Sex-specific associations between self-reported physical activity and PTSD among survivors of sexual violence.

This study examined sex-specific associations between sexual violence (SV) type and physical activity, and identified associations between PTSD symptoms and physical activity, all among cisgender men and women survivors of SV. Cross-sectional data from men (n = 197) and women (n = 356) survivors of SV were analyzed with stratified (men; women) hierarchical logistic regressions. Additionally, fully adjusted models for the total sample included interaction terms to further assess whether associations between SV type as well as PTSD symptoms (sum, clusters) and physical activity differed significantly by sex. Sexual assault was negatively associated with physical activity in the crude model among women (ORs: 0.58; p < 0.05). Harassment was positively associated with physical activity in the crude and adjusted models (ORs:1.92-2.16; ps<0.05) among women. Among men, there were no significant relationships. Regarding PTSD symptoms among women, crude and adjusted stratified models identified significant positive relationships with intrusion (ORs: 1.18-1.22; ps<0.05). Crude and adjusted models revealed significant positive relationships between avoidance and activity (ORs:1.38-1.41; ps<0.05) among men but not women. The interaction term for this difference in the association between avoidance and physical activity by sex was significant (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.48-0.88; p < 0.01). Overall, findings provide evidence for sex-specific associations between SV and physical activity.

META-ANALYSIS OF ACUTE EXERCISE EFFECTS ON STATE ANXIETY: AN UPDATE OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS.

BACKGROUND: One prominent and well-cited meta-analysis published nearly 25 years ago reported that an acute or single bout of exercise reduced state anxiety by approximately » standard deviation. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published after that meta-analysis for updating our understanding of the acute effects of exercise on state anxiety. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EBSCOHost, Medline, PsycINFO, ERIC, and ScienceDirect for RCTs of acute exercise and state anxiety as an outcome. There were 36 RCTs that met inclusion criteria and yielded data for effect size (ES) generation (Cohen's d). An overall ES was calculated using a random effects model and expressed as Hedge's g. RESULTS: The weighted mean ES was small (Hedge's g = 0.16, standard error (SE) = 0.06), but statistically significant (P < 0.05), and indicated that a single bout of exercise resulted in an improvement in state anxiety compared with control. The overall ES was heterogeneous and post hoc, exploratory analyses using both random- and fixed-effects models identified several variables as moderators including sample age, sex and health status, baseline activity levels, exercise intensity, modality and control condition, randomization, overall study quality, and the anxiety measure (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The cumulative evidence from high quality studies indicates that acute bouts of exercise can yield a small reduction in state anxiety. The research is still plagued by floor effects associated with recruiting persons with normal or lower levels of state anxiety, and this should be overcome in subsequent trials.

Development of a logic model for a physical activity-based employee wellness program for mass transit workers.

Transportation workers, who constitute a large sector of the workforce, have worksite factors that harm their health. Worksite wellness programs must target this at-risk population. Although physical activity is often a component of worksite wellness logic models, we consider it the cornerstone for improving the health of mass transit employees. Program theory was based on in-person interviews and focus groups of employees. We identified 4 short-term outcome categories, which provided a chain of responses based on the program activities that should lead to the desired end results. This logic model may have significant public health impact, because it can serve as a framework for other US mass transit districts and worksite populations that face similar barriers to wellness, including truck drivers, railroad employees, and pilots. The objective of this article is to discuss the development of a logic model for a physical activity-based mass-transit employee wellness program by describing the target population, program theory, the components of the logic model, and the process of its development.

Role of self-reported individual differences in preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity in fitness testing performance.

