N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and progressive resistance training does not increase muscle mass and muscle strength in obese individuals compared to placebo

Introduction: Obesity induces many physiological changes that harm muscular function. Usual treatment for obesity is exercise and diet. N-3 PUFA have shown to have a certain benefit as to increasing muscle mass and strength. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of 23 weeks of n-3 PUFA supplementation combined with 13 weeks of progressive resistance training on muscle mass and strength in obese individuals. Method: Thirty-five middle-aged obese participants (age 48.3 ± 6.4, BMI 34.3 ± 3.9) participated in the study. They were allocated into one of two groups; PUFA (n= 17; 1000mg n-3 PUFA) or CON (n=18; 1000mg of high oleic sunflower oil). Both groups combined their 23 weeks of supplementation with 13 weeks of 2 weekly supervised resistance training sessions. DXA, ultrasound and HUMAC were measured at three time-points: baseline (T1), pre-training (T2) and post-test (T4). Results: Between the groups, there was no significant difference in isometric strength, lean body mass and muscle thickness after 7 weeks of supplementation (resp; p = 0.99, p = 0.87, p = 0.81). After 13 weeks of combined resistance training, CON increased significantly in isometric strength (17.01 ± 11.67%, p = 0.006) and PUFA did not (12.14 ± 14.52%, p = 0.18). In muscle thickness, PUFA showed a significant change (12.03 ± 10.23%, p = 0.001) and CON showed no significant change (6.68 ± 8.78%, p = 0.2). None of the groups increased in lean body mass (p = 0.90), and there was no significant difference in any test parameters between the groups (isometric strength: p >0.99, lean body mass: p = 0.90, muscle thickness: p = 0.41). Conclusion: 7 weeks of n-3 PUFA supplementation does not increase muscle mass or muscle strength. After 13 weeks of combined resistance training, there was no significant difference observed between PUFA and CON. The effect of n-3 PUFA is still unclear and should be investigated further

Occult obstructive coronary artery disease is associated with prolonged cardiac troponin elevation following strenuous exercise

Background Sudden cardiac death among middle-aged recreational athletes is predominantly due to myocardial ischaemia. This study examined whether measuring cardiac troponin I and T (cTnI and cTnT) after strenuous exercise could identify occult obstructive coronary artery disease. Design Prospective observational study. Methods Subjects were recruited from 1002 asymptomatic recreational cyclists completing a 91-km mountain bike race (North Sea Race Endurance Exercise Study). No subject had known cardiovascular disease or took cardiovascular medication. Blood samples were collected within 24 h before and 3 h and 24 h after the race. Coronary computed tomography angiography was performed in 80 participants with the highest post-exercise cTnI and in 40 reference subjects with moderately elevated cTnI values. Results Study subjects (N = 120) were 45 (36–52) years old and 74% were male. There were similar demographics in the High-cTnI group and the Reference group. The cTn concentrations were highest at 3 h post-race: cTnI, 224 (125–304) ng/L; cTnT, 89 (55–124) ng/L. Nine subjects had obstructive coronary artery disease on coronary computed tomography angiography, eight of whom were High-cTnI responders. Two subjects had myocardial bridging, both High-cTnI responders. Troponin concentrations at 24 h post-race were higher in subjects with obstructive coronary artery disease than in the rest of the cohort (n = 109): cTnI, 151 (72–233) ng/L vs. 24 (19–82) ng/L, p = 0.005; cTnT, 39 (25–55) ng/L vs. 20 (14–31) ng/L, p = 0.002. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting obstructive coronary artery disease were 0.79, p = 0.005 (cTnI) and 0.82, p = 0.002 (cTnT). Conclusion In subjects with occult obstructive coronary artery disease there was a prolonged elevation of cTn following strenuous exercise.acceptedVersio

Duration of elevated heart rate Is an important predictor of exercise-induced troponin elevation

