The experimental effect of social media use, treadmill walking, studying, and a control condition on positive and negative affect in college students.

Using a within-subjects design, this study assessed the experimental effect of common activities upon positive and negative affect scores in a college student sample. All participants completed the following 30-minute activity conditions: treadmill walking, self-selected schoolwork (i.e., studying), social media use, and a control condition where participants sat in a quiet room (i.e., do nothing). Positive and negative affect scores were assessed at baseline, mid-, and post-condition. Positive affect scores increased by 26% and 10% during the treadmill and studying conditions, respectively. Conversely, positive affect decreased by 20% and 24% during the social media and "do nothing" conditions, respectively. Furthermore, negative affect was decreased by 8% in the studying condition. These changes were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.04). This suggests that college students' everyday activities can significantly impact affect, for better and for worse. As demonstrated, studying and walking may improve affect, whereas social media use may negatively impact affect.

The Experimental Effect of Parent Versus Peer Influence on Children's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior.

PURPOSE: To assess children's physical activity, sedentary behavior, liking, and motivation during 3 separate simulated recess conditions: playing alone, with their parent participating, and with their peer participating. METHODS: Children participated in the 3 separate conditions. During each condition, the children had access to an outdoor playground and sedentary activity options for 30 minutes. Accelerometry recorded the physical activity. Time allocated to sedentary options was monitored via a stopwatch. A visual analog scale was used to assess liking, and motivation was assessed as the children's willingness to participate in an additional 10 minutes of each condition. RESULTS: The children sat 88% less and were 33% more physically active with their peer versus playing alone. The children also sat 65% less during the parent condition than alone. Lastly, the children reported ≥34% liking and were ≥2-fold more likely to participate in the additional 10-minute activity bout during the parent and peer conditions than alone. The differences were significant (P ≤ .05) except for the children's decision to participate in the additional 10 minutes in the parent versus the alone condition (P = .058). CONCLUSIONS: Relative to the alone condition, the presence of a peer or parent reduced sedentary behavior and increased liking and the motivation to participate in that condition. However, only the presence of a peer increased physical activity versus alone.

Cold-induced vasodilation responses before and after exercise in normobaric normoxia and hypoxia.

PURPOSE: Cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) is known to protect humans against local cold injuries and improve manual dexterity. The current study examined the effects of metabolic heat production on cold-induced vasodilation responses in normobaric hypoxia and normoxia. METHODS: Ten participants immersed their non-dominant hand into 5 °C water for 15 min. Minimum finger temperature (Tmin), maximum finger temperature (Tmax), onset time, amplitude, and peak time were measured before and after exercise under normoxia (21% O2) and two levels of normobaric hypoxia (17% O2 and 13% O2). RESULTS: Neither Tmin nor amplitude was affected by hypoxia. However, Tmax was significantly decreased by hypoxia while reduction in onset time and peak time trended towards significance. Tmin, Tmax, and amplitude were significantly higher during post-exercise CIVD than pre-exercise CIVD. CONCLUSION: The CIVD response may be negatively affected by the introduction of hypoxia whereas metabolic heat production via exercise may counteract adverse effects of hypoxia and improve CIVD responses.

The validity of the commercially-available, low-cost, wrist-worn Movband accelerometer during treadmill exercise and free-living physical activity.

Low-cost physical activity monitors may provide a more accurate measure of physical activity than subjective methods (e.g., self-report) while being less costly than research-grade accelerometers. The present study assessed the validity of a low-cost monitor (Movband 2) to estimate physical activity behavior/intensity. Participants (N = 23, n = 16 female, BMI = 22.9 ± 4.0 kg/m2, age = 21.9 ± 1.6 years) completed four, five-minute treadmill stages (2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 MPH) while wearing both the Movband and the previously-validated Actigraph monitor. Oxygen consumption (VO2) was recorded during each stage (Laboratory assessment). A subset (n = 15, n = 10 female, BMI = 22.2 ± 3.2 kg/m2, age = 21.5 ± 0.8 years) of these participants then wore the two accelerometers for three days (Free-living assessment). During the Laboratory assessment there were strong, significant (r = 0.94, p ≤ 0.001) relationships between Movband and Actigraph counts and VO2. During Free-living assessment there was also a strong, significant (r = 0.97, p < 0.001) correlation between Movband and Actigraph counts. The low-cost, Movband accelerometer appears to provide a valid assessment of physical activity behavior/intensity.

