Exploring Regular Exercisers' Experiences with Readiness/Recovery Scores Produced by Wearable Devices: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.

Meta-session autoregulation, a person-adaptive exercise programming approach, is characterized by individuals' matching exercise demands specifically to their current readiness states. Some consumer wearables provide 'recovery' or 'readiness' scores, computed primarily based on heart rate variability. Despite the growing popularity of consumer wearables and interest in person-adaptive programming, limited research exists on how exercisers interact, interpret and use these scores. This study explores individuals' experiences with wearable devices and their associated readiness or recovery scores. Seventeen regular exercisers who owned and used a Whoop™ band or Oura™ ring for at least 3 months participated in a one-on-one virtual semi-structured interview. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, with themes supported by 'in-vivo' quotes. This paper focuses on three key themes for a comprehensive demonstration. Theme 1, 'It's more about how I can make adjustments to optimize my programming,' (MPR) highlights users' intended use of wearables for guiding training decisions. Theme 2, 'So many things outside of training modifications have changed,' (Misty) reveals that users also modify non-exercise behaviors to manage and optimize their scores. Theme 3, 'You can't really capture the complexities of a human on a device' (Letty) underscores users' recognition of the limitations and errors associated with these devices emphasizing self-reliance to further direct behavioral adjustments. While wearable devices provide a numeric approach to measuring readiness and recovery, users prioritize self-awareness, flexibility, and personal judgment for exercise decisions. Understanding these experiences, in addition to exploring the psycho-behavioral aspects of user interactions, can contribute to refining meta-session autoregulation.

Exploring Determinants of Exercise-Related Affective Valence in Regular Exercisers Between the Ages of 55 and 69 Years.

This study aimed to understand determinants of recalled in-task affective valence experienced during a regularly performed aerobic bout in adult exercisers aged 55+. Qualitative data were collected (January to March, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic) using interviews wherein individuals (N = 16, 69% women, 61 ± 5 years) recalled deviations in affective valence in response to a regularly completed bout. Using thematic analyses, two themes emerged regarding how COVID-19 impacted regular exercise behaviors: (a) "loss" and (b) "adaptation." Two themes encompassed the determinants of recalled in-task affective valence: (a) "person-specific conditions" and (b) "external conditions." Finally, an increase in duration/intensity during a pleasant session was indicated by 44% of the participants, while 75% indicated a decrease in duration/intensity during an unpleasant session. The participants indicated that affective valence was determined by previously cited and novel factors that relate to exercise performed in naturalistic environments. Volitional modifications to planned exercise volume appear more responsive to feelings of displeasure.

Effects of Increased Step-Width on Knee Biomechanics During Inclined and Declined Walking.

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of preferred step width and increased step width modification on knee biomechanics of obese and healthy-weight participants during incline and decline walking. Seven healthy-weight participants and 6 participants who are obese (body mass index ≥ 30) performed 5 walking trials on level ground and a 10° inclined and declined instrumented ramp system at both preferred and wide step-widths. A 2 × 2 (step-width × group) mixed-model analysis of variance was used to examine selected variables. There were significant increases in step-width between the preferred and wide step-width conditions for all 3 walking conditions (all P < .001). An interaction was found for peak knee extension moment (P = .048) and internal knee abduction moment (KAM) (P = .025) in uphill walking. During downhill walking, there were no interaction effects. As step-width increased, KAM was reduced (P = .007). In level walking, there were no interaction effects for peak medial ground reaction force and KAM (P = .007). There was a step-width main effect for KAM (P = .007). As step-width increased, peak medial ground reaction force and peak knee extension moment increased, while KAM decreased for both healthy weight and individuals who are obese. The results suggest that increasing step-width may be a useful strategy for reducing KAM in healthy and young populations.