Background The precise mechanisms causing cardiac troponin (cTn) increase after exercise remain to be determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of heart rate (HR) on exercise‐induced cTn increase by using sports watch data from a large bicycle competition. Methods and Results Participants were recruited from NEEDED (North Sea Race Endurance Exercise Study). All completed a 91‐km recreational mountain bike race (North Sea Race). Clinical status, ECG, blood pressure, and blood samples were obtained 24 hours before and 3 and 24 hours after the race. Participants (n=177) were, on average, 44 years old; 31 (18%) were women. Both cTnI and cTnT increased in all individuals, reaching the highest level (of the 3 time points assessed) at 3 hours after the race (P150 beats per minute was a significant predictor of both cTnI and cTnT, at both 3 and 24 hours after exercise. Neither mean HR nor mean HR in percentage of maximum HR was a significant predictor of the cTn response at 3 and 24 hours after exercise. Conclusions The duration of elevated HR is an important predictor of physiological exercise‐induced cTn elevation.publishedVersio

Endurance exercise training volume is not associated with progression of coronary artery calcification

Background Recent cross‐sectional studies have suggested a dose‐dependent relationship between lifelong exposure to physical activity and the burden of calcified coronary artery disease (CAD). No longitudinal studies have addressed this concern. Hypothesis Exercise volume is associated with progression of coronary artery calcium (CAC), defined as ≥10 units increase in CAC score. Methods Sixty‐one recreational athletes who were assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as part of the NEEDED 2013/14 study were re‐assessed 4‐5 years later, in 2018. Results Subjects were 45.9 ± 9.6 years old at inclusion, and 46 (74%) were male. Between 2013 and 2018, the participants reported median 5 (range: 0‐20, 25th‐75th percentile: 4‐6) hours of high‐intensity exercise per week. None of the included subjects smoked during follow‐up. At inclusion, 21 (33%) participants had coronary artery calcifications. On follow‐up CCTA in 2018, 15 (25%) subjects had progressive coronary calcification (≥10 Agatston units increase in CAC). These subjects were older (53 ± 9 vs 44 ± 9 years old, P = .002) and had higher levels of low‐density lipoprotein at baseline (3.5 (2.9‐4.3) vs 2.9 (2.3‐3.5) mmol/L, P = .031) as compared to subjects with stable condition. No relationship was found between hours of endurance training per week and progression of coronary artery calcification. In multiple regression analysis, age and baseline CAC were the only significant predictors of progressive CAC. Conclusion No relationship between exercise training volume and the progression of coronary artery calcification was found in this longitudinal study of middle‐aged recreational athletes.publishedVersio

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and progressive resistance training does not increase muscle mass and muscle strength in obese individuals compared to placebo

Introduction: Obesity induces many physiological changes that harm muscular function. Usual treatment for obesity is exercise and diet. N-3 PUFA have shown to have a certain benefit as to increasing muscle mass and strength. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of 23 weeks of n-3 PUFA supplementation combined with 13 weeks of progressive resistance training on muscle mass and strength in obese individuals. Method: Thirty-five middle-aged obese participants (age 48.3 ± 6.4, BMI 34.3 ± 3.9) participated in the study. They were allocated into one of two groups; PUFA (n= 17; 1000mg n-3 PUFA) or CON (n=18; 1000mg of high oleic sunflower oil). Both groups combined their 23 weeks of supplementation with 13 weeks of 2 weekly supervised resistance training sessions. DXA, ultrasound and HUMAC were measured at three time-points: baseline (T1), pre-training (T2) and post-test (T4). Results: Between the groups, there was no significant difference in isometric strength, lean body mass and muscle thickness after 7 weeks of supplementation (resp; p = 0.99, p = 0.87, p = 0.81). After 13 weeks of combined resistance training, CON increased significantly in isometric strength (17.01 ± 11.67%, p = 0.006) and PUFA did not (12.14 ± 14.52%, p = 0.18). In muscle thickness, PUFA showed a significant change (12.03 ± 10.23%, p = 0.001) and CON showed no significant change (6.68 ± 8.78%, p = 0.2). None of the groups increased in lean body mass (p = 0.90), and there was no significant difference in any test parameters between the groups (isometric strength: p >0.99, lean body mass: p = 0.90, muscle thickness: p = 0.41). Conclusion: 7 weeks of n-3 PUFA supplementation does not increase muscle mass or muscle strength. After 13 weeks of combined resistance training, there was no significant difference observed between PUFA and CON. The effect of n-3 PUFA is still unclear and should be investigated further

