Current trends of accelerometry to assess physical activity

Evaluar la actividad física de forma precisa y fiable sigue siendo un importante reto para los epidemiólogos, científicos, médicos, especialistas en ejercicio e investigadores del comportamiento. Para ello, actualmente, los acelerómetros son dispositivos ampliamente utilizados en investigación científica. En el presente artículo se pretende dar muestra de cuál es la situación actual del uso de la acelerometría para cuantificar niveles de actividad física. Así como sus limitaciones y perspectivas de futuro con el fin de contribuir a su mejor uso

Exactitud del método de monitorización de la frecuencia cardíaca en la estimación del coste energético

El método de monitorización de la frecuencia cardíaca (MFC) es utilizado para la estimación de la energía gastada. Sin embargo, una de las principales críticas a dicho método es su exactitud. Por ello que nuestro estudio se centró en cuantificar la exactitud del referido método cuando se aplica a diferentes intensidades de esfuerzo. Participaron 9 sujetos que realizaron primero una ergoespirometría para la determinación de la recta VO2-FC y otra posterior para comparar la estimación con los resultados del VO2 medido. No existen diferencias entre el VO2 estimado y medido. El porcentaje de error medio fue de 1.47%, ocurriendo el mayor porcentaje de error a la intensidad más baja. Diferenciando por sexos, ocurre que para las mujeres el VO2 se sobrestima y en los hombres se subestima. Este método es de una elevada relación beneficio/coste por lo que puede ser de gran utilidad en estudios de poblaciones

Acute effects of long-distance races on heart rate variability and arterial stiffness: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study systematically reviewed and quantified the effects of running a long-distance race (LDR) on heart rate variability (HRV) and arterial stiffness (AS). All types of races of a distance equal to or greater than a marathon (=42.2 km) were included. A total of 2, 220 articles were identified, 52 were included in the qualitative analysis, and 48 were meta-analysed. The standardised mean difference pre- and post-race of various time-domain and frequency-domain indices of HRV, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was calculated. Regarding HRV, there was a significant decrease in most of the variables considered as markers of parasympathetic activity, indicating a shift of autonomic balance towards a reduced vagal tone. Regarding vascular variables, there was a significant drop in blood pressure and reduced AS. In conclusion, running an LDR seems to have a considerable acute effect on the autonomic nervous system, haemodynamics, and vascular properties. The observed effects could be categorised within the expected acute responses to long-lasting, strenuous exercise. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Exercise during pregnancy. A narrative review asking: What do we know?

Although there is no consensus as to whether exercise is beneficial during pregnancy, most studies report it poses no risk to either the mother or the fetus, and many suggest it to be beneficial to both. This review, which examines the evidence available, also reveals the many differences in study design followed, the type of exercise undertaken and the variables measured, which make it difficult to compare results. Advances in our understanding of the effects of exercise during pregnancy might best be made by undertaking randomised clinical trials with standardised protocols. However, most of the studies examining the relationship between exercise and pregnancy report no complications on maternal or fetal well-being. This is also in line with recent review studies advising that the pregnant population without obstetric contraindications should be encouraged to exercise during pregnancy. Therefore, the results of the present review stimulate those responsible for the healthcare of the pregnant woman to recommend moderate exercise throughout pregnancy without risk to maternal and fetal health

Effects of eight months of whole body vibration training on hip bone mass in older women

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of 8 months of whole-body vibration training on bone mass in octogenarian women. Method: Thirty-seven women (aged 82.4 [SD=5.7] years) voluntarily participated in this study. The vibration group (n=19) trained on a vibration platform twice a week (20 Hz and 2 mm) whereas controls (n=18) did not participate in any training program. Bone mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the hip region. General linear repeated measures ANOVA (group by time) was used to examine the effect of whole body vibration on bone mass changes. Results: After the intervention, in all the hip regions (total hip, femoral neck, trochanter, intertrochanter, Ward’s area), no statistically significant changes in bone mass were found. Conclusion: Eight months of whole body vibration training (twice a week) in elderly women do not produce osteogenic effects

Tendencias actuales de la acelerometría para la cuantificación de la actividad física

To assess precisely and reliability the Physical Activity is still a challenger to the epidemiologist, scientific, medicals, exercise specialists and behavioural researchers. Nowadays, the accelerometers are monitors activity broadly used in scientific research. The present work has as an aim to show the real situation of the accelerometry to quantify Physical Activity Levels, as well as, their limitations and future directions in order to promote a better use of this technology.Evaluar la actividad física de forma precisa y fiable sigue siendo un importante reto para los epidemiólogos, científicos, médicos, especialistas en ejercicio e investigadores del comportamiento. Para ello, actualmente, los acelerómetros son dispositivos ampliamente utilizados en investigación científica. En el presente artículo se pretende dar muestra de cuál es la situación actual del uso de la acelerometría para cuantificar niveles de actividad física. Así como sus limitaciones y perspectivas de futuro con el fin de contribuir a su mejor uso.