Determining Dimensionality of Exercise Readiness Using Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Assessment of "exercise readiness" is a central component to the flexible non-linear periodization (FNLP) method of organizing training workloads, but the underlying factor structure of this construct has not been empirically determined. The purpose of this study was to assess construct dimensionality of exercise readiness using exploratory factor analysis. The result of which serve as initial steps of developing a brief measure of exercise readiness. Participants consisted of students recruited from undergraduate Kinesiology courses at a racially diverse, southern University. Independent, anonymous online survey data were collected across three stages: 1) generation of item pool (n = 290), 2) assessment of face validity and refinement of item pool (n = 168), and 3) exploratory factor analysis (n = 684). A principal axis factor analysis was conducted with 41 items using oblique rotation (promax). Four statistically significant factors, as determined through parallel analysis, explained 61.5% of the variance in exercise readiness. Factor 1 contained items that represented vitality (e.g., lively, revived). Factor 2 items related to physical fatigue (e.g. tired, drained). Factors 3 and 4 were descriptive of, discomfort (e.g. pain, sick) and health (i.e. healthy, fit), respectively. This inductive approach indicates that exercise readiness is comprised of four dimensions: vitality, physical fatigue, discomfort, and health. This finding supports readiness assessment techniques currently recommended for practitioners according to the FNLP model. These results serve as a theoretical foundation upon which to further develop and refine a brief survey instrument to measure exercise readiness. Key pointsAssessment of exercise readiness is a key component in implementing an exercise program based on flexible nonlinear periodization, but the dimensionality of this concept has not been empirically determined.Based on a series of surveys and a robust exploratory factor analysis, exercise readiness appears to be supported by 4 dimensions: vitality, physical fatigue, discomfort, and health.These findings prove a theoretical basis to construct a brief, multidimensional measure of exercise readiness.

Psycho-Physiological Effects of Television Viewing During Exercise.

We propose that enjoyment is an important factor in the adoption and long-term maintenance of exercise. Television (TV) viewing is believed to be a highly enjoyed leisure-time activity, combining it with exercise may make for a more enjoyable exercise experience. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of television (TV) viewing on psychological and physiological variables during a moderate-intensity exercise bout. Twenty-eight insufficiently active (<150 minutes per week of moderate intensity PA and/or 75 minutes of vigorous PA) adults (Age: M = 47.4 ± 7.6 years) participated in this study. Each participant performed three separate 30-minute walking bouts on a motorized treadmill. During each bout, participants watched a program they selected (30-minute scripted show) (self-selected TV condition), a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) nature program (standardized TV condition), or no TV program (no TV condition). Participants were unable to select the nature program as their self-selected program, as it was not a 30-minute scripted program. A Polar Heart Rate (HR) monitor and validated surveys on affect and enjoyment were used. Participants reported greater enjoyment of exercise for both self-selected and standardized TV conditions (97.1 ± 15.2 and 92.7 ± 15.2), compared to the No TV condition (77.5 ± 13.4, p < 0.001). The two TV conditions resulted in similar levels of focus on TV viewing (self-selected TV: 81.2 ± 19.7; standardized TV: 79.1 ± 14.2, p > 0.05) and dissociation from walking (self-selected TV: 38.1 ± 6.7 and standardized TV: 33.2 ± 3.9); they also resulted in more dissociation than the no TV condition (TV: 72.6 ± 5.6, p = 0.002). The findings indicate that TV viewing, regardless of whether the programming is self-selected or standardized, associates with greater enjoyment of exercise.

Consistency in compensatory eating responses following acute exercise in inactive, overweight and obese women.

