Effects of Moderate- versus Mixed-Intensity Training on VO2peak in Young Well-Trained Rowers

The effects of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and a combination of MICT and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on rowing performance and VO2peak were investigated in young athletes. Seventeen well-trained rowers (aged 15 ± 1.3 years) were randomly allocated to an intervention (IG) (n = 10) and control group (CG) (n = 7). During 8 weeks, both groups took part in the regular rowing training (3×/week MICT, 70–90 min, 65–70% of HRpeak + 2×/week resistance training). The IG completed an additional high-intensity interval training twice weekly (2 × 4 × 2 min at ≈95% of HRpeak, 60 s rest). Instead of the HIIT, the CG completed two more MICT sessions (70–90 min, 65–70% of HRpeak). Before and after the intervention, a 2000 m time trial and an exercise test were performed. The IG showed a significant improvement (p = 0.001) regarding the absolute rowing time in the graded exercise test. Furthermore, the intervention group showed a significant increase in relative VO2peak (p = 0.023), a significant increase in absolute VO2peak (p = 0.036), and a significant improvement in the 2000 m time trail (p = 0.003). No significant changes could be detected in the CG. The interaction effects were not significant. A mixed-intensity training, including HIIT, was beneficial on rowing performance and VO2peak in highly trained athletes

Beyond Dualities of Place: West Bottoms KCMO

West Bottoms, Kansas City, is a historic, industrial neighborhood adjacent to downtown and splitting the Kansas/Missouri border. Formerly home to livestock trading, It is a place currently known for its lawless character and grit. Like many urban cores, it has grabbed the attention of developers, including current stakeholders in SomeraRoad, a New York-based developer, partnering with HOK Kansas City to masterplan the district and redevelop the portion adjacent to the Historic Core. Like many urban redevelopment projects, the locals who live, work, and play here have concerns that the West Bottoms may succumb to conventional placelessness development, washing out the distinct identity of the district. “Beyond Dualities of Place” recognizes that the nuances of place cannot be replicated through design, but thoughtful design can serve as a catalyst for these nuances to continue and evolve. This project challenges and reconsiders conventional urban redevelopment strategies by forefronting identities of place in temporal design. The project makes use of the existing infrastructure of the ground plane to prioritize the built environment and overlay an organizing system within the ground plane and ceiling plane to connect the 12th St Viaduct to the Crooks Terminal Building to the new development to the north. Proposed to become a mixed-use, residential and retail space, this project allows the Crooks Terminal Building to become an open public interior that expands as a physical and visual connective tissue. This public interior is used as an urban redevelopment strategy to merge the exterior and interior built environments. To maintain this connection between the exterior and interior built environments, the ground and ceiling planes act as connective tissue. Material strategies, of both found and new materials with a reference to place, define this connective tissue extending from the public ground level onto Laramie Lake Plaza. This highlights shifting opportunities for exterior circulation with places for people to pause, rainwater to linger, and vegetation to emerge. The framework added to the urban site is meant to draw attention to ideas of existing urban space and the values associated with them. The lifespan of this project is indeterminate- it may be temporary or eventually succumb to capitalist pursuits and traditional redevelopment. But for its life, it serves as an opportunity for those who utilize it to create new, temporal places, for the nuance of place to leave its mark, and for its existence to potentially be nothing at all

Influence of Initial Severity of Depression on the Effectiveness of a Multimodal Therapy on Depressive Score, Heart Rate Variability, and Hemodynamic Parameters.

