Effects of Abdominal Microcurrent in the Consumption and Proportion of Energy Substrates during Aerobic Exercise: A Pilot Study.

Microcurrent therapy can increase lipolytic activity. However, it is unknown if the increased availability of lipids can influence the selection of energy substrates during a single session of aerobic exercise. We aimed to analyze the effect of microcurrent application to the abdominal region in the consumption of lipids and carbohydrates, and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) during a single session of moderate aerobic exercise in young adults. A pilot study was conducted in which participants were allocated to intervention (IG) or placebo (PG) groups. In both groups, 40 min of microcurrent application with two frequencies (25 and 10 Hz) followed by 50 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (45−55% of heart rate reserve) on a cycloergometer were performed. The microcurrent application was performed without intensity in the PG. A portable gas analyzer (K4b2) was used during exercise in both groups. Thirty-eight participants (20.6 ± 1.8 years; 18 in IG and 20 in PG) were enrolled. There were no significant differences in the consumption of substrates or RER between the groups during exercise (p > 0.05). Microcurrent application seems to be insufficient to influence the consumption of energy substrates and RER during a single session of aerobic exercise in young adults.

Obesity effects on muscular activity during lifting and lowering tasks.

Obesity is an emerging health problem and its incidence has been increasing throughout the workforce. In industrial workstations, vertical handling tasks (VHT), including lifting and lowering, are very common and can cause a significant muscular overload for the involved workers. During these tasks, muscular activity may be considerably affected by workers' body conditions. This study aims to analyze and compare the muscular activity in subjects with different obesity levels, using surface electromyography (EMG), during predefined VHT. Six different VHT (combining 5, 10 and 15-kg loads with two task styles) were performed. EMG data normalization was based on the percentage of maximum contraction during each task (MCT%). The results show that obesity influences the MCT%, which in turn increases the muscular effort during VHT. The current investigation demonstrates that obesity is a relevant musculoskeletal risk factor regarding VHT. The engineering analysis and design implications of this work can thus be perceived.

Modulation of human osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis by lycopene.

Lycopene is a lipid-soluble pigment that is mainly found in tomato. It is the carotenoid that presents the highest antioxidant potential, and due to that, it has been implicated in a decrease of the risk of several oxidative-stress-related disorders, such as cancer, inflammatory diseases and osteoporosis. Nevertheless, at the present, there is no detailed information about how lycopene affects bone metabolism. The aim of the present work was to characterize the cellular and molecular effects of lycopene on human osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation and function. It was observed that lycopene, at levels found in plasma after the ingestion of lycopene-containing products, decreased osteoclast differentiation but did not affect cell density/survival; calcium-phosphate resorbing ability was also decreased. On the other hand, osteoblast proliferation (via a decrease on apoptosis) and differentiation were increased in the presence of lycopene. The observed effects in both cell types appeared to be related to significant changes in MEK signaling pathway, but also in protein kinase C pathway in osteoclasts and NFkB signaling in osteoblasts. In conclusion, lycopene appears to promote an anabolic state of bone metabolism, stimulating osteoblastogenesis and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis, which may contribute to the promotion of a proper health status of bone tissue. This information might be relevant for the prevention and delay in the progression of osteolytic bone conditions.

Portuguese version of the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI) among assembly workers: Cultural adaptation, reliability and validity.

OBJECTIVES: Reliable and valid instruments are essential for understanding fatigue in occupational settings. This study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 218 workers from an automotive industry involved in assembly tasks for fabrication of mechanical cables. Convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. RESULTS: Results showed adequate fit to data, yielding a 20-item, 5-factor structure (all intercorrelated): Chi2/df (ratio Chi2 and degrees of freedom) = 2.530, confirmatory fit index (CFI) = 0.919, goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.845, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.084. The SOFI presented an adequate internal consistency, with the sub-scales and total scale presenting good reliability values (Cronbach's α values from 0.742 to 0.903 and 0.943 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the Portuguese version of the SOFI may be a useful tool to assess fatigue and prevent work-related injuries. In future research, other instruments should be used as an external criterion to correlate with the SOFI dimensions. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(3):407-417.