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The emergence of tele-exercise as a response to the impact of technology on physical activity has opened up new possibilities for promoting physical health. By integrating innovative technologies and open-source platforms, tele-exercise encourages people to stay active. In our latest analysis, we delved into the scientific literature surrounding the use of tele-exercise technologies in training healthy individuals. After conducting an extensive search on the PubMed database using the keywords "tele-exercise" and "physical activity" (from 2020 to 2023), we identified 44 clinical trials that were applicable to tele-exercise, but less than 10% of them were aimed at healthy individuals, precisely 9.09% (four out of forty-four studies analyzed). Our review highlights the potential of tele-exercise to help maintain physical fitness and psychological well-being, especially when traditional fitness facilities are not an option. We also underscore the importance of interoperability, standardization, and the incorporation of biomechanics, exercise physiology, and neuroscience into the development of tele-exercise platforms. Nevertheless, despite these promising benefits, research has shown that there is still a significant gap in the knowledge concerning the definition and evaluation of training parameters for healthy individuals. As a result, we call for further research to establish evidence-based practices for tele-exercise in the healthy population.

There is limited research on female football players, especially related to their physical and cognitive performance under different climactic conditions. We analyzed the impact of a hot environmental temperature on physical performance and anticipation in elite female football players during a fatigue-inducing intermittent protocol. Elite female players (n = 21) performed the countermovement jump (CMJ) and responded to filmed sequences of offensive play under two distinct environmental temperatures (i.e., mild environment temperature- 20°C and 30% rh versus hot environment temperature- 38°C and 80% rh), interspersed by 1-week interval. Linear mixed models were used. CMJ performance declined following the intermittent protocol on both temperature conditions (p < 0.05). Moreover, there were significant main effects for protocol on CMJ speed (m/s) (p = 0.001; η p 2  = 0.12), CMJ power (p = 0.002; η p 2  = 0.11), and CMJ Height max (p = 0.002; η p 2  = 0.12). After performing the intermittent protocol, exposure to a hot temperature caused a greater decline in anticipation accuracy (mild temperature = 64.41% vs. hot temperature = 53.44%; p < 0.001). Our study shows impaired performance in elite female football players following an intermittent protocol under hot compared with mild environmental conditions. We report decreased performance in both CMJ and anticipation performance under hotter conditions. The results reveal that exposure to hot temperatures had a negative effect on the accuracy of their anticipatory behaviors. We consider the implication of the work for research and training interventions., (© 2024 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Mean propulsive velocity (MPV) has been associated with neuromuscular fatigue; however, its suitability for strength training in Paralympic powerlifting (PP) remains uncertain. The objective of this work was to evaluate the MPV in two training methods (traditional-TRAD and eccentric-ECC). Eleven PP athletes were evaluated pre, during the intervention and post intervention at a load of 80% of the 1RM for TRAD and 110%-80% of 1 RM for ECC. The results demonstrated that there was no significant neuromuscular fatigue for the TRAD (~5% performance loss), as well as no significant decline in MPV during the intervention. For the ECC, there is a significant reduction in MPV before and after training (~12% loss of performance). A difference between TRAD and ECC after the intervention was also identified (0.87 m/s±0.22, 95% CI 0.72-1.02 vs. 0.72±0.20, 95% CI 0.59-0.86 p=0.042, F(3.30)=10.190, η2p=0.505 - very high effect). During the intervention for ECC, no significant decline in MPV was observed. The results of this study suggest that the mechanical indices of MPV do not seem to be effective indicators of neuromuscular fatigue in the sample studied or in the context of this specific training regime, being more indicated as a control of training volume., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore which key somatic features are common to four swim strokes and medley, and specifically to identify which characteristics benefit only specific strokes., Methods: The sample was composed of 130 swimmers (95 males aged 19.5 ± 2.9 years and 35 females aged 18.4 ± 2.8 years). A set of anthropometric variables was used to predict swimming speed in the four swimming strokes and medley., Results: A multiplicative model with allometric body size components was used to identify the demographic and anthropometric predictors of swimming speed. Trunk height and waist circumference were the only variables significantly different among swimming strokes ( p  < 0.05). Associations between swimming speed and arm length were similar in breaststroke and medley, and in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly ( R 2  = 60.9%). The model retained as swimming speed predictors the age 2 , upper body circumference, hand breadth, waist circumference, and subscapular skinfold thickness (these last two had negative associations)., Conclusion: All these predictors were common to all four swim strokes and medley. Arm length was also retained as a significant predictor, but this one varied significantly between the four different swim strokes and medley. These findings highlight the importance of having a "V-shape" trunk, longer upper limbs, and large hands as predictors of swimming performance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Rejman, Nevill, Garrido, Rudnik and Morais.)

This descriptive article explores the use of smart devices for health and wellness in the context of telehealth, highlighting rapidly evolving technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Key innovations, benefits, challenges, and opportunities related to the adoption of these technologies are outlined. The article provides a descriptive and accessible approach to understanding the evolution and impact of smart devices in the tele-exercise reality. Nowadays, technological advances provide solutions that were unthinkable just a few years ago. The habits of the general population have also changed over the past few years. Hence, there is a need to investigate this issue and draw the attention of the scientific community to this topic by describing the benefits and challenges associated with each topic. If individuals no longer go to exercise, the exercise must go to their homes instead.

Background : This study aims to show the clinical outcomes of implants supporting mandibular overdentures in edentulous patients. Methods : Mandibular edentulous patients were diagnosed with an oral examination, panoramic radiograph, and diagnostic casts for intermaxillary relations and treated with overdentures over two implants. After two-stage surgery, implants were early loaded with an overdenture at 6 weeks. Results: Fifty-four patients (28 females and 24 males) were treated with 108 implants. Thirty-two patients (59.2%) had a previous history of periodontitis. Twenty-three patients (46%) were smokers. Forty patients (74.1%) suffered from systemic diseases (i.e., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases). The clinical follow-up of the study was 147.8 ± 10.4 months. The clinical outcomes showed a global success of 94.5% of implants. Fifty-four overdentures were placed in the patients over the implants. The mean marginal bone loss was 1.12 ± 0.34 mm. Nineteen patients (35.2%) showed some kind of mechanical prosthodontic complication. Sixteen implants (14.8%) were associated with peri-implantitis. Conclusions: Based on the clinical results obtained, we can determine that the treatment of elderly edentulous patients with mandibular overdentures through the early loading of two placed implants is a successful implant protocol.

The present study aimed to analyze swimmers' in-water kinetic and kinematic behaviors according to different swimming performance tiers within the same age group. An amount of 53 highly trained swimmers (girls and boys: 12.40 ± 0.74 years) were split up into 3 tiers based on their personal best performance (i.e., speed) in the 50 m freestyle event (short-course): lower-tier (1.25 ± 0.08 m·s -1 ); mid-tier (1.45 ± 0.04 m·s -1 ); and top-tier (1.60 ± 0.04 m·s -1 ). The in-water mean peak force was measured during a maximum bout of 25 m front crawl using a differential pressure sensors system (Aquanex system, Swimming Technology Research, Richmond, VA, USA) and defined as a kinetic variable, while speed, stroke rate, stroke length, and stroke index were retrieved and considered as kinematic measures. The top-tier swimmers were taller with a longer arm span and hand surface areas than the low-tier, but similar to the mid-tier. While the mean peak force, speed and efficiency differed among tiers, the stroke rate and stroke length showed mixed findings. Coaches should be aware that young swimmers belonging to the same age group may deliver different performance outcomes due to different kinetic and kinematic behaviors.

