Search results for "FITNESS"
showing 10 items of 1020 documents
Extreme duration exercise affects old and younger men differently.
2022
Aim & Methods: Extreme endurance exercise provides a valuable research model for understanding the adaptive metabolic response of older and younger individuals to intense physical activity. Here, we compare a wide range of metabolic and physiologic parameters in two cohorts of seven trained men, age 30 ± 5 years or age 65 ± 6 years, before and after the participants travelled ≈3000 km by bicycle over 15 days. Results: Over the 15-day exercise intervention, participants lost 2–3 kg fat mass with no significant change in body weight. V̇O2max did not change in younger cyclists, but decreased (p = 0.06) in the older cohort. The resting plasma FFA concentration decreased markedly in both gro…
Alpha-amylase serum levels in professional soccer players are not related with physical fitness.
2017
Backgorund Recent evidence has showed that serum or salivary values of α-amylase predict endurance running performance. In this study we investigate whether serum α-amylase concentration may be associated with training status during a competitive season and after a detraining period in professional soccer players. Methods The study population consisted in 15 male professional soccer players from an Italian major league team (age [mean±SD] 27±5 years, weight 76.9±4.1 kg, height 1.82±0.05 m). Serum α-amylase levels were measured 3 times during the last part of a competitive season (January, March and May) and just before preseason training (July). Results Metabolic and cardiovascular fitness …
Physical fitness and volume of leisure time physical activity relate with low stress and high mental resources in young men.
2014
AIM: There is limited evidence available regarding the relationship between physical fitness, especially muscular fitness, and the mental well-being among young healthy men. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of measured cardiovascular and muscle fitness and self reported leisure time physical activity (LTPA) on outcomes of stress and mental resources in Finnish young men. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 831 men (mean age 25 y) underwent cardiovascular and muscle fitness test and completed LTPA and Occupational Stress Questionnaires (OSQ). For analysis, the subjects were divided to LTPA, CVF and MFI tertiles. RESULTS: The group with low LTPA reported …
Altered oxidative stress in overtrained athletes
2010
The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between oxidative stress and overtraining syndrome. Indicators of oxidative stress (plasma protein carbonyls, nitrotyrosine, and malondialdehyde) and antioxidant status (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) were measured in severely overtrained (two women, five men) and control athletes (five women, five men). Samples were collected from both groups at baseline (i.e. in the overtraining state of overtrained athletes) and after 6 months of recovery, both at rest and immediately after an exercise test to volitional exhaustion. At baseline, overtrained athletes had higher plasma protein carbonyls at rest than controls (mean differ…
Is the V˙o 2 slow component dependent on progressive recruitment of fast-twitch fibers in trained runners?
2001
The goal of this study was to use spectral analysis of EMG data to test the hypothesis that the O2 uptake (V˙o 2) slow component is due to a recruitment of fast fibers. Thirteen runners carried out a treadmill test with a constant speed, corresponding to 95% of the velocity associated with maximal V˙o 2. TheV˙o 2 response was fit with the classical model including three exponential functions. Electrical activity of six lower limb muscles (vastus lateralis, soleus, and gastrocnemius of both sides) was measured using electromyogram surface electrodes. Mean power frequency (MPF) was used to study the kinetics of the electromyogram discharge frequency. Three main results were observed: 1) a co…
Elevated concentration of oxidized LDL together with poor cardiorespiratory and abdominal muscle fitness predicts metabolic syndrome in young men
2013
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), systemic inflammation, and poor cardiorespiratory fitness. We examined affiliations of these factors and the effect of muscular fitness on MetS in young healthy men.Physical fitness, ox-LDL, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum lipids were measured in a nationally representative sample of Finnish young men with and without MetS. Participants (mean age 25.1years) performed tests of maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and muscle fitness, and were divided into MetS (n=54, IDF 2007 criteria) and non-MetS (n=790). Age, smoking and leisure-time physical activity were used as covariates (ANCOVA).The …
Motives for and Barriers to Physical Activity in Twin Pairs Discordant for Leisure Time Physical Activity for 30 Years
2012
Long-term persistent physical activity is important in the prevention of chronic diseases, but a large number of people do not participate in physical activity to obtain health benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine the motives and perceived barriers to long-term engagement in leisure time physical activity. Same-sex twin pairs (N=16, mean age 60) discordant for physical activity over 30 years were identified from the Finnish Twin Cohort. We evaluated participants' physical activity motivation with the 73-item Recreational Exercise Motivation Measure and assessed barriers to physical activity with a 25-item questionnaire. The characteristics of physical activity motivation and p…
Physical fitness profile of elite athletes with intellectual disability
2006
The aim of this study was to investigate the physical fitness profile of high-performance athletes with intellectual disability (ID) in comparison with able-bodied individuals. Methods: Participants were 231 male and 82 female athletes. All evaluations were done using the EUROFIT physical fitness test. Results: In comparison with population data, both male and female athletes with ID score better for flexibility and upper body muscle endurance, but have similar or lower values for running speed, speed of limb movement, and strength measures. Compared with agematched physical education students, male athletes with ID score better for running speed and flexibility, and worse for strength. Fem…
Physical fitness, BMI and sickness absence in male military personnel
2008
Background In modern society, decreased physical activity and/or changes in quality and quantity of nutritional intake contribute to obesity and lifestyle diseases that result in economic costs, both to society and to individuals. Aims To measure physical fitness and body mass index (BMI) and to assess their association with sickness absence in male soldiers. Methods Data regarding BMI and physical fitness (aerobic endurance and muscle fitness) were collected for male Finnish military personnel and combined with sickness absence data collected in the year 2004. The duration and costs of sickness absence were obtained from the personnel administration. Results A total of 7179 male military p…
Effect of body composition on the neuromuscular function of Finnish conscripts during an 8-week basic training period.
2008
The dropout rate in the Finnish military service has increased during the past two decades. At the same time, the physical fitness level of young Finnish males has decreased, possibly leading to overtraining in new conscripts. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether body composition would influence neuromuscular function during the 8-week basic training (BT) period. Eighteen healthy male subjects (19 +/- 1 years) were divided into three different groups according to their body fat %. Group 1 (10%), group 2 (10-13%) and group 3 (13%). The soleus H-reflex response was measured in the standing position. In the seated position (knee 160 degrees and hip 110 degrees), the V-wave r…