Search

Background: The Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) pregnancy-birth cohort investigates the developmental origins of type 1 diabetes (T1D), with recruitment between 2013 and 2019. ENDIA is the first study in the world with comprehensive data and biospecimen collection during pregnancy, at birth and through childhood from at-risk children who have a first-degree relative with T1D. Environmental exposures are thought to drive the progression to clinical T1D, with pancreatic islet autoimmunity (IA) developing in genetically susceptible individuals. The exposures and key molecular mechanisms driving this progression are unknown. Persistent IA is the primary outcome of ENDIA; defined as a positive antibody for at least one of IAA, GAD, ZnT8 or IA2 on two consecutive occasions and signifies high risk of clinical T1D. Method: A nested case-control (NCC) study design with 54 cases and 161 matched controls aims to investigate associations between persistent IA and longitudinal omics exposures in ENDIA. The NCC study will analyse samples obtained from ENDIA children who have either developed persistent IA or progressed to clinical T1D (cases) and matched control children at risk of developing persistent IA. Control children were matched on sex and age, with all four autoantibodies absent within a defined window of the case’s onset date. Cases seroconverted at a median of 1.37 years (IQR 0.95, 2.56). Longitudinal omics data generated from approximately 16,000 samples of different biospecimen types, will enable evaluation of changes from pregnancy through childhood. Conclusions: This paper describes the ENDIA NCC study, omics platform design considerations and planned univariate and multivariate analyses for its longitudinal data. Methodologies for multivariate omics analysis with longitudinal data are discovery-focused and data driven. There is currently no single multivariate method tailored specifically for the longitudinal omics data that the ENDIA NCC study will generate and therefore omics analysis results will require either cross validation or independent validation.KEY MESSAGESThe ENDIA nested case-control study will utilize longitudinal omics data on approximately 16,000 samples from 190 unique children at risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D), including 54 who have developed islet autoimmunity (IA), followed during pregnancy, at birth and during early childhood, enabling the developmental origins of T1D to be explored. The ENDIA nested case-control study will utilize longitudinal omics data on approximately 16,000 samples from 190 unique children at risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D), including 54 who have developed islet autoimmunity (IA), followed during pregnancy, at birth and during early childhood, enabling the developmental origins of T1D to be explored.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-dst-10.1177_19322968221079867 for A Long-Term Evaluation of Facebook for Recruitment and Retention in the ENDIA Type 1 Diabetes Pregnancy-Birth Cohort Study by Kelly J. McGorm, James D. Brown, Rebecca L. Thomson, Helena Oakey, Belinda Moore, Alexandra Hendry, Peter G. Colman, Maria E. Craig, Elizabeth A. Davis, Mark Harris, Leonard C. Harrison, Aveni Haynes, Georgia Soldatos, Peter Vuillermin, John M. Wentworth, Jennifer J. Couper and Megan A. S. Penno in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-dst-10.1177_19322968221079867 for A Long-Term Evaluation of Facebook for Recruitment and Retention in the ENDIA Type 1 Diabetes Pregnancy-Birth Cohort Study by Kelly J. McGorm, James D. Brown, Rebecca L. Thomson, Helena Oakey, Belinda Moore, Alexandra Hendry, Peter G. Colman, Maria E. Craig, Elizabeth A. Davis, Mark Harris, Leonard C. Harrison, Aveni Haynes, Georgia Soldatos, Peter Vuillermin, John M. Wentworth, Jennifer J. Couper and Megan A. S. Penno in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Taxonomic composition of the 25 most abundant species as measured by WMS in fecal samples collected in trimesters 1, 2 and 3 of 70 pregnancies from 66 women (35 with T1D). X-axis depicts the non-informative study ID in the format womanID_pregnancy number_trimester. LCBD: local contribution to beta diversity (a measure of the uniqueness of communities). T1D: women with type 1 diabetes, non-T1D: women without T1D. Figure S2. Alpha diversity (Richness), by T1D status of women across trimesters. Figure S3. Beta diversity analysis by T1D status of women. PCoA ordination plots based on Bray-Curtis distances between samples at the Genus and Family taxonomic levels separated by trimesters in pregnancy. Figure S4. Beta diversity analysis by T1D status of women. PCoA ordination plots based on Bray-Curtis distances between samples at the Order and Phylum taxonomic levels separated by trimesters in pregnancy. Figure S5. Relative abundance and species composition of A) two orders differentially abundant between women with and without T1D, and B) one genus differentially abundant between trimesters in women with T1D. Figure S6. Log2 transformation of the relative abundance (1000 + 0.01) of bacterial species within the Enterobacteriales and Bifidobacteriales orders in women with and without T1D (mean ± SEM). P: P-value. Figure S7. Taxa differentially abundant between trimesters in women with and without T1D (mean ± SEM). Transformed data are on a log2 scale with the mean from fitted abundances shown as a point in each trimester for each group of women. The between trimesters denotes a significant difference between those trimesters while the after the trend line denotes significant difference between trimesters 1 and 3. The color denotes if differences between trimesters are within women with or without T1D. Figure S8. Boxplots representing the abundance distribution obtained by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in women and with without T1D. P: P-value. Figure S9. Boxplots representing the functional alpha diversity distribution in women with and without T1D). P: P-value. Figure S10. Taxa contributing to pathways that are differentially more abundant in women with compared to women without T1D and non-T1D. A) PWY1269: CMP-3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate pathway I involved in LPS biosynthesis, and B) PWY−5838: Superpathway of menaquinol−8 synthesis involved in vitamin K2 synthesis. Y-axis: log2 of CPM (counts per million). Figure S11. Taxa contributing to functional features that are differentially more abundant in women with compared to women without T1D. A) Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate synthase (K06215) involved in vitamin B6 synthesis, B) COBALSYN−PWY: Adenosylcobalamin salvage from cobinamide involved in vitamin B12 synthesis, C) 3−hydroxybutyryl−CoA dehydrogenase (K00074) involved in short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and D) beta−N−acetylhexosaminidase (K01207), only differentially abundant in trimester 2, involved in mucin degradation. Y-axis: log2 of CPM (counts per million). Figure S12. Log2 transformed relative abundance (+ 0.01) of bacterial clusters based on broader functions in women with and without T1D across trimesters. P: P-value. Figure S13. Boxplots representing the distribution of measures for calprotectin and I-FABP in women with and without T1D. P: P-value.

Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) have been shown to exhibit altered ventilatory characteristics on the second of two progressive maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) performed on consecutive days. However, maximal exercise can exacerbate symptoms for ME/CFS patients and cause significant post-exertional malaise. Assessment of heart rate (HR) parameters known to track post-exertional fatigue may represent more effective physiological markers of the condition and could potentially negate the need for maximal exercise testing. Sixteen ME/CFS patients and 10 healthy controls underwent a sub-maximal warm-up followed by CPET on two consecutive days. Ventilation, ratings of perceived exertion, work rate (WR) and HR parameters were assessed throughout on both days. During sub-maximal warm-up, a time effect was identified for the ratio of low frequency to high frequency power of HR variability (p=0.02) during sub-maximal warm-up, and for HR at ventilatory threshold (p=0.03), with both being higher on Day Two of testing. A significant group (pp=0.02) on Day One of testing, with a HRR of 34.5bpm maximising sensitivity (63%) and specificity (40%) suggesting while HRR values are altered in ME/CFS patients, low sensitivity and specificity limit its potential usefulness as a biomarker of the condition.

Refereed/Peer-reviewed The effect of the menstrual cycle on athlete performance, wellbeing and perceived exertion and fatigue is not well understood. Furthermore, it has not been investigated specifically in Australian Football athletes. This pilot study aimed to explore how naturally menstruating Australian Football athletes may be affected by menstrual cycle phase. The data collected from the routine monitoring of five naturally menstruating athletes (average menstrual cycle length of 28 ± 3 [SD] days) in one team (athlete age range 18–35 years) competing in the Women’s Australian Football League during the 2019 season were retrospectively analysed to compare performance (countermovement jump parameters and adductor squeeze pressure), perceived exertion, perceived fatigue and wellbeing (perceived sleep quality, stress and soreness) outcomes between the follicular and luteal phases. Performance, perceived exertion, stress and soreness did not appear to be affected by menstrual cycle phase (p > 0.17). However, perceived fatigue appeared to be significantly greater (p = 0.042) and sleep quality worse (p = 0.005) in the luteal phase. This pilot study suggests further research focusing on the effect of menstrual cycle phase on subjective fatigue and wellbeing is warranted.

Purpose:Stride-to-stride fluctuations in running-stride interval display long-range correlations that break down in the presence of fatigue accumulated during an exhaustive run. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether long-range correlations in running-stride interval were reduced by fatigue accumulated during prolonged exposure to a high training load (functional overreaching) and were associated with decrements in performance caused by functional overreaching.Methods:Ten trained male runners completed 7 d of light training (LT7), 14 d of heavy training (HT14) designed to induce a state of functional overreaching, and 10 d of light training (LT10) in a fixed order. Running-stride intervals and 5-km time-trial (5TT) performance were assessed after each training phase. The strength of long-range correlations in running-stride interval was assessed at 3 speeds (8, 10.5, and 13 km/h) using detrended fluctuation analysis.Results:Relative to performance post-LT7, time to complete the 5TT was increased after HT14 (+18 s; P < .05) and decreased after LT10 (–20 s; P = .03), but stride-interval long-range correlations remained unchanged at HT14 and LT10 (P > .50). Changes in stride-interval long-range correlations measured at a 10.5-km/h running speed were negatively associated with changes in 5TT performance (r –.46; P = .03).Conclusions:Runners who were most affected by the prolonged exposure to high training load (as evidenced by greater reductions in 5TT performance) experienced the greatest reductions in stride-interval long-range correlations. Measurement of stride-interval long-range correlations may be useful for monitoring the effect of high training loads on athlete performance.

The maximal rate of heart rate (HR) increase (rHRI), a marker of HR acceleration during transition from rest to submaximal exercise, correlates with exercise performance. In this cohort study, whether rHRI tracked performance better when evaluated over shorter time-periods which include a greater proportion of HR acceleration and less steady-state HR was evaluated. rHRI and five-km treadmill running time-trial performance (5TTT) were assessed in 15 runners following one week of light training (LT), two weeks of heavy training (HT) and 10-day taper (T). rHRI was the first derivative maximum of a sigmoidal curve fit to one, two, three and four minutes of R-R data during transition from rest to running at 8 km/h (rHRI8 km/h), 10.5 km/h, 13 km/h and transition from 8 to 13 km/h (rHRI8–13km/h). 5TTT time increased from LT to HT (effect size [ES] 1.0, p p 8 km/h assessed over two (B = −5.54, p = 0.04) three (B = −5.34, p = 0.04) and four (B = −5.37, p = 0.04) minutes, and rHRI8–13km/h over one (B = −11.62, p = 0.006) and three (B = −11.44, p = 0.03) minutes. 5TTT correlated most consistently with rHRI8 km/h. rHRI8 km/h assessed over two to four minutes may be suitable for evaluating athlete responses to training.