The aim of this study was to analyze the agreement of the active drag coefficient measured through drag and propulsion methods. The sample was composed of 18 swimmers (nine boys: 15.9 ± 0.9 years; nine girls: 15.3 ± 1.2 years) recruited from a national swimming team. The velocity perturbation method was used as the drag measurement system and the Aquanex system as the propulsion system. For both sexes combined, the frontal surface area was 0.1128 ± 0.016 m 2 , swim velocity 1.54 ± 0.13 m.s -1 , active drag 62.81 ± 11.37 N, propulsion 68.81 ± 12.41 N. The level of the active drag coefficient agreement was calculated based on the mean values comparison, simple linear regression, and Bland Altman plots. The mean data comparison revealed non-significant differences (p > 0.05) between methods to measure the active drag coefficient. Both the linear regression (R 2 = 0.82, p < 0.001) and Bland Altman plots revealed a very high agreement. The active drag coefficient should be the main outcome used in the interpretation of the swimmers' hydrodynamic profile, because it is less sensitive to swimming velocity. Coaches and researchers should be aware that the active drag coefficient can also be calculated based on propulsion methods and not just based on drag methods. Thus, the swimming community can now use different equipment to measure the hydrodynamics of their swimmers., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © Academy of Physical Education in Katowice.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of multi-joint resistance exercises (MJRE) with blood flow restriction on hormonal responses. Ten men participated in the study and underwent two experimental protocols in random order: four sets (30, 15, 15, and 15 reps, respectively) of MJRE (half squat and horizontal chest press) were performed with 20% of 1RM and a rest time between sets of 30 s, combined with intermittent blood flow restriction (LI + BFR protocol); and four sets (8, 8, 8, 20 reps, respectively) of the same MJRE performed with 75% of 1RM load (HI protocol), with a 90 s rest between the first three sets and 30 s between the third to the fourth set. Blood samples were collected before (PRE), immediately after (POST), and 15 min after the performance of MJRE (POST15). A time effect was observed for growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like-growth-factor-1-binding-protein-3 (IGFPB-3), but no protocol effects or interactions between protocol and times were observed (p > 0.05). There was no effect of either protocol or time (p > 0.05) on total testosterone, free testosterone, or cortisol concentrations. However, significant (p < 0.05) increases were observed in the GH serum concentrations of 2072.73% and 2278.5%, HI, and LI + BFR protocols, respectively, from the PRE to POST15 test. In addition, there was an increase of 15.30% and 13.29% in the IGFPB-3 concentrations (p < 0.05) from PRE to POST0 times for HI and LI + BFR protocols, respectively. Furthermore, there was a decrease of −6.17% and −11.54%, p = 0.00, between the times POST0 to POST15 in the IGFPB-3 for the HI and LI + BFR protocols, respectively. It is concluded that multi-joint resistance exercises combined with intermittent blood flow restriction seemed to promote acute hormonal responses in a manner similar to traditional exercise with high loads. Future studies may investigate whether chronic use of LI + BFR with MJRE may promote muscle hypertrophy.

(1) Background. The immediate functional loading of implants is a clinical procedure used for treating periodontal edentulous patients. This clinical study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of the immediate functional loading of implants with fully fixed rehabilitations in compromised periodontal patients. (2) Methods. Three hundred and five implants IPX screw implants were placed in 27 periodontal patients using an immediate functional loading protocol with fixed rehabilitations. All patients had a previous history of periodontitis, four patients (14.8%) were smokers and seven patients (25.9%) suffered from chronic medical conditions. (3) Results. Implant and prosthetic clinical findings were evaluated during a mean period of 41.3 ± 19.6 months. No implants were lost during the clinical follow-up. The cumulative survival rate for all implants was 100%. Regarding the prostheses designed, a total of 54 fixed prostheses were placed in the 27 patients immediately after the surgery. Forty-four hybrid fixed prostheses (81.5%) and 10 fixed rehabilitations (18.5%) were placed in the patients. The mean marginal bone loss was 1.51 ± 1.16 mm, ranging from 0 to 3.5 mm during the follow-up evaluation. Thirty-one implants (10.2%) in 10 patients (37%) were associated with peri-implantitis. Five patients (18.5%) showed some kind of technical complications (loss/fracture of the prosthetic screw, acrylic resin fracture, ceramic chipping). (4) Conclusions. The clinical outcomes of this study demonstrate that fixed rehabilitation by immediate functional loading of implants is considered a predictable procedure.

Background: Paralympic powerlifting (PP) training is typically intense and causes fatigue and alterations in the immune system. Objective: To analyze whether IBU would affect performance and the immune system after training in PP. Methodology: 10 athletes at the national level (NL) and 10 at the regional level (RL) participated in the study, where force and blood indicators were evaluated after training. The study took place over three weeks: (1) familiarization and (2 and 3) comparison between recovery methods, with ibuprofen or placebo (IBU vs. PLA), 800 mg. In the evaluation of the force, the peak torque (PT), fatigue index (FI), and blood immune system biomarkers were analyzed. The training consisted of five sets of five repetitions with 80% of one maximum repetition (5 × 5, 80% 1RM) on the bench press. Results: The PT at the national level using IBU was higher than with PLA (p = 0.007, η2p = 0.347), and the FI in the NL was lower with IBU than with PLA (p = 0.002, η2p = 0.635), and when comparing the use of IBU, the NL showed less fatigue than the regional level (p = 0.004, η2p = 0.414). Leukocytes, with the use of IBU in the NL group, were greater than in the RL (p = 0.001, η2p = 0.329). Neutrophils, in the NL with IBU, were greater than in the RL with IBU and PLA (p = 0.025, η2p = 0.444). Lymphocytes, in NL with IBU were lower than in RL with IBU and PLA (p = 0.001, η2p = 0.491). Monocytes, in the NL with IBU and PLA, were lower than in the RL with IBU (p = 0.049, η2p = 0.344). For hemoglobin, hematocrit, and erythrocyte, the NL with IBU and PLA were higher than the RL with IBU and PLA (p < 0.05). Ammonia, with the use of IBU in the NL, obtained values higher than in the RL (p = 0.007), and with the use of PLA, the NL was higher than the RL (p = 0.038, η2p = 0.570). Conclusion: The training level tends to influence the immune system and, combined with the use of the IBU, it tends to improve recovery and the immune system.

Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) is a frontal plane knee kinematic alteration that has been associated with patellofemoral pain (PFP) in female runners. DKV is commonly assessed in clinical practice by measuring frontal plane knee projection angle (FPPA) during squat tests. However, it remains unclear whether the DKV observed in these tests is similar to or correlates with that observed during running in female runners. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to correlate and compare DKV, by measuring FPPA values, in a lateral step-down (LSD) squat test and running in female runners with and without PFP. A two-dimensional (2D) video analysis of the LSD test and running was carried out for 21 asymptomatic female runners and 17 PFP female runners in order to determine FPPA values. A Pearson correlation test and a factorial ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc correction were used for statistical analysis. The FPPAs recorded in the LSD test were significantly higher than those recorded during running in the asymptomatic (16.32° ± 5.38 vs. 4.02° ± 3.26, p < 0.01) and PFP groups (17.54° ± 7.25 vs. 4.64° ± 3.62, p < 0.01). No significant differences were found in FPPA values between asymptomatic and PFP runners during the LSD test (16.32° ± 5.38 vs. 17.54° ± 7.25, p = 0.55) and running (4.02° ± 3.26 vs. 4.64° ± 3.62, p = 0.58). There was a small (r < 0.3) and non-significant (p > 0.05) correlation in FPPAs between the LSD test and running in both groups. According to our results, DKV was not similar during the LSD test and running, and there was no significant correlation in FPPA values between the LSD test and running in both groups. Therefore, clinicians and therapists should be aware of these findings when using the LSD test in clinical practice to evaluate DKV in female runners with or without PFP.