Performance in fitness tests could depend on factors beyond the bioenergetic and skeletomuscular systems, such as individual differences in preference for and tolerance of different levels of exercise-induced somatosensory stimulation. Although such individual-difference variables could play a role in exercise testing and prescription, they have been understudied. The purpose of these studies was to examine the relationships of self-reported preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity with performance in fitness tests. Participants in study I were 516 men and women volunteers from a campus community, and participants in study II were 42 men recruit firefighters undergoing a 6-week training program. Both the Preference and Tolerance scores exhibited significant relationships with performance in several fitness tests and with body composition and physical activity participation. Preference and Tolerance did not change after the training program in study II, despite improvements in objective and perceived fitness, supporting their conceptualization as dispositional traits. Preference and Tolerance scores could be useful not only in ameliorating the current understanding of the determinants of physical performance, but also in personalizing exercise prescriptions and, thus, delivering exercise experiences that are more pleasant, tolerable, and sustainable.

The influence of short-term firefighting activity on information processing performance.

This study examined the following: effects of simulated firefighting (FF) activities under heat stress on sustained attention; whether incident rehabilitation (IR) influences performance; and relationships between performance, affect and personality. Firefighters performed ~18 min of FF. Attention, physiological, perceptual and psychological assessments were made before and after FF, IR and recovery. IR had no effects. Self-rated Energy increased, Tiredness decreased and Anxiety increased immediately post-FF; all returned to baseline 120 min post. The immediate effect of FF was faster reaction time (RT) followed by slowing after recovery. Perceived Energy at baseline was associated (p-values < 0.05) with faster and Tiredness with slower post-FF RTs; Accuracy was unaffected. Conscientiousness was negatively associated with RT before and 120 min following FF. RTs were faster following FF, accuracy was unchanged. Higher baseline Energy/lower Tiredness were associated with faster, less variable RTs at baseline and post-FF. Those with higher Conscientiousness had faster RTs. Research should further investigate higher-level cognitive processing following, or ideally during, FF.

Exercise and Acute Affect.

The study of the affective impact of physical activity and exercise has a long and fraught history. In this chapter we outline some of the longstanding issues, in the hopes that research moving forward will be more mindful of these. Included are: (a) what we are actually trying to assess; (b) measurement issues; (c) the timing of affective measurement; (d) research that highlights what we know and don't know; and (e) suggestions for moving forward.

Enjoyment and Affective Responses to Moderate and High-Intensity Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Individuals with Subsyndromal PTSD.

This crossover randomized controlled trial examined the acute psychological effects of a bout of moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise (MICE) and a bout of high-intensity functional exercise (HIFE), relative to a no-exercise sedentary control (SED), in participants (N = 21; 15 f; 24.7 ± 9.3 years) with subsyndromal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Affective state (Energy, Tiredness, Tension, Calmness) was assessed before (Pre), immediately after (Post 0), 20-min after (Post 20), and 40-min after (Post 40) each condition. Affective valence was assessed during each condition, and exercise enjoyment was assessed at Post 0. Enjoyment was significantly greater following HIFE and MICE relative to SED. Energy was significantly increased Post 0 HIFE and MICE but decreased Post 0 SED. Tension was reduced following all conditions and was significantly lower at Post 40 relative to Pre for HIFE, MICE, and SED. Tiredness was significantly reduced at Post 40 relative to Pre following MICE only, while Calmness was significantly lower at Post 40 relative to Pre following MICE and SED. Overall, both exercise conditions were enjoyed to a greater extent than the control, but MICE may provide greater psychological benefits with respect to Calmness and Tiredness. This study is among the first to assess acute changes in affective states relative to various exercise modes in individuals living with subsyndromal PTSD.

Effects of exercise training on fatigue in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a quantitative synthesis of randomized controlled trials examining the effect of exercise training on symptomatic fatigue in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: Electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar) were searched for articles published between 1960 and October 2012 by using the key words "fatigue," OR "tiredness," OR "energy," OR "mood," OR "lassitude," AND "exercise," OR "physical activity," OR "rehabilitation," OR "fitness" WITH "multiple sclerosis." The initial search resulted in 311 articles, of which 74 were reviewed in detail and 17 met the inclusion criteria and provided enough data to compute effect sizes (ESs; Cohen d). The meta-analysis was conducted using a meta-analysis software program, and a random-effects model was used to calculate the overall ES, expressed as Hedge g. RESULTS: The weighted mean ES from 17 randomized controlled trials with 568 participants with MS was 0.45 (standard error = 0.12, 95% confidence interval = 0.22-0.68, z = 3.88, p ≤ .001). The weighted mean ES was slightly heterogeneous (Q = 29.9, df = 16, p = .019). CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative evidence supports that exercise training is associated with a significant small reduction in fatigue among persons with MS.