Objectives Reductions in maximal rate of heart rate increase (rHRI) correlate with performance reductions when training load is increased. This study evaluated whether rHRI tracked performance changes across a range of training states. Design Prospective intervention. Methods rHRI was assessed during five min of cycling at 100 W (rHRIcyc) and running at 8 km/h (rHRIrun) in 13 male triathletes following two weeks of light-training (LT), two weeks of heavy-training (HT) and a two-day recovery period (RP). A five min cycling time-trial assessed performance and peak oxygen consumption ( V ˙ O 2 peak ) . Results Performance likely decreased following HT (Effect size ± 90% confidence interval = −0.18 ± 0.09), then very likely increased following RP (0.32 ± 0.14). rHRIcyc very likely decreased (−0.48 ± 0.24), and rHRIrun possibly decreased (−0.33 ± 0.48), following HT. Changes in both measures were unclear following RP. Steady-state HR was almost certainly lower (−0.81 ± 0.31) during rHRIcyc than rHRIrun. A large correlation was found between reductions in performance and rHRIrun (r ± 90%; CI = 0.65 ± 0.34) from LT to HT, but was unclear for rHRIcyc. Trivial within-subject correlations were found between rHRI and performance, but the strength of relationship between rHRIrun and performance was largely associated with V ˙ O 2 peak following LT (r = −0.58 ± 0.38). Conclusions Performance reductions were most sensitively tracked by rHRIrun following HT. This may be due to rHRIrun being assessed at a higher intensity than rHRIcyc, inferred from a higher steady-state HR and supported by a stronger within-subject relationship between rHRIrun and performance in individuals with a lower V ˙ O 2 peak , in whom the same exercise intensity would represent a greater physiological stress. rHRI assessed at relatively high exercise intensities may better track performance changes.

Objectives The recovery of heart rate (HRR) after exercise is a potential indicator of fitness which has been shown to respond to changes in training. This study investigated the within-individual association between HRR and exercise performance following three different training loads. Design 11 male cyclists/triathletes were tested after two weeks of light training, two weeks of heavy training and two days of rest. Methods Exercise performance was measured using a 5-min maximal cycling time-trial. HRR was measured over 60 s during supine recovery. Results Exercise performance decreased 2.2 ± 2.5% following heavy training compared with post-light training (p = 0.01), and then increased 4.0 ± 4.2% following rest (p = 0.004). Most HRR indices indicated a more rapid recovery of heart rate (HR) following heavy training, and reverted to post light training levels following two days of rest. HRR indices did not differ between post-light training and after the rest period (p > 0.6). There were inverse within-subject relationships between indices of HRR and performance (r = −0.6, p ≤ 0.004). Peak HR decreased 3.2 ± 5.1 bpm following heavy training (p = 0.06) and significantly increased 4.9 ± 4.3 bpm following recovery (p = 0.004). There was a moderate within-subject relationship between peak HR and exercise performance (r = 0.7, p ≤ 0.001). Controlling for peak HR reduced the relationships between HRR and performance (r = −0.4–0.5, p Conclusions This study demonstrated that HRR tracks short-term changes in exercise performance within-individuals, such that increases in HRR are associated with poorer exercise performance following heavy training. Peak HR can be compromised under conditions of fatigue, and needs to be taken into account in HRR analyses.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if vibration therapy is more effective than the standard treatment of stretching and massage for improving recovery of muscle strength and reducing muscle soreness after muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise. Design: A randomized, single-blinded parallel intervention trial design was used. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: Fifty untrained men aged 18 to 30 years completed the study. Interventions: Participants performed 100 maximal eccentric muscle actions (ECCmax) of the right knee extensor muscles. For the next 7 days, 25 participants applied cycloidal vibration therapy to the knee extensors twice daily and 25 participants performed stretching and sports massage (SSM) twice daily. Main Outcome Measures: Changes in markers of muscle damage [peak isometric torque (PIT), serum creatine kinase (CK), and serum myoglobin (Mb)], muscle soreness (visual analog scale), and inflammation [serum C-reactive protein (CRP)] were assessed. Results: After ECCmax, there was no difference in recovery of PIT and muscle soreness or serum CK, Mb, and CRP levels between vibration and SSM groups (P > 0.28). Conclusions: Cycloidal vibration therapy is no more effective than the standard practice of stretching and massage to promote muscle recovery after the performance of muscle-damaging exercise. Clinical Relevance: Prescription of vibration therapy after maximal exercise involving eccentric muscle damage did not alleviate signs and symptoms of muscle damage faster than the standard prescription of stretching and massage.