Background: Agility, vertical jump (VJ), and shot velocity (SV) are associated with water polo (WP) performance. The aim of this study was to identify the performance in agility, VJ and SV; to verify the correlations between the variables; and to identify the 90 th and 95 th percentile of each variable., Methods: Fifty-five male WP players (aged 21.6±8.2 years; experience in WP: 8.5±6.1 years) were assessed in three specific in-water tests: 1) Functional Test for Agility Performance; 2) VJ; 3) SV. The 95 th and 90 th percentiles were identified (5% and 10% best results). Correlations were tested with Pearson Correlation test., Results: Agility, VJ, and SV, were, respectively: 3.8±0.3 s; 137.5±14.3 cm; and 17.9±1.4 m·s -1 . For the 95 th percentiles, nine players were identified, all different players, three at each parameter. For the 90 th percentile, 16 players were included, but just one player ws in the 10% best result for the three variables. Correlations (P≤0.05) were found for agility vs. VJ (r=-0.38) and for agility vs. SV (r=- 0.25)., Conclusions: Although correlations have been found between the variables, it was not possible to verify the pattern of better players in the three parameters evaluated.

Current patterns of preventive antibiotic prescribing are encouraging the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Recently, the Spanish Society of Implants (SEI) developed the first clinical practice guidelines published to date, providing clear guidelines on how to prescribe responsible and informed preventive antibiotic therapy (PAT) based on the available scientific evidence on dental implant treatments (DIs). The present document aims to summarise and disseminate the recommendations established by this expert panel. These were based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Studies were analysed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) checklist templates and ranked according to their level of evidence. They were then assigned a level of recommendation using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system (GRADE). Guidelines were established on the type of PAT, antibiotic and dosage of administration in the placement of DIs without anatomical constraints, in bone augmentation with the placement of DIs in one or two stages, placement of immediate DIs, sinus elevations, implant prosthetic phase, as well as recommendations in patients allergic to penicillin. Therefore, the PAT must be adapted to the type of implant procedure to be performed.

The aim of this study was to verify and compare the effects of electromyostimulation training (EMS), strength training (ST), and both combined (STEMS), through the analysis of the elbow flexors muscle thickness. Forty subjects (24.45 ± 3.53 years), were randomly divided equally in 4 groups: 3 experimental groups and 1 control group. Each experimental group was submitted to one of three interventions, either an ST protocol, an EMS protocol, or a STEMS protocol. The control group (CG) did not perform any type of physical activity. Ultrasonography (US) was used to measure muscle thickness (MT) at 50 and 60% of the distance between the acromion and the olecranon. The results showed a significant difference in the elbow flexors muscle thickness after 8 weeks, both in the STG, EMSG, and STEMSG, but not in the CG. However, no significant differences were observed between the intervention protocols. It seems that an increase in MT can be obtained using either with ST, EMS, or both combined, however, the results doesn't support the overlap of one method in relation to the others. EMS can be another interesting tool to induce muscle hypertrophy, but not necessarily better.

Post-exercise hypotension is of great clinical relevance and also in sports training settings, as recovery speed is important. The aim of this study was to compare the influence of different recovery methods on post-exercise hemodynamic response. Twelve male paraplegic sportsmen (25.40 ± 3.30 years) performed a strength training (ST) session using the bench press exercise. After the ST, three recovery methods were randomly performed over a 15-min period: passive recovery (PR), cold-water (CW) and dry needle (DN). Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and myocardial oxygen were measured before and post ST, as well as post the recovery method. Results: Dry needling induced lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) immediately after the treatment when compared with the other recovery methods, but the contrary was observed at 50 and 60-min post recovery, where records with DN exhibit higher mean values (η 2 p = 0.330). There were no differences in post-exercise diastolic BP and mean BP between recovery methods. There was a significantly higher HR after the PR method, when compared with CW and with DN (η 2 p = 0.426). The same was observed for double product and for myocardial oxygen, though with a larger effect size (η 2 p = 0.446). We conclude that dry needling seems to induce a faster SBP lowering immediately after the procedure but at 50-min post procedure the cold-water method showed better result. As for HR, both procedures (DN and CW) showed a better recovery when compared with passive recovery, along the several moments of measurement.

Abstract: Simão, R, Polito, M, de Salles, BF, Marinho, DA, Garrido, ND, Santos Junior, ERT, and Willardson, JM. Acute and long-term comparison of fixed vs. self-selected rest interval between sets on upper-body strength. J Strength Cond Res 36(2): 540-544, 2022-The effects of different rest interval durations between sets has been widely studied, but only recently, the self-selected rest interval (SSRI) has been a matter of interest. However, previous studies comparing fixed and SSRI have investigated only acute responses. The purpose of this study was to analyze the acute and long-term effects of a fixed rest interval (FRI) vs. an SSRI between sets on upper-body performance and strength gains. Thirty-three trained men were randomly divided into 2 groups: FRI (75 seconds between sets), and SSRI. Both groups performed 3 sets with 75% of 1-repetition maximum until repetition failure in the chest press (CP), lat pull-down (LPD), shoulder press (SP), and seated row (SR) 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that the SSRI allowed for significantly greater repetition performance vs. the FRI in the CP (26.1 ± 2.0 vs. 21.5 ± 1.8), LPD (30.1 ± 2.3 vs. 24.9 ± 1.9), SP (24.0 ± 2.8 vs. 17.4 ± 1.5), and SR (26.3 ± 1.6 vs. 22.0 ± 1.6). In addition, the following strength gains were observed: SSRI (CP: 6.8%, LPD: 8.0%, SP: 6.7%, SR: 7.8%) and FRI (CP: 7.4%, LPD: 6.7%, SP: 6.1%, SR: 7.0%) without significant differences between the groups. In conclusion, within an 8-week period, both protocols seem to be effective for strength gains, despite the higher training volume accomplished by the SSRI group. However, the FRI was 37% more time efficient., (Copyright © 2020 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

Introduction: This study aimed to show the clinical outcomes of implants inserted by guided surgery supporting mandibular overdentures in edentulous patients., Patients and Methods: Mandibular edentulous patients were diagnosed with an oral examination, cone-beam computerized tomography, and diagnostic casts for intermaxillary relations and treated with overdentures over two implants by guided surgery. After flapless surgery, implants were early loaded with an overdenture at 6 weeks., Results and Discussion: Fourteen patients (nine females and five males) were treated with 28 implants. Four patients (28.6%) had a previous history of periodontitis. Five patients (35.7%) were smokers. Nine patients (64.3%) suffered from systemic diseases (i.e., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases). The clinical follow-up of the study was 44.7 ± 31.4 months. Clinical outcomes showed a global success of 100% of implants. Fourteen overdentures were placed in the patients over the implants. Mean marginal bone loss was 1.25 mm ± 0.95 mm. Four patients (28.6%) showed some kind of mechanical prosthodontic complications. Six implants (21.4%) were associated with peri-implantitis., Conclusions: This study indicates that treatment of mandibular edentulous patients with overdentures by guided surgery and early loading of implants placed appears to be a successful implant protocol.

