The dynamics of changes in the indicators of running economy within 48 hours after application of explosive strength training

The aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of the indicators of running economy (VO2·BM-1·min-1 and ΔVO2·BM-1·min-1) within 48 hours after the application of explosive strength intervention (ESI). Nine university students, recreational athletes (age 23.8 ± 1.56 years, height 178 ± 4.8 cm, weight 74.8 ± 2.91 kg) underwent ESI (6 explosive strength exercises, 3 sets, 8 reps, rest 90 sec, maximum intensity) aimed mainly at lower limbs. The testing of running economy (RE) was performed during four separate measurements (-48, 0, 24 and 48 h; 0 = test immediately after the intervention) at 8, 10, 12 km·h-1 (5 min intervals; the last 60 sec of each level were recorded). It was found that when compared with the pretest values (-48 h), the average ΔVO2·BM-1·min-1 at 8 km·h-1 changed by +3.8% immediately after the intervention (0), by +1.6% after 24 h, and by 0% after 48 h. At 10 km·h-1, the changes were 6.3 - 4.3 - 0.4%, and at 12 km.h-1 they were 5.2 - 4.3 - 1.5%. According to the available literature, it was realistic to expect a peak of O2 consumption during 48 h after the intervention, but this was not observed. The results show the greatest deterioration of RE immediately after the intervention, with a subsequent decline of O2 consumption to resting levels within 48 h.This investigation was conducted within the framework of a specific students’ research at the Masaryk University 0790/2012 "Factors affecting the economy of running (the effect of explosive strength training and stretching acutely applied before performance on the economy of running) II"

The relationship between relative sitting height and flexibility in the Czech adult population

The aim of this research was to describe the relationship between the level of flexibility (sit-and-reach test) and relative sitting height (sitting height/body height ratio). The survey was conducted between 2011-13 in 1370 individuals (739 women and 631 men) divided into 6 age groups: 18-29 (n=451), 30-39 (n=310), 40-49 (n=248), 50-59 (n=147) 60-69 (n=164) and 70+ years (n=50). Flexibility was measured using the sit-andreach test, according to the methodology of Eurofit (3 attempts, only the best one was recorded). The values of relative sitting height were computed from the ratio between sitting height and total body height. he results showed that there is a significant correlation between the examined variables (r = 0.213), i.e. a proportionally longer trunk and shorter legs may have an impact on the result of sit-and-reach test, but the correlation is low (r2 = 0.045). This finding indicated that the result in the sit-and-reach test can be influenced by more factors than only by pure flexibility.The project "Creating a research team for the purpose of determining the level of physical activity (inactivity) in selected age groups of the population of men and women in the Czech Republic" (CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0044) is financed by the European Social Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic

Isometric strength of the upper extremities in Czech men older than 18 years

The aim of this study was to compare isometric strength of the upper extremities in a sample of men from the Czech republic (n=638). Only the dominant upper limb was tested. The examined subjects were 18 years old or older. The measured values (in kilograms) were obtained via hand-held dynamometry testing (a digital hand-held dynamometer). The results of the hand-held dynamometry testing were compared across six age categories (18-29, 30-39, 40-49.... 70+ years). It was found that isometric strength of the dominant upper limb in men increases up to the age group 30-39 years and then declines. The highest average value (55.6 kg) was found in the age group 30-39 years, and expectably, the lowest values (34.4 kg) were documented in the age category 70+ years. The largest decline in isometric strength (-8.8 kg) was found between the age groups 60-69 years and 70+ years

Stature Estimation from the Hand Length: Testing Cross-Population Methods

Délka ruky je vhodným tělesným rozměrem pro odhad výšky postavy ve forenzní antropologii. Takový odhad výšky postavy je však vždy ohrožen populační specifitou běžně užívaných regresních rovnic vypočítaných metodou nejmenších čtverců. Na základě dříve publikovaných statistických parametrů (průměrné hodnoty délky ruky a výšky postavy, regresní koeficienty) z 87 publikovaných studií (212 populačních vzorků) jsme metodami průměrování regresních koeficientů a redukované hlavní osy vytvořili soubor nových transpopulačních rovnic pro odhad výšky postavy z délky ruky. Následně jsme ověřovali přesnost odhadů z těchto nových rovnic na pěti referenčních vzorcích z české, slovenské a bosenské populace a porovnali jejich výsledky s výsledky modelu metody nejmenších čtverců, vyvinuté na českém vzorku. Výsledky ukázaly, že navržené transpopulační rovnice nejsou vhodné pro odhad výšky postavy z délky ruky, pokud nejsou omezeny např. na geograficky užší populační skupinu (v naší studii Evropané slovanského původu). Principiálně obdobné konsekvence doporučujeme zvážit také u odhadů u délek kostí při hodnocení výšky postavy na základě forenzních nálezů skeletu.It has been established that hand length is a suitable parameter for stature estimation in forensic anthropology. However, such estimation is always compromised by population specificity of ordinary regression equations. Based on previously published statistical parameters (average values, regression coefficients) from 87 studies (212 different samples) available in literature, we developed a set of new cross-population equations for estimation of body height from the hand length (Reduced Major Axis Models, Average Regression Models). Subsequently, we tested the accuracy and preciseness of these new equations on five testing samples of primary measurements originating from Czech, Slovak and Bosnian populations and compared the height estimates with the results of traditional Least Squares methods developed on a Czech sample. The results showed that cross-population based models are not suitable for body height estimation from hand length unless they are limited to a narrower geographically confined population group (in our study Europeans of Slavic origin). We propose considering principally similar consequences when estimating the body height from a bone length in forensic skeletal cases

