Maximal Lactate Accumulation Rate in All-out Exercise Differs between Cycling and Running.

This study aims to compare maximal lactate accumulation rate (V̇ Lamax) and power output (Pmax) between cycling and running in terms of reliability, differences between, and correlations among modalities. Eighteen competitive triathletes performed a 15-s all-out exercise test in cycling and a 100-m sprint test in running. Each test was performed twice and separated by one week. Exercise tests in cycling were performed on an ergometer whereas sprint tests in running were performed on an indoor track. Differences between trials and exercise modality were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. V̇ Lamax (ICC=0.894, ICC=0.868) and Pmax (ICC=0.907, ICC=0.965) attained 'good' to 'excellent' reliability in both cycling and running, respectively. V̇ Lamax was higher in running (d=0.709, p=0.016) whereas Pmax was lower in running (d=-0.862, p < 0.001). For V̇ Lamax, limits of agreement between modalities ranged from -0.224 to +0.437 mmol·l-1·s-1. Pmax correlated between modalities (r=0.811, p < 0.001), whereas no correlation was found in V̇ Lamax (r=0.418, p=0.084). V̇ Lamax is highly reliable in both modalities and higher in running compared to cycling. Since V̇ Lamax does not correlate between cycling and running, it should be determined sport-specifically.

Affective Modulation after High-Intensity Exercise Is Associated with Prolonged Amygdalar-Insular Functional Connectivity Increase.

Acute moderate exercise has been shown to induce prolonged changes in functional connectivity (FC) within affect and reward networks. The influence of different exercise intensities on FC has not yet been explored. Twenty-five male athletes underwent 30 min of "low"- (35% < lactate threshold (LT)) and "high"- (20% > LT) intensity exercise bouts on a treadmill. Resting-state fMRI was acquired at 3 Tesla before and after exercise, together with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Data of 22 subjects (3 dropouts) were analyzed using the FSL feat pipeline and a seed-to-network-based analysis with the bilateral amygdala as the seed region for determining associated FC changes in the "emotional brain." Data were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA. Comparisons between pre- and post-exercise were analyzed using a one-sample t-test, and a paired t-test was used for the comparison between "low" and "high" exercise conditions (nonparametric randomization approach, results reported at p < 0.05). Both exercise interventions induced significant increases in the PANAS positive affect scale. There was a significant interaction effect of amygdalar FC to the right anterior insula, and this amygdalar-insular FC correlated significantly with the PANAS positive affect scale (r = 0.47, p = 0.048) in the "high"-intensity exercise condition. Our findings suggest that mood changes after exercise are associated with prolonged alterations in amygdalar-insular FC and occur in an exercise intensity-dependent manner.

Effects of physical exercise on individual resting state EEG alpha peak frequency.

Previous research has shown that both acute and chronic physical exercises can induce positive effects on brain function and this is associated with improvements in cognitive performance. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exercise on cognitive processing are not well understood. This study examined the effects of an acute bout of physical exercise as well as four weeks of exercise training on the individual resting state electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha peak frequency (iAPF), a neurophysiological marker of the individual's state of arousal and attention, in healthy young adults. The subjects completed a steady state exercise (SSE) protocol or an exhaustive exercise (EE) protocol, respectively, on two separate days. EEG activity was recorded for 2 min before exercise, immediately after exercise, and after 10 min of rest. All assessments were repeated following four weeks of exercise training to investigate whether an improvement in physical fitness modulates the resting state iAPF and/or the iAPF response to an acute bout of SSE and EE. The iAPF was significantly increased following EE (P = 0.012) but not following SSE. It is concluded that the iAPF is increased following intense exercise, indicating a higher level of arousal and preparedness for external input.