High blood pressure (HBP) has been associated with several complications and causes of death. The objective of the study was to analyze the hemodynamic responses in Paralympic bench press powerlifting (PP) and conventional powerlifting (CP) before and after training and up to 60 minutes (min) after training. Ten PP and 10 CP athletes performed five sets of five repetition maximal bench press exercises, and we evaluated systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure (SBP, DBP, and MBP, respectively), heart rate (HR), heart pressure product (HPP), and myocardial oxygen volume (MVO 2 ). The SBP increased after training ( p < 0.001), and there were differences in the post training and 30, 40, and 60 min later ( p = 0.021), between 10 and 40 min after training ( p = 0.031, η 2 p = 0.570), and between CP and PP ( p =0.028, η 2 p = 0.570). In the MBP, there were differences between before and after ( p = 0.016) and 40 min later ( p = 0.040, η 2 p = 0.309). In the HR, there was a difference between before and after, and 5 and 10 min later ( p = 0.002), and between after and 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min later ( p < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.767). In HPP and MVO 2 , there were differences between before and after ( p = 0.006), and between after and 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min later ( p < 0.001, η 2 p = 0.816). In CP and PP, there is no risk of hemodynamic overload to athletes, considering the results of the HPP, and training promotes a moderate hypotensive effect, with blood pressure adaptation after and 60 min after exercise.

Paralympic Powerlifting is a sport in which the strength of the upper limbs is assessed through bench press performance in an adapted specific bench. It is therefore essential to optimize training methods to maximize this performance. The aim of the present study was to compare force production and muscle activation involved in partial vs. full range of motion (ROM) training in Paralympic Powerlifting. Twelve male athletes of elite national level in Paralympic Powerlifting participated in the study (28.60 ± 7.60 years of age, 71.80 ± 17.90 kg of body mass). The athletes performed five sets of 5RM (repetition maximum), either with 90% of 1RM in full ROM or with a load of 130% 1RM in partial ROM. All subjects underwent both exercise conditions in consecutive weeks. Order assignment in the first week was random and counterbalanced. Fatigue index (FI), Maximum Isometric Force (MIF), Time to MIF (Time) and rate of force development (RFD) were determined by a force sensor. Muscle thickness was obtained using ultrasound images. All measures were taken pre- and post-training. Additionally, electromyographic signal (EMG) was evaluated in the last set of each exercise condition. Post-exercise fatigue was higher with full ROM as well as loss of MIF. Full ROM also induced greater. EMG showed greater activation of the Clavicular portion and Sternal portion of pectoralis major muscle and lower in the anterior portion of deltoid muscle when full ROM was performed. Muscle thickness of the pectoralis major muscle increased post-exercise. We concluded that training with partial ROM enables higher workloads with lower loss of muscle function., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Variable resistance training has recently become a component of strength and conditioning programs., Objective: This randomized counterbalanced cross-over study aimed to investigate the use of elastic bands (EB) and the traditional method (TRAD) and force indicators in a training session., Methods: 12 Paralympic athletes (age: 28.60 ± 7.60 years) participated in this three-week study. In the first week, the participants were familiarized with EB and TRAD and were tested for maximal repetition (1-RM). The research occurred in weeks 2 and 3, which included the pre-post training, during which the following measures were extracted: maximum isometric force (MIF), the peak torque (PT), rate of force development (RFD), fatigue index (FI), and time to MIF (Time). The athletes performed two tests, EB and TRAD, separated by a one-week interval., Results: Significant differences were found between the pre- and post-test for 1RM ( p = 0.018, η2p = 0.412), MIF ( p = 0.011, η2p = 0.415), PT ( p = 0.012, η2p = 0.413), and RFD ( p = 0.0002, η2p = 0.761). With the use of EB, there was a difference in RFD between TRAD before and EB after ( p = 0.016, η2p = 0.761). There were significant differences in the before and after for FI between TRAD and EB ( p < 0.001) and for Time ( p < 0.001), indicating that training with the use of elastic bands promotes overload, characterized by increased fatigue and decreased strength., Conclusions: Training with EB did not decrease 1RM, PT, MIF or RFD, however, there was an increase in fatigue and time to reach MIF when compared to the method with fixed resistance.

The aim of this study was to analyze the progression and stability in the performance of world-ranked swimmers from 2015 to 2020, and the impairment induced by the COVID-19 lockdown. An observational retrospective design over five consecutive competitive seasons was selected. FINA's male Top-50 who were qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games were considered in freestyle, backstroke, backstroke, and butterfly events. A total of 515 male swimmers and 2060 season-best performances were analyzed. All data was retrieved from two open-access and public websites (Swimrankings and Swimcloud). Repeated measures ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post-hoc test was performed to analyze the variation between seasons. Stabilization in performance was assessed using spearman correlation coefficients. A significant improvement in performance ≈0.5-2.5% was found in most of the strokes and race distances until the 2018-2019 season. The 2020 lockdown impaired the performance by 1-2%. Moderate to high associations were found in the 2017-2018 season when considering the 2019-2020 performance. The breaststroke was the only stroke with a moderate-high stability (r > 0.40) in all race distances considering the overall time period. It can be concluded that world-ranked swimmers' performance was impaired by 1-2% due to the COVID-19 lockdown, returning to levels that were reached two years earlier., (© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.)

Background: Paralympic Powerlifting (PP) training tends to promote fatigue and oxidative stress., Objective: To analyze the effects of ibuprofen use on performance and oxidative stress in post-training PP athletes., Methodology: Ten national level PP athletes (age: 27.13 ± 5.57) were analyzed for oxidative stress in post-training. The study was carried out in three weeks, (1) familiarization and (2 and 3) evaluated the recovery with the use of a placebo (PLA) and ibuprofen (IBU), 800 mg. The Peak Torque (PT), Torque Development Rate (TDR), Fatigue Index (FI), reactive substances to thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and sulfhydryl groups (SH) were evaluated. The training consisted of five sets of five repetitions (80-90%) 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM) in the bench press., Results: The IBU showed a higher PT (24 and 48 h, p = 0.04, ɳ 2 &nbsp; p = 0.39), a lower FI (24 h, p = 0.01, ɳ 2 p = 0.74) and an increased lymphocyte count ( p < 0.001; ɳ 2 p = 4.36). There was no change in oxidative stress., Conclusions: The use of IBU provided improvements in strength and did not protect against oxidative stress.

(1) Background: the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different types of warm-ups on the strength and skin temperature of Paralympic powerlifting athletes. (2) Methods: the participants were 15 male Paralympic powerlifting athletes. The effects of three different types of warm-up (without warm-up (WW), traditional warm-up (TW), or stretching warm-up (SW)) were analyzed on static and dynamic strength tests as well as in the skin temperature, which was monitored by thermal imaging. (3) Results: no differences in the dynamic and static indicators of the force were shown in relation to the different types of warm-ups. No significant differences were found in relation to peak torque ( p = 0.055, F = 4.560, η2p = 0.246 medium effect), and one-repetition maximum ( p = 0.139, F = 3.191, η2p = 0.186, medium effect) between the different types of warm-ups. In the thermographic analysis, there was a significant difference only in the pectoral muscle clavicular portion between the TW (33.04 ± 0.71 °C) and the WW (32.51 ± 0.74 °C) ( p = 0.038). The TW method also presented slightly higher values than the SW and WW in the pectoral muscles sternal portion and the deltoid anterior portion, but with p -value > 0.05. (4) Conclusions: the types of warm-ups studied do not seem to interfere with the performance of Paralympic Powerlifting athletes. However, the thermal images showed that traditional warm-up best meets the objectives expected for this preparation phase.

Background: In Paralympic powerlifting (PP), athletes with and without spinal cord injury (SCI) compete in the same category. Athletes with SCI may be at a disadvantage in relation to the production of muscle strength and the execution of motor techniques., Objective: To analyze the indicators force, dynamic and static, at different intensities, on performance in athletes with and without SCI., Methods: The sample was composed of two groups of PP athletes: SCI (30.57 ± 4.20 years) and other deficiencies (OD; 25.67 ± 4.52 years). Athletes performed a test of maximum isometric force (MIF), time to MIF (Time), rate of force development (RFD), impulse, variability and fatigue index (FI), dynamic tests Mean Propulsive Velocity (MPV), Maximum Velocity (Vmax) and Power., Results: There were differences in the SCI in relation to OD, 50% 1RM ( p < 0.05), in relation to MPV and Vmax. There were no differences in the static force indicators. Regarding EMG, there were differences between the SCI triceps in relation to the previous deltoid ( p = 0.012)., Conclusion: We concluded that the static and dynamic strength indicators are similar in Paralympic powerlifting athletes with spinal cord injury and other disabilities.

