Effects of moderate- vs. high-intensity interval training on physical fitness, enjoyment, and affective valence in overweight/obese female adolescents: a pre-/post-test study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 12-week moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT) vs. high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body composition, physical fitness, and psychological valence in overweight/obese (OW/OB) female adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight OW/OB female students were randomized into HIIT (n=13), MIIT (n=13) or control (n=12) groups. The participants underwent a 12-week interval-training program at 100% to 110% and 60% to 75% of maximal aerobic speed for HIIT and MIIT, respectively. The control group kept their usual physical activity without completing the training program. Pre- and post-training measurements were performed to assess body composition, aerobic capacity, and anaerobic performance (using selected tests evaluating speed, jumping ability, and strength). Ratings of perceived exertion and the feeling scale were evaluated every three weeks. Enjoyment was measured at the end of the program. A two-way analysis of variance with repeated measurements was applied to test for "group×time" interactions for body composition, physical fitness, and affective variables. RESULTS: Significant "group×time" interactions were detected for aerobic and anaerobic performance, body composition indices, and the feeling scale. HIIT resulted in more noticeable improvements in body composition and physical performance than MIIT, while no significant changes were found in the control group. Throughout the program, the feeling score has progressively increased in the MIIT group but decreased in the HIIT group. Ratings of the perceived exertion have increased in both groups, more noticeably in the HIIT group. At the end of the program, the MIIT group showed a higher enjoyment score. CONCLUSIONS: Despite offering better body composition improvement and physical fitness enhancement, HIIT offered lesser enjoyment and affective valence than MIIT in OW/OB female adolescents. MIIT might be an alternative time-efficient protocol for improving health in this population.

Autoimmune hepatitis in monozygotic twins - a case report.

OBJECTIVE: Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic liver disease caused by a dysfunctional immune system. It is widely believed that autoimmune hepatitis accumulates in families. We found that autoimmune hepatitis does accumulate in monozygotic twins. CASE REPORT: We present middle-aged monozygotic female twins developing autoimmune hepatitis consecutively within two years. Both twins had developed Graves' disease and were treated with carbimazole before the onset of autoimmune hepatitis. Both were cigarette smokers. The twins were treated with budesonide and azathioprine, which normalised liver parameters. CONCLUSIONS: This case report supports the hypothesis that a genetic factor might be of great importance in the aetiology of autoimmune hepatitis.

Differences in pacing during cycling and running in ultra-triathlons - The example of 'Swissultra'.

OBJECTIVE: The knowledge of the most predictive split discipline and the pacing during a triathlon race is of utmost importance for planning an ultra-triathlon race. This study aimed at investigating the pacing during cycling and running splits in three different multi-stage ultra-triathlon race formats (i.e., Quintuple, Deca, and Double Deca Iron ultra-triathlon with 5x, 10x and 20x the daily distance of a full Ironman-distance triathlon). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 48 male ultra-triathletes competing in Quintuple (n=14), Deca (n=25), and Double Deca (n=9) Iron ultra-triathlon "swissultra" between 2016 and 2019 in Switzerland were analyzed. For each race day, we calculated the total performance (sum of all laps time), average individual performance (average of all laps time within a race day) and pacing variation (coefficient of variation of race laps time) for cycling and running. Discipline (cycling and running) and race distance (Quintuple, Deca, and Double Deca Iron ultra-triathlon) were used as independent parameters. The primary outcome variables were the time performance (daily and total) and the pacing variation. We applied two general linear models (GLM): the first model was a one-way ANOVA comparing total and daily performance by race distance, and the second model was a two-way ANOVA (race distance´ discipline) using pacing variation (average pace oscillation) as a dependent variable. RESULTS: The first GLM identified a significant race distance effect for total performance in both cycling (F = 375.6; p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.943) and running (F = 267.8; p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.922) with Double Deca Iron ultra-triathlon being the fastest and Quintuple Iron ultra-triathlon the slowest. The GLM for daily average performance showed no significant effect of race distance on cycling performance (F = 0.171; p = 0.843; ηp2 = 0.008), but on running performance (F = 6.408; p = 0.004; ηp2 = 0.222). The two-way GLM comparing pacing variation showed a significant effect for race distance (F = 11.81; p<0.001; ηp2 = 0.344) with Deca presenting larger pace variation than Quintuple and Double Deca Iron ultra-triathlon in both cycling and running, but not for discipline (F = 0.067; p=0.797; ηp2 = 0.001), nor for interaction (F = 1.469; p=0.241; ηp2 = 0.061). CONCLUSIONS: Athletes achieved a stable cycling performance independent of the length of the race, and the cycling split had an influence on the subsequent running split depending upon the length of the race.