Physical Activity in the Workplace: Does Just Working Meet Activity Recommendations?

Background: The physical activity (PA) health paradox hypothesizes that occupational physical activity (OPA) and leisure time PA have differential cardiovascular health effects due to increased cardiovascular load without adequate recovery; however, research describing worker PA lacks high-quality objective OPA measurement. This study aimed to objectively describe PA profiles of men reporting high OPA and make comparisons to aerobic PA and OPA recommendations. Methods: Male food service, material moving, health care, or maintenance workers wore activity (ActiGraph® and activPAL®) and heart rate monitors for 7 days. Participants recorded work, non-work, and sleep times in a diary. PA was operationalized as time spent in sedentary behavior, upright time, light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous PA during work and non-work hours. PA profiles were described and compared with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aerobic PA guidelines (≥21.4 minute/day) and OPA recommendations (<30 minute/hour upright and intensity of <30% heart rate reserve). Findings: Nineteen male workers (68% White, age = 46.6±7.9 years) were more active on workdays than non-workdays (sedentary: 492.3 vs. 629.7 minute/day; upright: 462.4 vs. 325.2 minute/day; moderate-to-vigorous PA: 72.4 vs. 41.5 minute/day, respectively; all p < .05). Most participants (17/19) achieved aerobic PA guidelines across all days with more achieving on workdays (19/19) than non-workdays (13/19). OPA often exceeded recommended limits with participants accumulating 39.6±12.2 minutes/work hour upright and 30.3±25.9% of working time >30% heart rate reserve. Conclusions/Application to Practice: Male workers reporting high OPA typically met aerobic PA guidelines but exceeded recommended OPA limits. The long-term health implications of such activity profiles should be investigated.

Carga interna y externa en el tenis de competición: comparación de tres tipos de entrenamiento (Internal and external load in competitive tennis: comparison of three types of training)

El objetivo principal de esta investigación es cuantificar la carga externa y la carga interna en tres tipos de entrenamiento (cubos con la mano, cubos con raqueta y peloteos) más utilizados en el ámbito del tenis de competición y compararlos entre sí. Participaron 6 jugadores de tenis (cuatro jugadores masculinos y 2 jugadoras) con una media de edad de 16.67 (± 2.73) años. Para cuantificar las cargas, se han utilizado pulsómetros POLAR +M400 para recoger los datos relacionados con la frecuencia cardíaca, distancia recorrida, velocidad media y máxima, y sensores ZEPP TENNIS, con los que se han recogido los datos relativos a tipo de golpe, número de golpeos y velocidad de raqueta en cada uno de los golpes realizados. Además, para registrar la percepción subjetiva de esfuerzo, en cada tarea realizada y al final de cada entrenamiento, se ha utilizado la Escala de Borg CR-10 (Borg, 1982). Se realizaron 9 sesiones de entrenamiento por parejas: tres para el entrenamiento del drive, tres para el entrenamiento del revés y tres para el entrenamiento del drive y el revés de forma conjunta, una para cada tipo de entrenamiento. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el entrenamiento de cubos con la mano tiene mayor carga interna en cuanto a número de golpeos y velocidad media de raqueta, siendo el entrenamiento de peloteos el que mayor carga externa refleja en relación a velocidades y distancias recorridas. Abstract. The main objective of this research is to quantify the external load and the internal load in three types of training (buckets with the hand, buckets with racket and rallies) most used in the field of tennis and compare them to each other. Six tennis players participated (four male and two female players) with an average age of 16.67 (± 2.73) years. To quantify the loads, POLAR +M400 heart rate monitors were used to collect the data related to heart rate, distance covered, average and maximum speed, and ZEPP TENNIS sensors were used to collect the data related to type of stroke, number of strokes and racket speed for each of the strokes made. In addition, the Borg CR-10 Scale (Borg, 1982) has been used to record the rate of perceived exertion, in each task performed and at the end of each training session. Nine training sessions were carried out in pairs: three for drive training, three for backhand training and three for drive and backhand training together, one for each type of training. The results obtained show that bucket training with the hand has a greater internal load in terms of the number of strokes and average racket speed, with racket training having the greatest external load in relation to speed and distance travelled.