Background: The sticking region is considered an intervening factor in the performance of the bench press with high loads., Objective: To evaluate the strength indicators in the sticking point region in Powerlifting Paralympic athletes., Methods: Twelve Brazilian Powerlifting Paralympic athletes performed maximum isometric force (MIF), rate of force development (RFD), time at MIF, velocity, dynamic time in sticking, and surface electromyography in several distances from the bar to the chest., Results: For velocity, there was a difference between the pre-sticking and sticking region (1.98 ± 0.32 and 1.30 ± 0.43, p = 0.039) and dynamic time between the pre-sticking and the sticking region (0.40 ± 0.16 and 0.97 ± 0.37, p = 00.021). In static test for the MIF, differences were found between 5.0 cm and 15.0 cm (CI 95% 784; 1088; p = 0.010) and between 10.0 cm and 5.0 cm (CI 95% 527; 768; p < 0.001). Regarding the RFD, differences were found (CI 95% 938; 1240; p = 0.004) between 5.0 cm and 25.0 cm and between 10.0 cm and 25.0 cm (CI 95% 513; 732; p < 0.001). In relation to time, there were differences between 5.0 cm and 15.0 cm (CI 95% 0.330; 0.515; p < 0.001), 5.0 cm, and 25.0 cm (CI 95% 0.928; 1.345; p = 0.001), 10.0 cm and 15.0 cm ( p < 0.05) and 15.0 cm and 25.0 cm ( p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the muscles in electromyography, although the triceps showed the highest muscle activation values., Conclusions: The maximum isometric force, rate of force development, time, velocity, and dynamic time had lower values, especially in the initial and intermediate phases in the sticking region.

Background: Recovery from training is vital as it ensures training and performance to continue at high intensities and longer durations to stimulate the body and cause further adaptations., Objective: To evaluate different methods of post-workout recovery in Paralympic powerlifting athletes., Methods: Twelve male athletes participated (25.4 ± 3.3 years; 70.3 ± 12.1 kg). The presence of muscle edema, pain threshold, plasma cytokines, and performance measurement were evaluated five times. The recovery methods used in this study were passive recovery (PR), dry needling (DN), and cold-water immersion (CWI)., Results: The data analysis showed that the maximal force decreased compared to the pretest value at 15 min and 2 h. The results also revealed that CWI and DN increased Interleukin 2 (IL-2) levels from 24 to 48 h more than that from 2 h to 24 h. After DN, muscle thickness did not increase significantly in any of the muscles, and after 2 h, muscle thickness decreased significantly again in the major pectoralis muscle. After CWI, pain pressure stabilized after 15 min and increased significantly again after 2 h for acromial pectoralis., Conclusion: The strength training sessions generate several changes in metabolism and different recovery methods contribute differently to maintain homeostasis in Paralympic powerlifting athletes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify the acute effects of different exercise orders and rest intervals between sets on young athletes performance., Method: Sixteen young male football players (73.2 ± 4.8 kg, 177.5 ± 5.1 cm, BMI 23.2 ± 1.1, 19.8 ± 0.9 years) completed six experimental strength training (ST) sessions with different exercise order sequences (A and B) and rest interval lengths (1 min, 3 min, and self-selected).In Sequence A the exercises were: bench press (BP), back squat (BS), biceps curl (BC) and plantar flexion (PF); while Sequence B was performed in the opposite order (i.e. PF, BC, BS and BP).The total work volume (TWV) per exercise (sets x repetitions x load) and per training session (sum of the TWV of all exercises) were evaluated for all ST sessions., Results: BC and PF exercises presented higher TWV in sequence B (p ≤ 0.05). Already, the exercises BP, BS and PF presented higher TWV with 3 min and self-selected rest intervals (p ≤ 0.05). The 3-min and self-selected rest intervals presented higher values of TWV per training session compared to the 1-min rest interval (p ≤ 0.05)., Conclusion: The exercise order influenced certain exercises (BC and PF), which presented higher TWV when positioned at the beginning of a sequence. While the longer rest intervals (3 min and self-selected) resulted in higher TWV per exercise (BP, BS and PF) and per training session. These results suggest that self-selected rest interval can be implemented to increase training efficiency in young athletes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to this article., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: The effects of warm-up in athletic success have gained strong attention in recent studies. There is, however, a wide gap in awareness of the warm-up process to be followed, especially in Paralympic powerlifting (PP) athletes. This study aimed to analyze different types of warm-up on the physical performance of PP athletes. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 12 elite Brazilian PP male athletes (age, 24.14 ± 6.21 years; bodyweight, 81.67 ± 17.36 kg). The athletes performed maximum isometric force (MIF), rate of force development (RFD), and speed test (Vmax) in three different methods of warm-up. Tympanic temperature was used to estimate the central body temperature. Results: A significant difference was observed for MIF in the without warm-up (WW) condition in relation to the traditional warm-up (TW) and stretching warm-up (SW) ( p = 0.005, η 2 p = 0.454, high effect). On the contrary, no significant differences were observed in RFD, fatigue index (FI) and time in the different types of warm up ( p > 0.05). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in relation to the maximum repetition ( p = 0.121, η 2 p = 0.275, medium effect) or the maximum speed ( p = 0.712, η 2 p = 0.033, low effect) between the different types of warm up. In relation to temperature, significant differences were found for the TW in relation to the "before" and "after" conditions. In addition, differences were found between WW in the "after" condition and SW. In addition, WW demonstrated a significant difference in relation to TW in the "10 min later" condition (F = 26.87, p = 0.05, η 2 p = 0.710, high effect). Conclusions: The different types of warm-up methods did not seem to provide significant differences in the force indicators in elite PP athletes.

The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of the combination of resistance training (RT) and the hydroethanolic extract (EHE) of Bowdichia virgilioides as markers of oxidative stress (OS) in rats with peripheral nerve injury (PNI). Rats were allocated into six groups ( n = 10): animals without interventions (C), animals with an exposed nerve but without injury, injured animals, trained and injured animals, injured animals that received EHE, and animals that received a combination of RT and EHE. RT comprised the climbing of stairs. EHE was orally administered (200 mg/kg) for 21 days after PNI induction. RT reduced the amount of lipoperoxidation in plasma (14.11%). EHE reduced lipoperoxidation in the plasma (20.72%) and the brain (41.36). RT associated with the extract simultaneously reduced lipoperoxidation in the plasma (34.23%), muscle (25.13%), and brain (43.98%). There was an increase in total sulhydrilyl levels (a) in the brain (33.33%) via RT; (b) in the brain (44.44%) and muscle (44.51%) using EHE; and (c) in the plasma (54.02%), brain (54.25%), and muscle using the combination of RT + EHE. These results suggest that RT associated with oral EHE results in a decrease in OS.

