Changes in selected parameters of health and physical fitness following a sixteen-week deployment at sea

1994 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
P W King-Lewis ◽  
A J Allsopp

AbstractThe effects of 16 weeks at sea upon selected parameters of health and physical fitness were investigated in 30 male volunteers (from a total crew of 48 men) prior to, and immediately following deployment. The 30 subjects were assigned toeither an exercise group, ‘Ex’ (n=12), or a non-exercising group, ‘Nil ex ’ (n = 18), according to their reported participation in vigorous training or sports. Body mass index (BMI), calculated from height and weight, revealed that prior to deployment 13 of the 30 subjects (two in the Ex group) had a BMI over 25 kg.m−2 (i. e. overweight), and a further three subjects (all ‘non-exercisers’) had values of 30 kg.m−2 or more (obese). In addition, the diastolic blood pressure of two subjects was in excess of 95 mmHg and five subjects had resting heart rates above 89 beats per minute. Retrospective comparisons between the Ex and Nilex groups revealed a significantly lower percentage body fat (P<0.01) and a faster rate of cardiac recovery (P<0.05) following a standardised bout of exercise in the Ex group, albeit that these individuals were significantly younger (mean age of 24 years) than those in the Nilex group (32 years). Following deployment, in the Nilex group, comparisonof pre- and post values showed that resting heart rate was elevated (P<0.01) on return from sea. Similarly, in the Nilex group heart rate while performing the standardised exercise about was also elevated (P<0.05) on the second test occasion. In the Ex group, heart rate measures during and foJlowing exercise indicated a significantly slower rate of recovery (P<0.05) on the second test occasion.

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (15) ◽  
pp. 926-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoran Milanović ◽  
Saša Pantelić ◽  
Nedim Čović ◽  
Goran Sporiš ◽  
Magni Mohr ◽  
...  

BackgroundA previous meta-analysis showed that maximal oxygen uptake increased by 3.51 mL/kg/min (95% CI 3.07 to 4.15) during a recreational football programme of 3–6 months in comparison with continuous moderate-intensity running, strength training or a passive control group. In addition, narrative reviews have demonstrated beneficial effects of recreational football on physical fitness and health status.ObjectiveThe purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the magnitude of effects of recreational football on blood pressure, body composition, lipid profile and muscular fitness with reference to age, gender and health status.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesMEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Google Scholar were searched prior to 1 February 2017. In addition, Google Scholar alerts were set up in January 2012 to identify potential papers with the following key terms: recreational football, recreational soccer, street football and street soccer.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesRandomised and matched controlled trials with participants allocated to a recreational football group or any other type of exercises or passive control group were included. Training programmes had to last at least 2 weeks to meet the inclusion criteria. The primary outcome measures were blood pressure, resting heart rate, body composition, muscular fitness, and blood lipids and glucose tolerance. A total of 31 papers met the inclusion criteria and were included.ResultsThe effect of recreational football on systolic blood pressure (SBP) versus no-exercise controls was most likely extremely largely beneficial (effect size (ES)=4.20 mm Hg; 95% CI 1.87 to 6.53). In addition, a most likely very large beneficial (ES=3.89 mm Hg; 95% CI 2.33 to 5.44) effect was observed for diastolic blood pressure (DBP), when compared with non-active groups. Furthermore, a most likely extremely large beneficial effect was shown for SBP and DBP in participants with mild hypertension (11 and 7 mm Hg decrease, respectively) and participants with prehypertension (10 and 7 mm Hg decrease, respectively). Meta-analysis of recreational football determined the impact on resting heart rate as most likely extremely largely beneficial (ES=6.03 beats/min; 95% CI 4.43 to 7.64) when compared with non-active groups. The observed recreational football effect on fat mass was most likely largely beneficial (ES=1.72 kg; 95% CI 0.86 to 2.58) and the effect on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance was most likely very largely beneficial (ES=2.27 cm; 95% CI 1.29 to 3.25) when compared with non-active groups. Possibly beneficial decreases were found in low-density lipoprotein levels (ES=0.21 mmol/L; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.36). Possibly largely beneficial effect was observed for DBP in comparison with continuous running training. Small harmful and unclear results were noted for SBP, fat and lean body mass, body mass index, as well as muscular fitness when compared with running and Zumba training.ConclusionThe present meta-analysis demonstrated multiple broad-spectrum benefits of recreational football on health-related physical fitness compared with no-exercise controls, including improvements in blood pressure, resting heart rate, fat mass, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and CMJ performance. Additionally, recreational football is efficient and effective as Zumba and continuous running exercise regimens with highlighted social, motivational and competitive components.


