Associations between fitness levels and self-perceived health-related quality of life in community - dwelling for a group of older females.

BACKGROUND: For older adults perceived quality of life has been linked to the ability to accomplish everyday tasks, a functional capacity which is thought to be based upon physical fitness. Although there is a relationship between physical activity and quality of life in older adults, the fitness of older adults and its relationship to quality of life needs more investigation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations between self-reported health-related quality of life and physical fitness in community-dwelling older females. METHODS: A cross-sectional study between four different age groups in retirement villages from two different places of the southern and western region of Hungary, among 173 women between the ages of 58 and 94 years old. We measured physical fitness using the Fullerton Test protocol and self-perceived health quality of life using the Short-Form Health Survey. RESULTS: Group means were different in six-minute walk distance, handgrip strength, and arm curls. The youngest group of females had higher scores of fitness in these categories as compared to the oldest grouping of women. Quality of Life were also difference across age groupings although not linear across the four age categories. Moderate level positive relationship was evident between perceived physical function and certain categories of physical fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Sociability and self-motivation has a leading role in quality of life in elder population. It is worth putting a lot more emphasis into continuous cultural, social and most importantly into physical activity programs for elderly.

Correlations between Repeated Use of Dry Sauna for 4 x 10 Minutes, Physiological Parameters, Anthropometric Features, and Body Composition in Young Sedentary and Overweight Men: Health Implications.

BACKGROUND: The effect of thermal stress on the physiological parameters of young overweight and sedentary men who sporadically use the sauna remains insufficiently investigated. AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of sauna bathing on the physiological parameters of young overweight, physically inactive men and to test the correlations between physiological parameters versus anthropometric features and body composition parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five overweight and sedentary men aged 20.76±2.4 y were exposed to four sauna sessions of 10 minutes each (temperature: 90-91°C; relative humidity: 14-16 %) with four 5-minute cool-down breaks. Body composition was determined before sauna, and body mass and blood pressure were measured before and after sauna. Physiological parameters were monitored during four 10-minute sauna sessions. RESULTS: A significant (p<0.0001) increase in all analyzed physiological parameters was observed during four successive 10-minute sauna sessions. Heart rate, energy expenditure, blood pressure, and body mass loss were most strongly correlated with anthropometric parameters (body mass, body mass index, and body surface area) and body composition parameters (percent body fat, body fat mass, and visceral fat level). The 60-minute treatment resulted in a significant reduction in body mass (0.65 kg). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated use of Finnish sauna induces significant changes in the physiological parameters of young sedentary overweight men, and these changes are intensified during successive treatments. Deleterious cardiovascular adaptations were most prevalent in men characterized by the highest degree of obesity and the largest body size.

Body composition comparisons by age groups in Hungarian adults / Comparaciones de composición corporal en grupos etarios de adultos húngaros

The assessment of body composition provides a basis for evaluating changes in adults as they age. If the fat content is shown to be too high, intervention to reduce storage fat is warranted. The purpose of this paper is to report differences in body composition in men and women across three age groups (young, middle aged, older) to describe potential changes in both fat and muscularity. In addition, if fat storage is shown to be located in the visceral area (around the internal organs), then an addition risk to health would be evident. A total of 1564 Hungarian adults were tested for body mass index (BMI) and body composition using a multi-frequency electrical impedance device to determine percent body fat (PBF), percent muscularity (M%), and visceral fat area. Descriptive analyses were performed and Analyses of Variance were used to compare the mean values from each of the three groups. Post hoc comparisons were performed on significant findings. The results of this study indicate an increase in BMI, PBF, and visceral fat area and a decrease in M%. These differences were evident in young compared to middle-aged and older adults and between middle-aged and older adults. Levels of muscularity were significantly less as age increased. This resulted in no significant differences in BMI between middle-aged and older adults. This reduction in muscularity is alarming in that prior to expected age for sarcopenia, the middle-aged adults were showing declines in tissue that would benefit their quality of life. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.

