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Acute exercise stimulates brain regions involved in motor and cognitive processes. Recent research efforts have explored the benefits of aerobic exercise on brain health and cognitive functioning with positive results reported for both healthy and neurocognitively impaired individuals. Specifically, exercise positioned near therapeutic (both behavioral and physical) activities may enhance outcomes associated with treatment outcomes (e.g., depression or motor skill) through neural plasticity promoting mechanisms (e.g., increased brain flow and oxygenation). This approach has been termed "exercise priming" and is a relatively new topic of exploration in the fields of exercise science and motor control. The authors report on physiological mechanisms that are related to the priming effect. In addition, parameters related to the exercise bout (e.g., intensity, duration) and the idea of combining exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation are explored. This exercise-based priming concept has the potential to be applied to many areas such as education, cognitive therapy, and motor rehabilitation., (Copyright © 2019 Moriarty, Mermier, Kravitz, Gibson, Beltz and Zuhl.)

Context: Abnormal cortisol levels are a key pathophysiological indicator of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Endogenous normalization of cortisol concentration through exercise may be associated with PTSD symptom reduction., Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether mindfulness-based stretching and deep breathing exercise (MBX) normalizes cortisol levels and reduces PTSD symptom severity among individuals with subclinical features of PTSD., Design and Setting: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center., Participants: Twenty-nine nurses (28 female) aged 45-66 years participated in the study., Intervention: Sixty-minute MBX sessions were conducted semiweekly for 8 weeks., Main Outcome Measures: Serum cortisol was measured, and the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C) was performed at baseline and weeks 4, 8, and 16., Results: Twenty-nine participants completed the study procedures, 22 (79%) with PTSD symptoms (MBX, n = 11; control, n = 11), and 7 (21%) without PTSD (BASE group). Eight-week outcomes for the MBX group were superior to those for the control group (mean difference for PCL-C scores, -13.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], -25.6, -1.6; P = .01; mean difference for serum cortisol, 5.8; 95% CI, 0.83, 10.8; P = .01). No significant differences were identified between groups in any other items. The changes in the MBX group were maintained at the 16-week follow-up (P = .85 for PCL-C; P = .21 for cortisol). Our data show that improved PTSD scores were associated with normalization of cortisol levels (P < .05)., Conclusions: The results suggest that MBX appears to reduce the prevalence of PTSD-like symptoms in individuals exhibiting subclinical features of PTSD.

Background: Mind-body practices are increasingly used to provide stress reduction for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mind-body practice encompasses activities with the intent to use the mind to impact physical functioning and improve health., Methods: This is a literature review using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress to identify the effects of mind-body intervention modalities, such as yoga, tai chi, qigong, mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, and deep breathing, as interventions for PTSD., Results: The literature search identified 92 articles, only 16 of which were suitable for inclusion in this review. We reviewed only original, full text articles that met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies have small sample size, but findings from the 16 publications reviewed here suggest that mind-body practices are associated with positive impacts on PTSD symptoms. Mind-body practices incorporate numerous therapeutic effects on stress responses, including reductions in anxiety, depression, and anger, and increases in pain tolerance, self-esteem, energy levels, ability to relax, and ability to cope with stressful situations. In general, mind-body practices were found to be a viable intervention to improve the constellation of PTSD symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance, and increased emotional arousal., Conclusions: Mind-body practices are increasingly used in the treatment of PTSD and are associated with positive impacts on stress-induced illnesses such as depression and PTSD in most existing studies. Knowledge about the diverse modalities of mind-body practices may provide clinicians and patients with the opportunity to explore an individualized and effective treatment plan enhanced by mind-body interventions as part of ongoing self-care.

The primary purpose of the study was to determine the relationships between %HRR vs. %VO2R and %HRR vs. %VO2max during maximal elliptical crosstrainer (ECT) exercise. A secondary aim was to compare the %HRR vs. %VO2R and %HRR vs. %VO2max relationships between maximal ECT and treadmill (TM) exercise. Adult subjects (n = 48) completed a maximal exercise test on the ECT, with a subgroup (N = 24) also performing a maximal exercise test on the TM. Continuous HR and VO2 data were analyzed via linear regression to determine y-intercept and slope values for %HRR vs. %VO2R and %HRR vs. %VO2max. Student t-tests were used to determine whether the mean y-intercept and slope values differed from the line of identity (y-intercept = 0, slope = 1). For each group, both the y-intercept and slope for %HRR vs. %VO2R fit the line of identity. Conversely, for all groups both the y-intercept and slope for %HRR vs. %VO2max were significantly different (p < 0.001) from the line of identity (y-intercept ≠ 0, slope ≠ 1). In comparing the regressions of %HRR vs. %VO2R between exercise modes, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) for either y-intercept (ECT = 0.3 vs. TM = -0.3, p = 0.435) or slope (ECT = 1.01 vs. TM = 1.00, p = 0.079) values. In agreement with previous research on TM and cycle exercise, it was found that %HRR is more closely aligned with %VO2R, rather than %VO2max during ECT exercise. Additionally, it was found that the regressions of %HRR vs. %VO2R and %HRR vs. %VO2max were equivalent between the ECT and TM. Key PointsThe present study showed that %HRR is aligned with %VO2R, not %VO2max, during maximal ellipitcal crosstrainer exercise.It was found that the relationships between %HRR vs. %VO2R and %HRR vs. %VO2max were equivalent between the ellipitcal crosstrainer and treadmill.This study revealed that the elliptical crosstrainer produced similar maximal physiological values (VO2max, HRmax, RERmax) compared to treadmill running during VO2max testing.

The purpose of this study was to develop an equation to predict VO2max from a submaximal elliptical cross-trainer test. Fifty-four apparently healthy subjects (25 men and 29 women, mean +/- SD age: 29.5 +/- 7.1 years, height: 173.3 +/- 12.6 cm, weight: 72.3 +/- 7.9 kg, percent body fat: 17.3 +/- 5.0%, and elliptical cross-trainer VO2max: 43.9 +/- 7.2 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) participated in the study and were randomly assigned to an original sample group (n = 40) and a cross-validation group (n = 14). Each subject completed an elliptical cross-trainer submaximal (3 5-minute submaximal stages) and a VO2max test on the same day, with a 15-minute rest period in between. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to develop an equation for estimating elliptical cross-trainer VO2max from the data of the original sample group. The accuracy of the equation was tested by using data from the cross-validation group. Because there was no shrinkage in R2 between the original sample group and the cross-validation group, data were combined in the final prediction equation (R2 = 0.732, standard error of the estimate = 3.91 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1), p < 0.05): VO2max = 73.676 + 7.383(gender) - 0.317(weight) + 0.003957(age x cadence) - 0.006452(age x heart rate at stage 2). The correlation coefficient between the predicted and measured VO2max values was r = 0.86. Dependent t-tests resulted in no significant differences (p > 0.05) between predicted (43.8 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) and measured (43.9 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) VO2max measurements. Results indicate that the protocol and equation developed in the current study can be used by exercise professionals to provide acceptably accurate estimates of VO2max in non-laboratory-based settings.