Effects of whole-body vibration on body composition, microbiota, cardiometabolic markers, physical fitness, and quality of life after bariatric surgery: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity is a complex chronic condition characterized by a body mass index of 40 kg/m2 or higher. The incidence of the condition is on the rise in developed countries, and bariatric surgery has been proposed as a potential solution to address this trend. Nonetheless, bariatric surgery may also result in adverse effects, including a reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle mass, as well as an increased risk of fractures. The present study aims to elucidate the effects of bariatric surgery and whole-body vibration (WBV) training on body composition, microbiota, physical fitness, quality of life, and cardiometabolic markers. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14 females), aged 18 to 50 years, will undergo sleeve gastrectomy surgery. They will be randomly allocated into a control group or a WBV training group. The WBV group will train three times per week with increasing intensities and duration ranging from 30 to 45 min over the 4-month training period. Measurements of body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and peripheral quantitative computed tomography), physical fitness (muscular strength, agility, cardiorespiratory fitness, and balance), gait biomechanics, cardiometabolic markers, gut microbiota, quality of life, and physical activity levels will be collected at four different time points: (1) prior to the surgery, (2) 45 days post-surgery, (3) 6 months post-surgery, and (4) 18 months post-surgery. DISCUSSION: Both groups are expected to experience improvements in most of the aforementioned variables. Nonetheless, we expect the WBV group to show larger improvements proving that the training is effective and safe. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05695599. Registered on January 25, 2023.

Early Life Factors Associated with Lean Body Mass in Spanish Children: CALINA Study.

Early life is critical for the programming of body composition. The literature links perinatal factors with fat mass development and its future effects (e.g., obesity); however, little evidence exists between early life factors and lean body mass (LBM). This study follows up on a cohort of 416 Spanish children at ages six to eight, previously evaluated at birth in the CALINA study. Here, we studied the association between early life factors, LBM, and limb strength. Parental origin/nutritional status, maternal smoking during pregnancy, gestational diabetes/weight gain/age, birth weight (BW), early feeding, and rapid weight gain (RWG) were collected from primary care records. Bioimpedance analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and a handgrip/standing long jump test were used to assess fat-free mass index (FFMI), total lean soft tissue mass index (TLSTMI), muscle cross-sectional area index (MCSAI), and limb strength, respectively. In girls, maternal smoking, gestational age, and BW were positively associated with FFM/LSTM. In boys, the parents' BMI, BW, and RWG were positively associated with FFM/LSTM. BW was associated with handgrip strength in both. Maternal BMI in girls and RWG in boys were negatively associated with the standing long jump. Early life programming plays a key role in determining LBM in children.

Effects of an online home-based exercise intervention on breast cancer survivors during COVID-19 lockdown: a feasibility study.

PURPOSE: The strict lockdown implemented due the COVID-19 pandemic is generating a great impact on wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with cancer. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of an online home-based exercise intervention performed during a lockdown period analysing its effects on body composition, physical fitness, and HRQoL in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Fifteen women with breast cancer receiving hormonal therapy (55.5 ± 6.7 years) were included in the study. The exercise intervention consisted of two weekly sessions of remotely supervised functional training (60 min per day) and two weekly sessions of unsupervised aerobic training (20-30 min/session; 60-85% of maximum heart rate) for a total of 16 weeks. DXA absorptiometry was used for the assessment of body composition. Functional assessment included cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) by Rockport walking test, upper and lower body strength (grip strength, arm curl test, and chair stand test), walking speed (brisk walking test), and agility (8-foot up-and-go test). The HRQoL was evaluated with the QLQ-BR23 questionnaire. The adherence to the intervention was measured as the percentage of online classes attended. RESULTS: Rate of adherence for the online exercise intervention was 90 ± 17%. The exercise intervention induced significant (p < 0.05) improvements in physical fitness: CRF (+ 9%), right arm and lower limb strength (+ 10% and + 18%, respectively) and lower limbs lean mass (+ 2% and + 3.5% for left and right leg, respectively). CONCLUSION: This feasibility study suggests that an online home-based exercise intervention during COVID-19 lockdown could improve physical fitness and body composition in breast cancer survivors even in a context of heightened concern for future health.