Beta cortical oscillatory activities and their relationship to postural control in a standing balance demanding test: influence of aging.

Background: Age-related changes in the cortical control of standing balance may provide a modifiable mechanism underlying falls in older adults. Thus, this study examined the cortical response to sensory and mechanical perturbations in older adults while standing and examined the relationship between cortical activation and postural control. Methods: A cohort of community dwelling young (18-30 years, N = 10) and older adults (65-85 years, N = 11) performed the sensory organization test (SOT), motor control test (MCT), and adaptation test (ADT) while high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and center of pressure (COP) data were recorded in this cross-sectional study. Linear mixed models examined cohort differences for cortical activities, using relative beta power, and postural control performance, while Spearman correlations were used to investigate the relationship between relative beta power and COP indices in each test. Results: Under sensory manipulation, older adults demonstrated significantly higher relative beta power at all postural control-related cortical areas (p < 0.01), while under rapid mechanical perturbations, older adults demonstrated significantly higher relative beta power at central areas (p < 0.05). As task difficulty increased, young adults had increased relative beta band power while older adults demonstrated decreased relative beta power (p < 0.01). During sensory manipulation with mild mechanical perturbations, specifically in eyes open conditions, higher relative beta power at the parietal area in young adults was associated with worse postural control performance (p < 0.001). Under rapid mechanical perturbations, specifically in novel conditions, higher relative beta power at the central area in older adults was associated with longer movement latency (p < 0.05). However, poor reliability measures of cortical activity assessments were found during MCT and ADT, which limits the ability to interpret the reported results. Discussion: Cortical areas are increasingly recruited to maintain upright postural control, even though cortical resources may be limited, in older adults. Considering the limitation regarding mechanical perturbation reliability, future studies should include a larger number of repeated mechanical perturbation trials.

Perceived Barriers and Benefits of Exercise Among Women Survivors of Sexual Violence by Physical Activity Level and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Status.

An online, cross-sectional survey of women survivors of sexual violence (SV; N = 355) gathered information on perceived barriers and benefits of exercise, along with exercise level and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This study reports exercise perceptions and provides comparisons by exercise level and PTSD status. Differences by exercise level were found in life enhancement, physical performance, psychological outlook, and social interaction (ps < 0.05; rs = -0.04-0.25). Differences were found by PTSD status in physical performance, social interaction, and preventative health and exercise milieu, time expenditure, and family discouragement (ps < 0.05; rs = -0.39-0.21). Findings provide new information relevant for promoting exercise among women survivors of SV.

Perceived Barriers and Benefits of Exercise Among Men with Histories of Sexual Violence: Impact of PTSD and Physical Activity Status.

This study reported on perceived benefits and barriers of exercise among men with histories of sexual violence (SV) and compared these perceptions by activity level and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) status. An online, cross-sectional, survey of men with histories of SV (N = 198) was completed using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Inclusion criteria were identifying sex at birth as male, age between 18 and 65 years, self-reported history of SV, and living in the United States (U.S.). A total of 1,260 men were screened for the study, of which 316 met the inclusion criteria, and 198 met all data quality requirements and were included in the study. Sociodemographic information, exercise behavior, PTSD symptoms, and perceived exercise barriers/benefits were collected. Comparisons by activity and PTSD status were analyzed. Additionally, two open-ended qualitative research questions were included to provide nuance to perceived barriers/benefits of exercise. The most salient benefits included physical performance, psychological outlook, and preventative health. Open-ended responses also noted the mental and physical benefits of exercise. The most salient barrier was physical exercise, with open-ended responses emphasizing lack of time, chronic pain and health concerns, and poor mental health and lack of motivation as impediments to exercise. Significant differences were found in benefits (psychological outlook, physical performance) and barriers (exercise environment, high time expenditure, and family discouragement) between active and insufficiently active men with histories of SV (ps < .05; Cohen's ds = 0.32-0.57). Significant differences were found by PTSD status on benefits (physical performance, social interaction, and preventative health) and barriers (exercise milieu, time expenditure, hard physical exercise, family discouragement) (ps < .05; Cohen's ds = 0.40-1.10). Findings provide new gender-specific strategies for promoting exercise among men with histories of SV: integrating exercise physiologists into trauma recovery programs, psychoeducation, engaging friends and family members, peer-support, and building self-efficacy.

