The effect of smoking on visceral fat accumulation in Czech men and women

Many studies indicate that smoking is one of risk factors influencing the accumulation of visceral fat (VFA). The mechanism by which smoking contributes to the accumulation of visceral fat is not yet fully understood, but it is assumed that smoking increases the level of plasma cortisol, causes imbalance between male and female sex hormones in women, and decreases testosterone levels in men (Chiolero et al., 2008). The objection of this study was to evaluate the effect of smoking on the accumulation of VFA in the population of the Czech Republic. The research included 1,412 individuals of both genders divided into categories of smokers vs nonsmokers and physically active vs. physically inactive. VFA was measured by the device InBody 720 and information about physical activity and smoking was collected via a questionnaire. We supposed that smokers would have a higher percentage of VFA than non-smokers. The results showed that smokers had a higher amount of VFA, but the difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, statistically significant differences were found in the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and total % body fat. Physically active individuals had a much more favourable results than physically inactive individuals. Remarkably, the amount of VFA, WHR and % body fat tended to be smaller in smoking men than in non-smoking men, but higher in smoking women than in non-smoking women

Time Changes in Resisted Sprinting With a Weighted Vest: 5 % of Body Weight or Back Squat? The Use of the 1RM Back Squat and Body Weight as Load Strategy in Weighted Vest Sprinting

The purpose was to investigate whether runners who do not squat their body weight once will not be overloaded with a weight vest with a load of 5% of BW and will not maintain 95% intensity across ten repetitions of a 20-meter sprint. Eight adult female students (24,05±1,15 years old; body height 168±4,24 cm; body weight 60,39±5,53 kg) from the faculty of sports studies at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic participated in this study. Categories were: 1 = NBW (1RM in the squat is relative body weight ± 5 kg), 2 = LBW (1RM in the squat is lower than BW-5 kg) and 3 = HBW (1RM in the squat is higher than BW +5 kg). The measurements took place on three different days, each day running with another experimental condition: free sprinting, weighted vest sprinting with a 5% load of BW, and weighted vest sprinting with a 5% load of 1RM squat. With a weight vest with resistance at the level of 5% of body weight, during 49 sprints, the intensity decreased by a maximum of 4.82% (participant 4, NBW group, 1st run). Although, with weight vest resistance at the level of 5% of the 1RM back squats, during 68 sprints, the intensity decreased by a maximum of 6.59% (participant 1, NBW group, 8th run). It seems that the level of strength abilities of the lower limbs did not play a role in this, we can calculate 5% intensity from both BW and 1 RM squat. Since the HBW group could maintain the required intensity even at significantly higher weights than 5% BW, further research with a larger research sample is needed

Impact of a Strength Intervention Program on Change of Hamstrings: Quadriceps Ratio and on Change of 1 Repetition Maximum

The relationship between the muscular strength of hamstrings and quadriceps and their possible muscular imbalance is considered by many authors as one of the causes of knee joint injury. The aim of this work is to assess the exercise program including squat modifications both in terms of progression of lower limb strength and in terms of possible change of H: Q ratio. Subjects were divided into five groups (one control, four experimental). The experimental groups practiced the intervention program twice a week for eight weeks (EX1: Barbell squat, EX2: Barbell half squat, EX3: Barbell half squat with countermovement). In one training session participants repeated the exercise five times in six series. All experimental groups exhibited significant differences in mean values (p < 0.01), indicating the progression of lower limb strength measured by 1RM for barbell squat. The differences in the mean values of the H: Q ratio measured on an isokinetic dynamometer in the isokinetic test mode at angular velocities of 60 and 300 degrees per second did not show statistically significant differences (p = 0.99338). The established strength intervention program is suitable for the development of lower limb strength and does not show any changes in the H: Q ratio

Transfer of Muscle Strength Between Single-Joint and Multi-Joint Exercises for Lower Limbs

Most strength and conditioning coaches deal with the question of how to supplement specific exercises, or which non-specific exercises would be the most suitable for achieving a set purpose. This study aims to assess strength transfer with a focus on the lower limbs projected from a selected strength intervention program (the right leg exercises only single-joint exercises: leg extension on machine and leg curl; the left leg exercises only multi-joint exercises: deadlift and leg press) to the force of the knee joint flexors and extensors during eccentric and concentric contractions. In one training session, the participants repeated every exercise five times in four series. The load intensity was around 90% of 1RM and was increased by 5% after the first and the fifth week. The rest interval was always three minutes long. For the left lower limb, the highest transfer (0.20) was from the leg press to the knee joint extensor at the eccentric contraction and from the deadlift was the highest transfer (0.19) to the knee joint extensor at the eccentric contraction. For the right lower limb, the highest transfer (0.53) was from the leg extension on a machine to the knee joint flexor at the concentric contraction and from the lying leg curl was the highest transfer (0.47) to the knee joint flexor at the concentric contraction

Analýza přijímacích zkoušek z atletiky na FSpS Brno za období 2009 – 2011

Na základě analýzy praktických přijímacích zkoušek z atletiky ve sprinterské (60 m) a vytrvalostní (800 m ženy, 1500 m muži) disciplíně jsme se snažili upravit bodové hodnocení tak, aby bylo objektivní pro obě kategorie.Na základě analýzy praktických přijímacích zkoušek z atletiky ve sprinterské (60 m) a vytrvalostní (800 m ženy, 1500 m muži) disciplíně jsme se snažili upravit bodové hodnocení tak, aby bylo objektivní pro obě kategorie.Based on the analysis of practical entrance examinations of athletics in the sprint (60 m) and endurance (800 m for women, 1500 m for men) disciplines. We tried to adjust the objective scores for both categories