It is often assumed that some individuals reliably increase energy intake (EI) post-exercise ('compensators') and some do not ('non-compensators'), leading researchers to examine the characteristics that distinguish these two groups. However, it is unclear whether EI post-exercise is stable over time. The present study examined whether compensatory eating responses to a single exercise bout are consistent within individuals across three pairs of trials. Physically inactive, overweight/obese women (n 28, BMI 30·3 (SD 2·9) kg/m²) participated in three pairs of testing sessions, with each pair consisting of an exercise (30 min of moderate-intensity walking) and resting testing day. EI was measured using a buffet meal 1 h post-exercise/rest. For each pair, the difference in EI (EIdiff = EIex - EIrest) was calculated, where EIex is the EI of the exercise session and EIrest is the EI of the resting session, and women were classified as a 'compensator' (EIex > EIrest) or 'non-compensator' (EIex ≤ EIrest). The average EI on exercise days (3328·0 (SD 1686·2) kJ) was similar to those on resting days (3269·4 (SD 1582·4) kJ) (P= 0·67). Although EI was reliable within individuals across the three resting days (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0·75, 95 % CI 0·60, 0·87; P< 0·001) and three exercise days (ICC 0·83, 95 % CI 0·70, 0·91; P< 0·001), the ICC for EIdiff across the three pairs of trials was low (ICC 0·20, 95 % CI -0·02, 0·45; P= 0·04), suggesting that compensatory eating post-exercise is not a stable construct. Moreover, the classification of 'compensators'/'non-compensators' was not reliable (κ = -0·048; P= 0·66). The results were unaltered when 'relative' EI was used, which considers the energy expenditure of the exercise/resting sessions. Acute compensatory EI following an exercise bout is not reliable in overweight women. Seeking to understand what distinguishes 'compensators' from 'non-compensators' based on a single eating episode post-exercise is not justified.

Examination of the Consistency in Affective Response to Acute Exercise in Overweight and Obese Women.

This study examined whether inactive, overweight/obese women experience consistent affective responses to moderate-intensity exercise. Twenty-eight women participated in 3 identical (same treadmill grade and speed within a subject) 30-min exercise sessions. The Feeling Scale (FS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and Subjective Exercise Experience Scale were administered pre- and postexercise and FS was also administered every 5 min during exercise. All measures exhibited less than optimal agreement in pre-to-postexercise change within an individual across the 3 sessions (ICCs = 0.02-0.60), even after controlling for within-subject variations in heart rate. Only FS exhibited "good" consistency when controlling for preexercise values (ICC = 0.72). However, the mean FS score during exercise was highly consistent within an individual (ICC = 0.83). Thus, an individual's affective response to an exercise session does not provide reliable information about how they will respond to subsequent exercise sessions. Taking the average of FS measurements during exercise may yield more consistent findings.

The impact of incentives on exercise behavior: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of reinforcing exercise behavior with material incentives is unclear. PURPOSE: This study aims to conduct a systematic review of existing research on material incentives for exercise, organized by incentive strategy. METHODS: Ten studies conducted between January 1965 and June 2013 assessed the impact of incentivizing exercise compared to a non-incentivized control. RESULTS: There was significant heterogeneity between studies regarding reinforcement procedures and outcomes. Incentives tended to improve behavior during the intervention while findings were mixed regarding sustained behavior after incentives were removed. CONCLUSIONS: The most effective incentive procedure is unclear given the limitations of existing research. The effectiveness of various incentive procedures in promoting initial behavior change and habit formation, as well as the use of sustainable incentive procedures should be explored in future research.

Implementing Meta-Session Autoregulation Strategies for Exercise - A Scoping Review.

Meta-session autoregulation, a person-adaptive form of exercise prescription that adjusts training variables according to daily fluctuations in performance considering an individual's daily fitness, fatigue, and readiness-to-exercise is commonly used in sports-related training and may be beneficial for non-athlete populations to promote exercise adherence. To guide refinement of meta-session autoregulation, it is crucial to examine the existing literature and synthesize how these procedures have been practically implemented. Following PRIMSA guidelines a scoping review of two databases was conducted from August 2021 to September 2021 to identify and summarize the selected measures of readiness-to-exercise and decision-making processes used to match workload to participants in meta-session autoregulatory strategies, while also evaluating the methodological quality of existing study designs using a validated checklist. Eleven studies reported utilizing a form of meta-session autoregulation for exercise. Primary findings include: (i) readiness-to-exercise measures have been divided into either objective or subjective measures, (ii) measures of subjective readiness measures lacked evidence of validity, and (iii) fidelity to autoregulatory strategies was not reported. Results of the risk of bias assessment indicated that 45% of the studies had a poor-quality score. Existing implementations of meta-session autoregulation are not directly translatable for use in health promotion and disease prevention settings. Considerable refinement research is required to optimize this person-adaptive strategy prior to estimating effects related to exercise adherence and/or health and fitness outcomes. Based on the methodological deficits uncovered, researchers implementing autoregulation strategies would benefit reviewing existing models and frameworks created to guide behavioral intervention development.