The Effect of the Presence of an Internet-Connected Mobile Tablet Computer on Physical Activity Behavior in Children.

BACKGROUND: Mobile Internet-connected electronic devices provide access to activities that have traditionally been associated with sedentary behavior. Because they are portable, these devices can be utilized in any environment. Therefore, providing children with access to these devices in environments that typically promote physical activity may result in a reduction in physical activity behavior. PURPOSE: To assess children's physical and sedentary (ie, sitting) activity with and without the presence of a mobile Internet-connected tablet computer. METHODS: A total of 20 children [6.7 (1.9) y old] participated in 2 simulated recess conditions in a gymnasium on separate days. During each condition, children had free-choice access physical activity options and a table of sedentary activities for 40 minutes. During 1 session, the iPad was present, and in the other session, it was not. Physical activity was monitored via an accelerometer, and sedentary time was monitored via a stopwatch. RESULTS: Children significantly (P ≤ .03) reduced average physical activity intensity and increased their sedentary behavior with the iPad present [4.4 (4.0) metabolic equivalents/min and 20.9 (12.4) min sitting] versus the condition without the iPad present [5.3 (4.0) metabolic equivalents/min and 13.6 (13.2) min sitting]. CONCLUSION: Introducing an mobile Internet-connected tablet computer into a gymnasium reduced children's physical activity intensity by 17% and increased sedentary behavior by 54%.

The differences in physical activity levels in preschool children during free play recess and structured play recess.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Physical activity (PA) is important in reducing childhood obesity, yet a majority of children are not meeting PA guidelines. Schools have been identified as a place to promote childhood PA. The purpose of this study was to determine the best type of physically active recess period to increase preschool-aged children's PA. METHODS: PA was measured via accelerometers in preschool-aged children (n = 29) during three, 30-min recess conditions (control; structured play; free play) on separate school days. Tertile splits were performed based on PA during the free play condition and children were divided into three groups: highly, moderately and least active. RESULTS: For the aggregated sample, children were more (p ≤ 0.001) active during the free play (1282 ±â€¯662 counts. min-1) and structured play (1416 ±â€¯448 counts. min-1) recess versus the control condition (570 ±â€¯460 counts. min-1) and activity was not different between the free play and structured conditions. However, children who were the most active during free play (1970 ±â€¯647 counts·min-1) decreased (p ≤ 0.05) activity during structured play (1462 ±â€¯535 counts·min-1), whereas children who were moderately active (1031 ±â€¯112 counts·min-1) or the least (530 ±â€¯239 counts·min-1) active during free play increased activity during structured play (1383 ±â€¯345 counts·min-1 moderately active, 1313 ±â€¯413 counts·min-1 least active). CONCLUSION: Providing a physically-active recess period will contribute to preschool-aged children meeting the recommended PA guidelines; however, different children may respond in a different way based upon the structure of the recess period.

