Effect of high intensity interval training on functional movement in older adults:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Preserving physiological functional capacity (PFC), the ability to perform the activities of daily life, and the ease with which they can be performed, in older adults, defined for this study as ≥ 50 years of age, is an important consideration for maintaining health and independence through the ageing process. Physical activity, and exercise training in particular, has been positively associated with improvement in PFC. In addition to improving aerobic and anaerobic capacity, promoting and preserving functional movement as a component of PFC is an important goal of physical activity, especially for older adults. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), an exercise protocol where repeated bouts of increased intensity are interspersed with active or passive recovery periods, has often been studied as an alternative to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) exercise, where a continuous intensity is maintained throughout the exercise session. A large body of research has determined that both types of exercise programme are effective in improving measures of aerobic and anaerobic fitness in older adults. However, the effect of the two exercise modalities on functional movement has most often been a secondary outcome, with a range of observational techniques applied for measurement. Objectives The primary objective of this research is to systematically review and meta-analyse published studies of HIIT interventions that measured functional movement in older adults to conclude if HIIT is effective for improving functional movement. A secondary objective is to determine if there are significant differences between HIIT and MICT effect on functional movement. Methods A search strategy of terms locating studies of HIIT interventions, functional movement outcome measures, and older adult population samples was executed on seven digital databases. Randomized and pair-matched trials of > 2 weeks were considered for inclusion. Studies of participants with neurological impairment or studies using combined exercise modality were rejected. Standardized mean difference for functional movement outcome measures was calculated. A meta-analysis of the included studies and subgroups was performed along with study quality (risk of bias and publication bias) evaluation. Results A total of 18 studies were included in random effects model pooled analysis. Subgroup analysis of HIIT versus MICT on functional movement showed a trivial effect in favour of HIIT (ES 0.13, 95% CI [−0.06, 0.33] p = 0.18) and did not achieve statistical significance. However, HIIT showed a medium, statistically significant favourable effect on functional movement versus non-intervention control (ES = 0.60 95% CI [0.24, 0.95] p = 0.001). Further subgroups analysis using singular and multiple functional movement outcome measures showed similar results. Conclusion This meta-analysis indicates that HIIT interventions in older adults may be effective at promoting improvements in functional movement, though it is unclear whether HIIT is superior to MICT

A CALIBRATION FRAME FOR 3D SWIMMING ANALYSIS

The purpose of this study was to construct a calibration frame for accurate threedimensional analysis of swimming and to assess its accuracy and reliability. A 6.75 m3 frame was constructed. The frame was positioned in a 25 m pool so that half was above and half below the water surface and recorded with four underwater and two above water synchronised cameras. Direct linear transformation methods were used to estimate marker locations on the frame. Comparison among different numbers of control points showed the set of 20 points to produce the most accurate results. Selection of the most accurate control points improved the accuracy of the measurements even when only 10 control points were used. The frame was found to have high accuracy (mean errors: 3.3 mm, 2.6 mm and 4.0 mm; root mean square errors: 3.9 mm, 3.8 mm and 4.8 mm) and reliability (standard deviation: 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm and 0.4 mm)

A COMPARATIVE THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF BREATHING AND NON-BREATHING IN FRONT-CRAWL SWIMMING

Only a few studies have examined the effects of breathing in the kinematics of front crawl swimming (e.g. Payton et al., 1999). Important limitations of previous studies were that they were conducted (totally or partly) with the use of two-dimensional (2D) analysis techniques, and that body roll was calculated based on the assumption that the trunk moves as a rigid part. However, Cappaert et al. (1995) reported not only different range of motions but also different timing of shoulder and hip roll. This indicated that the rigid trunk assumption is not tenable. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of breathing on the kinematics of the whole body centre of mass (CM) and roll of the shoulders and hips using three-dimensional (3D) analysis methods applied to a full body model

A THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF INTRA-CYCLE KINEMATIC PARAMETERS OF THE CENTRE OF MASS OF FEMALE BUTTERFLY SWIMMERS

The analysis of intra-cycle velocity fluctuations in butterfly swimmers has been the subject of several swimming studies. Despite the fact that swimming is not a planar activity, most studies have examined these fluctuations with the use of two-dimensional (2D) analysis techniques, for example Maglischo et al. (1989), thereby introducing important limitations in both the data collection and analysis. In addition, the assumption of bilateral symmetry is untenable due to asymmetric patterns in the technique and asymmetries in the anthropometric characteristics (Arellano et al., 2003). Furthermore, Barbosa et al. (2003) showed that the hip does not represent properly the intracyclic variation in the kinematics of the centre of mass. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the intra-cycle fluctuation of the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the centre of mass in competitive female butterfly swimmers using three-dimensional (3D) analysis methods