Exploring person-specific associations of situational motivation and readiness with leisure-time physical activity effort and experience.

Identifying determinants of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) often relies on population-level (nomothetic) averages, potentially overlooking person-specific (idiographic) associations. This study uses an idiographic perspective to explore how subjective readiness and motives for LTPA relate to volitional effort (duration, intensity) and affective experience (pleasure, displeasure). We also highlight the potential for different interpretations when data are averaged within individuals and assessed using a variable-centered approach. Participants (N = 22, 25±8 years old, 54.5% women) were asked to continue their regular PA patterns for 10 weeks. Ecological momentary assessment procedures allowed participants to provide pre-activity reports (physical, cognitive, emotional readiness and situational motive for activity) and post-activity reports (activity type, duration, perceived exertion, ratings of affective valence). Spearman rank correlation was implemented to interpret within- and between-person associations. Data visualization approaches were used to showcase person-specific differences in associations. Participants provided 519 reports of LTPA (24±11 events/person), which displayed between- and within-person variety in type, duration, intensity, and affective experience. Exemplar cases highlight discrepancies in interpretation based on level of analysis, such that the nomothetic association (rho = .42, p = .05; 95% CI -.02, .72) between motive to replenish energy and LTPA duration was observed in only one within-person analysis (41% were weak-to-large inverse effects). Alternatively, the negligible nomothetic association (rho = .02, p = .93; 95% CI -.41, .44) between physical readiness and LTPA-related affect did not reflect the 59% of within-person analyses showing moderate-to-large, positive effects. Future research aiming to identify determinants of LTPA effort and experience should integrate contemporary, idiographic analyses in early-stage research for developing person-specific strategies for LTPA promotion.

A one-year school-based diet/exercise intervention improves non-traditional disease biomarkers in Mexican-American children.

School-based interventions are an effective way to treat childhood obesity. The purpose of the present study was to biologically validate an established school-based intervention designed to reduce standardised body mass index (zBMI) over a period of 12 months. This intervention focused on a subset of Mexican-American children who were participating in a larger clinical weight loss study. Plasma samples were analysed from self-identified Mexican-American children (12-14 years) who were randomised to either a school-based intervention (IN, n = 152) or self-help control (CN, n = 69). Treatment was 4 days week⁻¹ of exercise (45 min day⁻¹) and 1 day week⁻¹ of nutritional counselling for 6 months. Fasting (>8 h) blood samples were collected at baseline, 6 months (end of active intervention) and 12 months (6 months after the end of the active intervention). Plasma resistin, adiponectin and leptin concentration were measured using a multiplex assay. Separate linear mixed models and a P < 0.05 were used to test for significance. Significant group × time interactions were found for resistin (P < 0.0001), adiponectin (P = 0.001) and leptin (P = 0.013). For resistin, IN was 12% lower at 6 months than CN. Adiponectin concentration in IN was greater at 6 months (26%) and 12 months (8%) than CN. Leptin concentration was 22% lower for IN at 12 months than CN. We have previously reported that our school-based intervention reduced zBMI and now reported alterations in biologically relevant disease biomarkers. Some of the observed changes were only present at the end of the active intervention (resistin), while others persisted until 12 months (leptin and adiponectin). These changes underscore the effectiveness of our school-based intervention at not only improving zBMI but also at reducing disease risk.