1996 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
Pak Kwong CHUNG

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract in English only.The study consisted of two phases: Phase I was designed to investigate the health status and physical fitness levels of office workers and phase II was conducted to examine the training effects of a circuit training on health and physical fitness of the workers. In phase I, health and stress inventories (Pace of Life Index, General Well-Being Scale, and Bacek Sports Questionnaire), health indices (blood total cholesterol, blood pressure, lung capacity, and resting heart rate), and physical fitness assessment (bicycle ergometer test; skinfold measurement, sit-ups test; grip strength test; and sit and reach test) were conducted to 171 (112 males & 59 females, aged 30-49) office workers from 22 local corporations. From Descriptive Statistics analyses, it was found that the overall health status and stress level of the office workers were at acceptable levels. However, the lung capacity of the workers was in the category of "fair". The total cholesterol level of the male 40-year old group was found higher than the optimal level. Most of the fitness indices of the workers were in categories of "average" or "fair" when comparing with that of the general population of U.S.A. The Correlation analyses shown that the female workers, with higher regular physical activity hours, had fewer incidents of low-back pain and lower resting heart rates. It was also found that the lower the percent body fat, the lower the systolic blood pressure and the better the cardiorespiratory endurance. Similar correlations were found in the male workers: the better the cardiorespiratory endurance, the lower the resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure for the workers. Researchers indicated that workers with higher levels of physical fitness would have higher working ability and productivity, it was suggested that local office workers should give priority to regular physical activity. Activities such as aerobic exercises, calisthenics, stretching, and muscular training should be included in the exercise programmes so that a total fitness can be developed.


Author(s):  
Giselle Sarganas ◽  
Anja Schienkiewitz ◽  
Jonas D. Finger ◽  
Hannelore K. Neuhauser

AbstractTo track blood pressure (BP) and resting heart rate (RHR) in children and adolescents is important due to its associations with cardiovascular outcomes in the adulthood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine BP and RHR over a decade among children and adolescents living in Germany using national examination data. Cross-sectional data from 3- to 17-year-old national survey participants (KiGGS 2003–06, n = 14,701; KiGGS 2014–17, n = 3509) including standardized oscillometric BP and RHR were used for age- and sex-standardized analysis. Measurement protocols were identical with the exception of the cuff selection rule, which was accounted for in the analyses. Different BP and RHR trends were observed according to age-groups. In 3- to 6-year-olds adjusted mean SBP and DBP were significantly higher in 2014–2017 compared to 2003–2006 (+2.4 and +1.9 mm Hg, respectively), while RHR was statistically significantly lower by −3.8 bpm. No significant changes in BP or in RHR were observed in 7- to 10-year-olds over time. In 11- to 13-year-olds as well as in 14- to 17-year-olds lower BP has been observed (SBP −2.4 and −3.2 mm Hg, respectively, and DBP −1.8 and −1.7 mm Hg), while RHR was significantly higher (+2.7 and +3.7 bpm). BP trends did not parallel RHR trends. The downward BP trend in adolescents seemed to follow decreasing adult BP trends in middle and high-income countries. The increase in BP in younger children needs confirmation from other studies as well as further investigation. In school-aged children and adolescents, the increased RHR trend may indicate decreased physical fitness.