This study aimed to analyze the relationship between perceived aquatic competence (PAC) and real aquatic competence (RAC) in 6 to 10 year old children in skills identified as relevant for surviving an aquatic accident. The study sample consisted of 105 children (8.2 + 1.3 years old). Two age groups were examined separately [G1, 6 to 7 years (n = 53); G2, 8 to 10 years (n = 52)]. Children's aquatic competence was evaluated twice for skills linked to the risk of drowning: Firstly, using a common swimsuit (simple condition) and secondly wearing a t-shirt (complex condition). The PAC was assessed by questionnaire interview. Pearson correlation coefficients, pairwise, and independent t-test comparisons were performed with a significance level of 5%. Similar levels of PAC were found among both age groups for all measured skills, excepted for breath control during swimming (p < 0.05). However, PAC differs significantly (p < 0.001) from RAC (in simple and complex conditions) only in G1. Correlations between PAC and RAC were modest for all measured skills in both age-groups. Significant differences were found between RAC in simple and complex conditions in both groups (p < 0.01). Age contributes to a higher perceived aquatic competence in skills related to the risk of drowning., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Indoor cycling's popularity is related to the combination of music and exercise leading to higher levels of exercise intensity. It was our objective to determine the efficacy of heart rate and rating of perceived exertion in controlling the intensity of indoor cycling classes and to quantify their association with oxygen uptake. Twelve experienced males performed three indoor cycling sessions of 45 min that differed in the way the intensity was controlled: (i) oxygen uptake; (ii) heart rate; and (iii) rating of perceived exertion using the OMNI-Cycling. The oxygen uptake levels were significantly higher ( p = 0.007; μ p 2 = 0.254) in oxygen uptake than heart rate sessions. Oxygen uptake related to body mass was significantly higher ( p < 0.005) in the oxygen uptake sessions compared with other sessions. Strong correlations were observed between oxygen uptake mean in the oxygen uptake and rating of perceived exertion sessions ( r =0.986, p < 0.0001) and between oxygen uptake mean in the oxygen uptake and heart rate sessions ( r = 0.977, p < 0.0001). Both heart rate and rating of perceived exertion are effective in controlling the intensity of indoor cycling classes in experienced subjects. However, the use of rating of perceived exertion is easier to use and does not require special instrumentation.

Our aim was to analyze physiological, kinematical and performance changes induced by swimming training in regional age-group athletes. Subjects (15.7 ± 2.2 years old) performed a 4 x 50-m front-crawl test at maximal velocity (10 s rest interval) in weeks 2, 4, 9 and 12 of a 15-week macrocycle. Descriptive statistics were used and the percentage of change and smallest worthwhile change (moderate, 0.6-1.2, and large, > 1.2) were measured. Lactate concentration in the third, seventh and twelfth minute of recovery decreased significantly between weeks 2-9 (14.1, 15.7 and 17.6%) and increased between weeks 9-12 (18.2, 18.6 and 19.8%), with the HR presenting only trivial variations during the training period. Stroke length showed a large decrease in the first 50-m trial between weeks 4-9 (6.2%) and a large increase between weeks 9-12 (3.1%). The stroke rate (in all 50-m trials) increased significantly between weeks 4-9 (3- 7%) and the stroke index had a moderate to large increase in the first and third 50-m trial (3.6 and 7.1%, respectively) between weeks 9-12. The overall time decreased by 1.1% between weeks 2-12, being more evident after week 4. We concluded that physiological, kinematical and performance variables were affected by the period of training in regional age-group swimmers., (© 2019 Guilherme Tucher, Flávio Antônio de Souza Castro, Nuno Domingos Garrido, Ricardo Jorge Fernandes, published by Sciendo.)

The aim of the present study was to assess the accuracy of heart rate to estimate energy cost during eight resistance exercises performed at low intensities: half squat, 45° inclined leg press, leg extension, horizontal bench press, 45° inclined bench press, lat pull down, triceps extension and biceps curl. 56 males (27.5 ± 4.9 years, 1.78 ± 0.06 m height, 78.67 ± 10.7 kg body mass and 11.4 ± 4.1% estimated body fat) were randomly divided into four groups of 14 subjects each. Two exercises were randomly assigned to each group and subjects performed four bouts of 4-min constant-intensity at each assigned exercise: 12%, 16%, 20% and 24% 1-RM. Exercise and intensity order were random. Each subject performed no more than 2 bouts in the same testing session. A minimum recovery of 24h was kept between sessions. During testing VO2 was measured with Cosmed K4b2 and heart rate was measured with Polar V800 monitor. Energy cost was calculated from mean VO2 during the last 30-s of each bout by using the energy equivalent 1 ml O2 = 5 calorie. Linear regressions with heart rate as predictor and energy cost as dependent variable were build using mean data from all subjects. Robustness of the regression lines was given by the scatter around the regression line (Sy.x) and Bland-Altman plots confirmed the agreement between measured and estimated energy costs. Significance level was set at p≤0.05. The regressions between heart rate and energy cost in the eight exercises were significant (p<0.01) and robustness was: half squat (Sy.x = 0,48 kcal·min-1), 45° inclined leg press (Sy.x = 0,54 kcal·min-1), leg extension (Sy.x = 0,59 kcal·min-1), horizontal bench press (Sy.x = 0,47 kcal·min-1), 45° inclined bench press (Sy.x = 0,54 kcal·min-1), lat pull down (Sy.x = 0,28 kcal·min-1), triceps extension (Sy.x = 0,08 kcal·min-1) and biceps curl (Sy.x = 0,13 kcal·min-1). We conclude that during low-intensity resistance exercises it is possible to estimate aerobic energy cost by wearable heart rate monitors with errors below 10% in healthy young trained males., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Oxygen uptake (VO 2 ) kinetics has been analyzed through mathematical modeling of constant work-rate exercise, however, the exponential nature of the VO 2 response in resistance exercise is currently unknown. The present work assessed the VO 2 on-kinetics during two different sub maximal intensities in the inclined bench press and in the seated leg extension exercise. Twelve males (age: 27.2 ± 4.3 years, height: 177 ± 5 cm, body mass: 79.0 ± 10.6 kg and estimated body fat: 11.4 ± 4.1%) involved in recreational resistance exercise randomly performed 4-min transitions from rest to 12% and 24% of 1 repetition maximum each, of inclined bench press (45°) and leg extension exercises. During all testing, expired gases were collected breath-by-breath with a portable gas analyzer (K4b 2 , Cosmed, Italy) and VO 2 on-kinetics were identified using a multi-exponential mathematical model. Leg extension exercise exhibited a higher R-square, compared with inclined bench press, but no differences were found in-between exercises for the VO 2 kinetics parameters. VO 2 on-kinetics seems to be more sensitive to muscle related parameters (upper vs. lower body exercise) and less to small load variations in the resistance exercise. The absence of a true slow component indicates that is possible to calculate low-intensity resistance exercise energy cost based solely on VO 2 measurements.

The benefits of warm-up in sports performance has received a special interest in the current literature. However, there is a large gap of knowledge about the tasks to be performed, specifically in the real competitive environment. The purpose of the study was to verify the acute effects of a warm-up including ballistic exercises in 100 m running performance. In addition, a second 100 m trial was assessed to better understand the warm-up effects in training and competition. Eleven men (25.4 ± 6.2 years of age, 1.76 ± 0.08 m of height, 78.2 ± 8.6 kg of body mass) were submitted to three different protocols, in a randomized order: no warm-up (NWU), typical warm-up (WU) and WU complemented with ballistic exercises (PAP). Biomechanical, physiological and psychophysiological variables were assessed. Differences were found between the three conditions assessed in the first 100 m sprint with 7.4% and 7.6% faster performances after the WU and PAP, compared to NWU. Stride length was higher in the second part of the 100 m after PAP compared with WU. These results highlight the positive effects of warm-up for sprinting performance. The inclusion of ballistic exercises, besides being used to improve sprint performance, can increase stride length in the final of the 100 m race.

