Performance-Focussed Sport – An Avenue to Gold-Medal Clinical Outcomes for People with Neurological Impairments?

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean M. Tweedy ◽  
Emma M. Beckman ◽  
Leanne M. Johnston ◽  
Mark J. Connick
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Sports Training ◽  
High Level ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

This paper investigates the premise that long-term engagement in performance-focussed sports training may lead to significantly enhanced clinical outcomes for people with neurological impairments (NI). The minimum volume of moderate-intensity activity recommended for good health is 450 MET.minutes/week, although evidence from the general population indicates that outcomes may be enhanced by completing up to five times this volume (2250 MET.minutes/week) at vigorous (rather than moderate) intensity. Most studies evaluating physical activity interventions for people with NI deliver low volumes (<450 MET.minutes/week), which may explain why evidence for some clinical outcomes is weak. Athletes (with or without NI) who aim to achieve high-level sports performance undertake an increasingly large volume of vigorous intensity physical activity over several seasons. Evidence that people with NI may enhance clinical outcomes through performance-focussed sports training includes: evidence from studies investigating the benefits of high-intensity and/or high volume clinical exercise; scientific evidence from elite/high-level athletes; and anecdotal evidence from Paralympic athlete testimonials. Additionally, sports participants with NI may also accrue an important array of psychosocial benefits, including higher rates of employment, and higher satisfaction with life and social integration. Rigorous, prospective, longitudinal clinical monitoring of people with NI undertaking performance-focussed sports training are required to evaluate its clinical utility.

scholarly journals Physical activity in former elite cricketers and strategies for promoting physical activity after retirement from cricket: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e017785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie R Filbay ◽  
Felicity L Bishop ◽  
Nicholas Peirce ◽  
Mary E Jones ◽  
Nigel K Arden
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Physical Activity Guidelines ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Physical Activity Motivation

ObjectivesThe health benefits of professional sport dissipate after retirement unless an active lifestyle is adopted, yet reasons for adopting an active or inactive lifestyle after retirement from sport are poorly understood. Elite cricket is all-encompassing, requiring a high volume of activity and unique physical demands. We aimed to identify influences on physical activity behaviours in active and insufficiently active former elite cricketers and provide practical strategies for promoting physical activity after cricket retirement.Design18 audio-recorded semistructured telephone interviews were performed. An inductive thematic approach was used and coding was iterative and data-driven facilitated by NVivo software. Themes were compared between sufficiently active and insufficiently active participants.SettingAll participants formerly played professional cricket in the UK.ParticipantsParticipants were male, mean age 57±11 (range 34–77) years, participated in professional cricket for 12±7 seasons and retired on average 23±9 years previously. Ten participants (56%) were classified as sufficiently active according to the UK Physical Activity Guidelines (moderate-intensity activity ≥150 min per week or vigorous-intensity activity ≥75 min per week). Eight participants did not meet these guidelines and were classified as insufficiently active.ResultsKey physical activity influences were time constraints, habit formation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, physical activity preferences, pain/physical impairment and cricket coaching. Recommendations for optimising physical activity across the lifespan after cricket retirement included; prioritise physical activity, establish a physical activity plan prior to cricket retirement and don’t take a break from physical activity, evaluate sources of physical activity motivation and incorporate into a physical activity plan, find multiple forms of satisfying physical activity that can be adapted to accommodate fluctuations in physical capabilities across the lifespan and coach cricket.ConclusionsPhysically active and less active retired cricketers shared contrasting attributes that informed recommendations for promoting a sustainable, physically active lifestyle after retirement from professional cricket.

scholarly journals P224 Regular physical activity on IBD patients: impact on IBD natural history and related comorbidities

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S276-S277
Author(s):  
M T Arias-Loste ◽  
L Salcines ◽  
J C Rodriguez-Duque ◽  
M J García García ◽  
P Iruzubieta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Regular Physical Activity ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver

Abstract Background Regular physical activity (PA) has a potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that is mainly exerted on adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and the immune and cardiovascular systems. Thus, PA is known to be beneficial in different pro-inflammatory conditions. Nevertheless, data on the role of PA in IBD patients is scarce. The aim of our study is to analyse the association of PA with clinical outcomes in IBD patients. Methods Cross-sectional prospective study including all consecutive IBD patients attended at a university hospital was performed. Data on physical activity was recorded through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Metabolic Equivalent Task (MET) hours per week were calculated according to the combination of walking, moderate-intensity or vigorous intensity activity, and patients were categorized into low, moderate or high PA according to a previously validated method. Data on IBD phenotype, activity indexes, natural history, current and past treatments, together with liver evaluation, and history of cardiovascular risk factors were also collected. Results 831 patients were included in the study. Study flow chart is depicted in figure and clinical characteristics in table 1. IBD patients with a low or moderate PA showed a tendency to a higher proportion of IBD-related complications and higher scores in disease activity indexes than those with high PA. PA was strongly associated to the metabolic profile. Patients with a low/moderate PA were more frequently obese, hypertense, diabetic and had dyslipidaemia. Regarding liver disease, PA was significantly associated to the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but not with advanced liver fibrosis. Conclusion Insufficient PA can negatively impact clinical outcomes in IBD patients, probably not because of a direct effect on IBD-pathogenesis, but due to its strong association with cardiovascular risk factors and NAFLD.

scholarly journals AB0450 DANISH PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS SELF-REPORT HIGH LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND MOST PATIENTS FULFILL THE WHO RECOMMENDATIONS ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1524.3-1524
Author(s):  
M. Munch Beck ◽  
S. Möller ◽  
S. D. Kay ◽  
A. Voss
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Disease Duration ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
World Health ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Italian Study ◽  
Intensity Physical Activity ◽  
The Mean ◽  
High Level

Background:Physical activity is important for enhancing health and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults aged 18-64 engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity (1). Swedish patients with SLE reported a lower frequency and capacity of exercise than a control group, and in an Italian study, 60% of the SLE patients did not meet WHO’s recommendations for physical activity.Mental health is important for the individual’s level of physical activity, and symptoms of depression have been associated with a lower level of physical activity in SLE patients (2).Objectives:The aim of this study is to describe the pattern of physical activity in a population of Danish SLE patients, and to investigate the association to depression.Methods:The study was conducted at the Department of Rheumatology at Odense University Hospital, Denmark, in 2018 and 2019. Two questionnaires were handed out before routine outpatient consultation: self-reported physical activity was evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a continuous variable on energy requirement in the form of the metabolic equivalent (MET) was calculated, and the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) questionnaire was used to screen for depression. Medicine intake was registered, and disease activity and damage were scored using SLEDAI-2K and SLICC/ACR DI.Results:Two hundred and fifteen patients completed the IPAQ and MDI, 5 were excluded. The population consist of 89.5% women and the mean age was 51.7 ± 15.2 years. The mean disease duration was 16.1 ± 10.1 years.The SLE patients reported a mean total MET-score of 5319.9 ± 3650 MET-min/week. If divided into categories, 7.6% reported low level, 21.9% moderate and 70.5% of the patients reported a high level of physical activity and 89.5% fulfilled WHO recommendations. The participants reported 363.7 ± 201 minutes per day in sitting time.Mean MDI score was 12.7 ± 10.1, and if divided into groups, 89.5% were not depressed, 1.9% had a mild depression, 5.3% had a moderate depression and 2.9% had a severe depression. Significantly lower mean MET-scores were observed for the severely depressed patients.An inverse association was found in the univariate analysis, indication that increasing disease duration and SLICC/ACR DI scores were significantly associated with decreasing total MET-scores. In the multivariate analysis time spent sitting was inversely associated with MET-score.Our results were similar to a Brazilian study, where 68% of the patients reported, that they were “physical active” according to IPAQ. In contrast, only 22% of the patients in an Italian study reported high level physical activity. Our proportion of active patients were high when comparing with studies on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondylarthritis, where only 25-50% fulfilled the WHO recommendations compared to our 89.5%.A Danish study on registered ICD diagnoses found a prevalence of depression in SLE patients to be 4.3%, which was lower than our prevalence. Foreign studies reported very diverse prevalences of depression, e.g. 16.6% in the Netherlands and 51% in Sweden.Conclusion:A high portion of the SLE patients reported a high level of physical activity and 89.5% fulfilled the WHO recommendations. Significant predictors for a lower level of physical activity were increasing disease duration, higher SLICC/ACR DI score and longer time spent sitting. However, further studies are needed, where more suitable questionnaires could be considered.References:[1]WHO recommendations, Geneva 2010;60:1-58.[2]Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2009;31:306-15.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals INFLUENCE OF SEX, AGE AND BODY MASS INDEX ON SOME FUNCTIONA INDICES OF PULMONARY VENTILATION IN PHYSICALLY ACTIVE CHILDREN