Depression is a major cause of disability among populations worldwide. Apart from primary symptoms, depressed patients often have a higher cardiovascular risk profile. Multimodal therapy concepts, including exercise, have emerged as promising approaches that not only improve depressive symptoms but also have a positive impact on cardiovascular risk profile. However, controversies have arisen concerning the influence of baseline severity on the effects of therapy concepts for this demographic. This study assessed whether pretreatment severity moderates psychological and physiological treatment outcomes of a multimodal therapy. A total of 16 patients diagnosed with mild depression (MD) and 14 patients diagnosed with severe depression (SD) took part in a 3-month outpatient multimodal treatment therapy. Before and after the treatment, depression score (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)), peripheral systolic (pSBP) and diastolic (pDBP) blood pressure, central systolic (cSBP) and diastolic (cDBP) blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV), heart rate (HR), and parasympathetic parameters of heart rate variability (RMSSD) were assessed. Significant time effects were detected for BDI (-20.0 ± 11.6, p > 0.001, η2 = 0.871), pSBP (-4.7 ± 6.8 mmHg, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.322), pDBP (-3.5 ± 6.9 mmHg, p = 0.01, η2 = 0.209), cSBP (-4.8 ± 6.5 mmHg, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.355), cDBP (-3.6 ± 6.8 mmHg, p = 0.008, η2 = 0.226), PWV (-0.13 ± 0.23 m/s, p = 0.008, η2 = 0.229), HR (4.3 ± 8.8 min-1, p = 0.015, η2 = 0.193), RMSSD (-12.2 ± 23.9 ms, p = 0.017, η2 = 0.251), and and SDNN (10.5 ± 17.8 ms, p = 0.005, η2 = 0.330). Significant time × group interaction could be revealed for BDI (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.543), with patients suffering from SD showing stronger reductions. Pretreatment severity of depression has an impact on the effectiveness of a multimodal therapy regarding psychological but not physiological outcomes

A Game-Based Approach to Lower Blood Pressure? Comparing Acute Hemodynamic Responses to Endurance Exercise and Exergaming: A Randomized Crossover Trial

The present randomized crossover study aimed to determine whether an exergaming session in an innovative, functional fitness game could be an effective exercise approach that elicits favorable blood pressure (BP) responses, such as a typical moderate endurance exercise (ET). Therefore, acute hemodynamic responses after a training session in the ExerCube and an ET on a treadmill were assessed and compared. Twenty-eight healthy recreational active participants (13 women; aged 24.8 ± 3.9 years) completed an exergaming session (EX) and an ET in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Before and throughout the 45 min after the training, the peripheral and central BP were measured. After the ET, there was a moderate decrease in both peripheral systolic (−1.8 mmHg; p = 0.14) and diastolic (−0.8 mmHg; p = 0.003), as well as central diastolic (−1.5 mmHg; p = 0.006) pressure compared to the resting value before the exercise. After the EX, there was a significant decrease in peripheral systolic (−6.3 mmHg; p < 0.001) and diastolic (−4.8 mmHg; p < 0.001), as well as central systolic (−5.8 mmHg; p < 0.001) and diastolic (−5.3 mmHg; p < 0.001) pressure compared to baseline. The interaction effects showed significant differences in peripheral and central systolic BP as well as in peripheral diastolic BP (p = 0.05). The EX seems to be an effective training approach that triggers relevant peripheral and central BP-responses, which are more pronounced than after a typical ET. Therefore, the ExerCube can be a time-efficient training tool to improve cardiovascular health

Gaming Instead of Training? Exergaming Induces High-Intensity Exercise Stimulus and Reduces Cardiovascular Reactivity to Cold Pressor Test

Introduction: The present study assessed if an exercise session in an innovative exergame can modulate hemodynamic reactivity to a cold pressor test (CPT) to a similar extent as a typical moderate endurance training (ET). Furthermore, cardiorespiratory, and affective responses of an exergame session and an ET were compared. Methods: Twenty-seven healthy participants aged 25 ± 4 years (48% female; BMI 23.0 ± 2.1 kg/m2) participated in this cross-sectional study. All participants completed both an ET on a treadmill and training in the ExerCube (ECT). HR and oxygen consumption were recorded during both training sessions. Before and after both exercise sessions, the hemodynamic reactivity to a CPT was determined. Results: During ECT, HR, oxygen consumption, energy expenditure, and the metabolic equivalent of the task were significantly higher than those obtained during ET (p < 0.001). With regard to the CPT, the participants showed significantly lower responses in peripheral systolic (p = 0.004) and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.009) as well as central systolic (p = 0.002) and diastolic BP (P = 0.01) after ECT compared to ET. The same was true for pulse wave velocity (p = 0.039). Conclusion: The ECT induced a significantly higher exercise stimulus compared to the ET. At the same time, it attenuated hemodynamic stress reactivity. The ECT presents a relevant training stimulus that modulates cardiovascular reactivity to stress, which has been proven as a predictor for the development of hypertension. Trial Registration: ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN43067716, 14 April 2020, Trial number: 38154

Interval Training in Sports Medicine: Current Thoughts on an Old Idea

In light of the global physical inactivity pandemic, the increasing prevalence of non-committable diseases, and mounting healthcare costs, effective and feasible prevention and treatment approaches are urgently needed [...]