Purpose: Being able to identify how an athlete is responding to training would be useful to optimise adaptation and performance. The maximal rate of heart rate increase (rHRI), a marker of heart rate acceleration has been shown to correlate with performance changes in response to changes in training load in male athletes; however, it has not been established if it also correlates with performance changes in female athletes. Methods: rHRI and cycling performance were assessed in six female cyclists following 7 days of light training (LT), 14 days of heavy training (HT) and a 10 day taper period. rHRI was the first derivative maximum of a sigmoidal curve fit to R-R data recorded during 5 min of cycling at 100 W. Cycling performance was assessed as work done (kJ) during time-trials of 5 (5TT) and 60 (60TT) min duration. Results: 5TT was possibly decreased at HT (ES ± 90% confidence interval = − 0.16 ± 0.25; p = 0.60), while, 5TT and 60TT very likely to almost certainly increased from HT to taper (ES = 0.71 ± 0.24; p = 0.007 and ES = 0.42 ± 0.19; p = 0.02, respectively). Large within-subject correlations were found between rHRI, and 5TT (r = 0.65 ± 0.37; p = 0.02) and 60TT (r = 0.70 ± 0.31; p = 0.008). Conclusions: rHRI during the transition from rest to light exercise correlates with training induced-changes in exercise performance in females, suggesting that rHRI may be a useful monitoring tool for female athletes. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

There is evidence that protein hydrolysates can speed tissue repair following damage and may therefore be useful for accelerating recovery from exercise induced muscle damage. The potential for a hydrolysate (WPI(HD)) of whey protein isolate (WPI) to speed recovery following eccentric exercise was evaluated by assessing effects on recovery of peak isometric torque (PIT). In a double-blind randomised parallel trial, 28 sedentary males had muscle soreness (MS), serum creatine kinase (CK) activity, plasma TNF alpha, and PIT assessed at baseline and after 100 maximal eccentric contractions (ECC) of their knee extensors. Participants then consumed 250 ml of flavoured water (FW; n = 11), or FW containing 25 g WPI (it = 11) or 25 g WPI(HD)) (n = 6) and the assessments were repeated 1, 2 6 and 24 h later. PIT decreased similar to 23% following ECC, remained suppressed in FW and WPI, but recovered fully in WPI(HD) by 6h (P=0.006, treatment x time interaction). MS increased following ECC (P0.45). WPI(HD) may be a useful supplement for assisting athletes to recover from fatiguing eccentric exercise Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Autonomic regulation of heart rate (HR) as an indicator of the body’s ability to adapt to an exercise stimulus has been evaluated in many studies through HR variability (HRV) and post-exercise HR recovery (HRR). Recently, HR acceleration has also been investigated. Objective: The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of negative adaptations to endurance training (i.e., a period of overreaching leading to attenuated performance) and positive adaptations (i.e., training leading to improved performance) on autonomic HR regulation in endurance-trained athletes. Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and Academic Search Premier databases from inception until April 2015. Included articles examined the effects of endurance training leading to increased or decreased exercise performance on four measures of autonomic HR regulation: resting and post-exercise HRV [vagal-related indices of the root-mean-square difference of successive normal R–R intervals (RMSSD), high frequency power (HFP) and the standard deviation of instantaneous beat-to-beat R–R interval variability (SD1) only], and post-exercise HRR and HR acceleration. Results: Of the 5377 records retrieved, 27 studies were included in the systematic review and 24 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Studies inducing increases in performance showed small increases in resting RMSSD [standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0.58; P < 0.001], HFP (SMD = 0.55; P < 0.001) and SD1 (SMD = 0.23; P = 0.16), and moderate increases in post-exercise RMSSD (SMD = 0.60; P < 0.001), HFP (SMD = 0.90; P < 0.04), SD1 (SMD = 1.20; P = 0.04), and post-exercise HRR (SMD = 0.63; P = 0.002). A large increase in HR acceleration (SMD = 1.34) was found in the single study assessing this parameter. Studies inducing decreases in performance showed a small increase in resting RMSSD (SMD = 0.26; P = 0.01), but trivial changes in resting HFP (SMD = 0.04; P = 0.77) and SD1 (SMD = 0.04; P = 0.82). Post-exercise RMSSD (SMD = 0.64; P = 0.04) and HFP (SMD = 0.49; P = 0.18) were increased, as was HRR (SMD = 0.46; P < 0.001), while HR acceleration was decreased (SMD = −0.48; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Increases in vagal-related indices of resting and post-exercise HRV, post-exercise HRR, and HR acceleration are evident when positive adaptation to training has occurred, allowing for increases in performance. However, increases in post-exercise HRV and HRR also occur in response to overreaching, demonstrating that additional measures of training tolerance may be required to determine whether training-induced changes in these parameters are related to positive or negative adaptations. Resting HRV is largely unaffected by overreaching, although this may be the result of methodological issues that warrant further investigation. HR acceleration appears to decrease in response to overreaching training, and thus may be a potential indicator of training-induced fatigue. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Purpose:Heart-rate variability (HRV) as a measure of autonomic function may increase in response to training interventions leading to increases or decreases in performance, making HRV interpretation difficult in isolation. This study aimed to contextualize changes in HRV with subjective measures of training tolerance.Methods:Supine and standing measures of vagally mediated HRV (root-mean-square difference of successive normal RR intervals [RMSSD]) and measures of training tolerance (Daily Analysis of Life Demands for Athletes questionnaire, perception of energy levels, fatigue, and muscle soreness) were recorded daily during 1 wk of light training (LT), 2 wk of heavy training (HT), and 10 d of tapering (T) in 15 male runners/triathletes. HRV and training tolerance were analyzed as rolling 7-d averages at LT, HT, and T. Performance was assessed after LT, HT, and T with a 5-km treadmill time trial (5TTT).Results:Time to complete the 5TTT likely increased after HT (effect size [ES] ± 90% confidence interval = 0.16 ± 0.06) and then almost certainly decreased after T (ES = −0.34 ± 0.08). Training tolerance worsened after HT (ES ≥ 1.30 ± 0.41) and improved after T (ES ≥ 1.27 ± 0.49). Standing RMSSD very likely increased after HT (ES = 0.62 ± 0.26) and likely remained higher than LT at the completion of T (ES = 0.38 ± 0.21). Changes in supine RMSSD were possible or likely trivial.Conclusion:Vagally mediated HRV during standing increased in response to functional overreaching (indicating potential parasympathetic hyperactivity) and also to improvements in performance. Thus, additional measures such as training tolerance are required to interpret changes in vagally mediated HRV.