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 3919-3923
Author(s):  
Elena Merdzhanova ◽  
◽  
Penka Angelova ◽  
Nikolay Boyadjiev ◽  
Valentina Lalova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Maximal Expiratory Flow ◽  
Expiratory Flow ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to examine the impact of age, sex and body mass index (BMI) on some indices of the pulmonary ventilation in healthy children actively practicing sport, between 11 and 14 years of age, living in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Materials and methods: A group of 22 healthy volunteers (boys, n=14 and girls, n=8) with high level physical activity underwent a functional test for the evaluation of pulmonary ventilation. In order to assess the influence of age, BMI and sex on some indices of pulmonary ventilation, they were divided into the following groups: in accordance with the age - group 11-12 years old (n=14) and group 13-14 years old (n=8); in accordance with the BMI group < 20 kg/m2 (n=14) and BMI group >20 kg/m2 (n=8) and in accordance with the sex – boys group (n=14) and girls group (n=8). The results are presented as X±SD. The data has been analyzed with Independent Samples Test (t-test) (SPSS v. 13. 0). The difference at P<0.05 was accepted as significant. Results: We did not find significant differences in most of the indices between the groups by age, body mass index and sex. Although there was higher maximum pulmonary ventilation and higher peak (maximal) expiratory flow in boys compared with the girls. Conclusion: Despite the good health condition and high level of physical activity, we found out higher maximum pulmonary ventilation and higher peak (maximal) expiratory flow in boys as compared with the girls.

Assessment of physical activity level and nutritional status of soldiers serving in the Airborne Battalion

2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 110-115
Author(s):  
Ewelina Maculewicz ◽  
Ewa Szarska ◽  
Aneta Lewicka ◽  
Katarzyna Lorenz ◽  
Roman Łakomy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Processed Meats ◽  
High Level

Soldiers are a specific social group that is exposed to high, both physical and mental, burden which is associated with their training and service. Rational nutrition and proper level of physical activity play a crucial role in maintaining their good health. Therefore, knowledge about soldiers’ nutrition and physical activity is essential to maintain their combat ability. The aim of this work was to assess the nutritional status and physical activity of soldiers serving in the 16th Airborne Battalion in Krakow. A total of 69 soldiers underwent this examination. Analysis of physical activity was assessed by the IPAQ – International Physical Activity Questionnaire, while frequency of food intake was assessed by the FFQ – Frequency of Food Intake Questionnaire. As a result of the examination it was found that 85% of soldiers revealed a high level of physical activity. The additional results obtained in the survey were: the consumption of fruits and vegetables was too low, the consumption of low quality processed meats, dairy products and sugar was excessive. The conclusions of this study show that the examined soldiers were highly physically active. In addition to that, it is concluded that education about rational nutrition and nutritional prevention of civilization metabolic diseases should be introduced among soldiers.

