Feasibility Assessment of the Let’s Walk Programme (CAMINEM): Exercise Training and Health Promotion in Primary Health-Care Settings

Exercise is related to many individual health outcomes but impact evaluations of exercise programmes are seldom conducted. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of an exercise prescription intervention in primary health-care settings (CAMINEM Programme) located in two socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The CAMINEM was a pragmatic-driven intervention with opportunistic recruitment. It followed the 5As framework for health promotion and also the exercise training principles. Feasibility was evaluated using the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Patients with non-communicable chronic diseases participated in a 12-month home-based moderate-intensity exercise program, counselled by exercise physiologists. Participants were grouped according to their physical activity behaviour at baseline and 6-month adherence. CAMINEM reached 1.49% (n = 229) of the eligible population (N = 15,374) and included a final sample of 178. Health outcomes for adhered participants followed positive patterns. Non-adhered participants visited their practitioner more compared to adhered participants. Thirty-three practitioners (40%) referred patients. Nurses referred four times more than physicians (81% and 19% respectively). The delivery of exercise prescriptions proved to be easy to complete and record by participants as well as easy to monitor and adjust by the exercise physiologists. One out of four participants adhered during the 12-month intervention. This intervention has been feasible in primary care in Catalonia, Spain, to safely prescribe home-based exercise for several conditions.This research was funded by the Secretaria General de l’Esport and the Departament d’Innovació, Universitats i Empresa, Generalitat de Catalunya with a competitive grant for junior researchers, grant number 006780 Ordre 001

Autologous bone marrow expanded mesenchymal stem cells in patellar tendinopathy: protocol for a phase I/II, single-centre, randomized with active control PRP, double-blinded clinical trial

Introduction: Patellar tendon overuse injuries are common in athletes. Imaging may show a change in tissue structure with tendon thickening and disruption of the intratendinous substance. We wish to test the hypothesis that both autologous bone marrow expanded mesenchymal stem cells and autologous leukocyte-poor platelet-rich plasma (LP-PRP) implanted into the area of the disrupted tendinopathic patellar tendon will restore function, but tendon regeneration tissue will only be observed in the subjects treated with autologous bone marrow expanded mesenchymal stem cells. Methods and analysis: This is a single-centre, pilot phase I/II, double-blinded clinical trial with randomisation with active control. Twenty patients with a diagnosis of patellar tendinopathy with imaging changes (tendon thickening and disruption of the intratendinous substance at the proximal portion of the patellar tendon) will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive a local injection of either bone-marrow autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), isolated and cultured under GMP at The Institute of Biology and Molecular Genetics (IBGM) (Spain) or P-PRP. The study will have two aims: first, to ascertain whether a clinically relevant improvement after 3, 6 and 12 months according to the visual analogue scale (VAS), Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment for patellar tendons (VISA-P) and dynamometry scales (DYN) will be achieved; and second, to ascertain whether the proposed intervention will restore tendon structure as determined by ultrasonography (US), Doppler ultrasonography (DUS), and innovative MRI and ultrasound techniques: Magnetic Resonance T2 FAT SAT (UTE, Ultrashort Echo TE) sequence and Ultrasound Tissue Characterization (UTC). Patients who are randomised to the P-PRP treatment group but do not achieve a satisfactory primary endpoint after 6 months will be offered treatment with MSC

Fisiología del fútbol: revisión bibliográfica

Presentamos una revisión de diversos trabajos en los que se abordó el estudio de las demandas fisiológicas del fútbol a partir de diversos indicadores. Se analizan dos indicadores externos, la distancia total recorrida por los jugadores en un partido de fútbol y su intensidad, y dos indicadores internos, frecuencia cardíaca y nivel de lactato en sangre. A partir de los resultados hallados por los diferentes autores se intenta definir qué papel juegan las distintas vías energéticas durante un partido de fútbol

Validació d'itineraris urbans per a la prescripció d'exercici físic.

Objectiu: Dissenyar i validar vuit recorreguts urbans per la ciutat de Lleida perquè puguin ser utilitzats com a instruments de prescripció d"exercici físic pels metges i infermeres dels Centres d"Atenció Primària (CAPs). Mètodes: ciutadans voluntaris (n = 175) escollits entre diferents CAPs de Lleida se"ls van efectuar diverses mesures antropomètriques i fisiològiques abans i durant la realització dels recorreguts. Resultats: Les dades obtingudes van permetre analitzar quines eren les variables que incidien en la intensitat de l"activitat física, i es van establir uns intervals dins dels quals els futurs practicants poguessin realitzar una activitat controlada pels professionals de la salut en funció de la seva edat. Conclusions: Aquesta experiència permet establir una metodologia per validar circuits per a la prescripció d"activitat física en tres gradients d"intensitat (lleu, moderada, intensa) en funció del diagnòstic mèdic.Objective: Design and validate eight urban routes in Lleida, to be used as prescription instruments by physicians and nurses at Primary Care Centres (CAPs). Methodologies: Before and during making use of the routes, diverse anthropometric and physiological measurements were taken among volunteers (n = 175), chosen from diverse CAPs in Lleida. Results: The data collected determined which variables influenced upon the intensity of the physical activity. Intervals were established within which future practitioners could perform age-specific activities under medical supervision. Conclusions: This experience allows establishing a methodology to validate routes for exercise on prescription at three levels of intensity (light, moderate, intense) based on medical diagnosis

Determination of functional fitness age in women aged 50 and older

Background: The construction of useful and attainable indicators of fitness assessment deserves special attention in clinical practice. We aimed to construct an indicator of the functional fitness age (FFA) of women aged 50 and older by an equation using fitness outcomes and its correlation with chronological age (CA) and to analyze the external validity of our results by comparing our sample to others. Methods: Participants (n = 459, age: 70.3 ± 7.9 years, mean ± SD) were evaluated using the Senior Fitness Test battery. We applied a multiple regression and a subsequent Holt’s exponential smoothing to analyze the outcomes. Results: We obtained a statistically significant expression of F = 328.384; p < 0.0005 in which the coefficients of the equation explain 81% of variability (R 2corrected = 0.813). The equation correlates fitness assessment in women aged 50 and over with regards to CA: FFA = 40.146 + 0.350 × CS (stand) − 0.714 × AC (rep) − 0.110 × ST (step) − 0.177 × CSR (cm) − 0.101 × BS (cm) + 8.835 × FUG (s) where CS means chair stand test, AC means arm curl test, ST means 2 min step test, CSR means chair sit-and-reach test, BS means back scratch test, FUG means 8-foot up-and-go test. We compared this index with percentiles distribution from our sample and from other studies. Conclusion: We suggest the use of FFA as a valid indicator of fitness in adult and senior women as well as a useful motivational tool to undertake exercise programs