The Effect of Parental Involvement on Children's Physical Activity.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the amount, intensity, enjoyment, and preference of children's physical activity in a controlled gymnasium setting under 3 experimental, social conditions: alone, with a parent watching, and with a parent participating. STUDY DESIGN: Children (n = 10 girls, 10 boys), 3-6 years old, along with 1 parent (n = 17 mothers, 3 fathers) per child participated in each social condition on separate days for 30 minutes in which they could choose from a variety of physical and/or sedentary activities. RESULTS: A greater number of accelerometer counts (P ≤ .02) were accumulated during the parent participating (109,523 ± 32,155 counts) condition than the alone (67,938 ± 37,857 counts) and parent watching (85,624 ± 44,985 counts) conditions. Counts during parent watching were also greater (P = .01) than alone. More time (P ≤ .008) was allocated to sedentary activities during the alone (16.2 ± 9.6 minutes) condition than parent watching (9.6 ± 9.3 minutes) and parent participating (3.8 ± 5.1 minutes). Children liked (P ≤ .02) the parent participating (9.9 ± 0.45 cm) condition more than alone (8.0 ± 2.72 cm) and parent watching (8.7 ± 1.52 cm). A greater (P < .001) proportion of children identified the parent participating (80%) as their preferred condition over either the parent watching (10%) or alone (10%) conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Parental participation during physical activity (or at minimum direct supervision) may be an important component in the development of physical activity environments intended to maximize physical activity behavior in children.

Effect of Peer Influence on Exercise Behavior and Enjoyment in Recreational Runners.

Fitness professionals and popular media sources often recommend exercising with a partner to increase exercise motivation, adherence, intensity, and/or duration. Although competition with peers has been shown to enhance maximal athletic performance, experimental research examining the impact of peer influence on submaximal exercise behavior in adults is limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the presence of familiar and unfamiliar peers, vs. running alone, on recreational runners' voluntary running duration, distance, intensity, liking (i.e., enjoyment), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPEs). Recreational runners (n = 12 males, n = 12 females) completed 3 experimental trials, each under a different social condition, in a randomized order. Each trial consisted of self-paced running for a duration voluntarily determined by the participant. The 3 social conditions were running alone, with a sex- and fitness-matched familiar peer, or with a sex- and fitness-matched unfamiliar peer. A wrist-worn global positioning system was used to record running duration, distance, and average speed. Liking and RPE were assessed at the end of each trial. Mixed model regression analysis showed no significant effects of social condition (p ≥ 0.40) for any of the dependent variables. The presence of a familiar or unfamiliar peer did not alter recreational runners' running behavior, liking, or perceived exertion during submaximal exercise. However, exercising with others may have other benefits (e.g., reduced attrition) not examined herein.

Advice on stroke provided by pharmacies in the United States: implications for treatment and care.

OBJECTIVES: Studies have found that some health lines and physician's offices have provided treatment advice other than "call 9-1-1 for an ambulance" to patients who present with a stroke scenario. We assessed the treatment advice given by selected pharmacies in the United States regarding stroke. METHODS: The investigators called 73 randomly selected pharmacies and informed respondents that the caller's mother had experienced stroke-like symptoms several days earlier. Respondents were asked what should be done if the symptoms returned in the future and then debriefed on the deception afterward. RESULTS: Seventy-one of the 73 pharmacies participated and only 20% (95% confidence interval 12-30) of respondents gave the ideal advice "call 9-1-1 for an ambulance." CONCLUSIONS: One out of every five pharmacy respondents across the United States recommended advice other than calling emergency medical services for a potential stroke scenario.

The relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness in a sample of U.S. college students.

BACKGROUND: Today's cell phones increase opportunities for activities traditionally defined as sedentary behaviors (e.g., surfing the internet, playing video games). People who participate in large amounts of sedentary behaviors, relative to those who do not, tend to be less physically active, less physically fit, and at greater risk for health problems. However, cell phone use does not have to be a sedentary behavior as these devices are portable. It can occur while standing or during mild-to-moderate intensity physical activity. Thus, the relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and physical fitness is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate these relationships among a sample of healthy college students. METHODS: Participants were first interviewed about their physical activity behavior and cell phone use. Then body composition was assessed and the validated self-efficacy survey for exercise behaviors completed. This was followed by a progressive exercise test on a treadmill to exhaustion. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) during exercise was used to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. Hierarchical regression was used to assess the relationship between cell phone use and cardiorespiratory fitness after controlling for sex, self-efficacy, and percent body fat. Interview data was transcribed, coded, and Chi-square analysis was used to compare the responses of low and high frequency cell phone users. RESULTS: Cell phone use was significantly (p = 0.047) and negatively (ß = -0.25) related to cardio respiratory fitness independent of sex, self-efficacy, and percent fat which were also significant predictors (p < 0.05). Interview data offered several possible explanations for this relationship. First, high frequency users were more likely than low frequency users to report forgoing opportunities for physical activity in order to use their cell phones for sedentary behaviors. Second, low frequency users were more likely to report being connected to active peer groups through their cell phones and to cite this as a motivation for physical activity. Third, high levels of cell phone use indicated a broader pattern of sedentary behaviors apart from cell phone use, such as watching television. CONCLUSION: Cell phone use, like traditional sedentary behaviors, may disrupt physical activity and reduce cardiorespiratory fitness.