Impact of Military Affiliation on Exercise Perceptions Among Survivors of Sexual Violence.

INTRODUCTION: Military service members disproportionately experience sexual violence (SV) and its related health concerns. Although recent work has shown physical activity to be an effective strategy for improving physical and mental health among trauma-exposed military populations, little of this work has focused specifically on military service members with a history of SV. To address these gaps in knowledge and practice, this study identified the most salient perceived benefits/barriers of exercise among men and women survivors of SV with military affiliations. Additionally, these analyses explore willingness to engage in exercise programs, and preferences for the structure/content of these programs, among men and women survivors of SV with military affiliations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online, cross-sectional survey of women (n = 355) and men (n = 198) survivors of SV was completed using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Inclusion criteria were men and women, age between 18 and 65 years, self-reported history of SV, and located in the United States. Information on sociodemographics and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms was collected alongside perceived barriers and benefits to exercise, willingness to engage in exercise programs, and preferences for the structure/content of these programs. Analyses were stratified by sex. Comparisons by history of military involvement (active duty military or veteran; no military involvement/civilian) were reported. RESULTS: Both military-involved men (n = 68) and women (n = 139) were more likely to prefer at-home and online exercise options when compared to civilians (Ps < .05; Cramer's Vs 0.19-0.36). Additionally, both men and women with military involvement reported strongly favoring exercising with an instructor over no instructor and preferred that this instructor identifies with their same gender (Ps < .01; Cramer's Vs 0.28-0.36). Women with military involvement also preferred shorter program durations and exercising alone or in a group online or in person, whereas men with military involvement were open to longer program durations, when compared to their civilian counterparts (Ps < .05; Cramer's Vs 0.19-0.37). Women and men with military involvement were more likely than their civilian counterparts to perceive that exercise benefits their psychological outlook and social interactions. They were also more likely than civilians to indicate poor exercise environment, high time expenditure, and family discouragement as perceived barriers to exercise (Ps < .05; Cohen's ds 0.21-0.97). Military-involved women were also more likely than civilian women to endorse the perceived barrier of hard physical exercise (P < .05; Cohen's d = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: This study identified perceived benefits and barriers to exercise, along with willingness to engage in exercise programs, and exercise preferences among men and women survivors of SV with military involvement. Targeting these factors in intervention planning will be important for physical activity promotion and program engagement among veterans to reduce the disproportionate impact of SV and disease burden among U.S. service members and veterans.

Hemostatic Responses to Multiple Bouts of Firefighting Activity: Female vs. Male Differences in a High Demand, High Performance Occupation.

While the fire service has long been a male-dominated occupation, women's participation in this strenuous, high risk, high performance activity has increased in recent years. Firefighting induces significant cardiovascular strain, including hemostatic disruption; however, the effect of sex on hemostatic responses has not been investigated despite evidence that there are sex-related differences in hemostatic variables at rest and following exercise. Thus, we investigated hemostatic responses in age- and BMI-matched male and female firefighters who performed 3-4 evolutions of firefighting drills over a 3 h period. Venous blood samples were collected before and after the firefighting training drills and hemostatic variables were assessed. Firefighting significantly increased platelet count and factor VIII, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, and t-PA activity, and decreased activated partial thromboplastin time and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity. Females had lower values for epinephrine-induced platelet closure time, antithrombin III, PAI-1 activity, and PAI-1 antigen. There were no interactions between sex and time for any variables assessed. In conclusion, multiple bouts of firefighting activity resulted in a procoagulatory state. Although there were sex differences for several hemostatic variables, male and female firefighters did not differ in their hemostatic response to multiple bouts of firefighting.

