized to a surface acoustic waves (SAW) triggered by an external electric signal. In this way droplet rate and volume can be controlled over a wide range of values in real time. Using SAW, the drop formation rate of a regularly operating water in oil drop maker without SAW can be increased by acoustically enforcing the drop pinch-off and thereby reducing the volume. Drop makers of square cross-sections (w = h = 30 µm, with width w and height h) that produce large drops of length l = 10 w can be triggered to produce drops as short as l ~ 2w, approaching the geometical limit l = w without changing the flow rates. Unlike devices that adjust drop size by changing the flow rates the acoustic dropmaker has very short transients allowing to adjust the size of every single drop. This allows us to produce custom made emulsions with a defined size distribution as demonstrated here not only for a monodisperse emulsion but also for binary emulsions with drops of alternating size. Moreover, we show that the robustness and monodispersity of our devices is enhanced compared to purely flow driven drop makers in the absence of acoustic synchronization

Gender Differences in the Expression and Cellular Localization of Lipin 1 in the Hearts of Fructose-Fed Rats

To give new insight to alterations of cardiac lipid metabolism accompanied by a fructose-rich diet (FRD), rats of both sexes were exposed to 10 % fructose in drinking water during 9 weeks. The protein level and subcellular localization of the main regulators of cardiac lipid metabolism, such as lipin 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha), carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPTI), and CD36 were studied. Caloric intake in fructose-fed rats (FFR) of both sexes was increased. Circulating triacylglyceroles (TAG) and non-esterified fatty acids were increased in male FFR, while females increased visceral adiposity and blood TAG. Total expression of lipin 1 in cardiac cell lysate and its cytosolic and microsomal level were increased in the hearts of male FFR. PPAR alpha and PGC-1 alpha content were decreased in the nuclear extract. In addition, cardiac deposition of TAG in male FFR was elevated, as well as inhibitory phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1). In contrast, in female FFR, lipin 1 level was increased in nuclear extract only, while overall CPTI expression and phosphorylation of IRS-1 at serine 307 were decreased. The results of our study suggest that fructose diet causes gender-dependent alterations in cardiac lipid metabolism. Potentially detrimental effects of FRD seem to be limited to male rats. Most of the observed changes might be a consequence of elevated expression and altered localization of lipin 1. Increased inhibitory phosphorylation of IRS-1 is possible link between cardiac lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in FFR