The effect of variety on physical activity: a cross-sectional study.

It has been repeatedly demonstrated that increasing the variety of available food and purchasing options reliably increases eating and consumer spending behavior, respectively. However, the potential probehavioral effect of increasing the variety of exercise equipment options on the amount of exercise individuals perform is very limited. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the amount, enjoyment (liking), and effort perception of resistance training exercise vs. sedentary alternatives during a high-variety (HV) resistance-exercise equipment condition (10 choices) vs. a low-variety (LV) equipment condition (2 choices). During each condition (HV) and (LV), children (8-12 years), young adults (18-26 years), and older adults (≥60 years) had free-choice access to both resistance-exercise equipment and sedentary activities for a total of 20 minutes. The amount of time allocated to resistance exercise, the total number of repetitions performed, and session liking were measured during each condition. The participants significantly (p ≤ 0.05 for all) increased: repetitions performed (126.4 ± 71.7 vs. 88.0 ± 48.8), the amount of time allocated for exercise (14.3 ± 6.3 vs. 12.1 ± 6.5 minutes) and liking (8.1 ± 1.5 vs. 7.1 ± 2.1 cm) during the HV condition relative to the LV condition. The rating of perceived exertion was not significantly (p = 0.13) different from HV (4.2 ± 2.4) to LV (3.8 ± 2.3). Increasing the variety of exercise equipment available to children, young and older adults increased their exercise participation and enjoyment of that exercise without altering their perceived exertion. The practical application from this research is that increasing the variety of exercise equipment available to one's clients may increase their exercise adherence.

Caffeine gum and cycling performance: a timing study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the most efficacious time to administer caffeine (CAF) in chewing gum to enhance cycling performance. Eight male cyclists participated in 5 separate laboratory sessions. During the first visit, the subjects underwent a graded exercise test to determine maximal oxygen consumption (V[Combining Dot Above]O(2)max). During the next 4 visits, 3 pieces of chewing gum were administered at 3 time points (120-minute precycling, 60-minute precycling, and 5-minute precycling). In 3 of the 4 visits, at 1 of the time points mentioned previously, 300 mg of CAF was administered. During the fourth visit, placebo gum was administered at all 3 time points. The experimental trials were defined as follows: trial A (-120), trial B (-60), trial C (-5), and trial D (Placebo). After baseline measurements, time allotted for gum administration, and a standard warm-up, the participants cycled at 75% V[Combining Dot Above]O(2)max for 15 minutes then completed a 7-kJ·kg(-1) cycling time trial. Data were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance. Cycling performance was improved in trial C (-5), but not in trial A (-120) or trial B (-60), relative to trial D (Placebo). CAF administered in chewing gum enhanced cycling performance when administered immediately prior, but not when administered 1 or 2 hours before cycling.

Influence of peers and friends on overweight/obese youths' physical activity.

