Study of sympathetic and parasympathetic control of haemodynamics in mid pregnancy by cardiac autonomic neuropathy analyzer

Pregnancy is associated with substantial changes in cardiovascular system. The action of autonomic nervous system is essential for circulatory adaptations in pregnancy and nourishing growing fetus. The study was conducted to assess the significance of autonomic function tests amongst women of mid pregnancy and non pregnant women. A comparative study was caried out amongst pregnant and non pregnant women in Department of Physiology. A total of 60 women (30 pregnant as study group and 30 non pregnant healthy women as control group) aged between 18- 30 years were included in study. The results indicated that there was statistically significant change in resting heart and highly statistically significant change to deep breathing in mid pregnancy reflecting higher parasympathetic activity in study group (pregnant female) as compared to control group (non pregnant female) while sympathetic activity assessed by isometric hand grip test didn’t show any statistically significant change among pregnant as compared to non pregnant. Our study showed role of parasympathetic activity in controlling haemodynamics in mid pregnancy and it may help to return the arterial pressure to non pregnant level by causing haemodilution, although when the increase in activity is excessive, hypertension may ensue.

Influence of Female Sex Hormones on Ultra-Running Performance and Post-Race Recovery: Role of Testosterone

In recent years, increasing numbers of women have participated in extremely long races. In adult males, there is a clear association between physiological levels of endogenous sex hormones and physical performance. However, the influence of plasmatic sex hormones and the effects of different types of hormonal contraception (HC) on the modulation of physical performance in adult females remain to be fully clarified. Eighteen female ultra-endurance athletes were recruited to participate in the study. Different variables were studied, including hematological parameters, body mass index, and body composition. Strength measurements were obtained using the squat-jump and hand-grip test. A repeated-measures analysis demonstrated significant differences in hematological values of CK and LDH pre-race as compared to immediately post-race and after 24/48 h. Furthermore, statistical differences were found in squat-jump and hand-grip test results after the ultramarathon. Testosterone, estradiol, and the testosterone/estrogen ratio were significantly correlated with muscle fatigue and were found to be indirect markers of muscle damage. A multivariate analysis demonstrated the protective role of testosterone against muscle damage and severe fatigue. Fluctuations in endogenous testosterone levels were correlated with greater fatigability and muscle damage after the competition. Adjusting the menstrual cycle with HC would not provide any further benefit to the athlete’s competitive capacity.

Reproductibilité inter-opérateurs pour la réalisation du MRC sum score par les kinésithérapeutes spécialisés en réanimation : une enquête.

Le MRC sum score est un test volitionnel non-invasif permettant de diagnostiquer une faiblesse musculaire acquise en réanimation. Un score très faible est corrélé à la mortalité. Plusieurs études ont montré une bonne reproductibilité inter-opérateurs, même si de grandes disparités apparaissent à travers la littérature. Dans ce contexte, nous avons voulu évaluer, grâce à une enquête auprès de kinésithérapeutes de réanimation, les points communs et les divergences pratiques de ce test. Nous avons interrogé, entre Avril et septembre 2019, 69 kinésithérapeutes grâce à un questionnaire en ligne. Les résultats montrent des variations importantes dans l’évaluation des prérequis neurologiques, dans la réalisation du test en lui-même, et enfin dans les extrapolations. Les disparités observées rejoignent celles de la littérature. Le MRC sum score permet donc de mettre en évidence la neuromyopathie de réanimation, même si une standardisation parait indispensable, au vu de l’utilisation régulière aujourd’hui de ce test comme critère de jugement dans de nombreuses études. Des études ultérieures sont nécessaires afin de comparer ce MRC sum score à un MRC à 4 points, ce dernier ayant montré une réalisation facilitée. L’évaluation musculaire en réanimation par le kinésithérapeute est aussi possible par l’échographie au stade aigu, par le MRC sum score dès que le patient est capable neurologiquement de réaliser le test, et par le hand-grip test dès que le patient dépasse un score de 48/60, afin d’être plus pertinent dans l’évolution du patient et dans le choix des techniques de réhabilitation précoce à appliquer.