Effect of the volume and intensity of exercise training on insulin sensitivity

2004 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Houmard ◽  
Charles J. Tanner ◽  
Cris A. Slentz ◽  
Brian D. Duscha ◽  
Jennifer S. McCartney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Insulin Sensitivity ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Insulin Action ◽  
Exercise Prescription ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Group 12 ◽  
Low Volume

Physical activity enhances insulin action in obese/overweight individuals. However, the exercise prescription required for the optimal enhancement is not known. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that exercise training consisting of vigorous-intensity activity would enhance insulin sensitivity more substantially than moderate-intensity activity. Sedentary, overweight/obese subjects ( n = 154) were randomly assigned to either control or an exercise group for 6 mo: 1) low-volume/moderate-intensity group [∼12 miles walking/wk at 40–55% peak O2 consumption (V̇o2 peak)], 2) low-volume/high-intensity group (∼12 miles jogging/wk at 65–80% V̇o2 peak), and 3) high-volume/high-intensity group (∼20 miles jogging/wk at 65–80% V̇o2 peak). Training volume (miles/wk) was achieved by exercising ∼115 min/wk (low-volume/high-intensity group) or ∼170 min/wk (low-volume/moderate-intensity and high-volume/high-intensity groups). Insulin action was measured with an insulin sensitivity index (SI) from an intravenous glucose tolerance test. In the control group, there was a decrement ( P < 0.05) in SI. In contrast, all the exercise groups significantly ( P < 0.05) increased SI; the relative increment in the low-volume/moderate-intensity and high-volume/high-intensity groups (∼85%) were greater than in the low-volume/high-intensity group (∼40%). In conclusion, physical activity encompassing a wide range of intensity and volume minimizes the insulin resistance that develops with a sedentary lifestyle. However, an exercise prescription that incorporated ∼170 min of exercise/wk improved insulin sensitivity more substantially than a program utilizing ∼115 min of exercise/wk, regardless of exercise intensity and volume. Total exercise duration should thus be considered when designing training programs with the intent of improving insulin action.

scholarly journals Exercise in improving health v. performance

2008 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice L. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Physical Activity Recommendations ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Response Gradient

Regular and goal-appropriate exercise is critical to improving and maintaining both health and performance. However, the frequency, intensity, duration and type of activities needed to optimise health or achieve successful sports performance will differ considerably depending on an individual's goals and capabilities. Although sport is one of many forms of exercise that can be counted towards daily physical activity, participation in sport is not necessary to meet current physical activity recommendations. The current consensus is that the minimum amount of physical activity needed to improve and maintain good health is 30 min moderate-intensity activity/d on ≥5 d/week. The evidence supporting this consensus is based on predominantly observational evidence that performing regular aerobic (endurance)-type physical activity is associated with reduced morbidity and premature mortality from CVD, CHD, stroke and colo-rectal cancer. The exact dose needed to improve health and the slope of the dose–response gradient between physical activity and mortality for various diseases are not known, and one major limitation of the existing evidence is the lack of objective measurement of physical activity. Limited evidence indicates that a much higher dose of activity (45–90 min each day on ≥5 d/week) may be needed to prevent overweight and obesity and to avoid weight regain in previously overweight and obese individuals. The role of resistance training and heavy domestic work in reducing morbidity and premature mortality for various diseases is unclear. As most adults do not meet current recommendations there is a critical need for innovative approaches to increase physical activity across large-scale populations.

scholarly journals Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Satisfaction With Life of University Students in Qatar: Changes During Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Souhail Hermassi ◽  
Lawrence D. Hayes ◽  
Ahmad Salman ◽  
Nilihan E. M. Sanal-Hayes ◽  
Emna Abassi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
University Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Metabolic Equivalent ◽  
Metabolic Equivalent Of Task ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Time Changes

This study explored the effects of home confinement on physical activity (PA) and satisfaction with life (SL) among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 531 subjects participated [male: n=203; female: n=328; age: 33.1±5.2years; mass: 72.1±17.5kg; height: 1.67±0.12m; and body mass index (BMI): 25.7±5.06 kg/m2]. Online survey questions considered “before” and “during” confinement. Confinement reduced all PA intensities (ηp2=0.09–0.45, p&lt;0.001) and increased daily sitting time (ηp2=0.58, p&lt;0.001). The largest reduction was in moderate intensity PA [metabolic equivalent of task-minutes/week (MET), ηp2=0.45, p&lt;0.001]. SQL decreased, with the score for “I am satisfied with my life” (ηp2=0.42, p&lt;0.001) decreasing from 28.4±5.7 to 20.6±9.7 arbitrary units (AU). Concerning SL, the largest change was detected for “the conditions of my life are excellent” (ηp2=0.54, p&lt;0.001). Time changes in all variables were demonstrative of large negative changes in both sexes. The difference in change between sexes was largest in terms of magnitude for the variable “the conditions of my life are excellent” (difference between groups, Δd=0.98). In sum, COVID-19 confinement reduced PA, heightened sitting time, and reduced SL in Qatar University students. This investigation could have a significant impact in developing PA guidelines for health maintainance during COVID-19 and successive pandemics in university students.

