The Effects of Heart Rate Monitoring on Ratings of Perceived Exertion and Attention Allocation in Individuals of Varying Fitness Levels

There has been a rapid increase in the use of wearable technology-based physical activity trackers. Most of these physical activity trackers include tracking and displaying the individual's heart rate (HR). There is little known about how HR monitoring influences the perception of exertion and attention allocation. Shifting attentional focus toward the body (association), such as monitoring HR, instead of environmental stimuli (dissociation) may increase one's perceived level of exertion. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of HR monitoring on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and attention allocation during an exertive stepping task in individuals of varying fitness levels. The YMCA stepping task normative values determined fitness levels. For the experimental condition, participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (i.e., HR monitoring or control) and completed a stepping task with a weighted vest at 20% of their bodyweight. HR, RPE, and attention allocation were collected at 30-s intervals. Performing the stepping task resulted in a gradual increase of HR and RPE along with a shift from dissociative to associative attention across all conditions. Monitoring one's HR during the task resulted in more dissociative attention allocation, however, no RPE differences were reported between the two conditions. Unfit individuals reported lower levels of RPE during the first time point compared to fit individuals despite having higher HR throughout the task. The results of this study have relevance for applied practitioners implementing physical activity interventions with individuals who monitor their HR.

Role of Spices Beyond a Flavouring Agent

Plants, principally spices and herbs, have been given much more attention because they are considered important for flavoring and coloring foods and their use as condiments. Herbs and spices have been used for generations by humans as food and also to treat ailments since they are full of medicinal and antioxidant properties and contain bioactive compounds like tannins, alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, polyphenols, and vitamins, which help in healing diseases. Spices and herbs contain biomolecules that play a crucial role in healthcare and fitness levels. Spices and herbs have been considered as esoteric food adjuncts as they play numerous roles like being coloring agents, flavoring agents, preservatives, food additives, and having uses in the medicinal and pharmaceutical industries.

The Pattern of Affective Responses to Dance-Based Group Exercise Differs According to Physical Fitness, as Measured by a Smartwatch

The present study investigated the effect of a dance-based aerobic exercise, on the affective experiences of participants with different fitness levels. Thirty-two college students were enrolled in the same dance fitness course, tested using a physical fitness test (the National Fitness Project 100) and grouped accordingly to 15 sports majors (high-fit group) and 17 non-sports majors (low-fit group). Together, they participated in a single-session dance fitness program using 11 basic dance steps incorporated in Zumba rhythms of merengue and reggaeton for 47 min including warm-up and cool-down. Pre- and post-exercise affects were measured using the PANAS-X transmitted to each participant’s smartphone. During exercise, participants’ heart rate (HR) and their responses to the felt arousal scale (FAS) and the feeling scale (FS) by exercise section were measured using tailor-made applications on a smartwatch. Results showed that the intensity of exercise for the same exercise program was lower in the high-fit group than in the low-fit group, as evidenced by %HRmax. In addition, the pattern of affective change throughout the exercise sections was different according to the groups’ fitness levels, while the affective improvement was greater in the high-fit group. This study confirmed that physical fitness is a major variable influencing the relationship between exercise and affect.

Injury Rates in Female and Male Military Personnel: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: An effective military force is required to be agile, capable, efficient, and potent. Injuries to military personnel interrupt active-duty service and can detract from overall capability. These injuries are associated with a high individual and organizational burden, with lost work time and financial costs - all problematic for the ongoing functioning of a military force. Injury control strategies have therefore been described as force multipliers. Female personnel form an integral part of any modern defence force, but little research has examined their specific experiences of injury, to inform targeted injury control efforts. The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise findings from studies of injury rates and patterns in female military personnel, comparing them to those of male personnel.Methods: A systematic search was conducted for studies which compared injury rates between the sexes at any stage of military service, from basic training through to deployment. Databases searched included PUBMED, CINAHL and Medline through OVID. Methodological quality of eligible articles was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP), and AXIS tools and data were extracted, synthesized, and, where possible, underwent meta-analysis.Results: Of 2287 identified studies, a total of 25 studies were eligible and included. Methodological quality ranged from 60% up to a perfect score of 100%, with an average of 82% across all studies. Relative risks for injuries (reported as RR [95%CI]) to females when compared to males were 2.10 [1.89-2.33] during basic training, 1.70 [1.33–2.17] during officer training, and 1.23 [1.05-1.43] post initial training. After adjustment for differences between the sexes in average fitness levels (2-mile run time), there was no longer a significant difference in injury rates (adjusted RR: 0.95 [0.86-1.05]). Female personnel tended to make bigger improvements in their fitness during basic training than males and tended to report their injuries more frequently and sooner than males. Conclusion While this review found a higher rate of reported injuries in female military personnel when compared to male personnel, differences between the sexes in average fitness levels and injury reporting behaviours may largely explain this rate difference. The difference in rates of reported injuries was greatest during basic training, and reduced thereafter, possibly due in part to a reduced difference in fitness between the sexes or increased opportunity to self-determine workloads relative to fitness levels.