Media influence may lead adolescents to internalize patterns of physical beauty, resulting in dissatisfaction with their own bodies when they are unable to match up to these patterns. In the constant search for an 'ideal body', adolescents may begin to develop risk behaviors for the development of eating disorders (ED). The object of this study was to analyze the influence of the mass media on body dissatisfaction (BD) and on ED in adolescents, comparing genders. We also analyzed the influence of BD on the risk of developing unsuitable eating behaviors, with risk of ED, comparing genders. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1011 adolescents: 527 girls and 484 boys. The BMI of each adolescent was determined, and the instruments EAT-26, Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3), and body shape questionnaire (BSQ), were applied. For statistical analysis, we used Student's t -test, the chi-square test, Pearson's correlation test, the odds ratio, and hierarchical multiple linear regression. The influence of the mass media is associated with a greater probability of adolescents presenting BD. An increase in BD is associated with an increased risk of developing ED in adolescents of both genders but is greater in girls than in boys. Furthermore, the influence of the MM and BMI are predictors of BD in both genders; and BD is a predictor of ED risk in both girls and boys.

This study evaluates the effects of the use of backpack load and trekking poles on field track walking energy expenditure. Twenty male volunteer pole walkers (age: 22.70±2.89 years; body mass: 77.90±11.19 kg; height: 1.77±0.06 m; percentage of body fat: 14.6±6.0%) walked at a self-selected pace on a pedestrian field track over a period of more than six months. Each subject was examined at random based on four walking conditions: non-poles and non-load, with poles and non-load, non-poles and with load, with poles and with load. Heart rate, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure were continuously recorded by a portable telemetric system. Non-load walking speed was lower during walking with poles when compared with no poles ( p ≤0.05). Oxygen uptake, energy expenditure and heart rate varied significantly across different conditions. Our results suggest that the use of trekking poles does not influence energy expenditure when walking without an additional load, but it can have an effect during backpack load walking. Moreover, our results indicate that the use of trekking poles may not be helpful to lower the exertion perceived by the subjects when walking with an additional load.

The purpose of this study was to learn the interplay between dry-land strength and conditioning, and stroke biomechanics in young swimmers, during a 34-week training programme. Twenty-seven swimmers (overall: 13.33 ± 0.85 years old; 11 boys: 13.5 ± 0.75 years old; 16 girls: 13.2 ± 0.92 years old) competing at regional- and national-level competitions were evaluated. The swimmers were submitted to a specific in-water and dry-land strength training over 34 weeks (and evaluated at three time points: pre-, mid-, and post-test; M1, M2, and M3, respectively). The 100-m freestyle performance was chosen as the main outcome (i.e. dependent variable). The arm span (AS; anthropometrics), throwing velocity (TV; strength), stroke length (SL), and stroke frequency (SF; kinematics) were selected as independent variables. There was a performance enhancement over time (M1 vs. M3: 68.72 ± 5.57 s, 66.23 ± 5.23 s; Δ = -3.77%; 95% CI: -3.98;-3.56) and an overall improvement of the remaining variables. At M1 and M2, all links between variables presented significant effects (p < .001), except the TV-SL and the TV-SF path. At M3, all links between variables presented significant effects (p ≤ .05). Between M1 and M3, the direct effect of the TV to the stroke biomechanics parameters (SL and SF) increased. The model predicted 89%, 88%, and 92% of the performance at M1, M2, and M3, respectively, with a reasonable adjustment (i.e. goodness-of-fit M1: χ 2 /df = 3.82; M2: χ 2 /df = 3.08; M3: χ 2 /df = 4.94). These findings show that strength and conditioning parameters have a direct effect on the stroke biomechanics, and the latter one on the swimming performance.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of resistance training on the functional capacity of people with multiple sclerosis. Two groups were defined intentionally and divided based on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): an experimental group (EG) consisting of 11 individuals, 18.2% with an EDSS Score of 0-3.0, 72.8% with a score of 3.5-5.5 and 9.1% with a score of 6.0-7.5; and a control group (CG) consisting of 12 subjects, 25.0% with a score of 0-3.0, 58.3% with a score of 3.5-5.5 and 16.7% with a score of 6.0-7.5., Methods: The EG underwent 12 weeks of resistance training, while the CG did not. The Timed "Up & Go" test was used to measure the function of the lower limbs. The Timed 7.62 Meters Walk test and the Sit-to-stand test were used to assess the strength of the lower limbs. Balance, and the risk of falling, were assessed through the Berg Balance Test., Results: At the beginning of the study, there were no differences between EG and CG in lower limb function. However, after the 12 weeks of resistance training, significant differences were found between the EG and the CG in the Timed "Up and Go" test (P=0.021), Timed 7.62 Meters Walk (P=0.027), Sit-to-stand (P=0.017) and Balance test (P=0.039)., Conclusions: This study's results indicate that this type of training can improve muscle strength and functional capacity in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disabling chronic disease of the nervous system in which the myelin system of the central nervous system is deteriorated. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an aquatic exercise program on the physical condition of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis., Methods: The study included 26 participants divided into two groups: an experimental group (EG) with 13 individuals and a control group (CG) also with 13 individuals. The EG underwent 12 weeks of aquatic exercise, three times per week and 45-60 minutes per session. The groups were evaluated pre- and post-intervention, and were later compared to check for differences between groups. Data was collected by using functional tests such as the Timed "Up and Go" Test, the Timed 7.62 Meters Walk Test, the Getting up from a Sitting Position Test and the Balance Test., Results: Significant differences were found between the groups in the post-intervention stage. Furthermore, significant differences were also observed in all domains of physical condition of EG patients, in the post-intervention stage. Results obtained from the intention-to-treat analysis were consistent with those found in the literature., Conclusions: Therefore, this study's results suggest that aquatic exercise programs can effectively improve multiple sclerosis patient's physical condition and should be considered when coping with this public health problem.

The aim of the present study was to observe whether performing a low intensity endurance exercise following an overnight fasted (FAST) or fed (FED) condition promotes different cardiorespiratory, enzymatic and hormonal responses. Nine male physical active subjects, (age 21.89 ± 2.52 years old, height 175.89 ± 5.16 cm, weight 72.10 ± 4.31 kg, estimated body fat 7.25 ± 2.11%), randomly performed two sessions of 45 minutes' low intensity exercise (individual ventilator threshold) interspersed by seven days, differentiated only in whether they were provided with a standardized meal or not. The oxygen consumption (VO2) and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously at the 30-min rest, the 45-min during and the 30-min post-exercise. The testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) hormones were measured at rest, immediately post-exercise and 15-min post-exercise. The Glucose (GLU), Free fatty acids (FFA) and enzyme lipase activity (ELP) were measured at rest, 15-min and 30-min exercise, immediately, 15-min and 30-min post-exercise. Significantly lower values were observed in FED compared to FAST with: C (nmol/L) from pre (428.87 ± 120.41; 454.62 ± 148.33, respectively) to immediately post-exercise (285.10 ± 85.86; 465.66 ± 137.70, respectively) and 15-min post-exercise (248.00 ± 87.88; 454.31 ± 112.72, respectively) (p<0.05); and GLU at all times, with an exception at 15-min post-exercise. The testosterone/cortisol ratio (T/C) was significantly higher in the FED compared with FAST from pre (0.05 ± 0.02, 0.05 ± 0.01, respectively) to 15-min post-exercise (0.08 ± 0.03, 0.05 ± 0.02, respectively). No other significant differences were observed between conditions. We conclude that fasting prior to low intensity endurance exercise does not seem be advantageous, when it comes to fat loss, compared with the same exercise performed after a meal.