Integrating Regular Exergaming Sessions in the ExerCube into a School Setting Increases Physical Fitness in Elementary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a school-based exergame intervention on anthropometric parameters and physical fitness. Fifty-eight students (10.4 ± 0.8 years; 48% girls) were randomized into an intervention (IG) and a control (CG) group. Both groups participated in regular physical education classes during the three-month intervention period. The IG additionally received a 20-minute exergame intervention twice per week. At baseline and following the intervention period, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were assessed. Furthermore, a sprint test (ST), a countermovement jump test (CMJ), and a shuttle run test (SRT) were performed. Due to prescribed quarantine measures, only 34 students (18 IG; 16 CG) were included in the final analysis. A significant group-time interaction was determined in CMJ performance (p &lt; 0.001; η2 = 0.403), with a significant increase (+2.6 ± 2.4 cm; p &lt; 0.001; η2 = 0.315) in the IG and a significant decrease (-2.0 ± 3.1 cm; p = 0.009; η2 = 0.190) in the CG. Furthermore, ST performance significantly improved in the IG (-0.03 ± 0.08 s; p = 0.012; η2 = 0.180) but not in the CG (0.13 ± 0.16 s; p = 0.460; η2 = 0.017), revealing significant interaction effects (p = 0.02; η2 = 0.157). Significant group-time interaction was observed for the SRT (p = 0.046; η2 = 0.122), with a significant increase (+87.8 ± 98.9 m; p = 0.028; η2 = 0.147) in the IG and no changes (-29.4 ± 219.7 m; p = 0.485; η2 = 0.016) in the CG. Concerning BMI (p = 0.157; η2 = 0.063) and WHtR (p = 0.063; η2 = 0.114), no significant interaction effects were detected. School-based exergaming is a suitable tool to influence students' physical fitness positively

Ada Sasse: Sonderschüler und Sonderschulen im ländlichen Raum. Zwischen Tradition und Moderne. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt 2005 (207 S.) [Rezension]

Rezension von: Ada Sasse: Sonderschüler und Sonderschulen im ländlichen Raum. Zwischen Tradition und Moderne. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt 2005 (207 S.; ISBN 3-7815-1380-7; 28,00 EUR)

Auswirkungen einer moderaten Intervallbelastung auf die Herzfrequenzvariabilität, motorische Leistungsfähigkeit und Hämodynamik bei Grundschulkindern

