Are people in the bush really physically active? A systematic review and meta-analysis of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in rural Australians populations.

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for non-communicable disease and premature mortality. People who live in rural settings are usually regarded as more physically active than those living in urban areas, however, direct comparisons between these populations are scarce. We aimed to summarise the prevalence of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour in rural settings in Australia, compared to urban counterparts. METHODS: We searched six databases (AMED, Embase, Medline; CINAHL, SPORTDiscus; and RURAL) and identified 28 observational studies that investigated the levels of physical inactivity and/or sedentary behaviour in adults aged 18 years and over in rural Australia. Random effects meta-analysis was used to generate pooled prevalence estimates. RESULTS: Physical inactivity was four percentage points (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.4 to 8) higher in rural populations compared to urban populations. There was a one percentage point (95% CI = -3 to 5) prevalence difference of physical activity in the rural populations. Rural populations reported on average 7.8 hours of sedentary time per day (95% CI = 5 to 10) and the prevalence of high levels of sedentary behaviour (≥to 8 hours per day) was 7% (95% CI = -8 to -7) greater in urban areas compared to rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: People living in rural areas are just as physically inactive as people who live in urban areas. Our findings challenge the popular views that rural lifestyles result in people engaging more frequently in physical activity. Public health campaigns promoting physical activity in rural settings are just as necessary as in urban settings.

Periodized Aerobic Interval Training Modifies Geometric Indices of Heart Rate Variability in Metabolic Syndrome.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) influences the autonomic modulation, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events, which demands the identification of effective treatments for this population. Considering this, the study has the objective of evaluating the effects of periodized aerobic interval training (AIT) on geometrical methods of heart rate variability (HRV) on individuals with MetS. Methods: 52 individuals with MetS were considered for analysis. They were divided into two groups: aerobic interval training group (AITG; n = 26) and control group (CG; n = 26). The AITG performed 16 weeks of periodized AIT. For HRV analysis, the heart rate was recorded beat-by-beat at the beginning and the end of the AIT program and geometrical methods were used for analysis. Results: significant increase was observed for triangular index (RRtri, -1.25 ± 0.58 vs. 1.41 ± 0.57), standard deviation of distances from diagonal to points (SD1, -0.13 ± 1.52 vs. 4.34 ± 1.49), and standard deviation of distances from points to lines (SD2, -2.14 ± 3.59 vs. 11.23 ± 3.52) on AITG compared to CG. Significant differences were not observed for triangular interpolation of normal heartbeats interval histogram (TINN, -4.05 ± 17.38 vs. 25.52 ± 17.03) and SD1/SD2 ratio (0.03 ± 0.02 vs. 0.00 ± 0.02). Qualitative analysis of the Poincaré plot identified increase on dispersion of both short and long-term intervals between successive heartbeats (RR interval) on AITG after the AIT program. Conclusion: geometric indices of HRV suggest an increase in cardiac autonomic modulation in individuals with MetS after 16 weeks of periodized AIT.

Lesões musculares em atletas do sexo masculino atendidos no Centro de Estudos e Atendimento em Fisioterapia de Presidente Prudente - SP / Muscle injuries in male athletes at the Center of Studies and Physiotherapy Services of Presidente Prudente - SP / Lesiones musculares en atletas de sexo masculino atendidos en el Centro de Estudios y Atención en Fisioterapia de Presidente Prudente - SP

Resumo Objetivou-se caracterizar e determinar a frequência de lesões musculares (LM) de atletas atendidos em uma clínica universitária de fisioterapia. Foram feitas análises de prontuários e caracterizaram-se dados antropométricos, locais anatômicos, tratamentos usados, dentre outros. Foram identificados 47 casos de LM, distribuídas em grau I (n = 13) e grau II (n = 34). O segmento coxa foi o local anatômico mais acometido com 63,1% (p < 0,05) e 85,7% (p < 0,01) para modalidades coletivas e individuais, respectivamente. Aproximadamente 75% dos casos apresentaram alta por retorno ao esporte, onde observa-se terapias convencional (95,7%) e manual (70,2) os tratamentos mais frequentes. Conclui-se que LM acometem predominantemente o segmento coxa posterior, independentemente da modalidade esportiva e os tratamentos usados demonstraram-se efetivos no retorno ao esporte.

Abstract This study aimed to characterize and determine the frequency of muscle injuries (MI) in athletes assisted in a university service center in physical therapy. Analysis of medical records were made, characterizing anthropometric data, anatomic spots, treatments, among others. Forty-seven cases were identified, distributed in grade I (n=13) and grade II (n=34). The thigh segment was the anatomic spot with the higher prevalence, with 63.1% (p<0.05) and 85.7% (p<0.01) for collective and individual sports, respectively. The rate of return to sports was about 75%, in which conventional therapies (95,7%) and manual (70.2%) were the most common treatments. Thus, we conclude that MI predominantly affects the anatomical thigh segment, regardless of the sport, and that physiotherapy interventions used were effective to return to sports.

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio fue definir y determinar la frecuencia de las lesiones musculares (LM) de atletas atendidos en una clínica universitaria de fisioterapia. Se realizó un análisis de los registros, definición de datos antropométricos, espacios anatómicos y tratamientos utilizados, entre otros. Se identificaron 47 casos de LM, distribuidas en grado I (n = 13) y grado II (n = 34). El segmento del muslo fue el espacio anatómico más afectado con el 63,1% (p <0,05) y el 85,7% (p <0,01) en el caso de deportes colectivos e individuales, respectivamente. Hubo un 74,46% de altas para la vuelta a la práctica deportiva y se encontró que los tratamientos más frecuentes fueron las terapias convencionales (95,7%) y manuales (70,2%). Se concluye que las lesiones musculares afectan predominantemente al muslo, independientemente del tipo de deporte, y que los tratamientos utilizados fueron efectivos para la vuelta a la práctica deportiva.

High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Autonomic Modulation: Effects of Different Volume Sessions.

The aim of this study was to compare heart rate variability (HRV) recovery after 2 sessions of high-intensity intermittent exercise at different volumes (1.25 km [HIIE1.25] and 2.5 km [HIIE2.5]). 13 participants determined their maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and completed 2 HIIE (1:1 at 100% MAS) trials. The heart rate was recorded before and after each session. HRV indicators were calculated according to time (RMSSD and SDNN) and frequency (LF, HF and LF/HF ratio) domains. SDNN and RMSSD presented effect of test (F=20.97; p<0.01 and F=21.00; p<0.01, respectively) and moment (F=6.76; p<0.01 and F=12.30; p<0.01, respectively), without interaction. Even though we did not find an interaction effect for any HRV variables, the HIIE2.5 presented a delay of only 5 min in HRV recovery, when compared to HIIE1.25. However, the effects of the test (SDNN, RMSSD, LF-log, and HF-log) indicate higher autonomic stress during the entire recovery period. These findings may indicate that exercise volume interferes with HRV recovery. If so, physically active subjects may choose a lower volume exercise (i. e., HIIE1.25) in order to promote similar physical fitness adaptations with lower loading on autonomic modulation.