Does Childcare Work Promote Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health? A Cross-Sectional Study of Danish Childcare Workers Based on Accelerometry and Heart Rate Measurements

Childcare workers are reported to have poor cardiorespiratory fitness and health. The Goldilocks Work Principle argues that productive work should be designed with the right composition, intensity and alternations of physical behaviors so that workers get fit and healthy. The purpose of this study was to investigate: (1) composition, (2) intensity and (3) alternations of physical behaviors during work and leisure among childcare workers. Data were collected using accelerometers and heart rate monitors over five workdays among 51 childcare workers at five Danish childcare institutions. Workers mainly spent their work time sedentary (43.0%), spent little time (0.7%) at sufficiently high cardiometabolic intensity to increase cardiorespiratory fitness and often alternated between physical behaviors (67.0% occurred in bouts of <5 min). These findings indicate that the workers have a composition of behaviors at work dominated by sedentary time, little time with high cardiometabolic intensity, and frequent alternations between behaviors. During leisure, workers spent more time sedentary (59.4%), more time at high cardiometabolic intensity (3.4%) and less time occurred in bouts <5 min (38.7%). We see a potential for promoting cardiorespiratory fitness and health of childcare workers by redesigning the way they play with the children, so that work time with high cardiometabolic intensity is increased.

Additional players and half-court areas enhance group tactical-technical behavior and decrease physical and physiological responses in basketball small-sided games

Small-sided games are used to improve tactical-technical and physical performances in team sports. This study compared the physical, physiological, and tactical-technical responses during 3 versus 3 basketball small-sided games performed in full and half-court: numerical equality (3 vs. 3), numerical superiority (4 vs. 3), and with a non-scorer floater (3 vs. 3 + 1). A total of 45 U-14 and U-15 male athletes participated in the study. They were divided into three-player teams and played one 4-minute bout of each small-sided game type. Heart rate and the time spent in four acceleration zones (0.0–0.5, 0.5–1.0, 1.0–1.5, and 1.5–2.0 g) were recorded using heart rate monitors and triaxial accelerometers. Small-sided games were filmed for the analysis of tactical-technical behavior. Results showed a higher frequency of space creation without the ball, and a mean number of passes per offense in the formats 4 versus 3 and 3 versus 3 + 1, and a lower frequency of space creation with the ball dribbled in 3 versus 3 + 1 compared with 3 versus 3. Physical and physiological responses were higher in the full-court regardless of format and in numerical equality regardless of court area; only the time spent in the highest acceleration zone was higher in half-court small-sided games. We concluded that additional players increase group tactical actions and decrease physical and physiological responses in 3 versus 3 basketball small-sided games.

Genes, beats and traits: A multi-marker exploration of personality

<p>This research explores associations between genetic polymorphisms in dopamine and serotonin systems (DAT1, DRD4 and 5HTTLPR polymorphisms), physiological and environmental variables and multiple personality traits. 113 participants were genotyped, participated in a stressful cross-cultural negotiation exercise and completed personality scales while wearing heart-rate monitors. Heart-rate variability and stressful life events were associated with conscientiousness and neuroticism traits. Contradicting previous research, no reliable gene x stressful life event interactions were found. Gender and ethnicity masked genetic effects on neurotic and sensation-seeking traits, particularly for DAT1 and 5HTTLPR. The DRD4-7R allele was associated with higher agreeableness and lower neuroticism, and contrary to prediction, with lower sensation-seeking. Gene-trait relations are complex, interactionist and multiply-determined, suggesting that personality variation is influenced by – but not reducible to – genetic variation.</p>

Genes, beats and traits: A multi-marker exploration of personality

<p>This research explores associations between genetic polymorphisms in dopamine and serotonin systems (DAT1, DRD4 and 5HTTLPR polymorphisms), physiological and environmental variables and multiple personality traits. 113 participants were genotyped, participated in a stressful cross-cultural negotiation exercise and completed personality scales while wearing heart-rate monitors. Heart-rate variability and stressful life events were associated with conscientiousness and neuroticism traits. Contradicting previous research, no reliable gene x stressful life event interactions were found. Gender and ethnicity masked genetic effects on neurotic and sensation-seeking traits, particularly for DAT1 and 5HTTLPR. The DRD4-7R allele was associated with higher agreeableness and lower neuroticism, and contrary to prediction, with lower sensation-seeking. Gene-trait relations are complex, interactionist and multiply-determined, suggesting that personality variation is influenced by – but not reducible to – genetic variation.</p>

Comparative Assessment of Heart Rate Variability Obtained via Ambulatory ECG and Polar Heart Rate Monitors in Healthy Cats: A Pilot Study

