Amplitude of Lower Limb Muscle Activation in Different Phases of the Illinois Test in Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Pilot Study.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with high prevalence in men and is characterized by symptoms such as tremors and gait difficulties. This study aimed to determine muscle activation in patients with PD by considering sex differences. Methods: This pilot study used analytical, quantitative, observational, and case-control methods. Surface electromyography was used to assess muscle activity during a variant of the Illinois agility test. The study population comprised an experimental group of patients with PD (N = 30) and a control group of healthy individuals without the disease (N = 10). Results: The Illinois agility test revealed significant differences in completion times between the groups. The Parkinson's disease group took longer overall (p = 0.004), especially for standing up (p < 0.001) and sitting down (p = 0.002), than the control group. In the control group, sex influenced gastrocnemius muscle activation, with women showing higher activation (rs = -0.87). Women also had greater rectus femoris activation during standing and sitting, with higher activation on the right side when standing (rs = -0.66) and the left side when sitting (rs = -0.87). In the control group, men exhibited greater activation of the right biceps femoris (rs = 0.87). However, in the Parkinson's disease group, sex did not affect muscle activation. Conclusions: Patients with Parkinson's showed lower muscle activation than healthy individuals while standing up, sitting down, and walking.

Muscle Changes during Direct Attack under Different Conditions in Elite Wheelchair Fencing.

Wheelchair fencing is a medium-distance combat sport in which the wheelchair is fixed to the floor. This requires a maximum concentration and gestational speed. Refined techniques and fatigue tolerance are essential to achieve competitive results. AIM: The main objective of this study was to measure the speed and muscular participation of a direct attack gesture with and without fatigue in a sample of elite wheelchair fencers. METHODS: The maximal isometric force, gestural speed, and resistance to gestural velocity were estimated in 10 elite performed direct fencers. RESULTS: The results revealed that sitting height and wingspan were important factors in achieving the highest speed, especially in women (r = 0.9; p = 0.07). Other factors, such as the elbow angle where the closed position was better, affected muscle contraction in both categories of athletes (p = 0.01). The onset of fatigue was earlier in category B than in category A, with greater variation in direct attack movement. The results highlight the importance of analyzing direct attacks for the best application of quick force, speed, and muscle participation, as well as identifying the onset of technical deterioration to devise a competitive strategy. These parameters may allow for precise design of conditioning sessions for elite wheelchair shooters.

Analysis of Heart Rate Variability in Individuals Affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) produces alterations in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which explains the cardiac manifestations observed in patients. The assessment of heart rate variability (HRV) is what best reflects the activity of the ANS on heart rate. The Polar H7 Bluetooth® device proves to be a non-invasive and much faster technology than existing alternatives for this purpose. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to determine HRV using Polar H7 Bluetooth technology in ALS patients, comparing the obtained measurements with values from healthy individuals. METHOD: The sample consisted of 124 participants: 68 diagnosed with ALS and 56 healthy individuals. Using Polar H7 Bluetooth technology and the ELITE HRV application, various HRV measurements were determined for all participants, specifically the HRV index, RMSSD, RMSSD LN, SDNN index, PNN50, LF, HF, LF/HF ratio, HR average, and HF peak frequency. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between ALS patients and healthy individuals in the HRV index, RMSSD, RMSSD LN, SDNN index, PNN50, HF, and LF, where healthy individuals exhibited higher scores. For the HR average, the ALS group showed a higher value. Values were similar when comparing men and women with ALS, with only a higher HF peak frequency observed in women. CONCLUSION: The Polar H7 Bluetooth® device is effective in determining heart rate variability alterations in ALS, being a promising prognostic tool for the disease.

Muscular Response in ALS Patients during Maximal Bilateral Isometric Work of the Biceps Brachii until Fatigue.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative and fatal disease, characterized by the loss of motor neurons and progressive musculoskeletal deterioration. The clinical onset is mainly bulbar or spinal. Considering that there is no effective medical treatment, there is a need to understand the muscle activation patterns to design better physical exercise routines. The objective of this study was to determine muscle strength and fatigue in patients with ALS performing a unilateral exercise, and according to sex and type of ALS. A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted with 23 patients. Five maximal unilateral isometric contractions were performed with the right and left biceps brachii. Muscle activation was calculated by surface electromyography bilaterally in the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus femoris anterior, and tibialis anterior. The results showed more accentuated fatigue in men than in women, between the first and last contractions performed and especially on the dominant side (p = 0.016). In addition, there was evidence of a coactivation effect on the muscles around the work joint, which reflects a growing activation of synergists, regardless of sex or type of ALS. These findings support the use of systematic and extensive resistance exercise as a non-invasive option for maintaining the functional capacity of patients with ALS.