The coast of giants: an anthropometric survey of high schoolers on the Adriatic coast of Croatia

The aim of this anthropometric survey was to map regional differences in height and body proportions in eight counties adjacent to the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Body height was measured in 1,803 males and 782 females aged 17–20 years at 66 schools in 23 towns. When corrected for population size in regions, mean male height is 182.6 cm in all eight counties, 182.8 cm in seven counties of Adriatic Croatia, and 183.7 cm in four counties of Dalmatia proper. Regional variation is considerable: from 180.6 cm in the county of Karlovac to 184.1 cm in the county of Split-Dalmacija. The mean height of females is based on more limited data (168.0 cm in seven counties). These results show that young men from Dalmatia are currently the tallest in the world in the age category of 18 years, and the north-to-south gradient of increasing stature on the Adriatic coast largely mirrors that in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The extraordinary values of height in Croatia and BiH can most likely be explained by unique genetic predispositions that are shared by the local populations of the Dinaric Alps

The comparison of flexibility in the Czech population aged 18-59 years

The aim of this study was to compare flexibility in the Czech population in age 18 - 59. The values of isometric strength were obtained using a sit and reach test (measuring of maximal reach in sit). In comparison with previous standards of sit-and-rech test are our results higher than average. Higher level of flexibility reach women, sporting people and younger age. The most decreasing flexibility was described among young men. The reached results are affected by body characteristics, mainly by obesity degrese and waist-to-hit ratio

Food consumption and the actual statistics of cardiovascular diseases: an epidemiological comparison of 42 European countries

Background: The aim of this ecological study was to identify the main nutritional factors related to the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Europe, based on a comparison of international statistics. Design: The mean consumption of 62 food items from the FAOSTAT database (1993–2008) was compared with the actual statistics of five CVD indicators in 42 European countries. Several other exogenous factors (health expenditure, smoking, body mass index) and the historical stability of results were also examined. Results: We found exceptionally strong relationships between some of the examined factors, the highest being a correlation between raised cholesterol in men and the combined consumption of animal fat and animal protein (r=0.92, p<0.001). The most significant dietary correlate of low CVD risk was high total fat and animal protein consumption. Additional statistical analyses further highlighted citrus fruits, high-fat dairy (cheese) and tree nuts. Among other non-dietary factors, health expenditure showed by far the highest correlation coefficients. The major correlate of high CVD risk was the proportion of energy from carbohydrates and alcohol, or from potato and cereal carbohydrates. Similar patterns were observed between food consumption and CVD statistics from the period 1980–2000, which shows that these relationships are stable over time. However, we found striking discrepancies in men's CVD statistics from 1980 and 1990, which can probably explain the origin of the ‘saturated fat hypothesis’ that influenced public health policies in the following decades. Conclusion: Our results do not support the association between CVDs and saturated fat, which is still contained in official dietary guidelines. Instead, they agree with data accumulated from recent studies that link CVD risk with the high glycaemic index/load of carbohydrate-based diets. In the absence of any scientific evidence connecting saturated fat with CVDs, these findings show that current dietary recommendations regarding CVDs should be seriously reconsidered

Global Correlates of Cardiovascular Risk: A Comparison of 158 Countries

The aim of this study was a large-scale ecological analysis of nutritional and other environmental factors potentially associated with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the global context. Indicators of CVDs from 158 countries were compared with the statistics of mean intake (supply) of 60 food items between 1993 and 2011, obesity rates, health expenditure and life expectancy. This comparison shows that the relationship between CVD indicators (raised blood pressure, CVD mortality, raised blood glucose) and independent variables in the global context is influenced by various factors, such as short life expectancy, religiously conditioned dietary customs, the imprecision of some statistics and undernutrition. However, regardless of the statistical method used, the results always show very similar trends and identify high carbohydrate consumption (mainly in the form of cereals and wheat, in particular) as the dietary factor most consistently associated with the risk of CVDs. These findings are in line with the changing view of the causes of CVDs. Because only the statistics of raised blood glucose include people using medications and reflect true prevalence that is independent of healthcare, more objective data on the prevalence of CVDs are needed to confirm these observed trends

Anthropometric characteristics of the young Czech population and their relationship to the national sports potential

Anthropometric characteristics of young Czech men and women haven’t been measured since 2001, due to the cancellation of the traditional anthropological survey in 2011. The project “Physical activity in the Czech republic” thus offered an opportunity to fill this gap and add some useful information about another physical features of the Czech population that usualy aren’t addressed in anthropological studies. The investigated sample in the youngest age cohort (18-29 years) included 142 men and 137 women, and consisted of volunteers, who were measured during various public actions (primarily in Southern Moravia) during 2011-2012. Although the number of studied individuals was relatively small, their average height (181.0±6.2 cm in men and 168.8±6.7 in women) fits favourably the long-term trends of the secular height increase and confirms that Czech men and women belong to the very tallest in the world. Furthermore, the documented values of relative sitting height (52.63% in men, 53.38% in women) and relative arm span (101.46% in men, 99.23% in women) indicate that the Czech population can be viewed as short-limbed, when compared with other European nations. Considering that the average BMI of Czech national team members at Summer Olympics is consistently moderately above-average in comparison with other Europeans, it can be concluded that Czech men and women are physically well endowed mainly for strength sports of a more dynamic nature, where height is an important performance factor. These observations can have fundamental implications for the development and funding of talent programs, because they enable to target specific sports, whose requirements best correspond with the body type present in the Czech population.The research survey presented above was financed within the project “Creating a research team led by a reintegrated Czech researcher to determine the level of physical activity (inactivity) in chosen age groups of women and men in the Czech republic” (CZ. 1. 07/2. 3. 00/20. 0044)