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Background: Promoting long-term exercise adherence should be a key focus for health and fitness professionals working to reduce obesity and cardiometabolic health disparities, and all-cause mortality in inactive African-American (AA) adults. Data have suggested that romantic partners can improve long-term exercise adherence and that this dyadic approach should be examined in exercise interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative evaluation of a pilot exercise intervention conducted in older AA couples.Methods: Two semi-structured focus groups were utilized to compare participants' perceptions of and experiences during the pilot intervention across two randomly assigned treatment conditions (exercising together with partner [ET; n = 8] versus exercising separately [ES: n = 6]). Participants (mean age: 64.7 ± 6.8 years) of a previous 12-week pilot exercise intervention (walking ≥3 days/week, 30 min/day plus supervised resistance training 2 days/week) were interviewed. Verbatim transcripts were coded using an open coding approach.Results: Three key themes (intervention value/benefits, intervention difficulties, and suggested improvements) emerged. Although all couples identified health and relationship benefits of the intervention, some differences surfaced within themes across the two intervention groups.Conclusions: Overall, these qualitative data suggest that couples had a positive experience while participating in the pilot study. In addition, key learning points to improve the intervention were identified including a more gradual transition to independent exercise, more flexibility training, and the incorporation of tangential education. These data will help investigators continue to develop the intervention, which is ultimately designed to promote long-term exercise adherence to reduce cardiometabolic health disparities in the AA community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the influence of health-related fitness on cardiometabolic risk factors in college students. Participants: 75 traditional students (33 men and 42 women, 21.8±1.8 years old) at a university in southeastern U.S. Methods: Height, weight, waist circumference, body composition, blood pressure, lipids, glucose, insulin, c-reactive protein, and glucose tolerance were measured. Indices of insulin sensitivity were calculated. Aerobic and muscular fitness were measured. Regression and correlation analyses, and comparisons of cardiometabolic markers in low- vs high-fit participants were performed. Results: Men and women with low muscular fitness exhibited higher fasting insulin, and poorer insulin sensitivity index scores than those with high muscular fitness. In addition, women with high body fat percentage exhibited higher fasting and 2-hour insulin levels and lower insulin sensitivity index scores than those with low body fat percentages. Conclusions: College students possessing low levels of health-related physical fitness exhibited less favorable cardiometabolic risk profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Little is known about high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in African-American (AA) women. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of HIIT and steady-state (SS) exercise on cardiometabolic risk factors in young AA women. Design: A 16-week exercise intervention was conducted 3x/week. Twenty-seven AA women were randomized to SS (n = 11; 32 continuous minutes of treadmill walking at 60-70% of maximum heart rate (HRmax)), or HIIT (n = 16; 32 min of treadmill HIIT alternating 3 min at 60-70% of HRmax with 1 min at 80-90% of HRmax). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA with intention-to-treat analysis was used to identify changes between groups. Significance was accepted at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Of the 27 women who entered the study (age: 30.5 ± 6.8 years; BMI: 35.1 ± 5.1 kg/m2; 5274 ± 1646 baseline steps/day), 14 completed the intervention. HIIT significantly decreased waist circumference (107.0 ± 11.3 to 105.1 ± 11.9 cm) compared to SS, which showed no change. There was a significant time effect for steps where HIIT increased steps/day (5334 ± 1586 to 7604 ± 1817 steps/day), and SS had no change. There were no significant changes in either group for any other measurements. Conclusion: HIIT was more effective at reducing waist circumference and increasing daily steps/day than SS treadmill exercise over 16 weeks. Further research in a larger sample is indicated to evaluate the effects of each protocol on cardiometabolic risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of the ActiGraph’s (AG) low-frequency extension (LFE) filter on steps and physical activity classification in the free-living environment. Thirty-four African-American women (age, 24.5±5.2 years; BMI, 24.9±4.5 kg/m2) had daily activity measured simultaneously with an AG-GT3X+ accelerometer and a New Lifestyles NL-800 pedometer for seven days. Steps per day (steps/day) and time (minutes/day) spent in sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were examined with and without the LFE filter (AG-LFE and AG-N, respectively). The AG-LFE recorded more total steps (13,723±4,983 steps/day) compared to AG-N and NL-800 (6,172±2,838 and 5,817±3,037 steps/day, respectively; p<0.001). Compared to the AG-N, the AG-LFE estimated less time in sedentary behaviors (518.7±92.1 vs. 504.2±105.4 min/day, respectively; p<0.001), and more time in light (247.7±70.4 vs. 279.1±74.7 min/day, respectively; p<0.001) and MVPA (18.9±16.9 vs. 21.5±18.2 min/day, respectively; p<0.001), respectively. These data suggest that steps and physical activity classifications will be affected when using the ActiGraph with and without the LFE filter. Future research should investigate the accuracy of these measures using the LFE filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research which was conducted to investigate the effect resistance training and walking had on cardiovascular disease risk in African American Women. Researchers evaluated 44 women. They found that although both interventions increased steps per day, walking which was combined with with resistance training (WRT) was more effective in improving several body composition measures and glucose control in 12 weeks. They concluded that WRT may be an important addition to a lifestyle intervention aiming to facilitate reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight and obese African-American women.