This review offers a theoretical framework to account for the effects of peers on youths' physical activity. Our research indicates the following: 1) that the youth are more physically active in the presence of friends and peers than in the presence of family members or when alone, 2) peers and friends increase overweight/obese youths' motivation to be physically active, 3) peers' weight status does not moderate the effect of peers on youths' physical activity, and 4) experiencing negative peer interaction, such as ostracism, decreases physical activity in youth. We propose that the consideration of the peer social context as a contributor to physical (in)activity and maintenance of overweight status may further our understanding of physical and behavioral health trajectories and improve prevention and intervention efforts.

Use of an open-loop system to increase physical activity.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an open-loop system that reinforces physical activity with TV watching to increase children's physical activity. Nonoverweight, sedentary boys and girls (8-12 y) were randomized to a group that received feedback of activity counts + reinforcement for physical activity by providing access to television (F+R, n = 20); or to feedback, no reinforcement (Feedback, n = 20) or no feedback, no reinforcement control (Control, n = 21) groups. Children wore an accelerometer with a count display for 4-months with a 1-year follow-up. F+R reduced TV by 68 min/day and TV time was lower than the Feedback (p < .005) and Control (p < .002) groups. TV time of F+R remained 31 min lower (p < .02) than baseline at 1-year. F+R had a 44% increase in physical activity, which was greater than the feedback (p < .04) and control (p < .01) groups. An open-loop system decreases TV viewing and increases physical activity of children for 4-months. TV of the F+R group remained lower at 12 months, suggesting a reduction in screen-time habits.

Low-dose caffeine administered in chewing gum does not enhance cycling to exhaustion.

Low-dose caffeine administered in chewing gum does not enhance cycling to exhaustion. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effect of low-dose caffeine (CAF) administered in chewing gum at 3 different time points during submaximal cycling exercise to exhaustion. Eight college-aged (26 ± 4 years), physically active (45.5 ± 5.7 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) volunteers participated in 4 experimental trials. Two pieces of caffeinated chewing gum (100 mg per piece, total quantity of 200 mg) were administered in a double-blind manner at 1 of 3 time points (-35, -5, and +15 minutes) with placebo at the other 2 points and at all 3 points in the control trial. The participants cycled at 85% of maximal oxygen consumption until volitional fatigue and time to exhaustion (TTE) were recorded in minutes. Venous blood samples were obtained at -40, -10, and immediately postexercise and analyzed for serum-free fatty acid and plasma catecholamine concentrations. Oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate, glucose, lactate, ratings of perceived exertion, and perceived leg pain measures were obtained at baseline and every 10 minutes during cycling. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the trials for any of the parameters measured including TTE. These findings suggest that low-dose CAF administered in chewing gum has no effect on TTE during cycling in recreational athletes and is, therefore, not recommended.

Methylprednisolone-induced Acute Pancreatitis, a Case Presentation.

Acute pancreatitis is one of the leading gastrointestinal causes of hospitalization in the United States, with drug-induced acute pancreatitis being rare which is only about 0.1-2% of all acute pancreatitis cases (Balani and Grendell, 2008). Based on current publications, there are about 100 medications that can potentially cause drug-induced acute pancreatitis. In this article, we present a case of a 74-year-old man who had been treated with high doses of methylprednisolone for three days prior to the presentation of symptoms in accordance with those of acute pancreatitis. A detailed evaluation of the patient's medical history and exclusion of other probable etiologies confirmed the diagnosis of methylprednisolone-induced pancreatitis. The treatment is supportive care and withdrawal of the offending agent. The diagnosis of drug-induced pancreatitis remains a challenge for clinicians. This case may add further evidence for the role of methylprednisolone in drug-induced acute pancreatitis. It also serves as a reminder to look closely at the patient's history and medications when a cause for acute pancreatitis is not immediately found.

The effect of peer influence on the amount of physical activity performed in 8- to 12-year-old boys.