Taopatch® combined with home-based training protocol to prevent sedentary lifestyle and biochemical changes in MS patients during COVID-19 pandemic

In Multiple sclerosis (MS) it is important to preserve the residual physiological functions of subjects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of nanotechnological device treatment combined with home-based training program (TP) on lactate level, hand grip strength and cervical mobility on MS patients. Seventeen MS patients were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG) in which the Taopatch® nanotechnological device was applied or to a control group (CG). All the participants carried out a cervical range of motion (1) assessment and the hand grip test at baseline (T0) and after TP (T1), also investigating the lactate levels to figure out if there could be a correlation with the possible changes in the investigated parameters. The results showed no significant differences in both groups for ROM. As regards the hand grip test, EG showed a statistically significant improvement on strength for both hands, dominant (p = 0.01) and non-dominant (p = 0.04), while the CG showed an improvement only for the non-dominant hand (p = 0.001). No correlation was found between baseline lactate level and cervical ROM change. We can definitely conclude that exercise and Taopatch® can help to improve and maintain hand strength in MS subjects and also can prevent sedentary lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic time. These are preliminary results that need further investigations, possibly increasing sample size and lengthening time of intervention.

Modernising the Dynamometer for Grip Assessment: Comparison between GripAble and Jamar

Introduction: Maximal grip strength (MGS) is a reliable biomarker of overall health and physiological well-being. Therefore, an accurate and reliable measurement device is vital for ensuring the validity of the MGS assessment. This paper presents GripAble, a mobile handgrip device for the assessment of MGS. GripAble’s performance was evaluated using an inter-instrument reliability test against the widely used Jamar PLUS+ dynamometer. Methods: The MGS data from sixty-three participants (N = 63) measured using GripAble and Jamar PLUS+ were collected and compared. Intra-class correlation (ICC) was performed to evaluate the inter-device reliability between GripAble and Jamar PLUS+. The influence of gender and hand on MGS were also analysed. Results: GripAble demonstrates good-to-excellent inter-instrument reliability to the Jamar PLUS+ (ICC 3,1 =0.906). There were significant differences in the mean MGS between GripAble and Jamar PLUS+ (p <0.001 for both). GripAble’s measurement output is equivalent to 69% ([68-71]%) of Jamar PLUS+’s measurement output. The average difference in mean MGS between the two devices was 10.84 ± 4.18 kg ([4.77-18.54] kg), which increases with higher MGS. There were also significant differences in MGS between male and female and between right and left hands measured using GripAble and Jamar PLUS+ (p <0.001 for all comparisons). Conclusion: GripAble has good-to-excellent inter-device reliability with Jamar PLUS+, suggesting that it can be used clinically as a dynamometer whilst also providing additional functionalities, such as remote assessment, objective evaluation of compliance to standard protocol and assessing multiple facets of grip strength beyond the standard single maximum grip test. Normative MGS data using GripAble should be collected and integrated into the software for immediate comparison. Further studies, including test-retest and inter-rater reliability of using GripAble, are discussed. 1 www.gripable.co BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders-GripAble vs Jamar v1.0 15/07/2021

OP0247 IN MYOSITIS MUSCLE FIBRE PLAYS A DIRECT AND CRITICAL ROLE IN THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE TO GLUCOCORTICOIDS

