Effects of Prior Fasting on Fat Oxidation during Resistance Exercise

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(2): 827-833, 2018. Prior research has demonstrated that the percentage of fuel utilization contributed by CHO compared to fat rises with an increase in exercise intensity. The role of food intake prior to exercise has been well studied and fasting prior to exercise generally increases reliance on fat as fuel. However, data on the role of fasting prior to resistance exercise is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effects of one bout of resistance training in a fasted state compared to ingestion of standardized meal on fat and carbohydrate utilization. Twelve female (n = 12, age = 20.1 ± 0.79 yrs, height = 67.0 ± 2.63 in, weight = 143 ± 21.8 lbs) NCAA Division 1 athletes participated in the study. Each participant completed one 10 hour fasted resistance training session and one postprandial resistance training session. The respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and METs were measured using a Cosmed K4b2portable metabolic cart (Cosmed, Rome, Italy) and heart rate was measured by a Polar H1 heart rate monitor. Participants consumed the prescribed food, waited 15 minutes, and then completed three sets of five repetitions of bench press, back squat, and military press at 60% of their 1-repetition maximum. The mean fasted RER was significantly lower than postprandial for back squat (p=0.01) and military press (p=0.02), but not bench press (p=0.19). There was no difference in METs, RPE, or HR between fasted and postprandial trials for any exercise. Results suggest that fasted resistance exercise relies more heavily on fat metabolism than carbohydrate

Acute Caffeine Ingestion Increases Velocity and Power in Upper and Lower Body Free-Weight Resistance Exercises

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(2): 1280-1289, 2019. The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of caffeine supplementation on velocity and power output during bench press and back squat exercises. Resistance trained males (n = 12) consuming less than 300 mg of caffeine daily, were recruited for this study. In a blinded crossover study design, participants supplemented with 6 mg· kg-1 caffeine or placebo (placebo, gluten-free cornstarch) 60 min prior to exercise. Participants completed 3 × 1 repetition with maximum explosive intent at 80% of their 1-RM for bench and squat exercises with two minute rest periods between each repetition. A linear position transducer was used to measure power and velocity of barbell movement. Each trial was separated by a 72 h washout period. Results indicated that mean velocity (p = 0.027; ES = 1.04) and mean power (p = 0.008; ES = 0.24) were higher during bench press exercise with caffeine versus placebo. Furthermore, mean velocity (p = 0.005; ES=1.06) and mean power (p = 0.020; ES = 0.71) values were higher for back squat exercise with caffeine versus placebo. This study suggests that caffeine ingestion imposes ergogenic benefits by increasing velocity and power in both upper and lower body resistance exercises. However, caffeine had a larger effect on lower body power output versus upper body exercise. Results may hold important implications for using caffeine during training

Walking for Health During Pregnancy: A Literature Review and Considerations for Future Research

Walking is the most commonly chosen type of physical activity (PA) during pregnancy and provides several health benefits to both mother and child. National initiatives have promoted the importance of walking in general, but little emphasis is directed toward pregnant women, the majority of whom are insufficiently active. Pregnant women face a variety of dynamic barriers to a physically active lifestyle, some of which are more commonly experienced during specific times throughout the pregnancy experience. Walking is unique in that it appears resistant to a number of these barriers that limit other types of PA participation, and it can be meaningfully integrated into some transportation and occupational activities when leisure-time options are unavailable. Preliminary intervention work suggests that walking programs can be effectively adopted into a typical pregnancy lifestyle. However, a great deal of work remains to administer successful pregnancy walking interventions, including developing and using validated methods of PA and walking assessment. This narrative review discusses the unique advantages of walking during pregnancy, provides recommendations for future intervention work, and outlines the need for pregnancy-focused community walking initiatives.Standard search procedures were followed to determine sources from the literature specific to walking during pregnancy for use in each section of this review

Chronic Exercise Modifies Age-Related Telomere Dynamics in a Tissue-Specific Fashion

We evaluated the impact of long-term exercise on telomere dynamics in wild-derived short telomere mice (CAST/Ei) over 1 year. We observed significant telomere shortening in liver and cardiac tissues in sedentary 1-year-old mice compared with young (8 weeks) baseline mice that were attenuated in exercised 1-year-old animals. In contrast, skeletal muscle exhibited significant telomere shortening in exercise mice compared with sedentary and young mice. Telomerase enzyme activity was increased in skeletal muscle of exercise compared with sedentary animals but was similar in cardiac and liver tissues. We observed significant age-related decreases in expression of telomere-related genes that were attenuated by exercise in cardiac and skeletal muscle but not liver. Protein content of TRF1 was significantly increased in plantaris muscle with age. In summary, long-term exercise altered telomere dynamics, slowing age-related decreases in telomere length in cardiac and liver tissue but contributing to shortening in exercised skeletal muscle

GA4GH: International policies and standards for data sharing across genomic research and healthcare.

The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) aims to accelerate biomedical advances by enabling the responsible sharing of clinical and genomic data through both harmonized data aggregation and federated approaches. The decreasing cost of genomic sequencing (along with other genome-wide molecular assays) and increasing evidence of its clinical utility will soon drive the generation of sequence data from tens of millions of humans, with increasing levels of diversity. In this perspective, we present the GA4GH strategies for addressing the major challenges of this data revolution. We describe the GA4GH organization, which is fueled by the development efforts of eight Work Streams and informed by the needs of 24 Driver Projects and other key stakeholders. We present the GA4GH suite of secure, interoperable technical standards and policy frameworks and review the current status of standards, their relevance to key domains of research and clinical care, and future plans of GA4GH. Broad international participation in building, adopting, and deploying GA4GH standards and frameworks will catalyze an unprecedented effort in data sharing that will be critical to advancing genomic medicine and ensuring that all populations can access its benefits

Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo

Meeting Abstracts: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Clearwater Beach, FL, USA. 9-11 June 201

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK.

