Impact of Sit-to-Stand and Treadmill Desks on Patterns of Daily Waking Physical Behaviors Among Overweight and Obese Seated Office Workers: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Sit-to-stand and treadmill desks may help sedentary office workers meet the physical activity guideline to "move more and sit less," but little is known about their long-term impact on altering the accumulation patterns of physical behaviors. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the impact of sit-to-stand and treadmill desks on physical behavior accumulation patterns during a 12-month multicomponent intervention with an intent-to-treat design in overweight and obese seated office workers. METHODS: In total, 66 office workers were cluster randomized into a seated desk control (n=21, 32%; 8 clusters), sit-to-stand desk (n=23, 35%; 9 clusters), or treadmill desk (n=22, 33%; 7 clusters) group. Participants wore an activPAL (PAL Technologies Ltd) accelerometer for 7 days at baseline, 3-month follow-up (M3), 6-month follow-up (M6), and 12-month follow-up (M12) and received periodic feedback on their physical behaviors. Analyses of physical behavior patterns included total day and workday number of sedentary, standing, and stepping bouts categorized into durations ranging from 1 to 60 and >60 minutes and usual sedentary, standing, and stepping bout durations. Intervention trends were analyzed using random-intercept mixed linear models accounting for repeated measures and clustering effects. RESULTS: The treadmill desk group favored prolonged sedentary bouts (>60 min), whereas the sit-to-stand desk group accrued more short-duration sedentary bouts (<20 min). Therefore, compared with controls, sit-to-stand desk users had shorter usual sedentary bout durations short-term (total day ΔM3: -10.1 min/bout, 95% CI -17.9 to -2.2; P=.01; workday ΔM3: -20.3 min/bout, 95% CI -37.7 to -2.9; P=.02), whereas treadmill desk users had longer usual sedentary bout durations long-term (total day ΔM12: 9.0 min/bout, 95% CI 1.6-16.4; P=.02). The treadmill desk group favored prolonged standing bouts (30-60 min and >60 min), whereas the sit-to-stand desk group accrued more short-duration standing bouts (<20 min). As such, relative to controls, treadmill desk users had longer usual standing bout durations short-term (total day ΔM3: 6.9 min/bout, 95% CI 2.5-11.4; P=.002; workday ΔM3: 8.9 min/bout, 95% CI 2.1-15.7; P=.01) and sustained this long-term (total day ΔM12: 4.5 min/bout, 95% CI 0.7-8.4; P=.02; workday ΔM12: 5.8 min/bout, 95% CI 0.9-10.6; P=.02), whereas sit-to-stand desk users showed this trend only in the long-term (total day ΔM12: 4.2 min/bout, 95% CI 0.1-8.3; P=.046). The treadmill desk group accumulated more stepping bouts across various bins of duration (5-50 min), primarily at M3. Thus, treadmill desk users had longer usual stepping bout durations in the short-term compared with controls (workday ΔM3: 4.8 min/bout, 95% CI 1.3-8.3; P=.007) and in the short- and long-term compared with sit-to-stand desk users (workday ΔM3: 4.7 min/bout, 95% CI 1.6-7.8; P=.003; workday ΔM12: 3.0 min/bout, 95% CI 0.1-5.9; P=.04). CONCLUSIONS: Sit-to-stand desks exerted potentially more favorable physical behavior accumulation patterns than treadmill desks. Future active workstation trials should consider strategies to promote more frequent long-term movement bouts and dissuade prolonged static postural fixity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02376504; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02376504.

Companion: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial to Test an Integrated Two-Way Communication and Near-Real-Time Sensing System for Detecting and Modifying Daily Inactivity among Adults >60 Years-Design and Protocol.

Supervised personal training is most effective in improving the health effects of exercise in older adults. Yet, low frequency (60 min, 1-3 sessions/week) of trainer contact limits influence on behavior change outside sessions. Strategies to extend the effect of trainer contact outside of supervision and that integrate meaningful and intelligent two-way communication to provide complex and interactive problem solving may motivate older adults to "move more and sit less" and sustain positive behaviors to further improve health. This paper describes the experimental protocol of a 16-week pilot RCT (N = 46) that tests the impact of supplementing supervised exercise (i.e., control) with a technology-based behavior-aware text-based virtual "Companion" that integrates a human-in-the-loop approach with wirelessly transmitted sensor-based activity measurement to deliver behavior change strategies using socially engaging, contextually salient, and tailored text message conversations in near-real-time. Primary outcomes are total-daily and patterns of habitual physical behaviors after 16 and 24 weeks. Exploratory analyses aim to understand Companion's longitudinal behavior effects, its user engagement and relationship to behavior, and changes in cardiometabolic and cognitive outcomes. Our findings may allow the development of a more scalable hybrid AI Companion to impact the ever-growing public health epidemic of sedentariness contributing to poor health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and early death.