Chronic exposure to stressful environments can negatively impact cats' health and welfare, affecting behavioral, autonomic, endocrine, and immune function, as with cats in shelters. Low-stress handling practices likely improve shelter cat welfare, but data supporting improved outcomes remain limited. Cardiac activity, particularly heart rate variability (HRV), is an indicator of stress and emotional state in humans and non-human animals, tracking important body functions associated with stress responsiveness, environmental adaptability, mental, and physical health. HRV studies in cats are limited, involving mainly anesthetized or restrained cats. This pilot study tested the feasibility of obtaining HRV data from unrestrained cats, using a commercially available cardiac monitoring system (Polar H10 with chest strap), compared with data from a traditional ambulatory electrocardiogram. Simultaneous data for the two systems were obtained for five adult cats. Overall, the Polar H10 monitor assessments of HRV were lower than the true HRV assessment by ambulatory ECG, except for SDNN. Correlation between the two systems was weak. Possible reasons for the lack of agreement between the two methods are discussed. At this time, our results do not support the use of Polar H10 heart rate monitors for studies of HRV in cats.

SaferBirths bundle of care protocol: a stepped-wedge cluster implementation project in 30 public health-facilities in five regions, Tanzania

Background The burden of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths are unacceptably high in low- and middle-income countries, especially around the time of birth. There are scarce resources and/or support implementation of evidence-based training programs. SaferBirths Bundle of Care is a well-proven package of innovative tools coupled with data-driven on-the-job training aimed at reducing perinatal and maternal deaths. The aim of this project is to determine the effect of scaling up the bundle on improving quality of intrapartum care and perinatal survival. Methods The project will follow a stepped-wedge cluster implementation design with well-established infrastructures for data collection, management, and analysis in 30 public health facilities in regions in Tanzania. Healthcare workers from selected health facilities will be trained in basic neonatal resuscitation, essential newborn care and essential maternal care. Foetal heart rate monitors (Moyo), neonatal heart rate monitors (NeoBeat) and skills trainers (NeoNatalie Live) will be introduced in the health facilities to facilitate timely identification of foetal distress during labour and improve neonatal resuscitation, respectively. Heart rate signal-data will be automatically collected by Moyo and NeoBeat, and newborn resuscitation training by NeoNatalie Live. Given an average of 4000 baby-mother pairs per year per health facility giving an estimate of 240,000 baby-mother pairs for a 2-years duration, 25% reduction in perinatal mortality at a two-sided significance level of 5%, intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC) to be 0.0013, the study power stands at 0.99. Discussion Previous reports from small-scale Safer Births Bundle implementation studies show satisfactory uptake of interventions with significant improvements in quality of care and lives saved. Better equipped and trained birth attendants are more confident and skilled in providing care. Additionally, local data-driven feedback has shown to drive continuous quality of care improvement initiatives, which is essential to increase perinatal and maternal survival. Strengths of this research project include integration of innovative tools with existing national guidelines, local data-driven decision-making and training. Limitations include the stepwise cluster implementation design that may lead to contamination of the intervention, and/or inability to address the shortage of healthcare workers and medical supplies beyond the project scope. Trial registration Name of Trial Registry: ISRCTN Registry. Trial registration number: ISRCTN30541755. Date of Registration: 12/10/2020. Type of registration: Prospectively Registered.

Effect of Changing Match Format from Halves to Quarters on the Performance Characteristics of Male University Field Hockey Players

The study examined whether the performance characteristics of male university field hockey players differed when the match format was 2 × 35 min halves compared to 2 × 2 × 17.5 min quarters. Thirty-five male university field hockey players (age 21.2 ± 3.0 years, height 1.81 ± 0.07 m, body mass 75.1 ± 8.9 kg), competing at national level in the UK, were monitored over 52 matches played across the 2018–2019 (2 × 35 min halves) and 2019–2020 (2 × 2 × 17.5 min quarters) seasons using 15 Hz Global Positioning System units and heart rate monitors. Total distance, high-speed running distance (≥15.5 km·h−1), accelerations (≥2 m·s−1), decelerations (≤−2 m·s−1), average heart rate and percentage of time spent at >85% of maximum heart rate were recorded during both match formats. Two-level random intercept hierarchal models (Match—level 1, Player—level 2) suggested that the change in format from 2 × 35 min halves (2018–2019 season) to 2 × 2 × 17.5 min quarters (2019–2020 season) resulted in a reduction in total distance and high-speed running distance completed during a match (by 221 m and 120 m, respectively, both p < 0.001). As no significant cross-level interactions were observed (between season and half), the change from 35 min halves to 17.5 min quarters did not attenuate the reduced physical performance evident during the second half of matches (total distance: −235 m less in second half; high-speed running distance: −70 m less in second half; both p < 0.001). Overall, the findings suggest that the change in match format did alter the performance characteristics of male university field hockey players, but the quarter format actually reduced the total distance and high-speed running distance completed during matches, and did not attenuate the reduction in performance seen during the second half of matches.