BACKGROUND: A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. METHODS: This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. FINDINGS: Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0-75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4-97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8-80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3-4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. INTERPRETATION: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials. FUNDING: UK Research and Innovation, National Institutes for Health Research (NIHR), Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lemann Foundation, Rede D'Or, Brava and Telles Foundation, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Thames Valley and South Midland's NIHR Clinical Research Network, and AstraZeneca

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK

Background A safe and efficacious vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), if deployed with high coverage, could contribute to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a pooled interim analysis of four trials. Methods This analysis includes data from four ongoing blinded, randomised, controlled trials done across the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Participants aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned (1:1) to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or control (meningococcal group A, C, W, and Y conjugate vaccine or saline). Participants in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group received two doses containing 5 × 1010 viral particles (standard dose; SD/SD cohort); a subset in the UK trial received a half dose as their first dose (low dose) and a standard dose as their second dose (LD/SD cohort). The primary efficacy analysis included symptomatic COVID-19 in seronegative participants with a nucleic acid amplification test-positive swab more than 14 days after a second dose of vaccine. Participants were analysed according to treatment received, with data cutoff on Nov 4, 2020. Vaccine efficacy was calculated as 1 - relative risk derived from a robust Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Studies are registered at ISRCTN89951424 and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04324606, NCT04400838, and NCT04444674. Findings Between April 23 and Nov 4, 2020, 23 848 participants were enrolled and 11 636 participants (7548 in the UK, 4088 in Brazil) were included in the interim primary efficacy analysis. In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62·1% (95% CI 41·0–75·7; 27 [0·6%] of 4440 in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group vs71 [1·6%] of 4455 in the control group) and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90·0% (67·4–97·0; three [0·2%] of 1367 vs 30 [2·2%] of 1374; pinteraction=0·010). Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70·4% (95·8% CI 54·8–80·6; 30 [0·5%] of 5807 vs 101 [1·7%] of 5829). From 21 days after the first dose, there were ten cases hospitalised for COVID-19, all in the control arm; two were classified as severe COVID-19, including one death. There were 74 341 person-months of safety follow-up (median 3·4 months, IQR 1·3–4·8): 175 severe adverse events occurred in 168 participants, 84 events in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and 91 in the control group. Three events were classified as possibly related to a vaccine: one in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, one in the control group, and one in a participant who remains masked to group allocation. Interpretation ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has an acceptable safety profile and has been found to be efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19 in this interim analysis of ongoing clinical trials

Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Pregnancy Physical Activity in a Non-pregnant Population

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(3): 636-645, 2019. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes and beliefs about pregnancy physical activity (PA) in non-pregnant individuals. We hypothesized that younger, more educated, females, those who had ever been pregnant (or partner had been pregnant, for males) and physically active individuals would view pregnancy PA more positively than older individuals, those with less education, males, those who had not ever been pregnant (partner had not been pregnant, for males), and those who are inactive, respectively. Participants were non-pregnant adults ages 20+ years who were recruited by word-of-mouth, social media, and from physician offices. A total of n=698 completed a survey consisting of 27 items in five sections: demographics, PA over prior six months, questions regarding efficacy of PA during pregnancy, importance of exercise for pregnant women, and safety of moderate or vigorous intensity PA. Participants were dichotomized by sex (male; female), PA (meets or does not meet PA Guidelines), education (Bachelor’s degree; no Bachelor’s degree), and prior experience with pregnancy (self/partner had ever been pregnant; self/partner had never been pregnant). Overall, physically active individuals, those with college degrees, and those age 40+ years viewed pregnancy PA more favorably, and non-pregnant females and more educated people believed moderate activity is safe (p\u3c0.05 for all comparisons) compared to males and less educated, respectively. Beliefs and attitudes about pregnancy PA vary by age, sex, education, and PA level. High levels of agreement with statements about benefits from and safety of light and moderate intensity PA were reported. Targeting education and PA promotion related to pregnancy to less educated, inactive, and younger age groups should be encouraged, as well as increasing education in all groups regarding safety of vigorous intensity PA during pregnancy

Effects of Listening to Preferred versus Non-Preferred Music on Repeated Wingate Anaerobic Test Performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of listening to preferred or non-preferred music on repeated sprint performance. Fourteen physically active males (ages 18–25 years) were recruited for this study. In a counterbalanced crossover study design, participants completed two separate visits. During each visit, participants listened to either preferred or non-preferred music and completed 3 × 15 s Wingate Anaerobic Tests (WAnTs) separated by 2 min active recovery periods. Each visit was separated by a minimal recovery period of 48 h. Anaerobic performance measures, heart rate, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and motivation were analyzed. Mean power (p = 0.846, effect size (ES) = 0.019), anaerobic capacity (p = 0.686, ES = 0.058), and total work (p = 0.677, ES = 0.039) were not significantly different between preferred and non-preferred music conditions. Mean heart rate (p = 0.608; ES = 0.125) was also unchanged. Motivation to exercise (p < 0.001; ES = 1.520) was significantly higher in the preferred music condition. Additionally, the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) (p = 0.028; ES = 0.540) was significantly lower during the preferred music condition. Our results show that listening to preferred music showed no ergogenic benefit during repeated anaerobic cycling sprints when compared to non-preferred music. However, preferred music increased motivation to exercise and decreased perceived exertion. The results from this study could hold important implications for the application of music and enduring repeated high-intensity sprint exercise