Background:Myositis are rare autoimmune diseases, affecting more women than men, characterized by chronic inflammation of skeletal muscle causing muscle weakness, decreased quality of life and increased mortality.Glucocorticoids (GC) are potent anti-inflammatory drugs, and are the first line treatment of myositis. They improve muscle strength of myositis patients (therapeutic effect), yet muscle recovery is generally only partial. Moreover, GC have an iatrogenic effect on skeletal muscle fibre leading to steroid myopathy. Thus myositis care has to be improved. Despite the autoimmune terrain of myositis, our team has recently shown that muscle fibres themselves develop immuno-metabolic modifications that participate to muscle weakness and perpetuation of the disease1. GC effects are mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which is expressed in various cell types including immune cells and myofibres, but the cells mediating therapeutic responses remain to be determined.Objectives:Unravel the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of GC in myositis, particularly elucidate the role of skeletal muscle fibres.Methods:Experimental myositis was induced in eight to ten week-old C57BL/6J female mice by a single intradermal injection of part of skeletal muscle fast-type C protein along with Freund’s adjuvant and an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of pertussis toxin, as previously described2. Prednisone (PDN) was administered 14 days (D) after the immunization at 1 mg/kg/day for 7 days by gavage. Mice were euthanized 21 days after myositis induction. Muscle strength was assessed by grip test at D 0, before the 1st PDN administration (D 14) and the day before sacrifice (D 20). To investigate whether the PDN effects are mediated by myofibre, we generated transgenic mice carrying two LoxP sites within the GR gene in muscle, expressing the tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ERT2 recombinase selectively in skeletal muscle fibre (HSA-CreERT2/GR L2/L2). Tamoxifen (1 mg/day for 5 days by IP injection) was administered 9 days after immunization to induce GR ablation selectively in skeletal muscle fibres (GR(i)skm-/- mice). Similar treatments were applied to GR L2/L2 that do not express Cre-ER(T2), and served as controls.We compared 4 groups of myositis mice, GR L2/L2 treated by PDN (n=9) or vehicle (n=9) and GR(i)skm-/- treated by PDN (n=10) or vehicle (n=10), by grip test and at the histological level (hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Gomori trichrome (GT) staining). Moreover, LC3 expression was studied by RTqPCR and western blot.Results:Muscle strength was decreased in both GR L2/L2 and GR(i)skm-/- myositis mice from D 14 to D 20. GR L2/L2 myositis mice recovered muscle strength after PDN treatment; no significant difference compared to D 0 was detected. In contrast, PDN did not improve muscle strength in GR(i)skm-/- myositis mice (Figure 1).HE and GT staining did not reveal quantitative differences in inflammatory infiltrate. Necrotic and degenerative fibres were detected in the 4 groups. At RTqPCR, LC3, an autophagy marker, was upregulated in PDN-treated GR L2/L2 myositis mice compared to untreated GR L2/L2 myositis mice; moreover it was 2-fold more expressed in PDN-treated GR L2/L2 myositis mice compared to PDN-treated GR(i)skm-/- mice.Conclusion:GR in skeletal muscle fibre is crucial to mediate the therapeutic response to GC in a murine model of myositis. Autophagy is one of the candidate pathways controlled by myofibre GR underlying this effect.References:[1]Meyer A et al. IFN-β-induced reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial damage contribute to muscle impairment and inflammation maintenance in dermatomyositis. Acta Neuropathol. 2017 Oct;134(4):655-666.[2]Sugihara T et al. A new murine model to define the critical pathologic and therapeutic mediators of polymyositis. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Apr;56(4):1304-14.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Effectiveness of Using Active Games for Strength Development in 10-Year-Old Boys at the Initial Training Stage in Kyokushin Karate