Secular trends in pregnancy weight gain in German women and their influences on foetal outcome: a hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND: Increasing rates of overweight have been reported. In Germany, women of childbearing age are especially affected. Those women are at increased risks of several peri- and postnatal complications. The purpose of this study was to carry out Germany's first study in terms of secular trends of overweight and weight gain during pregnancy related to foetal clinical outcomes (birth weight, Apgar score and umbilical blood pH). METHODS: A database maintained by a large regional university hospital in Cologne, Germany was used to evaluate clinical routine data from 1996 to 2012. 11771 women (23.5 ± 5.4 years; 18-48 years), who gave birth to a live singleton child (>2000 gram) were included. Recommended weight gain during pregnancy was based on IOM guidelines: Total weight gain range for underweight (initial BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) is 12.5-18 kg/ 28-40 lbs respectively, for normal-weight (initial BMI 18.5 -24.9 kg/m2) is 11.5-16 kg/ 25-35 lbs respectively, for overweight (initial BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m2) is 7-11.5 kg/ 15-25 lbs respectively and for obese (initial BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2) is 5-9 kg/ 11-20 lbs respectively.A one-way variance analysis was employed to test for differences in particular factors in various groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to model impact factors. RESULTS: Over the second analysed period (2005-2012), the number of women with high weight gain increased from 33.8% to 42.9% (p <0.001). 54.5% overweight and 57.7% obese women were affected (p <0.001). Women with high weight gain were 54.5% significantly more likely to give birth to an infant ≥ 4000 grams than women with normal (31.7%) or low weight gain (13.8%, p < 0.001). Women with normal weight gain had significantly better foetal outcomes in terms of the Apgar score at 5 min and umbilical cord blood pH. CONCLUSION: These data confirm an increase in maternal weight gain before and during pregnancy. An excessive weight gain is accompanied by macrosomia, lower Apgar scores and pH-value. Women should therefore be advised about the risks of obesity before and during pregnancy as well as excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy.

Modulation of Distinct Intrinsic Resting State Brain Networks by Acute Exercise Bouts of Differing Intensity.

Acute exercise bouts alter resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) within cognitive, sensorimotor, and affective networks, but it remains unknown how these effects are influenced by exercise intensity. Twenty-five male athletes underwent individual fitness assessments using an incremental treadmill test. On separate days, they performed 'low' (35% below lactate threshold) and 'high' (20% above lactate threshold) intensity exercise bouts of 30 min. Rs-fMRI and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) were acquired before and after each exercise bout. Networks of interest were extracted from twenty-two participants (3 dropouts). Pre-to-post changes and between conditions effects were evaluated using FSL's randomise by applying repeated measures ANOVA. Results were reported at p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons using threshold free cluster enhancement. PANAS revealed a significant increase in positive mood after both exercise conditions. Significant effects were observed between conditions in the right affective and reward network (ARN), the right fronto parietal network (FPN) and the sensorimotor network (SMN). Pre-to-post comparisons after 'low' exercise intensity revealed a significant increase in rs-FC in the left and right FPN, while after 'high'-intensity exercise rs-FC decreased in the SMN and the dorsal attention network (DAN) and increased in the left ARN. Supporting recent findings, this study is the first to report distinct rs-FC alterations driven by exercise intensity: (i) Increased rs-FC in FPN may indicate beneficial functional plasticity for cognitive/attentional processing, (ii) increased rs-FC in ARN may be linked to endogenous opioid-mediated internal affective states. Finally, (iii) decreased rs-FC in the SMN may signify persistent motor fatigue. The distinct effects on rs-FC fit with theories of transient persistent network alterations after acute exercise bouts that are mediated by different exercise intensities and impact differentially on cognitive/attentional or affective responses.

Effects of low- and high-intensity exercise on emotional face processing: an fMRI face-matching study.

Physical exercise has positive effects on mood and it reduces clinical depression and states of anxiety. While previous work mostly used subjective measures to study the effect of exercise upon emotions, this study for the first time employed blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to unravel associated neuronal changes of the emotional face-processing network in response to acute exercise. A total of 25 male athletes underwent fitness assessments to define two standardized 30 min exercise interventions (low and high intensity). The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was completed pre- and post-exercise and neuronal responses to neutral, happy and fearful facial expressions were determined using an fMRI-based face-matching paradigm. Complete data sets were acquired in 21 participants (mean age, 27.2 ± 4.2 years). Both exercise interventions induced significant increases of the PANAS positive affect scale. Modulations of brain activation patterns following acute exercise were found only for fearful facial stimuli vs forms: reduced brain activation in posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus for the low condition and reduced activity in caudate nucleus and ventral anterior putamen for the high condition. In conclusion, this study provides first in vivo evidence that acute strenuous exercise interferes with emotional face-processing brain regions in an emotion type-specific manner.