Physical Exercise as an Effective Antiaging Intervention

Physical exercise has been well demonstrated as an effective antiaging intervention. Although exercise certainly cannot reverse the aging process, it does attenuate many of its deleterious systemic and cellular effects. This special issue contains a set of selected papers that represent the broad spectrum in which physical exercise can contribute to a healthy aging. As documented in this issue an active lifestyle represents a powerful tool that may be described as a polypill to prevent and/or treat many conditions and diseases. The topics discussed herein include muscle fiber and muscle functioning, protein intake and sarcopenia, cognitive analysis, study of the perception of the instructors, and association of different biomarkers with physical performance..

Physical activity in centenarians beyond cut-point-based accelerometer metrics

This study described and compared physical activity (PA) characteristics at the end of the human lifespan using conventional cut-point-based versus cut-point-free accelerometer metrics. Eighteen institutionalized centenarians (101.5 ± 2.1 years, 72.2% female, 89% frail) wore the wrist GENEActiv accelerometer for 7 days. Conventional metrics, such as time spent in light-intensity PA (LiPA) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) were calculated according to published cut-points for adults and older adults. The following cut-point-free metrics were evaluated: average acceleration, intensity gradient and Mx metrics. Depending on the cut-point, centenarians accumulated a median of 15–132 min/day of LiPA and 3–15 min/day of MVPA. The average acceleration was 9.2 mg [Q1: 6.7 mg–Q3: 12.6 mg] and the intensity gradient was −3.19 [−3.34–−3.12]. The distribution of Z-values revealed positive skew for MVPA, indicating a potential floor effect, whereas the skew magnitude was attenuated for cut-point-free metrics such as intensity gradient or M5. However, both cut-point-based and cut-point-free metrics were similarly positively associated with functional independence, cognitive and physical capacities. This is the first time that PA has been described in centenarians using cut-point-free metrics. Our results suggest that new analytical approaches could overcome cut-point limitations when studying the oldest-old. Future studies using these new cut-point-free PA metrics are warranted to provide more complete and comparable information across groups and populations

Understanding graft-versus-host disease. Preliminary findings regarding the effects of exercise in affected patients

Advances in this century regarding allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) have led to an expanding population of long-term survivors, many of whom suffer severe side effects, particularly those related to graft-versushost disease (GVHD), a potentially multi-systemic disorder caused by immunoeffector donor lymphocytes that destroy host tissues. The GVHD, especially in its chronic form (cGVHD), generates considerable morbidity and compromises the physical capacity of patients. We have reviewed the main pathophysiological aspects of the disease as well as the data available on the effects of exercise in GVHD, based on animal and human patient research. Although exercise training as an adjunct therapy to improve health outcomes after allo-HSCT shows promise (particularly, this lifestyle intervention can improve physical fitness and possibly immune function while attenuating fatigue), there is a need for more randomized control trials that focus specifically on GVHD

Estimation of the second ventilatory threshold through ventricular repolarization profile analysis

Under the hypothesis that sympathetic control of ventricular repolarization may change once the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) has been reached, a novel methodology for non-invasive VT2 estimation based on the analysis of the T wave from the electrocardiogram (ECG) is proposed, and potential underlying physiological mechanisms are suggested. 25 volunteers (33.4 ± 5.2 years) underwent an incremental power cycle ergometer test (25 W/minute). During the test, respiratory gas exchange and multi-lead ECG were acquired. The former was employed to determine VT2, used here as a reference, whereas the latter was used to compute the temporal profiles of an index of ventricular repolarization instability (dT) and its low-frequency (LF) oscillations (LFdT). The sudden increases observed in dT and LFdT profiles above an established heart rate threshold were employed to derive VT2 estimates, referred to as VT2dT and VT2LFdT, respectively. Estimation errors of -4.7 ± 25.2 W were obtained when considering VT2dT. Errors were lower than the one-minute power increment of 25 W in 68% of the subjects and lower than 50 W in 89.5% of them. When using VT2LFdT, estimation error was of 15.3 ± 32.4 W. Most of the subjects shared common characteristic dT and LFdT profiles, which could be reflecting changes in the autonomic control of ventricular repolarization before and after reaching VT2. The analysis of ventricular repolarization dynamics during exercise allows non-invasive ECG-based estimation of VT2, possibly in relation to changes in the autonomic control of ventricular electrical activity when VT2 is reached