La evaluación de la composición corporal proporciona una base para evaluar cambios en adultos a medida que envejecen. Al determinar que el contenido de grasa es demasiado alto, se justifica la intervención para reducir esta grasa de almacenamiento. El propósito de este trabajo fue reportar las diferencias en la composición corporal en hombres y mujeres de tres grupos etarios (jóvenes, de mediana edad y adultos mayores) para describir los cambios potenciales en grasa y musculatura. Además, el almacenamiento de grasa que se encuentra en la zona visceral (alrededor de los órganos internos) constituye un riesgo importante para la salud. Un total de 1564 adultos húngaros fueron incluidos en el estudio para definir el índice de masa corporal (IMC) y la composición corporal utilizando un dispositivo de impedancia eléctrica de múltiples frecuencias para determinar el porcentaje de grasa corporal (PBF), porcentaje de la musculatura (M%) y el área de grasa visceral. Fue realizadoun análisis descriptivo y de varianza para comparar los valores medios de cada uno de los tres grupos. Comparaciones post hoc se realizaron en los hallazgos significativos. Los resultados indicaron un aumento en el IMC, PBF y área de grasa visceral, y una disminución de M%. Estas diferencias fueron evidentes en los jóvenes, a diferencia de los adultos de mediana edad y de edad avanzada, como también entre los adultos de mediana edad y adultos mayores. Los niveles de musculatura fueron significativamente menores a medida que la edad avanzaba. Esto dio lugar a diferencias significativas en el IMC entre los adultos de mediana edad y adultos mayores. Esta reducción de la musculatura es alarmante debido a que antes de la edad prevista para la sarcopenia, los adultos de mediana edad muestran disminución en el tejido que beneficiaría la calidad de vida. Se requieren estudios longitudinales para confirmar estos hallazgos.

Overview of the Hungarian National Youth Fitness Study.

The 2012 Public Act on Education in Hungary made daily physical education (PE) a mandatory part of the school day starting in the 2012-2013 school year. This directive was linked to a significant reorganization of the Hungarian education system including a new National Core Curriculum that regulates the objectives and contents of PE. The Hungarian School Sport Federation (HSSF) recognized the opportunity and created the Strategic Actions for Health-Enhancing Physical Education or Testnevelés az Egészségfejlesztésben Stratégiai Intézkedések (TESI) project. Physical fitness assessments have been a traditional part of the Hungarian PE program; however, the TESI plan called for the use of a new health-related battery and assessment system to usher in a new era of fitness education in the country. The HSSF enlisted the Cooper Institute to assist in building an infrastructure for full deployment of a national student fitness assessment program based on the FITNESSGRAM® in Hungarian schools. The result is a new software-supported test battery, namely the Hungarian National Student Fitness Test (NETFIT), which uses health-related, criterion-referenced youth fitness standards. The NETFIT system now serves as a compulsory fitness assessment for all Hungarian schools. This article details the development process for the test battery and summarizes the aims and methods of the Hungarian National Youth Fitness Study.

Agreement Between Omron 306 and Biospace InBody 720 Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzers (BIA) in Children and Adolescents.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the convergent validity of Omron 306 using Biospace InBody 720. METHOD: A total of 267 participants (145 boys; aged 10.4-17.9 years) completed testing during a single session. Each measure provided percent body fat (%BF), while the InBody 720 included fat-free mass (FFM). The validity was examined using the Pearson correlation. Limits of agreement (LOA) and multiple linear regression were also used to determine the impact of both age and FFM on the associations between the 2 measures. RESULTS: The 2 measures of %BF were correlated by .63 (p < .001) in boys and .89 (p < .001) in girls. The mean difference (i.e., InBody - Omron) for %BF in boys was - 4.7% with a lower LOA of - 20.5% and upper LOA of 11.2%. The same comparison for girls resulted in a difference of 3.0% with a lower LOA of - 10% and upper LOA of 4%. Examination of the residuals obtained from multiple linear regression indicated that FFM was the only statistically significant predictor of differences in boys (ßFFM = - 0.25 ± 0.08%, p = .001). There were no significant associations for girls. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that estimates of %BF obtained from Omron in boys exceed estimates from InBody 720. Disagreement was evident in younger boys with lower levels of FFM. Girls' %BF was closer between the 2 bioelectrical impedance analyzer measures (less residual) with age and FFM not explaining the disagreement. Overall, the 2 measures were not equivalent.

Cross-Validation of a PACER Prediction Equation for Assessing Aerobic Capacity in Hungarian Youth.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article was to evaluate the validity of the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular and Endurance Run (PACER) test in a sample of Hungarian youth. METHOD: Approximately 500 participants (aged 10-18 years old) were randomly selected across Hungary to complete both laboratory (maximal treadmill protocol) and field assessments (PACER) of aerobic capacity. Agreement between lab- and PACER-derived peak oxygen consumption (VO2) was examined using linear regression and 2-sided equivalence testing techniques, respectively. The impact of agreement on the classification accuracy of peak VO2 estimates into FITNESSGRAM® fitness zones was determined with kappa statistics. RESULTS: The final sample resulted in a total of 167 boys and 143 girls (N = 310). Analyses revealed that lab and PACER VO2 shared 13% to 18% of their variance (R(2)boys = .13, R(2)girls = .18) and that limits of agreement ranged from - 39.9 mL/kg/min to +37.6 mL/kg/min depending on the sex. The absolute error values were 14% for boys and 16% for girls; however, the average peak VO2 estimates from the PACER were within the 10% equivalence region for girls (37.2 mL/kg/min to 45.4 mL/kg/min), but not for boys (45.2 mL/kg/min to 55.2 mL/kg/min). When lab and PACER VO2 were categorized according to Fitnessgram zones, agreement was fair for both sexes (boys, Kappa = .25, and girls, Kappa = .31). CONCLUSIONS: Although the correlations between measured and predicted peak VO2 were lower than expected, the magnitude of error observed in the PACER is similar to past ranges of error observed in other studies (10%-15%), but the large individual error should be considered when interpreting individual results from this field-based measure of aerobic capacity. There was reasonable classification agreement between lab estimates and the PACER test for classification into the various fitness standards.

