Nose vs. mouth breathing- acute effect of different breathing regimens on muscular endurance.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that the way we breathe (whether through the nose or mouth) can influence many aspects of our health and to some extent, sport performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of different breathing regimens on muscular endurance and physiological variables. METHODS: A randomized experiment to verify the acute effect of different breathing regimens (NN- inhaling and exhaling through the nose; NM- inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth; MM- inhaling and exhaling through the mouth) on the muscular endurance performance was conducted. 107 physically active college students (68 males, 39 females) performed repeated bench press testing protocol (repetitions to failure (RTF) with 60% of body weight for males (BP60), respectively 40% of body weight for females (BP40)) with various breathing regimens (NN, NM, MM) in random order. Heart rate (HR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and perceived exertion by Borg scale (RPE) were measured as well. A short questionnaire, given after the testing protocol and observation during familiarization, was used to detect each subject's normal breathing approach during resistance training. RESULTS: In both genders, no significant differences in RTF, RPE and SpO2 were found. No individual case of deviation of arterial oxygen saturation outside the physiological norm was recorded. ​​In the male group, significantly lower HR values were found during the NN trials, compared to during the NM (p = 0.033) and MM (p = 0.047) trials with no significant differences in females. The HR differences in the males demonstrated a small effect size (NN < NM, d = 0.32; NN < MM, d = 0.30). Questionnaire results suggest that 80% of our participants use NM breathing, 15% use MM breathing and 5% use NN breathing during resistance training. CONCLUSION: It seems, that various breathing regimens have none or only minor effect on muscular endurance performance and selected physiological parameters. NN seems to be as efficient as other two regimens, which are mostly used in practice (NM, MM).

Mediterranean Lifestyle: More Than a Diet, A Way of Living (and Thriving).

Although the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) may appear simple and locally inspired based on the provided definitions, mounting evidence reveals that adopting a dietary pattern aligned with MedDiet principles can yield numerous health benefits. Also, the MedDiet stands as the gold standard in preventive medicine, so it is not a simplistic diet centered around specific ingredients or cooking methods; instead, it emerges from a distinctive way of life (lifestyle) inherent to the Mediterranean region. This lifestyle encapsulates essential components of a balanced diet and life, including frugality and moderation in food consumption, the utilization of seasonal and traditional products, a focus on locally sourced, eco-friendly, and biodiverse items, personal engagement in culinary preparation, the emphasis on conviviality and social activities during meal consumption, regular engagement in physical activity, adequate hydration, and sufficient rest. In this review, we will establish the interconnections and links between the various aspects of the Mediterranean diet, how these pillars reflect the Mediterranean region's distinctive lifestyle, and how each element is a necessary part of the others. Finally, the seamless integration of social involvement, sufficient rest, regular physical exercise, and diet will be explored to provide a holistic view of the Mediterranean lifestyle and its inherent harmony.

Autophagy of naïve CD4+ T cells in aging - the role of body adiposity and physical fitness.

Life expectancy has increased exponentially in the last century accompanied by disability, poor quality of life, and all-cause mortality in older age due to the high prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity in older people. Biologically, the aging process reduces the cell's metabolic and functional efficiency, and disrupts the cell's anabolic and catabolic homeostasis, predisposing older people to many dysfunctional conditions such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and diabetes. In the immune system, aging also alters cells' metabolic and functional efficiency, a process known as 'immunosenescence', where cells become more broadly inflammatory and their functionality is altered. Notably, autophagy, the conserved and important cellular process that maintains the cell's efficiency and functional homeostasis may protect the immune system from age-associated dysfunctional changes by regulating cell death in activated CD4+ T cells. This regulatory process increases the delivery of the dysfunctional cytoplasmic material to lysosomal degradation while increasing cytokine production, proliferation, and differentiation of CD4+ T cell-mediated immune responses. Poor proliferation and diminished responsiveness to cytokines appear to be ubiquitous features of aged T cells and may explain the delayed peak in T cell expansion and cytotoxic activity commonly observed in the 'immunosenescence' phenotype in the elderly. On the other hand, physical exercise stimulates the expression of crucial nutrient sensors and inhibits the mechanistic target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling cascade which increases autophagic activity in cells. Therefore, in this perspective review, we will first contextualize the overall view of the autophagy process and then, we will discuss how body adiposity and physical fitness may counteract autophagy in naïve CD4+ T cells in aging.

Impact of Hypertension and Physical Fitness on SARS-COV-2 and Related Consequences. (Possible Mechanisms with Focusing on ACE2).

Hypertension disease as an absolute risk factor of Covid-19 disease has been well-proven in recent evidence. The factors such as the use of antihypertensive drugs, protein expression, and compensatory axes resulted in hypertension disease playing very important roles in the occurrence of this problem. In this review study, we first attempted to investigate the higher chance reason for Covid-19 disease in people with high blood pressure; then we examined the related mechanisms, and finally, we reported the differences and similarities between people with high blood pressure and athletes. All in all, we concluded that people who exercise regularly, the same as hypertensive patients (Compensatory mechanism) are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection due to the high concentration of ACE2 (Physiological mechanism) caused by exercise adaptation, but for the low level of ANG2 (Systematic and gene expression) these individuals (Active subjects) indicate fewer complications and severity symptoms of COVID-19 such as dyspnea, hospitalization and, heart disease compared with hypertensive patients.

SARS-COV-2 in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: Possible Roles of Exercise Training as a Medicine.

SARS-COV-2 is the novel type of beta coronavirus that was first evolved in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. People with type 2 diabetes are the most vulnerable group to SARS-COV-2 and its associated complications. Many factors such as medication, pathophysiologic-induced compensatory mechanisms, and alterations in protein expression and immune system function can all contribute to severe outcomes in diabetics. In this review article, we first described the possible mechanisms of increased risk and more severe complications rate of SARS-COV-2 in diabetic patients. Secondly, we discussed the crucial role of exercise in diabetic patients in balancing the RAS system (ACE2/ACE). Finally, we examine the possible roles of acute and chronic exercise in reducing SARS-COV-2 severe outcomes in people with diabetes in accordance with the latest evidence. We concluded that regular exercise (especially moderate-intensity exercise) can play a role in immune- enhancing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant activities and can balance the ACE2/ACE ratio (decreasing ANG2 levels) in diabetic subjects.