Background This study assessed the perceived benefits and barriers to exercise participation in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and monitored changes in response to a lifestyle intervention. Methods Forty-three overweight/obese PCOS women (Age, 30.3(6.2) yrs; BMI, 36.4(5.6) kg/m2) were randomised to one of three 20-week lifestyle programs: diet only (DO, n = 13), diet and aerobic exercise (DA, n = 11) and diet and combined aerobic-resistance exercise (DC, n = 19). Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS), weight, aerobic fitness, depression and PCOS specific health-related quality of life were measured. Results Barriers score was related to depression (r = 0.45, P = 0.002) and aerobic fitness (r = −0.32, P = 0.04), while benefits score was related to aerobic fitness (r = 0.41, P = 0.007). EBBS, benefits and barriers scores improved overtime (P ≤ 0.001). Benefits subscales psychological outlook and social interaction increased (P ≤ 0.001) and life enhancement and preventative health did not change (P ≥ 0.3). Physical performance increased only in DA (P = 0.009). There were no differences between treatments for any of the other subscales (P ≥ 0.2). Barriers subscales exercise milieu, time expenditure and physical exertion reduced (P ≤ 0.003) and family discouragement did not change (P = 0.6). Conclusions This study demonstrated that lifestyle modification consisting of an energy-restricted diet with or without exercise training improved the perceived benefits from and barriers to exercise. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12606000198527, registered 26 May 2006