The article presents the results of a study which investigated the impact of stretching on running endurance. An overview of related previous research is provided, along with details of the experimental protocol. It was found that static stretching exercises increased the energy cost of running and impaired performance.

Guided by the Dyadic Theory of Illness Management, we explored spousal health management behaviors and their congruence within seventeen older African American married couples participating in a dyadic exercise intervention. Both prior to and after the intervention, spouses reported how they took care of their partner's health as well as what their partner did for them. Data were analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis, and five health management behaviors domains were identified (diet, exercise, self-care, medical compliance, relationship maintenance). Both partners were most likely to encourage healthier diets and exercise. Wives tended to report more behaviors compared to husbands. Couples had little congruence in their appraisals of each other's health management behaviors, and patterns were stable over time. Findings suggest incongruence in couples' health management behaviors represented complementary, collaborative efforts to support each other and that husbands may underestimate how much care they both provide to and receive from their wives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunter, GR, Neumeier, WH, Chandler-Laney, PC, Carter, SJ, Borges, JH, Hornbuckle, LM, Plaisance, EP, and Fisher, G. Ratings of perceived exertion during walking predicts endurance independent of physiological effort in older women. J Strength Cond Res 34(5): 1340-1344, 2020 This study aimed to determine whether ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and physiological effort at different exercise intensities relate to exercise endurance. Ninety-eight sedentary women (older than 60 years) completed 3 submaximal locomotion tasks: (a) stair climbing, (b) flat walking at 2 mph, and (c) grade walking at 2 mph. Maximal treadmill endurance was measured at least 3 days before the submaximal tests.Oxygen uptakewas measured during all tests, and RPE were collected for the submaximal tasks. Ratings of perceived exertion during moderate-intensity exercise (walking on the flat at 43% VO2max, partial R=20.35, p,<0.01), but not higher intensity exercise (grade walk at 59%VO2max, p = 0.49, and stair climbing at 67% VO2max, p = 0.17), were related to endurance even after adjusting for aerobic capacity and physiological effort (composite of maximal heart rate, ventilation, and respiratory exchange ratio). However, physiological effort was significantly related to endurance for the higher intensity exercise (both grade walk and stair climbing partial R .>; −0.24, p ,< 0.02). Similar to previous findings that subjective ratings of fatigue at rest were related to RPE during low/moderateintensity exercise, but not higher intensity exercise, these data further support Ekkekakiss dual-mode hypothesis that cognitive factors influence RPE during low∕moderate-intensity exercise. A practical application is that the coach and personal trainer should know that physiological effort seems to play a greater role in influencing endurance than RPE as intensity of exercise increases [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: It is well known physical activity (PA) plays a role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the extent to which PA may affect T2D risk among different race–ethnic groups is unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to systematically examine the effect modification of race–ethnicity on PA and T2D. Methods: The PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched through June 2016. Study assessment for inclusion was conducted in three phases: title review (n = 13 022), abstract review (n = 2200), and full text review (n = 265). In all, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria and were used in the analysis. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted and analyzed using Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis software. All analyses used a random‐effects model. Results: A significant protective summary RR, comparing the most active group with the least active PA group, was found for non‐Hispanic White (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.60–0.85), Asians (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67–0.85), Hispanics (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.64–0.89), and American Indians (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.60–0.88). The summary effect for non‐Hispanic Blacks (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.76–1.08) was not significant. