Monitoring Training Load, Well-Being, Heart Rate Variability, and Competitive Performance of a Functional-Fitness Female Athlete: A Case Study

The aim of this case study was to quantify the magnitude of internal load, acute/chronic workload ratio (ACWR), well-being perception, and heart rate variability (HRV) following 38 weeks of functional-fitness training in a female elite athlete. The internal load was obtained with session rating perceived exertion (session-RPE) while the ACWR was calculated by dividing the acute workload by the chronic workload (four-week average). Furthermore, HRV measurements were analyzed via a commercially available smartphone (HRV4training) each morning upon waking whilst in a supine position. The magnitude of internal load was: the weekly mean total during the 38 weeks was 2092 ± 861 arbitrary units (AU); during the preparation for the Open 2018 was 1973 ± 711 AU; during the Open 2018 it was 1686 ± 412 AU; and during the preparation for the Latin America Regional was 3174 ± 595 AU. The mean ACWR was 1.1 ± 0.5 and 50% of the weeks were outside of the ‘safe zone’. The well-being during the 38 weeks of training was 19.4 ± 2.3 points. There were no correlations between training load variables (weekly training load, monotony, ACWR, and HRV), and recuperation subjective variables (well-being, fatigue, sleep, pain, stress, and mood). This case study showed that the training load can be varied in accordance with preparation for a specific competition and ACWR revealed that 50% of the training weeks were outside of the ‘safe zone’, however, no injuries were reported by the athlete. The effectiveness and cost of these methods are very practical during real world functional-fitness

Acquisition Delays Affect Lymphocyte Subset Counts but not Markers of Exercise-induced Apoptosis

International Journal of Exercise Science 6(3) : 250-255, 2013. With the emergence of shared facilities, the possibility of a processing delay is increased as time on instrumentation becomes less available. The purpose of this investigation was the evaluate the effect of a 24h time delay on lymphocyte subset concentration, as well as for the apoptotic marker annexin V. Fourteen healthy individuals completed an incremental treadmill test to exhaustion, and blood samples were obtained before and after exercise. The samples were labeled in duplicate with mixtures consisting of flow cytometry staining buffer, the biomarker for early-phase cell death (annexin V), and antibodies for specific lymphocyte phenotypes (CD4, CD8, and CD19). Samples were labeled for 30-min, centrifuged, and decanted, before the addition of RBC Lysis Buffer. Upon the completion of processing, the first set of samples were immediately analyzed using flow cytometry and the remaining duplicate samples were acquired 24 h later. Data were analyzed using a paired sample t-test with significance accepted at the p \u3c 0.05 level. For blood draws obtained at rest, no differences between acquisition days were observed with regard to cell volume for any lymphocyte subfraction. However, blood samples obtained following an exhaustive exercise bout had significant decreases in CD4+ (p=0.002) and CD8+ (p= 0.021) concentration between acquisition days. Processing delays did not affect the number of apoptotic cells in any lymphocyte subset either at rest or following exercise. As the number of apoptotic cells was unaffected by processing, the reduction in cell concentration is likely due to mechanisms other than programmed cell death. It is possible that exercise makes lymphocytes more susceptible to necrosis during the post-activity period

Exertional Rhabdomyolysis after an Extreme Conditioning Competition: A Case Report

This case report describes an instance of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis caused by an extreme conditioning program (ECP) competition. A 35-year-old female presented with abdominal pain and soreness, which began one day after she completed two days of ECPcompetition composed of five workouts. Three days after competition, creatine kinase (CK) was 77,590 U/L accompanied by myalgia and abnormal liver function tests, while renal function was normal and this resulted in a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis. A follow-up examination revealed that her serum level of CK was still elevated to 3034 U/L on day 10 and 1257 U/L on day 25 following the ECP competition. The subject reported myalgia even up to 25 days after the ECP competition. Exertional rhabdomyolysis can be observed in ECP athletes following competition and highlights a dangerous condition, which may be increasing in recent years due to the massive expansion of ECP popularity and a growing number of competitions. Future research should investigate the causes of rhabdomyolysis that occur as a result of ECP, especially training methods and/or tasks developed specifically for these competitions

Low dynamic muscle strength and its associations with fatigue, functional performance, and quality of life in premenopausal patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and low disease activity : a case–control study

