351 research outputs found

    Reproducibility of limb power outputs and cardiopulmonary responses to exercise using a novel swimming training machine

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    The purpose of this study was to determine the reproducibility of limb power output and cardiopulmonary responses, to incremental whole-body exercise using a novel swimming training machine. Eight swimmers with a mean age of 23.7 ± 4.6 (yrs), stature 1.77 ± 0.13 (m) and body mass of 74.7 ± 2.8 (kg) gave informed consent and participated in repeat exercise testing on the machine. All subjects performed two incremental exercise tests to exhaustion using front crawl movements. From these tests peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), peak heart rate (HRpeak), peak power output (Wpeak) and individual limb power outputs were determined. Results showed there were no significant differences between test 1 and 2 for any variable at exhaustion, and the CV% ranged from 2.8% to 3.4%. The pooled mean values were; VO2peak 3.7 ± 0.65 L.min-1, HRpeak 178.7 ± 6.6 b.min-1 and Wpeak 349.7 ± 16.5 W. The mean contributions to the total power output from the legs and arms were (37.3 ± 4.1 % and 62.7 ± 5.1 % respectively). These results show that it is possible to measure individual limb power outputs and cardopulmonary parameters reproducibly during whole-body exercise using this training machine, at a range of exercise intensitie

    The importance of cancer patients' functional recollections to explore the acceptability of an isometric-resistance exercise intervention: A qualitative study

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    Background and Aims: Although it has been widely recognized the potential of physical activity to help cancer patients' preparation for and recovery from surgery, there is little consideration of patient reflections and recovery experiences to help shape adherence to exercise programs. The aim was to explore the acceptability of our newly proposed isometric exercise program in a large general hospital trust in England providing specialist cancer care by using patient recollections of illness and therapy prior to undertaking a randomized controlled trial. Methods: Four Focus groups (FGs) were conducted with cancer survivors with an explicit focus on patient identity, functional capacity, physical strength, exercise advice, types of activities as well as the timing of our exercise program and its suitability. Thematic framework analysis was used with NVivo 11. Results: FG data was collected in January 2016. A total of 13 patients were participated, 10 were male and 3 were female with participants' ages ranging from 39 to 77. Data saturation was achieved when no new information had been generated reaching “information redundancy.” Participants reflected upon their post-surgery recovery experiences on the appropriateness and suitability of the proposed intervention, what they thought about its delivery and format, and with hindsight what the psychological enablers and barriers would be to participation. Conclusion: Based upon the subjective recollections and recovery experiences of cancer survivors, isometric-resistance exercise interventions tailored to individuals with abdominal cancer has the potential to be acceptable for perioperative patients to help increase their physical activity and can also help with emotional and psychological recovery

    Affect-matching music improves cognitive performance in adults and young children for both positive and negative emotions

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    Three experiments assessed the hypothesis that cognitive benefits associated with exposure to music only occur when the perceived emotion expression of the music and the participant’s affective state match. Experiment 1 revealed an affect-matching pattern modulated by gender when assessing high-arousal states of opposite valence (happy/angry) in an adult sample (n=94) in which mood classification was based on self-report, and affective valence in music was differentiated by mode and other expressive cues whilst keeping tempo constant (139 BPM). The affect-matching hypothesis was then tested in two experiments with children using a mood-induction procedure: Experiment 2 tested happy/angry emotions with, respectively, 3-5- (n=40) and 6-9-year-old (n=40) children, and Experiment 3 compared happy/sad emotions (i.e., states differing both for valence and arousal profiles) with 3-5-year-old children (n=40), using music pieces differentiated also by fast vs. slow tempo. While young children failed to discriminate systematically between fast tempo music conveying different emotions, they did display cognitive benefits from exposure to affect-matching music when both valence (e.g., mode) and arousal level (e.g., tempo) differentiated the musical excerpts, with no gender effects

    A novel method to determine dynamic temperature trends applied to in-shoe temperature data during walking

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    Body temperature is one of the fundamental measures considered in the assessment of health and wellbeing, with various medical conditions known to give rise to abnormal changes in temperature. In particular, abnormal variations in dynamic temperature patterns during walking or exercise may be linked to a range of foot problems, which are of particular concern in diabetic patients. A number of studies have investigated normative temperature patterns of a population by considering data from multiple participants and averaging results after an acclimatisation interval. In this work we demonstrate that the temperature patterns obtained using such an approach may not be truly representative of temperature changes in a population, and the averaging process adopted may yield skewed results. In this work we propose an alternative approach to determine generic reference temperature patterns based on a minimization of root mean square differences between time-shifted versions of temperature data collected from multiple participants. The results obtained indicate that this approach can yield a general trend that is more representative of actual temperature changes across a population than conventional averaging methods. The method we propose is also shown to better capture and link the effects of underlying factors that influence dynamic temperature trends, which could in turn lead to a better understanding of underlying physiological phenomena

    The relationship between EMG and either heart rate or blood pressure during a single-leg incremental isometric exercise test

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    Recently Wiles et al. (2008: Journal of Sports Sciences, 24, 155-162) introduced the linear relationship between double-leg EMG and either HR or BP during incremental isometric exercise as a novel method for regulating exercise intensity during training. However, many previous training studies (eg Wiley et al., 1992: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 24, 749-754) have employed single-leg protocols. The relationship between EMG and HR or BP during an incremental single-leg protocol has not been explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether these relationships were evident in a single-leg protocol. Following ethical approval fifteen healthy, normotensive (mean systolic blood pressure 123.8, s = 6.8 mmHg) and physically active men (age 24.8, s = 6.7 yrs; mass 78.8, s = 9.5 kg) performed a maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) using a seated isometric single-leg extension, from which peak torque (TORpeak) and EMG (EMGpeak) were determined. Subsequently, subjects performed two incremental isometric exercise tests at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 %EMGpeak, using dominant and non-dominant legs, during which HR and BP were measured continuously. The slope and elevation (intercept) of the linear regression lines obtained in each leg were compared with the use of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The within- and between-subjects variation of the mean HR, SBP, and %EMGpeak values was assessed using a repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The group mean data for each leg showed a linear relationship between %EMGpeak and HR (dominant leg r = 0.98; P0.05 and 0.98, P0.05 and 0.99, P< 0.001). The lack of a linear relationship in many individuals was probably due to the accumulation of local metabolites in the single-leg compared to the previously published double-leg isometric exercise. The inter-individual variation in the relationship between EMGpeak and HR or BP during the single-leg protocol, make it difficult to use the single-leg protocol, in the same way as the double-leg protocol, to prescribe isometric exercise intensity during training

    Isometric Exercise Training and Arterial Hypertension: An Updated Review

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    Hypertension is recognised as a leading attributable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Global initiatives towards the prevention and treatment of arterial hypertension are centred around non-pharmacological lifestyle modification. Exercise recommendations differ between professional and scientific organisations, but are generally unanimous on the primary role of traditional aerobic and dynamic resistance exercise. In recent years, isometric exercise training (IET) has emerged as an effective novel exercise intervention with consistent evidence of reductions in blood pressure (BP) superior to that reported from traditional guideline-recommended exercise modes. Despite a wealth of emerging new data and endorsement by select governing bodies, IET remains underutilised and is not widely prescribed in clinical practice. This expert-informed review critically examines the role of IET as a potential adjuvant tool in the future clinical management of BP. We explore the efficacy, prescription protocols, evidence quality and certainty, acute cardiovascular stimulus, and physiological mechanisms underpinning its anti-hypertensive effects. We end the review with take-home suggestions regarding the direction of future IET research
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