The aim of this study was to investigate the responses of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) after performing different resistance and aerobic exercise protocols. Twelve recreationally trained men (age, 23.2 ± 5.6 years; body mass, 84.3 ± 9.3 kg; body height, 178.9 ± 4.5 cm; and BMI, 26.3 ± 2.3 kg·m2) volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects were randomly assigned to four experimental protocols (crossover): (a) aerobic training at 60% of VO2max, (b) aerobic training at 80% of VO2max, (c) a resistance exercise (RE) session with a bi-set protocol, and (d) an RE session with a multiple sets protocol. Blood samples were collected before, immediately after and 24 hours following the experimental protocols. After 24 hours, there was a significant increase in CK for the 80% of VO2max protocol vs. the bi-set RE session (p = 0.016). Immediately after the protocols, we observed a significant increase in LDH among certain groups compared to others, as follows: multiple sets RE session vs. 60% of VO2max, bi-set RE session vs. 60% of VO2max, multiple sets RE session vs. 80% of VO2max, and bi-set RE session vs. 80% of VO2max (p = 0.008, p = 0.013; p = 0.002, p = 0.004, respectively). In conclusion, aerobic exercise performed at 80% of VO2max appears to elevate plasma CK levels more than bi-set RE sessions. However, the bi-set and multiple sets RE sessions appeared to trigger greater levels of blood LDH compared to aerobic protocols performed at 60% and 80% of VO2max.

This study aimed to estimate the energy cost across various intensities at eight popular resistance exercises: half squat, 45° inclined leg press, leg extension, horizontal bench press, 45° inclined bench press, lat pull down, triceps extension and biceps curl. 58 males (27.5 ± 4.9 years, 1.78 ± 0.06 m height, 78.67 ± 10.7 kg body mass and 11.4 ± 4.1% estimated body fat) were randomly divided into four groups of 14 subjects each. For each group, two exercises were randomly assigned and on different days, they performed four bouts of 5-min constant-intensity for each of the two assigned exercises: 12%, 16%, 20% and 24% 1-RM. Later, the subjects performed exhaustive bouts at 80% 1-RM in the same two exercises. The mean values of VO2 at the last 30s of exercise at 12, 16, 20 and 24% 1-RM bouts were plotted against relative intensity (% 1-RM) in a simple linear regression mode. The regressions were then used to predict O2 demand for the higher intensity (80% 1-RM). Energy cost rose linearly with exercise intensity in every exercise with the lowest mean values were found in biceps curl and the highest in half squat exercise (p<0.001). Half squat exercise presented significant (p<0.001) higher values of energy cost in all intensities, when compared with the remaining exercises. This study revealed that low-intensity resistance exercise provides energy cost comprised between 3 and 10 kcal∙min-1. Energy cost rose past 20 kcal∙min-1 at 80% 1-RM in leg exercise. In addition, at 80% 1-RM, it was found that upper body exercises are less anaerobic than lower-body exercises.

We present a systematic test of the performance of three popular united-atom force fields-OPLS-UA, GROMOS and TraPPE-at predicting hydrophobic solvation, more precisely at describing the solvation of alkanes in alkanes. Gibbs free energies of solvation were calculated for 52 solute/solvent pairs from Molecular Dynamics simulations and thermodynamic integration making use of the IBERCIVIS volunteer computing platform. Our results show that all force fields yield good predictions when both solute and solvent are small linear or branched alkanes (up to pentane). However, as the size of the alkanes increases, all models tend to increasingly deviate from experimental data in a systematic fashion. Furthermore, our results confirm that specific interaction parameters for cyclic alkanes in the united-atom representation are required to account for the additional excluded volume within the ring. Overall, the TraPPE model performs best for all alkanes, but systematically underpredicts the magnitude of solvation free energies by about 6% (RMSD of 1.2 kJ/mol). Conversely, both GROMOS and OPLS-UA systematically overpredict solvation free energies (by ∼13% and 15%, respectively). The systematic trends suggest that all models can be improved by a slight adjustment of their Lennard-Jones parameters. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The aim of this study was to compare the values of oxygen uptake (VO2) during and after strength training exercises (STe) and ergometer exercises (Ee), matched for intensity and exercise time. Eight men (24 ± 2.33 years) performed upper and lower body cycling Ee at the individual's ventilatory threshold (VE/VCO2). The STe session included half squats and the bench press which were performed with a load at the individual blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol/l. Both sessions lasted 30 minutes, alternating 50 seconds of effort with a 10 second transition time between upper and lower body work. The averaged overall VO2 between sessions was significantly higher for Ee (24.96 ± 3.6 ml·kg·min -1 ) compared to STe (21.66 ± 1.77 ml·kg·min -1 ) (p = 0.035), but this difference was only seen for the first 20 minutes of exercise. Absolute VO2 values between sessions did not reveal differences. There were more statistically greater values in Ee compared to STe, regarding VO2 of lower limbs (25.44 ± 3.84 ml·kg·min -1 versus 21.83 ± 2·24 ml·kg·min -1 ; p = 0.038) and upper limbs (24.49 ± 3.84 ml·kg·min -1 versus 21.54 ± 1.77 ml·kg·min -1 ; p = 0.047). There were further significant differences regarding the moment effect (p<0.0001) of both STe and Ee sessions. With respect to the moment × session effect, only VO2 5 minutes into recovery showed significant differences (p = 0.017). In conclusion, although significant increases in VO2 were seen following Ee compared to STe, it appears that the load/intensity, and not the material/equipment used for the execution of an exercise, are variables that best influence oxygen uptake.

The present work proposed to study the oxygen uptake slow component (VO2 SC) of breaststroke swimmers at four different intensities of submaximal exercise, via mathematical modeling of a multi-exponential function. The slow component (SC) was also assessed with two different fixed interval methods and the three methods were compared. Twelve male swimmers performed a test comprising four submaximal 300 m bouts at different intensities where all expired gases were collected breath by breath. Multi-exponential modeling showed values above 450 ml·min -1 of the SC in the two last bouts of exercise (those with intensities above the lactate threshold). A significant effect of the method that was used to calculate the VO2 SC was revealed. Higher mean values were observed when using mathematical modeling compared with the fixed interval 3rd min method (F=7.111; p=0.012; η2=0.587); furthermore, differences were detected among the two fixed interval methods. No significant relationship was found between the SC determined by any method and the blood lactate measured at each of the four exercise intensities. In addition, no significant association between the SC and peak oxygen uptake was found. It was concluded that in trained breaststroke swimmers, the presence of the VO2 SC may be observed at intensities above that corresponding to the 3.5 mM-1 threshold. Moreover, mathematical modeling of the oxygen uptake on-kinetics tended to show a higher slow component as compared to fixed interval methods.

The aim of this study was to compare the swimming hydrodynamics assessed with experimental and analytical procedures, as well as, to learn about the relative contributions of the friction drag and pressure drag to total passive drag. Sixty young talented swimmers (30 boys and 30 girls with 13.59±0.77 and 12.61±0.07 years-old, respectively) were assessed. Passive drag was assessed with inverse dynamics of the gliding decay speed. The theoretical modeling included a set of analytical procedures based on naval architecture adapted to human swimming. Linear regression models between experimental and analytical procedures showed a high correlation for both passive drag (Dp = 0.777*Df+pr; R2 = 0.90; R2a = 0.90; SEE = 8.528; P<0.001) and passive drag coefficient (CDp = 1.918*CDf+pr; R2 = 0.96; R2a = 0.96; SEE = 0.029; P<0.001). On average the difference between methods was -7.002N (95%CI: -40.480; 26.475) for the passive drag and 0.127 (95%CI: 0.007; 0.247) for the passive drag coefficient. The partial contribution of friction drag and pressure drag to total passive drag was 14.12±9.33% and 85.88±9.33%, respectively. As a conclusion, there is a strong relationship between the passive drag and passive drag coefficient assessed with experimental and analytical procedures. The analytical method is a novel, feasible and valid way to gather insight about one's passive drag during training and competition. Analytical methods can be selected not only to perform race analysis during official competitions but also to monitor the swimmer's status on regular basis during training sessions without disrupting or time-consuming procedures.