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and progressive resistance training does not increase muscle mass and muscle strength in obese individuals compared to placebo

Introduction: Obesity induces many physiological changes that harm muscular function. Usual treatment for obesity is exercise and diet. N-3 PUFA have shown to have a certain benefit as to increasing muscle mass and strength. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of 23 weeks of n-3 PUFA supplementation combined with 13 weeks of progressive resistance training on muscle mass and strength in obese individuals. Method: Thirty-five middle-aged obese participants (age 48.3 ± 6.4, BMI 34.3 ± 3.9) participated in the study. They were allocated into one of two groups; PUFA (n= 17; 1000mg n-3 PUFA) or CON (n=18; 1000mg of high oleic sunflower oil). Both groups combined their 23 weeks of supplementation with 13 weeks of 2 weekly supervised resistance training sessions. DXA, ultrasound and HUMAC were measured at three time-points: baseline (T1), pre-training (T2) and post-test (T4). Results: Between the groups, there was no significant difference in isometric strength, lean body mass and muscle thickness after 7 weeks of supplementation (resp; p = 0.99, p = 0.87, p = 0.81). After 13 weeks of combined resistance training, CON increased significantly in isometric strength (17.01 ± 11.67%, p = 0.006) and PUFA did not (12.14 ± 14.52%, p = 0.18). In muscle thickness, PUFA showed a significant change (12.03 ± 10.23%, p = 0.001) and CON showed no significant change (6.68 ± 8.78%, p = 0.2). None of the groups increased in lean body mass (p = 0.90), and there was no significant difference in any test parameters between the groups (isometric strength: p >0.99, lean body mass: p = 0.90, muscle thickness: p = 0.41). Conclusion: 7 weeks of n-3 PUFA supplementation does not increase muscle mass or muscle strength. After 13 weeks of combined resistance training, there was no significant difference observed between PUFA and CON. The effect of n-3 PUFA is still unclear and should be investigated further

The Value of Equity Analysts: An Empirical Study of the Informativeness of Analyst Revisions

This thesis investigates the informativeness of analyst recommendation revisions and target price revisions in absence of recommendation changes. The 69 companies included in the Oslo Børs Benchmark Index (OSEBX) are examined over the period of 2011 to 2021. The analysis is conducted by the application of the event study framework, and we study whether analyst revisions are associated with abnormal returns. We separate target price revisions in absence of recommendation revisions by the degree of innovation potential in the revision signal. Our findings suggest that recommendation revisions are associated with large abnormal returns and that the revisions are informative to investors. The evidence in the Norwegian market context is consistent with the majority of the literature focusing on short-term effects of analyst revisions. Further, target price revisions in absence of recommendation changes are associated with significant abnormal returns, and they are relevant to market participants. The economic impact of high-innovation target price revisions is larger by a factor of two to three compared to low-innovation target price revisions when the recommendation level is reiterated. The main conclusions are robust to the exclusion of revisions adjacent to earnings announcements, but we show that analysts somewhat piggyback their revisions on recent news and events. However, the evidence suggests that analysts are providing timely aggregations of the information environment and that the revisions are informative to financial markets.nhhma

The Value of Equity Analysts: An Empirical Study of the Informativeness of Analyst Revisions