Contextualising flexible nonlinear periodization as a person-adaptive behavioral model for exercise maintenance.

There is a growing focus on developing person-adaptive strategies to support sustained exercise behaviour, necessitating conceptual models to guide future research and applications. This paper introduces Flexible nonlinear periodisation (FNLP) - a proposed, but underdeveloped person-adaptive model originating in sport-specific conditioning - that, pending empirical refinement and evaluation, may be applied in health promotion and disease prevention settings. To initiate such efforts, the procedures of FNLP (i.e., acutely and dynamically matching exercise demand to individual assessments of mental and physical readiness) are integrated with contemporary health behaviour evidence and theory to propose a modified FNLP model and to show hypothesised pathways by which FNLP may support exercise adherence (e.g., flexible goal setting, management of affective responses, and provision of autonomy/variety-support). Considerations for future research are also provided to guide iterative, evidence-based efforts for further development, acceptability, implementation, and evaluation.

Applying P-Technique Factor Analysis to Explore Person-Specific Models of Readiness-to-Exercise.

Recent research in exercise prescription and periodization has emphasized the importance of subjective experience, both in medium- and long-term monitoring, but also in the acute experience. Emerging evidence also highlights an important role of subjective readiness (pre-exercise mental and physical states) in determining how exercise is experienced, and in acutely modifying the prescribed exercise intensity. The concept of "readiness-to-exercise" shows promise in enabling and informing this acute decision-making to optimize the experiences and outcomes of exercise. While subjective experiences can be effectively assessed using psychometric scales and instruments, these are often developed and deployed using cross-sectional samples, with resulting structures that reflect a normative pattern (nomothetic). These patterns may fail to reflect individual differences in sensitivity, experience and saliency (idiographic). We conducted this research with the primary aim of comparing the nomothetical and idiographic approaches to modeling the relatively novel concept of readiness-to-exercise. Study 1 (nomothetic) therefore analyzed data collected from 572 participants who completed a one-time survey using R-technique factor analysis. Results indicated a four-factor structure that explained 60% of the variance: "health and fitness;" "fatigue;" "vitality" and "physical discomfort." Study 2 (idiographic) included a sample of 29 participants who completed the scale multiple times, between 42 and 56 times: permitting intra-individual analysis using separate P-technique factor analyses. Our analyses suggested that many individuals displayed personal signature, or "profiles" of readiness-to-exercise that differed in structure from the nomothetic form: only two participants' personal signatures contained four structures as modeled in Study 1, whereas the majority demonstrated either two or three factors. These findings raise important questions about how experiential data should be collected and modeled, for use in research (conceptual development and measurement) and applied practice (prescribing, monitoring)-as well as in more applied research (implementation, effectiveness).

Increased Q-Factor increases frontal-plane knee joint loading in stationary cycling.

BACKGROUND: Q-Factor (QF), or the inter-pedal width, in cycling is similar to step-width in gait. Although increased step-width has been shown to reduce peak knee abduction moment (KAbM), no studies have examined the biomechanical effects of increased QF in cycling at different workrates in healthy participants. METHODS: A total of 16 healthy participants (8 males, 8 females, age: 22.4 ± 2.6 years, body mass index: 22.78 ± 1.43 kg/m2, mean ± SD) participated. A motion capture system and customized instrumented pedals were used to collect 3-dimensional kinematic (240 Hz) and pedal reaction force (PRF) (1200 Hz) data in 12 testing conditions: 4 QF conditions-Q1 (15.0 cm), Q2 (19.2 cm), Q3 (23.4 cm), and Q4 (27.6 cm)-under 3 workrate conditions-80 watts (W), 120 W, and 160 W. A 3 × 4 (QF × workrate) repeated measures of analysis of variance were performed to analyze differences among conditions (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Increased QF increased peak KAbM by 47%, 56%, and 56% from Q1 to Q4 at each respective workrate. Mediolateral PRF increased from Q1 to Q4 at each respective workrate. Frontal-plane knee angle and range of motion decreased with increased QF. No changes were observed for peak vertical PRF, knee extension moment, sagittal plane peak knee joint angles, or range of motion. CONCLUSION: Increased QF increased peak KAbM, suggesting increased medial compartment loading of the knee. QF modulation may influence frontal-plane joint loading when using stationary cycling for exercise or rehabilitation purposes.