Author(s):  
Tao Huang ◽  
Wenxiu Wang ◽  
Jingjia Wang ◽  
Jun Lv ◽  
Canqing Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives To examine the direction, strength and causality of the associations of resting heart rate (RHR) with cardiometabolic traits. Methods We assessed the strength of associations between measured RHR and cardiometabolic traits in 506,211 and 372,452 participants from China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) and UK Biobank (UKB). Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were used to make causal inferences in 99,228 and 371,508 participants from CKB and UKB, respectively. Results We identified significant, directionally-concordant observational associations between RHR and higher total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein, C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose, body mass index, waist-hip ratio (WHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after the Bonferroni correction. MR analyses showed that 10 beat/min higher genetically-predicted RHR were trans-ethnically associated with a higher DBP (beta 2.059 [95%CI 1.544, 2.574] mmHg in CKB; 2.037 [1.845, 2.229] mmHg in UKB), higher CRP (0.180 [0.057, 0.303] log mg/L in CKB; 0.154 [0.134, 0.174] log mg/L in UKB), higher TG (0.052 [-0.009, 0.113] log mmol/L in CKB; 0.020 [0.010, 0.030] log mmol/L in UKB) and higher WHR (0.218 [-0.033, 0.469] % in CKB; 0.225 [0.111, 0.339] % in UKB). In the opposite direction, higher genetically-predicted SBP, TG, glucose, WHR and lower high-density lipoprotein were associated with elevated RHR. Conclusion Our large-scale analyses provide causal evidence between RHR and cardiometabolic traits, highlighting the importance of monitoring heat rate as a means of alleviating the adverse effect of metabolic disorders.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (2) ◽  
pp. H629-H637 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. N. Van Vliet ◽  
J. E. Hall ◽  
H. L. Mizelle ◽  
J. P. Montani ◽  
M. J. Smith

We investigated why resting heart rate is elevated in dogs fed a high saturated fat diet for 12.7 +/- 1.8 wk. Obese dogs exhibited elevated body weight (59%), blood pressure (14%), and heart rate (25%). Differences in resting heart rate (control, 58 +/- 5 beats/min; obese, 83 +/- 7 beats/min) were abolished after hexamethonium, indicating an autonomic mechanism. Hexamethonium also reduced blood pressure in obese (20 +/- 4 mmHg) but not control (9 +/- 6 mmHg) animals. Propranolol did not affect heart rate in either group, excluding a beta-adrenergic mechanism. Subsequent administration of atropine increased heart rate more in control than in obese dogs (110 +/- 9 vs. 57 +/- 11 beats/min). The sensitivity of the cardiac limb of the baroreflex (Oxford method) was reduced by 46% in the obese group, confirming impairment of the parasympathetic control of heart rate. The standard deviation of blood pressure measurements was normal when expressed as a percentage of the mean arterial blood pressure (control, 11.2 +/- 0.4%; obese, 11.2 +/- 0.5%). Our results indicate that the development of obesity in dogs fed a high saturated fat diet is accompanied by an attenuated resting and reflex parasympathetic control of heart rate.


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. IMI.S9720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron G. McCarthy ◽  
Rick J. Alleman ◽  
Zach W. Bell ◽  
Richard J. Bloomer

Background Impaired sleep quality is commonplace within industrialized societies, as evidenced by the increasing number of prescription sleep aids available. Certain herbal preparations have been suggested to provide a natural benefit to sleep; however, limited controlled data are available documenting this benefit. In the present study we tested the effect of an experimental dietary supplement, containing the active ingredients Chlorophytum borivilianum and Velvet bean, on sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Methods Eighteen healthy and active men and women, with evidence of impaired sleep quality, consumed the supplement daily for 28 days. The PSQI was administered before and after the intervention period. As indicators of safety, resting heart rate and blood pressure were measured, and a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, and lipid panel were determined. Results Sleep quality was influenced by the supplement, as evidenced by an improvement in every category of the PSQI questionnaire ( P < 0.05), with most category scores improving approximately 50% from pre to post intervention. No adverse outcomes were noted with use of the supplement, as indicated by no change in resting heart rate, blood pressure, or any bloodborne parameter. Conclusions An investigational dietary supplement containing the active ingredients Chlorophytum borivilianum and Velvet bean improves sleep quality in men and women. Additional placebo controlled trials are needed to corroborate these findings in individuals with self-reported sleeping difficulty.


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