Exercise, mood and cognitive performance in intellectual disability - a neurophysiological approach.

While numerous researches addressed the connection between physical exercise, changes in brain cortical activity and its relationship to psycho-physiological processes, most of these neuro-scientific studies were set up for healthy individuals. However, the benefits of exercise, such as well being, physical and cognitive health enhancements are also becoming increasingly important for intellectually disabled individuals. This study aimed to localize electroencephalographic activity changes in intellectually disabled individuals following a moderate running exercise for 30 min. An increase in cognitive performance and in mood was hypothesized to correlate with a decrease in fronto-temporal brain areas following exercise. Significant changes in cortical current density in frontal brain areas as well as decreases in perceived physical energy could be shown. Overall motivational states (including self-confidence and social acceptance) as well as positive mood increased significantly. However, no changes could be observed for the cognitive tasks following exercise. With respect to the data provided here there is reason to believe, that a self-selected pace running exercise, enhances self-esteem, coincided with cortical activity changes in fronto-temporal brain areas.

Brain cortical activity is influenced by exercise mode and intensity.

INTRODUCTION: Previous research suggests that different exercise modes and intensities lead to variations in brain cortical activity. However, because of variability and limitations in previous study designs, the mechanisms behind this link remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on brain cortical activity that are dependent on exercise mode, intensity, and individual preferences and to localize these changes within the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital cortexes of the brain. METHODS: Twelve runners were asked to perform four modes of exercise (treadmill, bicycle, arm crank, and isokinetic wrist flexions), each at 50% and 80% of their individual maximum capacity. In a second experiment, five hand cycling athletes completed an arm crank exercise protocol. Electrocortical activity was recorded for 5 min under rest conditions, before and after exercise. Standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography was used to localize changes in electroencephalographic α and ß frequency ranges within the brain. RESULTS: We found effects of exercise mode and intensity. Moderate-intensity exercise (50% maximum) was followed by an increase in α activity in either somatosensory brain areas after "familiar exercise" or in emotional areas after "unfamiliar exercise" modes. After high-intensity exercise, changes in α and ß frequencies were observed, which also seem to be specific to individual exercise familiarization/preference. When runners completed intense running and hand cyclists completed the intense arm crank exercise, we observed reductions of frontal ß activity indicating a deactivation of emotional brain regions. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that cortical activation patterns depend on exercise mode and intensity and that individual exercise preferences may contribute to the positive psychophysiological response.

Impact of singular excessive computer game and television exposure on sleep patterns and memory performance of school-aged children.

OBJECTIVE: Television and computer game consumption are a powerful influence in the lives of most children. Previous evidence has supported the notion that media exposure could impair a variety of behavioral characteristics. Excessive television viewing and computer game playing have been associated with many psychiatric symptoms, especially emotional and behavioral symptoms, somatic complaints, attention problems such as hyperactivity, and family interaction problems. Nevertheless, there is insufficient knowledge about the relationship between singular excessive media consumption on sleep patterns and linked implications on children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of singular excessive television and computer game consumption on sleep patterns and memory performance of children. METHODS: Eleven school-aged children were recruited for this polysomnographic study. Children were exposed to voluntary excessive television and computer game consumption. In the subsequent night, polysomnographic measurements were conducted to measure sleep-architecture and sleep-continuity parameters. In addition, a visual and verbal memory test was conducted before media stimulation and after the subsequent sleeping period to determine visuospatial and verbal memory performance. RESULTS: Only computer game playing resulted in significant reduced amounts of slow-wave sleep as well as significant declines in verbal memory performance. Prolonged sleep-onset latency and more stage 2 sleep were also detected after previous computer game consumption. No effects on rapid eye movement sleep were observed. Television viewing reduced sleep efficiency significantly but did not affect sleep patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that television and computer game exposure affect children's sleep and deteriorate verbal cognitive performance, which supports the hypothesis of the negative influence of media consumption on children's sleep, learning, and memory.