Influence of exercise on the metabolic profile caused by 28 days of bed rest with energy deficit and amino acid supplementation in healthy men.

OBJECTIVE: Muscle loss and metabolic changes occur with disuse [i.e. bed rest (BR)]. We hypothesized that BR would lead to a metabolically unhealthy profile defined by: increased circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, decreased circulating insulin-like-growth-factor (IGF)-1, decreased HDL-cholesterol, and decreased muscle density (MD; measured by mid-thigh computerized tomography). METHODS: We investigated the metabolic profile after 28 days of BR with 8 ± 6% energy deficit in male individuals (30-55 years) randomized to resistance exercise with amino acid supplementation (RT, n=24) or amino acid supplementation alone (EAA, n=7). Upper and lower body exercises were performed in the horizontal position. Blood samples were taken at baseline, after 28 days of BR and 14 days of recovery. RESULTS: We found a shift toward a metabolically unfavourable profile after BR [compared to baseline (BLN)] in both groups as shown by decreased HDL-cholesterol levels (EAA: BLN: 39 ± 4 vs. BR: 32 ± 2 mg/dL, RT: BLN: 39 ± 1 vs. BR: 32 ± 1 mg/dL; p<0.001) and Low MD (EAA: BLN: 27 ± 4 vs. BR: 22 ± 3 cm(2), RT: BLN: 28 ± 2 vs. BR: 23 ± 2 cm(2); p<0.001). A healthier metabolic profile was maintained with exercise, including NormalMD (EAA: BLN: 124 ± 6 vs. BR: 110 ± 5 cm(2), RT: BLN: 132 ± 3 vs. BR: 131 ± 4 cm(2); p<0.001, time-by-group); although, exercise did not completely alleviate the unfavourable metabolic changes seen with BR. Interestingly, both groups had increased plasma IGF-1 levels (EAA: BLN:168 ± 22 vs. BR 213 ± 20 ng/mL, RT: BLN:180 ± 10 vs. BR: 219 ± 13 ng/mL; p<0.001) and neither group showed TNFα changes (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that RT can be incorporated to potentially offset the metabolic complications of BR.

Carbohydrate nutrition differs by diabetes status and is associated with dyslipidemia in Boston Puerto Rican adults without diabetes.

Puerto Rican adults have a greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and lower HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) than the general U.S. population. Carbohydrate nutrition may play a role in this disparity. Cross-sectional analyses included data from 1219 Puerto Ricans aged 45-75 y enrolled in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Using the Pearson chi-square test and ANCOVA, lifestyle characteristics and dietary intake, as assessed by semiquantitative FFQ, were compared by T2D status based on fasting plasma glucose concentration and medication use. Food source rankings for carbohydrate, dietary glycemic load (GL), and fiber were obtained using the SAS procedure PROC RANK. Geometric mean plasma HDL-C and TG concentrations were compared across quintiles of dietary carbohydrate, glycemic index (GI), GL, and fiber by using ANCOVA and tests for linear trend. In multivariable analyses, individuals with T2D (39.5%) had lower dietary carbohydrate, GL, and total sugar intake from lower intake of sugar, fruit drinks, and soda compared with those without T2D. In individuals without T2D, dietary carbohydrate and GL were inversely associated with HDL-C (P < 0.0001). Associations between dietary fiber and HDL-C were confounded by carbohydrate intake, apparently from concurrent consumption of legumes with white rice, a refined carbohydrate food. No associations were observed between carbohydrate, dietary GI, GL, or fiber and TG. In conclusion, individuals with T2D showed evidence of dietary modification. Among those without diabetes, a high intake of refined carbohydrates was associated with decreased HDL-C. Longitudinal research on carbohydrate nutrition in relation to diabetes risk factors and blood lipids in Puerto Ricans is warranted.

Value of measuring muscle performance to assess changes in lean mass with testosterone and growth hormone supplementation.