Cathepsin B and Muscular Strength are Independently Associated with Cognitive Control.

Although muscular strength has been linked to greater cognitive function across different cognitive domains, the mechanism(s) through which this occurs remain(s) poorly understood. Indeed, while an emerging body of literature suggests peripheral myokines released from muscular contractions may play a role in this relationship, additional research is needed to understand this link. Accordingly, this study sought to compare the influences of a particular myokine, Cathepsin B (CTSB), and muscular strength on hippocampal-dependent relational memory and cognitive control in 40 adults (age = 50.0±7.3 yrs). Overnight fasted venous blood draws were taken to assess plasma CTSB and muscular strength was assessed as maximal isokinetic strength testing using a Biodex dynamometer. Cognitive performance was assessed using a Spatial Reconstruction Task to assess relational memory and a modified Flanker task to assess cognitive control. Neuroelectric function for cognitive control was assessed using event-related potentials (ERPs) recorded during the Flanker task. Initial bivariate correlational analyses revealed that neither sex, age, lean body mass, or muscular strength was associated with CTSB. However, CTSB was inversely associated with reaction time and fractional peak latency of the P3 component of the Flanker task. Muscular strength was also inversely associated with reaction time and positively associated with relational memory performance. However, the influence of muscular strength on relational memory did not persist following adjustment for covariates. Greater circulating CTSB was selectively associated with greater cognitive control as well as faster information processing speed. These findings are the first to link circulating CTSB to both cognitive control and neuroelectric function. Future intervention studies are needed to examine the effects of changes in muscular strength, circulating myokines, and different domains of cognitive function.

Effect of live-fire training drills on firefighters' platelet number and function.

BACKGROUND: The leading cause of line-of-duty death among firefighters is sudden cardiac events. Platelets play a critical role in the formation of an occlusive thrombus during an ischemic event. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effect of firefighting on platelet number and aggregability. METHODS: Apparently healthy male firefighters (N = 114; age 29.4 ± 7.8 years) participated in 18 minutes of simulated firefighting activity in a training structure that contained live fires. Blood samples were obtained before and after simulated firefighting activity and analyzed for complete blood cell count (CBC), chemistry, and platelet number and function. Platelet function was measured using a PFA-100 analyzer to assess platelet aggregability. RESULTS: As expected, performing firefighting activity resulted in significant increases in heart rate (75 b·min(-1)) and core temperature (0.7 °C), and significant changes in blood chemistry values. The most important finding in this study is that 18 minutes of simulated firefighting caused a 24% increase in platelet number and a significant increase in platelet aggregability. CONCLUSIONS: Firefighting resulted in a significant increase in platelet number and aggregability, indicating that even short bouts of firefighting can increase thrombotic potential in apparently healthy firefighters.

Athletic identity and disordered eating in obligatory and non-obligatory runners.

Athletic identity is the extent to which an individual identifies with being an athlete. Strong "running" role identity may contribute to increased restrictive dieting behaviours, potentially placing such individuals at risk for eating disorders. In this study, we examined differences in eating and exercise behaviours/attitudes and athletic identity in obligatory versus non-obligatory runners. Male and female participants completed a battery of questionnaires including the Eating Disorder Inventory, Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire (OEQ), and Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS). OEQ scores ≥50 were indicative of obligatory exercise. The non-obligatory runners (n = 82) and obligatory runners (n = 91) were compared on the various measures. Obligatory runners scored significantly higher (P < 0.002) on all of the eating attitudes/disorder measures, and the AIMS (P ≤ 0.006). Scores on the AIMS were correlated with all disordered eating measures (P < 0.05). Exercising to maintain identification with the running role may be associated with pathological eating and training practices.

High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) Improves Fitness in Recruit Firefighters.