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that PA (comparing most to least active groups) provides significant protection from T2D, with the exception of non‐Hispanic Blacks. The results also indicate a need for race–ethnicity‐specific reporting of RRs in prospective cohort studies that incorporate multiethnic samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Resting energy expenditure (REE) increases after an intense exercise; however, little is known concerning mechanisms. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine effects of a single bout of moderate-intensity continuous (MIC) aerobic exercise, or high-intensity interval (HII) exercise on REE under energy balance conditions. Methods: Thirty-three untrained premenopausal women were evaluated at baseline, after 8-16 wk of training, 22 h after either MIC (50% peak VO2) or HII (84% peak ...O2). Participants were in a room calorimeter during and after the exercise challenge. Food intake was adjusted to obtain energy balance across 23 h. REE was measured after 22 h after all conditions. Twenty-three-hour urine norepinephrine concentration and serum creatine kinase activity (CrKact) were obtained. Muscle biopsies were obtained in a subset of 15 participants to examine muscle mitochondrial state 2, 3, and 4 fat oxidation. Results: REE was increased 22 h after MIC (64 ± 119 kcal) and HII (103 ± 137 kcal). Markers of muscle damage (CrKact) increased after HII (9.6 ± 25.5 U⋅L-1) and MIC (22.2 ± 22.8 U⋅L-1), whereas sympathetic tone (urine norepinephrine) increased after HII (1.1 ± 10.6 ng⋅mg-1). Uncoupled phosphorylation (states 2 and 4) fat oxidation were related to REE (r = 0.65 and r = 0.55, respectively); however, neither state 2 nor state 4 fat oxidation increased after MIC or HII. REE was not increased after 8 wk of aerobic training when exercise was restrained for 60 h. Conclusions: Under energy balance conditions, REE increased 22 h after both moderate-intensity and high-intensity exercise. Exercise-induced muscle damage/repair and increased sympathetic tone may contribute to increased REE, whereas uncoupled phosphorylation does not. These results suggest that moderate- to high-intensity exercise may be valuable for increasing energy expenditure for at least 22 h after the exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate resistance training (RES) and RES combined with chiropractic treatment (RES-C) on fibromyalgia (FM) impact and functionality in women with FM. Design: The design of the study was a randomized control trial. Setting: Testing and training were completed at the university and chiropractic treatment was completed at chiropractic clinics. Participants: Participants (48 ± 9 years; mean ± standard deviation) were randomly assigned to RES ( n = 10) or RES-C ( n = 11). Intervention: Both groups completed 16 weeks of RES consisting of 10 exercises performed two times per week. RES-C received RES plus chiropractic treatment two times per week. Outcome measures: Strength was assessed using one repetition maximum for the chest press and leg extension. FM impact was measured using the FM impact questionnaire, myalgic score, and the number of active tender points. Functionality was assessed using the 10-item Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance test. Analyses of variance with repeated measures compared groups before and after the intervention. Results: Six (6) participants discontinued the study: 5 from RES and 1 from RES-C. Adherence to training was significantly higher in RES-C (92.0 ± 7.5%) than in RES (82.8 ± 7.5%). Both groups increased ( p ≤ 0.05) upper and lower body strength. There were similar improvements in FM impact in both groups. There were no group interactions for the functionality measures. Both groups improved in the strength domains; however, only RES-C significantly improved in the pre- to postfunctional domains of flexibility, balance and coordination, and endurance. Conclusions: In women with FM, resistance training improves strength, FM impact, and strength domains of functionality. The addition of chiropractic treatment improved adherence and dropout rates to the resistance training and facilitated greater improvements in the domains of functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]