Influence of pulsing electromagnetic field therapy on resting blood pressure in aging adults.

This double-blind study tested the effects of pulsating electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy sessions on the changes in peripheral cardiovascular function in a group of aging adults after 12 weeks of treatment. Each therapy session involved 15 min of exposure to low-frequency PEMF with asymmetrical waveforms emitted by the Impulser™ Pro mattress. The treatment was provided 5 days per week for a total of 60 sessions. Resting blood pressure and arterial stiffness index were determined for peripheral cardiovascular function. Fifty-four older men and women (mean age 59.8 ± 3.5 yrs) completed the entire protocol involving either the PEMF or a sham treatment. The results include statistically significant reductions in systolic and pulse blood pressure, while no significant difference in diastolic pressure or the index of arterial stiffness was observed. These findings suggest that the PEMF treatment might be linked to improvements in peripheral resistance or circulation.

Reactions of indole derivatives with oxiranes and aziridines on silica. Synthesis of beta-carbolin-1-one mimic of pancratistatin.

[reaction: see text] Indole and several indoles functionalized at C-2 were condensed with oxiranes, vinyloxiranes, aziridines, and vinylaziridines in the solid state on the surface of silica. The yields of these reactions were compared to those obtained from Lewis acid-catalyzed ring-opening reactions performed in solution and found to be superior in each case. The solid-phase aziridine opening constituted a key step in the synthesis of the beta-carbolin-1-one mimic of pancratistatin. Methyl 2-indolecarboxylate was found to react on the silica gel surface with N-tosylvinylaziridine in 68% yield. A nine-step synthesis of the pancratistatin mimic has been attained. The additional key transformation in this synthesis involved silica gel-catalyzed opening of an epoxide and hydrolysis of an acetonide. Detailed experimental procedures and full characterization are reported for all new compounds.

Effects of carbohydrate refeeding on physiological responses and psychological and physical performance following acute weight reduction in collegiate wrestlers.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of carbohydrate refeeding on intermittent sprint exercise, blood lactate response, and mood following a typical weight-reduction program practiced by college wrestlers. Fifteen collegiate wrestlers from the University of Northern Iowa completed 3 trials of intermittent arm cranking and a mood inventory prior to weigh-ins (baseline), after weigh-ins, and 1 hour postconsumption of either 1.5 g carbohydrate (CHO)/kg body mass carbohydrate beverage (25% solution) or placebo taken within 1 hour after weigh-ins. Blood lactate responses were determined with each trial. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated no significant interaction between group and trial for total work (p = 0.08), blood lactate (p = 0.29), positive mood (p = 0.49), or negative mood (p = 0.78). Simple effects analysis indicated a significant difference in lactate response between trials (p = 0.002); however, no difference for work (p = 0.75), positive mood (p = 0.13), or negative mood (p = 0.08). The results of this study suggest that intermittent sprint exercise, blood lactate response, and mood were not positively affected by ingestion of CHOs following an acute weight-reduction period.

Glutamine Supplementation did not Benefit Athletes During Short-Term Weight Reduction.

The purpose was to determine if glutamine supplementation would prevent a loss of lean mass in athletes during a 12-day weight reduction program. It was hypothesized that supplementation would spare lean body mass. Subjects (n=18) exercised and dieted to create a 4186kJ·day(-1) energy deficit and a 8372 kJ·day(-1) energy deficit on days 1-5, days 6-12, respectively. The glutamine (GLN) group (n=9) ingested 0.35 g·kg(-1) body mass of glutamine while a placebo was administered to the remaining subjects. Body mass (BM), lean body mass (LBM) and fat mass (FM), were measured at days 0, 6, and 12. GLN and placebo groups both lost significant amounts of BM, LBM and FM. There were no significant differences between groups. The findings indicate little benefit for retention of lean mass with supplementation of glutamine during a short-term weight reduction program.