BACKGROUND: Firefighting is a strenuous profession requiring adequate levels of fitness for effective job performance. Providing firefighters with a safe and effective fitness program is essential for optimal performance. The purpose of this project was to examine changes in various parameters of physical fitness and firefighter ability following a 7-week high intensity functional training (HIFT) program. METHODS: Participants were male firefighter recruits (N = 89; age = 27.1 ± 4.2 years, height = 1.78 ± 0.1 m, BMI = 28.1 ± 4.2) enrolled in a Basic Operations Firefighter Academy. Fitness and firefighting ability (via the Academy Firefighter Challenge) were assessed at Weeks 1 and 7 of the Academy. RESULTS: Significant improvements in both fitness and firefighter ability were seen following the HIFT program. Specifically, fitness (BMI, cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance) improved significantly [Hotelling's T2 = 8.98, F(5, 84) = 150.92, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.90]. Firefighter ability also improved significantly [Hotelling's T2 = 3.95, F(7, 88) = 46.26, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.80]. CONCLUSIONS: Following a 7-week Basic Operations Firefighter Academy that included daily HIFT, significant increases in fitness and firefighting ability were observed. These findings suggest that HIFT appears to be an effective means of improving fitness and firefighting ability in recruit firefighters.

Fitness Fights Fires: Exploring the Relationship between Physical Fitness and Firefighter Ability.

Background: Regular exercise in firefighters may be effective in preventing or attenuating ill health (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, and obesity), as well as improving their firefighting ability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and firefighting ability. Methods: Male firefighter recruits' (n = 89; age = 27.1 ± 4.2 yrs) physical fitness and firefighting ability were assessed at Week 1 and Week 7 during a basic firefighting training academy. Physical fitness was assessed via 1.5 mile run time, sit-up and push-up repetitions, the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) bench press test, vertical jump height, and sit-and-reach flexibility, while firefighting ability was assessed via completion time on a firefighting skills test. Results: Fitness predicted significant variance in firefighting ability at Week 1 (R2= 0.46; p < 0.01) and Week 7 (R2 = 0.46; p < 0.01), after accounting for age and body mass index. Cardiovascular endurance accounted for 22.4% (FΔ (1, 85) = 25.75) and 39.3% (FΔ (1, 85) = 55.53) while muscular endurance accounted for an additional 19.0% (FΔ (3, 82) = 10.34) and 6.3% (FΔ (3, 82) = 3.2) unique variance in firefighting ability at Week 1 and Week 7, respectively. Conclusions: Given the strong association between fitness and firefighting performance, municipal departments may want to focus on increasing fitness levels among firefighters.

Physical activity and sleep: An updated umbrella review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee report.

Physical activity (PA) is widely considered to improve sleep, but a comprehensive review of the research on this topic has not been performed. In this umbrella review, conducted initially for the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee and updated to reflect more recent research, we examined whether PA enhances sleep outcomes across the lifespan as well as among individuals with sleep disorders. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were utilized to assess the evidence. We also examined dose-response considerations and whether the association between PA and sleep was moderated by various factors (e.g., timing, sociodemographic characteristics). We found strong evidence that both acute bouts of PA and regular PA improved sleep outcomes. Moderate evidence indicated that longer bouts of PA (both acute and regular) improved sleep, and that the effects of PA on sleep outcomes were generally preserved across adult age groups and sex. Finally, moderate evidence demonstrated that PA improved sleep in adults with insomnia symptoms or obstructive sleep apnea. Several important areas in need of future research were also identified. Overall, the review supported the claim that PA improves sleep, but highlighted gaps that need to be addressed to facilitate more widespread utilization of PA for improving sleep.

Of Sound Mind and Body: Exploring the Diet-Strength Interaction in Healthy Aging.

Strength is a vital component of healthy aging. However, "strength" comes in different forms (includes both physical and mental aspects) and can look different at various phases of adult life. Healthy eating and regular exercise are clearly important pillars for strength. This paper proposes a framework that underlines the value of protein foods and resistance exercise for aging strong.