Background & Aims: Maintenance of muscle mass and strength into older age is critical to maintain health. The aim was to determine whether increased dairy or soy protein intake combined with resistance training enhanced strength gains in older adults. Methods: 179 healthy older adults (age 61.5 ± 7.4 yrs, BMI 27.6 ± 3.6 kg/m2) performed resistance training three times per week for 12 weeks and were randomized to one of three eucaloric dietary treatments which delivered >20 g of protein at each main meal or immediately after resistance training: high dairy protein (HP-D, >1.2 g of protein/kg body weight/d; ~27 g/d dairy protein); high soy protein (HP-S, >1.2 g of protein/kg body weight/d; ~27 g/d soy protein); usual protein intake (UP, 0.06). Conclusions: Increased soy protein intake attenuated gains in muscle strength during resistance training in older adults compared with increased intake of dairy protein or usual protein intake. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Objectives: Heart rate kinetics are faster in well-trained athletes at exercise onset, indicating sensitivity to training status, but whether they track performance changes due to changes in training load is unknown. Design: Randomised, counterbalanced, cross-over. Methods: 17 cyclists completed two weeks of light and two weeks of heavy training. The day after each training period heart rate was recorded during 5. min cycling at 100. W to determine the maximal rate of heart rate increase. Participants then performed a 5. min cycle time-trial after which heart rate recovery was determined. Results: Work during 5. min cycle time-trial decreased 3.5% (P

Vibration has become of increasing interest to health professionals, primarily owing to reports that vibration can increase tissue blood flow. The aim of this review was to investigate the available scientific evidence on the effects of exogenous vibration on skeletal muscle perfusion. The databases searched from inception to December 2010 included Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL via EbscoHost and CENTRAL. Experimental and observational studies, where exogenous vibration was an intervention, were included in this review. The main outcomes of interest were muscle blood volume, blood flow, blood flow velocity, arterial diameter and muscle temperature. One reviewer selected studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed the quality of the eligible studies. Percentage change in muscle perfusion outcome was the measure of treatment effect, and regression analysis was used to investigate associations between vibratory load and muscle perfusion. Twenty-two studies with a total of 302 participants were included in this review. Muscle blood volume increased with vibration in five of nine studies and decreased in two studies; muscle blood flow velocity increased with vibration in five of six studies; muscle blood flow increased with vibration in two of three studies; vibration had a positive effect on arterial diameter in three of three studies; vibration had no effect on muscle temperature in two of two studies. The magnitude of increase in muscle perfusion was positively associated with vibratory load (P

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of weight loss on heart rate recovery (HRR) in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).DESIGN: A 10-week prospective clinical intervention.SETTING: Clinical research unit.PATIENT(S): Fifty-seven overweight and obese women with PCOS (age: 29.8 +/- 0.8 years; body mass index [BMI] 36.2 +/- 0.7 kg/m(2)).INTERVENTION(S): A dietary plan of 5-6 MJ/day ( approximately 30% energy restricted).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Heart rate recovery (defined as the reduction in heart rate after 1 minute from peak heart rate after a graded treadmill test to exhaustion), weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and sex steroids before and after the intervention.RESULT(S): The mean percentage of weight loss was (-6.7 +/- 0.4%). There were significant reductions in waist circumference (-6.9 +/- 0.6 cm), blood pressure (-4.9/-2.5 +/- 1.2/1.2 mm Hg), fasting insulin (-3.4 +/- 0.7 mU/L), fasting glucose (-0.17 +/- 0.05 mmol/L), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (-0.43 +/- 0.09), T (-0.38 +/- 0.07 nmol/L), free androgen index (-2.86 +/- 0.58), and an increase in sex hormone-binding globulin [SHBG] (5.86 +/- 1.12 nmol/L). The HRR improved from 30.9 +/- 1.1 to 38.0 +/- 1.1 beats/min and that was related to the reduction in body weight (r = -0.34) and waist circumference (r = -0.27).CONCLUSION(S): Weight loss in overweight and obese women with PCOS is associated with improvements in HRR, which suggests improved autonomic function. This highlights the importance of weight loss to reduce the cardiovascular disease risk in these women. Refereed/Peer-reviewed