Search results for "FITNESS"
showing 10 items of 1020 documents
Experiences from a randomised, controlled trial on cycling to school: does cycling increase cardiorespiratory fitness?
2012
Aims: The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of a 12-week randomised controlled cycling-to-school trial on cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods: A total of 53 10- to 13-year-old children from one public school were included. The children were randomised into either a cycling group or a control group. The cycling group was encouraged to cycle to and from school each day during a period of 12 weeks. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and anthropometrical data (weight and height) were measured at baseline and at the end of the 12-week period. Results: No significant differences were observed in VO2peak change over the 12-week period between the cycling group and the con…
The effect of a school-based intervention on physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength : the School in Motion cluster randomiz…
2020
Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) declines throughout adolescence, therefore PA promotion during this period is important. We analyzed the effect of two school-based PA interventions on daily PA levels, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscle strength among adolescents. Methods For the nine-month School in Motion intervention study (ScIM), we cluster-randomized 30 Norwegian secondary schools (N = 2084, mean age [SD] = 14 [0.3] years) to one of three study arms. The physically active learning (PAL) intervention included 30 min physically active learning, 30 min PA and a 60 min physical education (PE) lesson per week. The Don’t worry-Be happy (DWBH) intervention included a 60 min …
Neuromuscular function and balance of prepubertal and pubertal blind and sighted boys
2006
Aim: To compare the neuromuscular function and balance of blind prepuberty- and puberty-aged boys to those with normal sight. Methods: Thirty-three prepubertal (aged 9–13 y) and pubertal (aged 15–18 y) blind and sighted boys were tested for muscle mass thickness, electromyography and maximal isometric strength, dynamic explosive actions, and balance. Results: There was no difference in the muscle mass thickness, maximal strength or vertical jump between the blind and sighted boys. However, fitness-ball throwing and five-jump distances were significantly shorter in both blind groups compared to the sighted groups. One-leg stance of the prepuberty-aged sighted boys was 109 (67) s and in blind…
Online video-based resistance training improves the physical capacity of junior basketball athletes.
2012
Junior basketball athletes require a well-designed resistance training program to improve their physical development. Lack of expert supervision and resistance training in junior development pathways may be overcome by implementing an online video-based program. The aim of this study was to compare the magnitude of improvement (change) in physical performance and strength and functional movement patterns of junior basketball athletes using either a fully supervised or an online video-based resistance training program. Thirty-eight junior basketball athletes (males, n = 17; age, 14 ± 1 year; height, 1.79 ± 0.10 m; mass, 67 ± 12 kg; females, n = 21; age, 15 ± 1 year; height, 1.70 ± 0.07 m; ma…
Normal weight obesity and physical fitness in Chinese university students: an overlooked association
2018
Background The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations of normal weight obesity (NWO) with physical fitness in Chinese university students. As a secondary aim, we assessed whether possible differences in physical fitness between students classified as NWO and normal weight non-obese (NWNO) were mediated by skeletal muscles mass. Methods A total of 383 students (205 males and 178 females, aged 18–24 years) from two universities volunteered to participate in this study. Body height and weight were measured by standard procedures and body composition was assessed by bio-impedance analysis (InBody 720). NWO was defined by a BMI of 18.5–23.9 kg/m2 and a body fat percentage of >…
Who makes it all the way? Participants vs. decliners, and completers vs. drop-outs, in a 6-month exercise trial during cancer treatment : Results fro…
2022
Abstract Purpose To compare sociodemographic, health- and exercise-related characteristics of participants vs. decliners, and completers vs. drop-outs, in an exercise intervention trial during cancer treatment. Methods Patients with newly diagnosed breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer were invited to participate in a 6-month exercise intervention. Background data for all respondents (n = 2051) were collected at baseline by questionnaire and medical records. Additional data were collected using an extended questionnaire, physical activity monitors, and fitness testing for trial participants (n = 577). Moreover, a sub-group of decliners (n = 436) consented to additional data collection by a…
Effect of physical training on exercise capacity, gas exchange and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with chronic heart fai…
2006
BACKGROUND: Decreased exercise capacity is the main factor restricting the daily life of patients with chronic heart failure. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT pro-BNP) is strongly related to the severity of and is an independent predictor of outcome in chronic heart failure. DESIGN: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise training on functional capacity and on changes in NT pro-BNP levels and to assess the effect of exercise training on quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients (45 men/15 women, mean age 52.7 years; +/-5.3 SD), with stable heart failure (45 ischaemic/hypertensive and 15 idiopathic patients), in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional…
Gelatinases and their tissue inhibitors in a group of subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
2016
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events and stroke. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases involved in extracellular matrix degradation and then in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to evaluate plasma levels of gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in a group of subjects with OSAS. We enrolled 48 subjects (36 men and 12 women; mean age 49.7 ± 14.68 yrs) with OSAS diagnosed with a 1-night cardiorespiratory study and then we subdivided these subjects into two subgroups according to the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI): Low (L = 21 subjects with AHI …
Fitter, healthier and stronger? Many factors influence elite athletes' long-term health.
2020
It is now incontrovertible that properly tailored exercise therapy increases physical fitness, reduces depression, lowers cardiometabolic risk factors, reduces pain and improves health-related quality of life in chronically ill patients. Former elite athletes usually exercise more than population controls during their later life. Participating in elite endurance-type sports—an indicator of exceptionally high aerobic fitness—is associated with low risk of premature death, at least before the use of doping became common.1 2 Athlete mortality statistics are often compared with data from the general population. Finnish male former elite athletes outlived matched controls who were healthy at the…
Session-RPE for quantifying load of different youth taekwondo training sessions.
2016
BACKGROUND: The session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) proved to be a valuable method to quantify the internal training load (ITL) in taekwondo. However, no study validated this method in youth taekwondo athletes performing different training sessions. Thus this study aimed at evaluating the reliability of the session-RPE to monitor the ITL of prepubescent taekwondo athletes during pre-competitive (PC) and competitive (C) training sessions. METHODS: Five female (age: 12.0±0.7 y; height: 1.54±0.08 m; body mass: 48.8±7.3 kg) and four male (age: 12.0±0.8 yrs; height: 1.55±0.07 m; body mass: 47.3±5.3 kg) taekwondo athletes were monitored during 100 individual sessions (PC: N.=33; C:…