Determining Perceptions to Electronically-Delivered, Personally-Adaptive, Multimedia Exercise Prompts for Middle-Age Adults.

Due to high interaction rates, smart devices are being utilized for mobile health (mHealth) interventions. Multimedia capabilities may be leveraged to improve mHealth exercise interventions. Our purpose was to explore individuals' perceptions of multimedia exercise prompts tailored to their immediate mental/physical states. Using electronic surveys, respondents provided in-the-moment ratings of emotional state, energy, fatigue, physical discomfort, and thirst, with higher scores reflecting a higher "readiness to exercise" (i.e., if a person is currently in a pleasant mood with high energy and low discomfort, he/she is likely to have a greater capacity for a larger dose of exercise). They were then provided with an exercise prompt designed to match their readiness to exercise, demonstrated via text and graphic interchange format (GIF) showing a research member completing the recommended activity. Survey data regarding GIF quality, self-efficacy, and methodological feedback were then collected and analyzed using a combination of parametric statistics and thematic analysis of open-ended feedback. Respondents (N=204; 47±10 years; BMI 29±6 kg/m2) indicated GIFs loaded quickly (5.29±1.2, scale 0-6), were clear (5.36±1.1), and easily understandable (5.43±1.1). High task self-efficacy scores (9.34±1.62, scale 0-10) and statistically significant differences in coping self-efficacy (i.e., how well a person would be able to complete the recommended activity when feeling mentally/physically worse or better; F=3.229, p<.01) were found. Five themes relating to the exercise prompt were noted: improve attractiveness, limiting factors, exercise clarification, liked/understandable/doable, and disliked/unwilling to complete. Further refinement of these methods is warranted prior to using multimedia prompts to elicit actual exercise performance.

Small sustainable monetary donation-based incentives to promote physical activity: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To pilot test two low-cost and thus financially sustainable incentive programs to promote physical activity (PA) among low-active adults in a community setting. METHOD: In a three-arm randomized controlled trial the effects of small monetary incentives (cash incentives $1/day; n = 25) were compared to charitable donations (donation $1/day; n = 25) and a control group (n = 25) on PA behavior over the course of 12 months in insufficiently active, otherwise healthy adults. Incentives were based on attendance at a local YMCA. Electronic swipe card data from the YMCA was the primary outcome, with self-reported minutes of PA as a secondary outcome. RESULTS: Quantile regression models showed promising effects of treatment allocation on the primary outcome (attendance) adjusted for age and employment. There was a difference between cash incentives and control conditions such that median attendance in the cash incentives condition was 19.24 visits more over 12 months (b = 19.24; SE = 8.26, 95% CI [2.75, 35.72]). There was a similar though only marginally significant trend for the donation condition showing that participants in the donation condition made 11.88 additional visits to the YMCA over 12 months relative to the control condition (b = 11.88, SE = 8.41,95% CI [-0.91, 28.67]). There was a significant correlation between objectively verified YMCA attendance and self-reported moderate-to-vigorous PA at the YMCA (ρ = 0.587) over 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: These promising findings provide early support for small monetary incentives and charitable donations for promoting PA in community settings. Further research on the efficacy of using financially sustainable incentive programs, including charitable donations, for PA through community organizations (e.g., YMCAs) seems warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Pomegranate seed oil consumption during a period of high-fat feeding reduces weight gain and reduces type 2 diabetes risk in CD-1 mice.