Background: The purpose of the present study was to compare dynamic muscle strength, functional performance, fatigue, and quality of life in premenopausal systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with low disease activity versus matched-healthy controls and to determine the association of dynamic muscle strength with fatigue, functional performance, and quality of life in SLE patients. Methods: We evaluated premenopausal (18–45 years) SLE patients with low disease activity (Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index [SLEDAI]: mean 1.5 ± 1.2). The control (n = 25) and patient (n = 25) groups were matched by age, physical characteristics, and the level of physical activities in daily life (International Physical Activity Questionnaire IPAQ). Both groups had not participated in regular exercise programs for at least six months prior to the study. Dynamic muscle strength was assessed by one-repetition maximum (1-RM) tests. Functional performance was assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG), in 30-s test a chair stand and arm curl using a 2-kg dumbbell and balance test, handgrip strength and a sit-and-reach flexibility test. Quality of life (SF-36) and fatigue were also measured. Results: The SLE patients showed significantly lower dynamic muscle strength in all exercises (leg press 25.63%, leg extension 11.19%, leg curl 15.71%, chest press 18.33%, lat pulldown 13.56%, 1-RM total load 18.12%, P < 0.001-0.02) compared to the controls. The SLE patients also had lower functional performance, greater fatigue and poorer quality of life. In addition, fatigue, SF-36 and functional performance accounted for 52% of the variance in dynamic muscle strength in the SLE patients. Conclusions: Premenopausal SLE patients with low disease activity showed lower dynamic muscle strength, along with increased fatigue, reduced functional performance, and poorer quality of life when compared to matched controls

RELAÇÃO ENTRE OBESIDADE, PRESSÃO ARTERIAL E FORÇA MUSCULAR DE IDOSAS OBESAS HIPERTENSAS

A hipertensão é uma doença complexa e multifatorial no qual fatores de risco como obesidade estão envolvidos. Cerca de 48% da população brasileira feminina já apresenta sobrepeso, sendo que a prevalência de excesso de peso acomete 58% da população com idade maior ou igual a 65 anos de idade. Deve-se considerar que a obesidade é um fator de risco para hipertensão nessa população. Em mulheres de meia idade já se verifica também a sua influência negativa sobre a força muscular, sugerindo reprodutibilidade dos resultados nessa população. O objetivo desse estudo é determinar se existe uma relação negativa do IMC sobre a força muscular e pressão arterial de idosas hipertensas e comparar a força muscular de idosas hipertensas com e sem obesidade. Quarenta e oito idosas sedentárias e hipertensas participaram voluntariamente do estudo e foram divididas em dois grupos: grupo com IMC &lt; 30,0 (kg/m²) e com IMC ≥ 30,0 (kg/m²). Os resultados do estudo demonstraram que o grupo de idosas obesas apresentou significativamente maior pressão arterial sistólica (p ≤ 0,05), pressão arterial diastólica (p ≤ 0,05), medidas antropométricas supe-riores (p ≤ 0,05) e menor força muscular (p ≤ 0,05) quando comparado com idosas com IMC &lt; 30,0 (kg/m²). Ademais, o IMC correlacionou-se negativamente com a força muscular e positivamente com a pressão arterial na população estudada. O presente estudo apresenta indícios de que o IMC influencia negativamente a força muscular e pressão arterial de mulheres idosas obesas. Além disso, sugere o ponto de corte de IMC &gt; 30 kg/m² como critério prático para avaliar seu efeito nega-tivo sobre a força muscular e pressão arterial de idosas hipertensas

Identification of high responders for interleukin-6 and creatine kinase following acute eccentric resistance exercise in elderly obese women

Resistance exercise is used as a non-pharmacological tool to elicit both gains in and maintenance of physical function in the elderly. Thus, the present study examined the acute response of creatine kinase and interleukin-6 following an eccentric resistance exercise session in elderly obese women classified as high responders or normal responders

Identification of high responders for interleukin-6 and creatine kinase following acute eccentric resistance exercise in elderly obese women

Resistance exercise is used as a non-pharmacological tool to elicit both gains in and maintenance of physical function in the elderly. Thus, the present study examined the acute response of creatine kinase and interleukin-6 following an eccentric resistance exercise session in elderly obese women classified as high responders or normal responders