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of physical and sedentary activity normal-weight and at-risk-for/overweight boys perform when alone, with a peer of similar weight and with a peer of different weight. Participants included boys, ages 8-12 years, classified as either normal-weight (<85th BMI percentile; N = 12) or at-risk-for/overweight (<85th BMI percentile; N = 12). At-risk-for/ overweight boys allocated a greater amount of time to sedentary activities and accumulated fewer accelerometer counts than normal-weight boys in the alone condition. Once paired with a peer of either similar or different weight there were no differences between groups. These results indicate the presence of an unknown peer has a positive effect on at-risk-for/overweight children's physical activity behavior.

The effects of combined elastic- and free-weight tension vs. free-weight tension on one-repetition maximum strength in the bench press.

The present study investigated the effects of training combining elastic tension, free weights, and the bench press. Eleven college-aged men (untrained) in the bench press participated in the 13-week study. The participants were first given instructions and then practiced the bench press, followed by a one-repetition maximum (1RM) test of baseline strength. Subjects were then trained in the bench press for 3 weeks to allow for the beginning of neural adaptation. After another 1RM test, participants were assigned to 1 of 2 conditions for the next 3 weeks of training: 85% Free-Weight Tension, 15% Elastic Tension (BAND), or 100% Free-Weight Tension (STAND). After 3 weeks of training and a third 1RM max test, participants switched treatments, under which they completed the final 3 weeks of training and the fourth 1RM test. Analysis via analysis of covariance revealed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) main effect for time and interaction effect for Treatment (BAND vs. STAND). Subsequent analysis via paired-samples t-test revealed the BAND condition was significantly better (p = 0.05) at producing raw gains in 1RM strength. (BAND 9.95 ± 3.7 kg vs. STAND 7.56 ± 2.8 kg). These results suggest that the addition of elastic tension to the bench press may be an effective method of increasing strength.

Smartphone Use Predicts Being an "Active Couch Potato" in Sufficiently Active Adults.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between smartphone use, television viewing, and the "active couch potato" in sufficiently active adults. Methods: A sample of 328 sufficiently active adults aged 18 to 80 years (mean ± SD = 38 ± 15 years) completed surveys assessing smartphone use, television viewing, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Active couch potatoes were defined as individuals who met physical activity guidelines and engaged in 8 or more hours per day of sedentary behavior. Results: Mean smartphone use was 4.04 ± 3.74 hours per day. There were 128/328 (39%) participants coded as active couch potatoes. Active couch potato was significantly positively (Wald = 7.326, P = .007) associated with smartphone use. Being an active couch potato was not (Wald = 0.658, P = .417) associated with television viewing. Sedentary behavior and smartphone use were significantly greater (t ≥ 3.55, P < .001) among active couch potatoes (11.35 ± 3.25 hours sitting per day, 4.95 ± 4.5 hours smartphone use per day) than sufficiently active, nonsedentary individuals (5.06 ± 1.64 hours sitting per day, 3.45 ± 3.04 hours smartphone use per day). Conclusion: In sufficiently active adults, smartphone use predicted being an active couch potato and television viewing did not.

Impact of Activity Monitoring on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Body Weight during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Decreases in individuals' physical activity and increases in sedentary behavior and bodyweight have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study assessed the ability of physical activity monitoring, which may promote physical activity and discourage sedentary behavior, to mitigate these negative outcomes. An evaluation of university samples (N = 404, 40.5 ± 15.4 years) of self-reported physical activity, sedentary behavior, and bodyweight prior to the closure of campus due to the pandemic in March of 2020 and again at the time of the survey administration (May-June 2020) during pandemic-related restrictions was performed. Participants also reported whether they did (n = 172) or did not (n = 232) regularly use physical activity monitoring technology. While physical activity was unchanged during the pandemic (p ≥ 0.15), participants significantly increased sitting by 67.8 ± 156.6 min/day and gained 0.64 ± 3.5 kg from pre-campus to post-campus closure (p < 0.001). However, the use of activity monitoring did not moderate these changes. In conclusion, while physical activity was not affected, participants reported significant increases in sedentary behavior and bodyweight during the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes occurred regardless of whether participants regularly used physical activity monitoring or not.