Coping with ever larger problems, models, and data bases

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Beck
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Mental Image ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Volume Data ◽  
Model Quality ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
High Level

Abstract Those who construct models, including models of the quality of the aquatic environment, are driven largely by the search for (theoretical) completeness in the products of their efforts. For if we know of something of potential relevance, and computational power is increasing, why should that something be left out? Those who use the results of such models are probably reassured by this imprimatur, of having supposedly based their decisions on the best available scientific evidence. Our models, and certainly those we would label “state-of-the-art”, seem destined always to get larger. Some observations on possible strategies for coping with this largeness, while yet making well reasoned and adequately buttressed decisions on how to manage the water environment, are the subject of this paper. Because it is so obvious, and because it has been the foundation of analytical enquiry for such a very long time, our point of departure is the classical procedure of disassembling the whole into its parts with subsequent re-assembly of the resulting part solutions into an overall solution. This continues to serve us well, at least in terms of pragmatic decision-making, but perhaps not in terms of reconciling the model with the field observations, i.e., in terms of model calibration. If the indivisible whole is to be addressed, and it is large, contemporary studies show that we shall have to shed an attachment to locating the single, best decision and be satisfied instead with having identified a multiplicity of acceptably good possibilities. If, in the face of an inevitable uncertainty, there is then a concern for reassurance regarding the robustness of a specific course of action (chosen from among the good possibilities), significant recent advances in the methods of global (as opposed to local) sensitivity analysis are indeed timely. Ultimately, however, no matter how large and seemingly complete the model, whether we trust its output is a very strong function of whether this outcome tallies with our mental image of the given system's behaviour. The paper argues that largeness must therefore be pruned through the application of appropriate methods of model simplification, through procedures aimed directly at this issue of promoting the generation, corroboration, and refutation of high-level conceptual insights and understanding. The paper closes with a brief discussion of two aspects of the role of field observations in evaluating a (large) model: quality assurance of that model in the absence of any data; and the previously somewhat under-estimated challenge of reconciling large models with high-volume data sets.

scholarly journals Physical activity, immunity and infection

2010 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Romeo ◽  
J. Wärnberg ◽  
T. Pozo ◽  
A. Marcos
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Regular Physical Activity ◽  
Moderate Physical Activity ◽  
Immune Functions ◽  
Individual Factor ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Different Levels

During the last few decades, scientific evidence has confirmed a wide range of health benefits related to regular physical activity. How physical activity affects the immune function and infection risk is, however, still under debate. Commonly, intensive exercise suppresses the activity and levels of several immune cells, while other immune functions may be stimulated by moderate physical activity. With this knowledge, the understanding of the relationship between different levels of physical activity on the immune function has been raised as a potential tool to protect health not only in athletes but also in the general population; the mechanisms that translate a physically active lifestyle into good health continue to be investigated. Reviewing the literature, although several outcomes (i.e. the mechanisms by which different levels and duration of physical activity programmes affect numerous cell types and responses) remain unclear, given that the additional benefits encompass healthy habits including exercise, the use of physical activity programmes may result in improved health of elderly populations. Moderate physical activity or moderate–regulated training may enhance the immune function mainly in less fit subjects or sedentary population and the pre-event fitness status also seems to be an important individual factor regarding this relationship. Although adequate nutrition and regular physical activity habits may synergistically improve health, clinical trials in athletes using nutritional supplements to counteract the immune suppression have been inconclusive so far.Further research is necessary to find out to what extent physical activity training can exert an effect on the immune function.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document