The objective of the study was to examine the level of strength fitness indicators of 10-year-old boys who do Kyokushin Karate, and experimentally test the effectiveness of the impact of play techniques on the dynamics of strength development. Materials and methods. The study involved 40 10-year-old boys. The children and their parents were informed about all the features of the study and gave their consent to participate in the experiment. To achieve the objective set, the following research methods were used: analysis of scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical testing, and methods of mathematical statistics for processing research results. Results. There were the biggest changes in the results of the tests “Standing long jump” by 15.9% (р < 0.001), “Sit-ups in 30 s” by 16.0% (р < 0.001), “Pull-ups” by 18.3% (р < 0.001), and “Bent arm hang” by 15.6% (р < 0.001). The experimental group boys’ result of the “Standing long jump” changed from low to above average. The lowest increase in results was observed in the “Right hand grip test” by 7.2% (р < 0.001), “Left hand grip test” by 6.9% (р < 0.001), and“Push-ups” by 11.8% (р < 0.001). Conclusions. The initial level of the boys’ strength fitness is sufficient and conforms to age norms. Most of them had an average – 30.36%, an above average – 19.64%, and a high – 23.21% level of strength abilities development. The data obtained give reason to recommend that teachers and coaches use active games aimed at developing strength. As a result of using play load (5 games, 3 repetitions with rest intervals of 40 s), there was a statistically significant increase in strength indicators (р < 0.001).

Effects of bodyweight and traditional resistance training on the functionality of elderly people: a randomized clinical trial

Introduction: Bodyweight training is a method that aims to improve physical fitness without the use of implements to generate overload, being an alternative to traditional resistance training. However, there are still few studies analyzing its effects on the functionality of active older women. Objective: To compare the effects of body weight training with traditional resistance training on functionality of active older women. Methods: Thirty-three older women (64.42 ± 4.22 years) completed twelve weeks of intervention and were randomized into three groups: Bodyweight Training (BWT: n = 13), Traditional Resistance Training (TT: n = 13) and Control (CG: n = 7). Functional responses were assessed using the Sit and Stand (SL), Gallon Jug Shelf Transfer (GJST), Stand Up (LPDV), Time Up and Go (TUG), Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Isometric Dead Lift (IDL) and Hand Grip Test. Self-perception of quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, TT demonstrated significant improvements in SL (3.23%), TUG (-6.06%) and WHOQOL-BREF (7.62%) tests. The BWT provided significant improvement in the IDL test (10.32%) and both experimental groups showed significant improvements in GJST (TT = -7.59% and BWT = -7.62%) and LPDV (TT = -9.28% and BWT = -12.25%) in relation to the initial values. Conclusion: Both programs proved to be effective for improving the functionality of the older women. Considering the similarity in the magnitude of the effects, BWT may be a viable, practical and inexpensive alternative to TT for this population.Keywords: aging, functional training, body weight training, daily activities, health, quality of life.

Sea Cucumber Peptides Improved the Mitochondrial Capacity of Mice: A Potential Mechanism to Enhance Gluconeogenesis and Fat Catabolism during Exercise for Improved Antifatigue Property

Sea cucumber promotes multifaceted health benefits. However, the mechanisms of sea cucumber peptides (Scp) regulating the antifatigue capacity is still unknown. The present study is aimed at further elucidating the effects and mechanisms of Scp on the antifatigue capacity of mice. At first, C57BL/6J mice were assigned into four groups named Con, L-Scp, M-Scp, and H-Scp and received diets containing Scp (0%, 0.15%, 0.3%, and 0.5%, respectively) for continuous 30 days. On the 21th day, a fore grip test was conducted on mice. On the 25th day, a rotating rod test was conducted on mice. On the 30th day, the quantities of glycogen and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were determined in 8 random mice and another 8 mice were forced to swim for 1 hour before slaughter for detecting biochemical indicators. It was observed that the Scp groups significantly prolonged the running time in rotarod, increased forelimb grip strength, improved lactic acid (LD) and urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in the serum, decreased lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) activities in the serum, increased blood glucose (BG) and glycogen (GN) levels in the liver and skeletal muscle after swimming, increased the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase in the skeletal muscle and heart, and improved antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, Scp treatment significantly elevated the mRNA and protein relative levels of power-sensitive factors, lipid catabolism, and mitochondrial biogenesis and significantly upregulated mRNA levels of gluconeogenesis. Besides, mtDNA before the swimming test was increased in the three Scp groups. These results show that Scp treatment has antifatigue capacity. Furthermore, these results suggest that improved energy regulation and antioxidant capacity may be the result of improved mitochondrial function.