The health benefits of pomegranate consumption have recently received considerable scientific focus, with most studies examining fruit and/or juice consumption. Pomegranate seed oil (POMo) is a rich source of 9-cis, 11-trans conjugate linolenic acid (CLA), which may offset the side-effects associated with weight gain. Male, wild-type CD-1 mice were divided into one of three groups (twenty per group): high-fat (HF), HF+seed oil (HF + POMo) or lean control (LN). In HF and HF + POMo, mice were provided access ad libitum to a high-fat chow (60 % of energy from fat). HF + POMo was supplemented with 61.79 mg POMo/d. LN consumed a restricted low-fat (10 % of energy from fat) chow to maintain body weight within 5 % of initial weight. Plasma was analysed for biomarkers associated with cholesterol profile (total cholesterol, HDL and TAG), glucose sensitivity (glucose and insulin), adipose tissue accumulation (leptin and adiponectin) and systemic low-grade inflammation (C-reactive protein and haptoglobin). The key findings of this study were that weight gain was associated with an increase in biomarkers of cholesterol profile, glucose sensitivity, adipose tissue accumulation and systemic low-grade inflammation (P < 0.05). POMo only altered body weight accumulation, final body weight, leptin, adiponectin and insulin (P < 0.05). We found that despite a similar level of energy intake, HF mice had a greater concentration of leptin and a lower concentration of adiponectin compared to HF + POMo mice. POMo intake was associated with an improvement in insulin sensitivity, suggesting that risk of developing type 2 diabetes may have been reduced; however, CVD risk did not change.

Relation between adiposity and disease risk factors in Mexican American children.

OBJECTIVE: Excess adiposity is associated with systemic low-grade inflammation, which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of various diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between measures of adiposity and disease risk factors in Mexican American children participating in a weight loss intervention. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Boys and girls (N=170; 13.3+/-0.1 year) volunteered for additional testing from a larger study that demonstrated significant reduction in standardized body mass index. Insulin, C-reactive protein, soluble cluster of differentiation 14, glucose, and cholesterol profile were assessed. RESULTS: Linear mixed models regression showed that changes in adiposity (standardized body mass index and triceps skinfold) were significantly related with changes in total cholesterol (P=0.01), triglycerides (P<0.001), C-reactive protein (P<0.001), insulin (P<0.001), Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (P<0.001), and high-density lipoprotein (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The relation between measures of adiposity and disease risk factors was stable over time in children participating in an exercise/weight loss intervention. Also, our findings indicate that reducing adiposity results in an improvement of blood disease risk factors in Mexican American children.

Readiness to Perform Aerobic Activity in Adults With Obesity: A Thematic Analysis of Online Surveys.

Flexible nonlinear periodization (FNLP) was designed to optimize sport-specific resistance training by matching bout demand to pre-exercise mental and physical states ("readiness to train"). Before applying this participant-responsive framework to aerobic prescriptions for inactive adults, operational definitions of readiness are needed. Purpose: To identify themes underlying readiness to perform aerobic bouts considered to be low-demand bouts (LDB) and high-demand bouts (HDB) in adults with obesity. Method: Using Qualtrics, 1,059 respondents initiated the online survey. Quality responses from adults with obesity (N = 112) were analyzed. Respondents described physical and mental states necessary to complete an LDB (10-min slow stroll) and an HDB (60-min jog). Data were assessed using content and thematic analyses. Results: Respondents (57% female) could be classified with class II obesity (35 ± 5 kg/m2) and were 48 ± 12 years old. One theme, body integrity (no pain//illness) emerged for both the LDB and HDB. Regarding affect/arousal, both bouts required the need to feel rested and in a positive mood, but the HDB required higher states of arousal ("pumped up"). Specific to the LDB, a recurring theme suggested that it could be completed under normal or worse (hungry, sick) circumstances. Specific to the HDB were themes relating to physical fitness, proper fueling ("hydrated," "not hungry but not too full"), and enhanced motivation ("determination," "focus," "confidence"). Conclusions: These uncovered themes provide empirical evidence to guide the construction of a readiness checklist that can be further validated and applied in adults with obesity undergoing an FNLP-based aerobic exercise prescription.