This thesis investigates the informativeness of analyst recommendation revisions and target price revisions in absence of recommendation changes. The 69 companies included in the Oslo Børs Benchmark Index (OSEBX) are examined over the period of 2011 to 2021. The analysis is conducted by the application of the event study framework, and we study whether analyst revisions are associated with abnormal returns. We separate target price revisions in absence of recommendation revisions by the degree of innovation potential in the revision signal. Our findings suggest that recommendation revisions are associated with large abnormal returns and that the revisions are informative to investors. The evidence in the Norwegian market context is consistent with the majority of the literature focusing on short-term effects of analyst revisions. Further, target price revisions in absence of recommendation changes are associated with significant abnormal returns, and they are relevant to market participants. The economic impact of high-innovation target price revisions is larger by a factor of two to three compared to low-innovation target price revisions when the recommendation level is reiterated. The main conclusions are robust to the exclusion of revisions adjacent to earnings announcements, but we show that analysts somewhat piggyback their revisions on recent news and events. However, the evidence suggests that analysts are providing timely aggregations of the information environment and that the revisions are informative to financial markets

Lavprisstrategi på langdistanseflygninger : en utreding om kostnadsfordeler for lavprisselskap kan overføres til langdistansemarkedet

Hensikten med denne utredningen er å se på fordeler og ulemper et lavprisselskap kan få ved en satsning på langdistanseoperasjoner. I vår utredning har vi benyttet oss av data hentet inn fra regnskapene til ni ulike flyselskap i Europa. Selskapene vi ser på er Norwegian, Easyjet, Ryanair, AirBerlin, Turkish Airlines, SAS, Lufthansa, KLM og British Airways. De tre førstnevnte definerer vi som lavprisselskap, mens de resterende er definert som fullserviceselskap. Gjennom studien har vi hatt fokus på å finne kostnadsforskjeller mellom lavpris- og fullserviceselskapene. Dette har vi gjort både ved hjelp av tilgjengelig teori, deskriptiv fremstilling av innsamlet data og gjennom en økonometrisk analyse. Våre resultat viser at lavprisselskap kan oppnå flere fordeler, sammenlignet med fullserviceselskaper, på langdistanse. Vi fant at personalrelaterte kostnader var det området hvor lavprisselskap kan oppnå sine største fordeler. Det er også muligheter for lavprisselskap å oppnå fordeler knyttet til service og produktivitet. Men vi har vurdert at et lavprisselskap kan oppnå flere fordeler ved å opparbeide seg et stort volum som kan gi dem stordriftsfordeler. Slike fordeler vil være knyttet til forhandlingsmakt, kapasitet og vedlikehold.nhhma

Improved helmet design and test methods to reduce rotational induced brain injuries

Accidental impacts to the human head are often a combination of translational and rotational accelerations. The most frequent severe brain injuries from accidents are diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and subdural hematoma that both are reported to arise from rotational violence to the head. Most helmet standards used today do only take the translational accelerations into account. It is therefore suggested that an oblique impact test that measures both translational and rotational accelerations should be a complement to the helmet standards used today. This study investigates the potential to reduce the risk for DAI by improving the helmet design by use of an oblique helmet impact test rig. The method used is a detailed finite element (FE) model of the human head. The FE model is used to measure the maximum principal strain in the brain which is suggested as a measurement for the risk to get DAI. The results clearly show the importance of testing a helmet in oblique impacts. Comparing a pure vertical impact with a 45 degree oblique impact with the same initial impact energy shows that the strain in the central parts of the brain is increased with a factor of 6. It is therefore suggested that a future helmet impact standard should include a rotational component so that the helmet is designed for both radial and tangential forces. Such a test method, an oblique impact test, was used to compare two different helmet designs. One helmet was manufactured with the shell glued to the liner and one helmet was designed with a low friction layer between the shell and the liner (MIPS). It was shown that the strain in the FE model of the human head was reduced be 27% comparing the MIPS helmet to the glued helmet design.QC 20181102NR 20140805</p