Electromyographic Activity Evolution of Local Twitch Responses During Dry Needling of Latent Trigger Points in the Gastrocnemius Muscle: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: Trigger points (TrPs) are hypersensitive spots within taut bands of skeletal muscles that elicit referred pain and motor changes. Among the variety of techniques used for treating TrPs, dry needling is one of the most commonly applied interventions. The question of eliciting local twitch responses (LTRs) during TrP dry needling is unclear. Our main aim was to investigate the evolution of the electromyographic (EMG) peak activity of each LTR elicited during dry needling into latent TrPs of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle. METHODS: Twenty asymptomatic subjects with latent TrPs in the gastrocnemius medialis muscle participated in this cross-sectional study. Changes in EMG signal amplitude (root mean square [RMS]) with superficial EMG were assessed five minutes before, during, and five minutes after dry needling. The peak RMS score of each LTR was calculated (every 0.5 sec). RESULTS: Analysis of variance revealed a significant effect (F = 29.069, P <0.001) showing a significant decrease of RMS peak amplitude after each subsequent LTR. Differences were significant (P <0.001) during the first three LTRs, and stable until the end of the procedure. No changes (P =0.958) were found for mean RMS data at rest before (mean = 65.2 mv, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 47.3-83.1) and after (61.0 mv, 95% CI = 42.3-79.7) dry needling. CONCLUSIONS: We found that, in a series of LTRs elicited during the application of dry needling over latent TrPs in the medial gastrocnemius muscle, the RMS peak amplitude of each subsequent LTR decreased as compared with the initial RMS peak amplitude of previous LTRs. No changes in superficial EMG activity at rest were observed after dry needling of latent TrPs of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle.

A actividad física representada en los libros de texto de Educación Física en Educación Primaria / A atividade física representada nos livros didáticos da Educação Física na educação primária / Physical activity represented in Physical Education textbooks for Elementary Education

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la representación de la actividad física que aparece en los libros de texto de Educación Física y su relación con los diferentes bloques de contenidos del área, en Educación Primaria. La muestra estuvo formada por un total de 3.836 imágenes publicadas en 34 libros de texto pertenecientes a seis editoriales españolas, entre 2006 y 2013. La técnica de investigación fue el análisis de contenido mediante la herramienta SAIMEF. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó el software SPSS 22.0. Los resultados muestran un claro predominio del bloque de contenidos de los "juegos y actividades deportivas". Este desequilibrio en la representación de los bloques no responde a las enseñanzas mínimas que marca el Real Decreto 1513/2006 en el currículo de Primaria en el ámbito español, por lo que se hace necesaria una reflexión sobre la visión tradicional de la actividad física en este material curricular

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a representação da atividade física que aparece nos livros didáticos de Educação Física e sua relação com os diferentes blocos de conteúdos da área, no Ensino Fundamental. A amostra foi composta por um total de 3836 imagens publicadas em 34 livros didáticos pertencentes a seis editoras espanholas, entre 2006 e 2013. A técnica de pesquisa foi a análise de conteúdo utilizando a ferramenta SAIMEF. O software SPSS 22.0 foi utilizado para a análise estatística. Os resultados mostram uma clara predominância do bloco de conteúdo dos "jogos e atividades esportivas". Esse desequilíbrio na representação dos blocos não responde aos ensinamentos mínimos que o Real Decreto 1513/2006 estabelece no currículo primário no contexto espanhol, motivo pelo qual é necessário refletir sobre a visão tradicional da atividade física nesse material curricular

This study looks into the representation of physical activity in Physical Education textbooks for Elementary Education and its relationship with the various content blocks in the area. The sample consisted of 3,836 images published in 34 textbooks by six Spanish publishers between 2006 and 2013. The research technique was content analysis using the SAIMEF tool. The SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis. The results show a clear predominance of the content block 'games and sports'. This imbalance in representation of the blocks does not respond to the minimum teachings established by Royal Decree 1513/2006 in the Elementary Education curriculum for the Spanish context. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect on the traditional vision of physical activity in this curricular material

Pain Perception in Clarinetists with Playing-Related Pain After Implementing a Specific Exercise Program.

BACKGROUND: Wind musicians suffer injuries resulting from muscle overuse and poor postural habits, often due to the lack of required physical fitness. For this reason, it is important to study and analyze the characteristics of their activity in order to select appropriate preventive exercises. METHODS: 10 clarinetists, who were experiencing joint pain due to instrumental practice, followed a specific program of physical activity, 3 times a week for 2 months. To assess postural changes after its implementation, the Langlade test and muscle pain scale were used at the beginning and the end of the program. RESULTS: The results show a significant decrease in perceived pain (p<0.001) and changes in the dorsal spine (p=0.001). Given the relationship between the improvement in the Langlade item, which refers to the correct position of the shoulder blades, and muscle pain, with a correlation level of 0.582, it can be said that a change in the shoulder girdle position leads to a decrease of pain in that area. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study of 10 clarinetists, a regular program of physical activity for 9 weeks led to an observable change in posture and a reduction in pain using self-report measures.