Objective: Assessment of heart rate variability (HRV) is used to evaluate dynamic features of cardiovascular control mechanisms and allows analyzing autonomic cardiovascular modulation. Regular exercise is known to positively influence hemodynamics, motor performance and various cardiovascular risk factors among adults. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a moderate interval-training program on HRV, motor performance and hemodynamics in children. Method: 68 students (8.6±0.5 years, 51% boys, 17.9±2.5 kg/m2) were randomized into an intervention group (IG; n=34) and a control group (CG; n=34). Both IG and CG had regular physical education classes (3×45 min/week). During a nine-month intervention period, the IG received an additional exercise intervention program (2×45 min/week). This evaluated exercise program was carried out by trained instructors and comprised an “intense joyful-movement” program equivalent to a moderate interval training. Measures of HRV, motor function, systolic blood pressure (sBP) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were obtained pre- and post-intervention. Results: In comparison to the CG, the IG showed positive modifications of HRV. After the intervention, the high frequency (HF) power had increased by 7,5% (p<0.001), and the low frequency (LF) power had diminished by 3.6% (p<0.05) in the IG. Thus, over the course of the intervention period the IG and CG had evolved significantly different in terms of HF power (p<0.001), LF power (p<0.01) and the LF/HF ratio (p<0.05). The calculated composite score of motor performance revealed a significant difference between the IG and the CG (p<0.05). Significant intervention effects favoring the IG were also evident for the peripheral sBP (p<0.001) and the PWV (p<0.001). Conclusions: Among elementary school children, a regular moderate-intensity interval training program had favorable effects on measures of cardiac autonomic control, motor skills, and hemodynamic parameters. Exercise time should be increased as early as possible to positively influence cardiac autonomic function and potentially reduce cardiovascular morbidity in later life.  Problemstellung: Die Herzfrequenzvariabilität (HRV) wird zur Beurteilung dynamischer Eigenschaften kardiovaskulärer Kontrollmechanismen herangezogen und erlaubt eine Analyse der kardiovaskulären autonomen Modulation. Regelmäßige körperliche Bewegung hat bekanntermaßen eine positive Wirkung auf die Hämodynamik, die Motorik und auf kardiovaskuläre Risikofaktoren bei Erwachsenen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit sollte die Auswirkung einer moderaten Intervallbelastung auf die HRV, die motorische Leistungsfähigkeit und die Hämodynamik bei Kindern untersucht werden. Methode: 68 Schüler/-innen (8,6 ± 0,5 Jahre, 51 % Jungen, 17,9 ± 2,5 kg/m2) wurden randomisiert in eine Interventionsgruppe (IG; n = 34) und eine Kontrollgruppe (KG; n = 34) eingeteilt. Beide Gruppen nahmen am regulären Sportunterricht teil (3 × 45 Min./Woche). Über eine Interventionsdauer von neun Monaten nahm die IG an einer zusätzlichen Bewegungsintervention teil (2 × 45 Min./Woche), die von qualifizierten Übungsleitern durchgeführt wurde. Das evaluierte Programm bestand aus freudbetonten, bewegungsintensiven Übungen, die einer moderaten Intervallbelastung entsprachen. Bestimmt wurden Parameter der HRV, die motorische Leistungsfähigkeit, der systolische Blutdruck (sBD) und die Pulswellengeschwindigkeit (PWV) vor und nach dem Interventionszeitraum. Ergebnisse: Im Vergleich zur KG zeigten sich für die IG positive Veränderungen der HRV. Mit Abschluss der Intervention hatte die High-Frequency-Power (HF-Power) in der IG um 7,5 % (p < 0,001) zugenommen, die Low-Frequency-Power (LF-Power) war um 3,6 % (p < 0,05) gefallen. Zwischen der IG und der KG hatten sich die HF-Power (p < 0,001), die LF-Power (p < 0,01) und der LF/HF-Quotient (p < 0,05) signifikant unterschiedlich entwickelt. Zudem ergab die Postinterventionsmessung für den Gesamtwert der motorischen Tests einen Gruppenunterschied (p < 0,05). Signifikante Interventionseffekte zugunsten der IG waren ebenso beim peripheren sBD (p < 0,001) und der PWV (p < 0,001) nachweisbar. Diskussion: Bei Grundschulkindern kann durch eine regelmäßige moderate Intervallbelastung eine positive Entwicklung der autonomen Regulation des Herzens, der motorischen Leistungsfähigkeit und der Hämodynamik erreicht werden. Um positive kardiale autonome Effekte herbeizuführen und somit einer möglichen kardiovaskulären Morbidität vorzubeugen, empfiehlt es sich, den Bewegungsumfang bei Kindern frühestmöglich zu erhöhen

Water Balance and Economic Analyses of Reduced Pressure/Conservation Tillage Systems for Irrigated Corn Production

Water balance and economic analyses of a five-year tillage and irrigation study in South Dakota were performed. Three primary tillage, preplant, operations (Plow, Disk and Till-Plant), two secondary tillage, post-emergence, operations (Inter-Row Tillage and a Control), and four sprinklers operating at pressures of 41 to 344 kPa were studied. Surface runoff, soil water storage and evapotranspiration values were 8, -8 and 100% of total water input values during a study period from late June to mid-August. Evapotranspiration values averaged 7.1 mm/day for the study period. Deep percolation loss was calculated to be zero. The Inter-Row Tillage treatment produced less surface runoff and more soil water storage than the Control treatment. Pumping and til1age costs were used in the economic analysis, with pumping cost being the dominant parameter. The Disk primary tillage treatment and Inter-Row secondary tillage treatment were economically superior to the other tillage treatments. One of the research goals was to obtain field data concerning the fate of water inputs for irrigated corn in central South Dakota. Of particular interest was daily evapotranspiration demand, because it is a primary parameter used in irrigation scheduling procedures. Field evapotranspiration data are limited for South Dakota conditions. Another research goal was to use the water data set as a basis for economic evaluation of the tillage/sprinkler combinations and to determine feasible management alternatives for irrigators