Fitness vs Fatness as Determinants of Survival in Noninstitutionalized Older Adults: The EXERNET Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Physical fitness and body composition are important health indicators; nevertheless, their combined pattern interrelationships and their association with mortality are poorly investigated. METHODS: This longitudinal study is part of the Spanish EXERNET-Elder project. Person-months of follow-up were calculated from the interview date, performed between June 2008 and November 2009, until the date of death or censoring on March 2018 (whichever came first). In order to be included, participants had to fulfill the following criteria: (a) be older than 65 years, (b) live independently at home, (c) not suffer dementia and/or cancer, and (d) have a body mass index above 18.5. Body fat and weight were assessed by a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Fitness was measured with the Senior Fitness and the one-leg static balance tests. The Spanish Death Index was consulted for the death's identification. Cluster analysis was performed to identify Fat-Fit patterns and traditional cut-points and percentiles to create the Fat-Fit groups. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of death in clustered Fat-Fit patterns and in traditional Fat-Fit groups. RESULTS: A total of 2299 older adults (76.8% of women) were included with a baseline mean age of 71.9 ± 5.2 years. A total of 196 deaths (8.7% of the sample) were identified during the 8 years of follow-up. Four clustered Fat-Fit patterns (Low fat-Fit, Medium fat-Fit, High fat-Unfit, and Low fat-Unfit) and 9 traditional Fat-Fit groups emerged. Using the Low fat-Fit pattern as the reference, significantly increased mortality was noted in High fat-Unfit (HR: 1.68, CI: 1.06-2.66) and Low fat-Unfit (HR: 2.01, CI: 1.28-3.16) groups. All the traditional Fit groups showed lower mortality risk when compared to the reference group (obese-unfit group). CONCLUSION: Physical fitness is a determinant factor in terms of survival in community-dwelling older adults, independently of adiposity levels.

Low interest in physical activity and higher rates of obesity among rural teachers.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated the causes of physical inactivity in rural teachers from South America. Determining the causes and effects of physical inactivity in rural teachers could be the base for future intervention studies aiming to improve physical activity (PA) engagement in this population. OBJECTIVES: To examine the levels of PA in rural teachers and evaluate the associations between their jobs, interest in PA, body composition and practice of PA. METHODS: Body mass index (BMI) and body fat % (BF) of rural teachers from the Valparaiso Region in Chile were measured; interviews regarding PA habits, interests and PA practice were conducted. The relationship between BF% and interest in PA and the practice of sports was analysed stratifying by sex. RESULTS: Around 71% were overweight/obese and 80% of the teachers reported not practicing any PA. These figures are higher than the Chilean national average for adults (64.5% overweight/obese). Moreover, females presented a higher BF% than male teachers (35.98% vs. 26.44%, p < 0.05). The main causes of not performing PA were: firstly, the lack of time (51.8%), and secondly, fatigue after work and/or finishing work late. In addition, rural teachers claim that in their free time they continue to finish tasks that they were not able to complete during their working hours. CONCLUSIONS: Rural Chilean teachers show a high prevalence of obesity and low PA levels. Moreover, rural teachers have a work overload stemming from their jobs, and this could be an important link to an overall sedentary lifestyle. Further studies should focus on the relationship between teacher obesity, physical activity, nutrition and work overload.

Can elastic band resistance training programs mitigate holiday weight gain and improve hand-grip strength in older women? / ¿Pueden los programas de entrenamiento de resistencia con banda elástica mitigar el aumento de peso durante las vacaciones y mejorar la fuerza de agarre de las manos en mujeres mayores?

SUMMARY: This study evaluated the effect of resistance exercise training (RET) on body composition and muscle strength in 16 older women during summer holidays (70.5 ± 8.4 years old; Range 60-87). Exercise sessions were carried out for twelve weeks, two sessions per week, with 60 minutes of exercise per session. We measured body mass index (BMI), fat mass percentage (FM%, by bioimpedance) and grip strength with a dynamometer before and after the intervention. The participants showed a significant increase in BMI (p<0.05), FM% (p<0.001), and a significant gain in grip strength (p<0.05). The RET program could be an important strategy for improving strength for older women, but we would suggest combining it with other interventions, such as aerobic exercises with gradually increasing intensity and nutrition interventions, in order to maintain a steady weight during holiday periods.