Recurrence quantification analysis of heart rate variability to detect both ventilatory thresholds

Aims of this study were: to verify if Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) time series could determine both ventilatory thresholds in individuals with different fitness levels, and to assess the validity of RQA method compared to gas-exchange method (GE). The two thresholds were estimated in thirty young individuals during incremental exercise on cycle-ergometer: Heart rate (HR), Oxygen consumption (VO2) and Workload were measured by the two methods (RQA and GE). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess main effects of methods and methods-by-groups interaction effects for HR, VO2 and Workload at aerobic (AerT) and anaerobic (AnT) thresholds. Validity of RQA at both thresholds was assessed for HR, VO2 and Workload by Ordinary Least Products (OLP) regression, Typical Percentage Error (TE), Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and the Bland Altman plots. No methods-by-groups interaction effects were detected for HR, VO2 and Workload at AerT and AnT. The OLP analysis showed that at both thresholds RQA and GE methods had very strong correlations (r >0.8) in all variables (HR, VO2 and Workload). Slope and intercept values always included the 1 and the 0, respectively. At AerT the TE ranged from 4.02% (5.48 bpm) to 10.47% (8.53 Watts) (HR and Workload, respectively) and in all variables ICC values were excellent (≥0.85). At AnT the TE ranged from 2.53% (3.98 bpm) to 6.64% (7.81 Watts) (HR and Workload, respectively) and in all variables ICC values were excellent (≥0.90). Therefore, RQA of HRV time series is a new valid approach to determine both ventilatory thresholds in individuals with different physical fitness levels, it can be used when gas analysis is not possible or not convenient.

Integrative Review of Exercise at Altitude during Pregnancy

Many competitive and elite athletes continue to train throughout their pregnancies and many visit or live at altitude. The purpose of this integrative review is to synthesize, analyze and critique published studies regarding the safety of serious recreational or elite athletes exercising at altitude while pregnant. Seven databases were searched, and 157 documents were located, which were screened for appropriateness and reduced to seven articles that met the criteria. The studies were analyzed based on maternal and fetal outcomes. Current recommendations for exercising at altitude were based on sedentary individuals who frequently did not have the expected physiological responses based on research on pregnancy and altitude. It is unknown whether competitive and elite athletes would have similar responses to exercise at altitude. More research on exercise at altitude on individuals with a variety of fitness levels is needed.

Scoping Review: Hubungan Tingkat Kebugaran Kardiovaskular dengan Gizi Lebih pada Anak Usia Sekolah

Gizi lebih saat ini telah menjadi masalah global, tidak hanya terjadi pada orang dewasa, tetapi juga pada anak dan remaja. Anak yang memiliki riwayat gizi lebih tetap mengalami gizi lebih ketika dewasa yang dapat memicu berbagai macam penyakit metabolik dan kardiovaskular yang berkaitan dengan morbiditas dan mortalitas. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu mengetahui hubungan tingkat kebugaran kardiovaskular dengan gizi lebih pada anak usia sekolah berdasar atas penelitian-penelitian terdahulu. Metode penelitian ini yaitu scoping review dengan database yang digunakan adalah Google Scholar, Science Direct, dan Spinger Link dengan jumlah artikel yang didapat sebanyak 5.646 artikel. Hasil skrining pada artikel yang sesuai dengan kriteria inklusi sebanyak 419 artikel dan kriteria eksklusi sebanyak 410 artikel. Setelah dilakukan telaah kritis, artikel yang di-review sebanyak sembilan artikel. Analisis dari sembilan artikel yang di-review menunjukkan bahwa anak dengan obesitas dan overweight meningkatkan risiko penurunan kebugaran kardiovaskular. Tingkat kebugaran anak gizi normal lebih tinggi daripada anak gizi lebih. Kesimpulan penelitian ini, yaitu anak gizi lebih memiliki tingkat kebugaran kardiovaskular yang rendah. Scoping Review: Relationship between Cardiovascular Fitness Levels and Over Nutrition School Age ChildrenOver nutrition has become a global problem, not only in adults but also in children and adolescents. Children with a history of over nutrition continue to experience over nutrition as adults, which can support various metabolic and cardiovascular diseases associated with morbidity and mortality. The study aimed to examine the relationship between cardiovascular fitness levels and overnutrition among school-age children based on previous research. This research method is scoping review with the database used is Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Spinger Link with the number of articles obtained as many as 5,646 articles. The screening results for articles that matched the inclusion criteria were 419 articles, and the exclusion criteria were 410 articles. After conducting a critical review, nine articles were reviewed. An analysis of nine reviewed articles showed that obese and overweight children had an increased risk of decreased cardiovascular fitness. The fitness level of normal nutrition children is higher than children with over nutrition. This study concludes that children with over nutrition have a lower level of cardiovascular fitness. Scoping Review: Relationship between Cardiovascular Fitness Levels and Over Nutrition School Age Children