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Background: In order to verify if partner dance is an appropriate physical activity (PA) for elderly, to promote and maintain healthy fitness level, physiological and exertional responses during ballroom and smooth dance in elderly were examined., Methods: Twenty healthy amateur dancers (10 men and 10 women, age 72.0±5.9 years, BMI 25.5±4.2 kg/m 2 ) with multiyear dancing experience performed 3 different kinds of ball (choosing between Mazurka, Viennese Waltz and Polka or Slow Waltz, Tango and Foxtrot), each lasting 3 minutes, with a 3-minute recovery between consecutive balls. Cardiorespiratory data were continuously recorded with a portable metabolimeter (K5, Cosmed Srl., Rome, Italy) in order to assess metabolic equivalent task (METs) of each ball. The Borg Category-Ratio anchored at the number 10 (CR10 Scale) was used to assess perceived effort (RPE) at the end of each ball., Results: There were no gender differences in METs and RPE. Also, no differences in RPE were observed between balls. The mean METs for ballroom dance were: Tango 4.3±1.1, Slow Waltz 4.5±1.1 and Foxtrot 4.8±1.4 METs, respectively; the mean METs for smooth dance were: Mazurka 5.3±0.9, Viennese Waltz 5.8±0.8 and Polka 5.9±1 METs, respectively. Polka elicited significantly higher METs values than Tango (P<0.0007) and Slow Waltz (P<0.0017); Viennese Waltz elicited significantly higher METs values than Tango (P<0.0016), too., Conclusions: In general, ballroom and smooth dance demanded moderate to vigorous PA intensity levels (according to the specific classification for elderly). Therefore, all studied dance styles met the suggested intensity of the current guidelines for elderly and thus may serve as a legitimate form of PA for elderly.

The 6-minute walking test (6MWT) is a simple assessment tool to evaluate exercise capacity. The result of the test is the distance that a subject can walk at a constant and normal pace within 6 minutes (6MWD) and reflects the aerobic/fitness performance related to walking function. Use of 6MWT has been relevant to assess exercise tolerance either in healthy children or in patients with, heart, lung and metabolic diseases. Our aim was to find 6MWT reference values in healthy Italian children. The 6MWT was performed in 5614 children aged 6–11 years recruited from primary Italian schools. Age related reference percentiles of the covered distance were gender-modeled. A linear and quadratic regression model was used to predict 6MWT performance. Males walked longer distances than females, respectively 598.8±83.9 m vs 592.1±77.6 m (p = 0.0016). According to the regression analysis, 6MWD was positively related to age, gender and height, while it was negatively related to body weight [(6MWD = -160.16 + 93.35× age (years) -4.05× age2 (years) +7.34× gender (m) +2.12× weight (kg) −2.50× height (cm)]. Reference values were established for the 6MWT in healthy children. The age related 6MWD percentiles provided a useful tool in the assessment of capacity in 6–11 year children, in fact they may be helpful to evaluate the effect of a given treatment or rehabilitation program and represent a feasible measure as to prevention within the primary school context. It was found a substantial difference from other countries for 6mwd values. In our study, factors such as age, weight and height were relevant for the prediction of 6MWD, similarly to other studies. Therefore, these variables should be taken into account in context of exercise performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melchiorri, G, Viero, V, Triossi, T, Tancredi, V, Galvani, C, and Bonifazi, M. Testing and training of the eggbeater kick movement in water polo: Applicability of a new method. J Strength Cond Res 29(10): 2758-2764, 2015—In water polo, many of the technical actions and the contacts with the opponent take place in quasi-vertical floating position using 2 types of lower limb actions: the eggbeater kick is used most often in fighting and passing and the breaststroke kick in jumping and throwing. The aim of this study was to identify a new system to evaluate and to train the eggbeater kick movement and to verify its applicability. Twenty amateur players and 22 elite players participated in the study. A jacket, homemade and easy to make, allowing the application of an overload submerged in water but not hindering breathing or mobility, was used. Standard anthropometry and a test consisting of different trials of the eggbeater kick action until exhaustion with an increasing overload (5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15, and 17.5 kg) were collected. Time to exhaustion and the overload estimated maximum value (OEMV) at second 2 were determined for each load. Body weight, height, and lower limb muscle performance of the elite and nonelite players were significantly different from each other (p # 0.05). The effectiveness of the different measured variables in both subgroups and that of the OEMV was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Areas under the ROC curve for the different overloads were 0.72 (0.53-0.92) for 5 kg, 0.80 (0.68-0.90) for 7.5 kg, 0.87 (0.77-0.91) for 10 kg, and 0.88 (0.84-0.92) for 12.5 kg overload. Our results show that the test is sensitive enough and therefore can be used to plan and control training and injury recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research investigating the behavior of a vibrating platform with whole-body vibration (WBV) alone or in combination with conventional strength training (ST). Topics include an overview of the study's experimental design, results of vibrating frequency, displacement, and peak acceleration measurements, and the study's conclusion regarding effects of vibration on the behavior of commercial platforms.