RESUMEN: Este estudio evaluó el efecto del entrenamien- to con ejercicios de resistencia (EER) sobre la composición corpo- ral y la fuerza muscular en 16 mujeres adultas mayores durante las vacaciones de verano (70,5 ± 8,4 años; Rango 60-87). Las sesio- nes de ejercicio se llevaron a cabo durante doce semanas, dos ve- ces por semana, con 60 minutos de ejercicio por sesión. Se evaluó el índice de masa corporal (IMC), el porcentaje de masa grasa (% MG, por bioimpedancia) y la fuerza de presión con un dinamómetro manual antes y después de la intervención. Las participantes mos- traron un aumento significativo en el IMC (p< 0,05), % de MG (p<0,001) y un incremento significativo en la fuerza prensil (p <0,05). El programa de EER podría ser una estrategia importante para mejorar la fuerza de mujeres adultas mayores durante el periodo estival. El EER se sugiere combinarlo con otras variables, como ejercicios aeróbicos con intensidad gradualmente creciente y una intervención nutricional, para mantener un peso constante durante los períodos de vacaciones.

Effects of whole-body vibration training on bone density and turnover markers in adolescent swimmers.

Background Whole-body vibration training has recently been proposed as a complementary training modality to improve the bone health of adolescent swimmers. However, there is no longitudinal study regarding the effects of this training combination on bone metabolism. Therefore, the main goal was to analyze the effects of swimming and vibration training on bone turnover markers during adolescence. Methods The present study included 68 adolescent swimmers and 41 normoactive controls (CON). Swimmers were randomly selected to either continue with their regular swimming training (SWI) or participate in an additional vibration protocol (VIB). Anthropometric measurements and serum level determinations of osteocalcin (OC), procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and C-terminal telopeptide crosslaps (CTX) were performed before and after the 6-month intervention. Results Statistically significant group by time interactions were found for both bone formation markers. VIB showed a decrease over time in OC (baseline: 101.4 µg/mL, follow-up: 82.8 µg/mL, p < 0.05) and P1NP (baseline: 528.4 µg/mL, follow-up: 389.0 µg/mL, p < 0.05) and SWI had analogous reductions in P1NP (baseline: 685.8 µg/mL, follow-up: 542.0 µg/mL, p < 0.05), whereas CON experienced an increase in OC levels (baseline: 94.4 µg/mL, follow-up: 103.4 µg/mL, p < 0.05). After stratifying the sample according to the pubertal status, similar interactions were observed. Conclusions The combination of swimming training and this particular vibration protocol led to a decrease in bone formation markers, especially during early puberty. Whole-body vibration might not induce an osteogenic stimulus in adolescent swimmers.

Associations of dietary energy density with body composition and cardiometabolic risk in children with overweight and obesity: role of energy density calculations, under-reporting energy intake and physical activity.

This study examined (1) the association of dietary energy density from solid (EDS) and solid plus liquids (EDSL) with adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors (CRF) in children with overweight and obesity, (2) the effect of under-reporting on the mentioned associations and (3) whether the association between ED and body composition and CRF is influenced by levels of physical activity. In a cross-sectional design, 208 overweight and obese children (8-12-year-old; 111 boys) completed two non-consecutive 24 h recalls. ED was calculated using two different approaches: EDS and EDSL. Under-reporters were determined with the Goldberg method. Body composition, anthropometry and fasting blood sample measurements were performed. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was registered with accelerometers (7-d-register). Linear regressions were performed to evaluate the association of ED with the previously mentioned variables. Neither EDS nor EDSL were associated with body composition or CRF. However, when under-reporters were excluded, EDS was positively associated with BMI (P=0·019), body fat percentage (P=0·005), abdominal fat (P=0·008) and fat mass index (P=0·018), while EDSL was positively associated with body fat percentage (P=0·008) and fat mass index (P=0·026). When stratifying the group according to physical activity recommendations, the aforementioned associations were only maintained for non-compliers. Cluster analysis showed that the low-ED and high-MVPA group presented the healthiest profile for all adiposity and CRF. These findings could partly explain inconsistencies in literature, as we found that different ED calculations entail distinct results. Physical activity levels and excluding under-reporters greatly influence the associations between ED and adiposity in children with overweight and obesity.