We hypothesized that treatment with testosterone (T) and recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) would increase lean mass (LM) and muscle strength proportionally and an in a linear manner over 16 weeks. This was a multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-masked investigation of T and rhGH supplementation in older (71 ± 4 years) community-dwelling men. Participants received transdermal T at either 5 or 10 g/day as well as rhGH at 0, 3.0 or 5.0 µg/kg/day for 16 weeks. Body composition was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and muscle performance by composite one-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength and strength per unit of lean mass (muscle quality, MQ) for five major muscle groups (upper and lower body) at baseline, week 8 and 17. The average change in total LM at study week 8 compared with baseline was 1.50 ± 1.54 kg (P < 0.0001) in the T only group and 2.64 ± 1.7 (P < 0.0001) in the T + rhGH group and at week 17 was 1.46 ± 1.48 kg (P < 0.0001) in the T only group and 2.14 ± 1.96 kg (P < 0.0001) in the T + rhGH group. 1-RM strength improved modestly in both groups combined (12.0 ± 23.9%, P < 0.0001) at week 8 but at week 17 these changes were twofold greater (24.7 ± 31.0%, P < 0.0001). MQ did not significantly change from baseline to week 8 but increased for the entire cohort, T only, and T + rhGH groups by week 17 (P < 0.001). Despite sizeable increases in LM measurements at week 8, tests of muscle performance did not show substantive improvements at this time point.

Collaborating for impact: a multilevel early childhood obesity prevention initiative.

This article presents Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures, a multilevel initiative in Boston, Massachusetts, which brings major institutions' missions and resources together to address early childhood obesity prevention. Programming is designed to facilitate healthy eating and physical activity in preschool children's home, school, and community environments by engaging parents and early childhood educators in the places where they live, learn, and play. This article describes how established interventions were implemented in a novel setting to engage the parents of children attending Head Start and staff, and presents pilot data from the first 2 years of the initiative. Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures is a feasible initiative, which has shown concrete, positive results that can be replicated.

Durability of the effects of testosterone and growth hormone supplementation in older community-dwelling men: the HORMA Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the durability of anabolic effects and adverse events (AEs) after stopping testosterone and growth hormone supplementation in older men. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a double-masked, randomized controlled trial of testosterone gel (5 or 10 g/daily) plus rhGH (0, 3 or 5 µg/kg/day) with follow-up of outcomes 3 months later. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 108 community-dwelling 65- to 90-year-old men. MEASUREMENTS: Testosterone and IGF-1 levels, body composition (DEXA), 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength, stair-climbing power, quality-of-life (QOL) and activity questionnaires, AEs. RESULTS: Despite improvements in body composition during treatment, residual benefits 3 months later (week 28) were variable. For participants with improvements exceeding their week-17 median changes, benefits were sustained at week 28 for lean body mass (1·45 ± 1·63 kg, 45% of week-17 values, P < 0·0001 vs baseline), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM, 0·71 ± 1·01 kg, 42%, P < 0·0001), total fat (-1·06 ± 2·18 kg, 40%, P < 0·0001) and trunk fat (-0·89 ± 1·42 kg, 50%, P < 0·0001); retention of ASMM was associated with greater week-16 protein intake (P = 0·01). For 1-RM strength, 39%-43% of week-17 improvements (P ≤ 0·05) were retained and associated with better week-17 strength (P < 0·0001), change in testosterone from week 17-to 28 (P = 0·004) and baseline PASE (P = 0·04). Framingham 10-year cardiovascular risks were low (~14%), did not worsen and improved by week 28 (P = 0·0002). The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis recovered completely. CONCLUSIONS: Durable improvements in muscle mass, strength and fat mass were retained 3 months after discontinuing hormone supplementation in participants with greater than median body composition changes during treatment, but not in others with smaller gains. AEs largely resolved after intervention discontinuation. Additional strategies may be needed to sustain or augment muscle mass and strength gains achieved during short-term hormone therapy.

Effects of an "Active-Workstation" Cluster RCT on Daily Waking Physical Behaviors.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sit-to-stand and treadmill desks on sedentary behavior during a 12-month, cluster-randomized multicomponent intervention with an intent-to-treat design in overweight office workers. METHODS: Sixty-six office workers were cluster-randomized into a control (n = 21; 8 clusters), sit-to-stand desk (n = 23; 9 clusters), or treadmill desk (n = 22; 7 clusters) group. Participants wore an activPAL™ accelerometer for 7 d at baseline, month 3, month 6, and month 12 and received periodic feedback on their physical behaviors. The primary outcome was total daily sedentary time. Exploratory outcomes included total daily and workplace sedentary, standing and stepping time, and the number of total daily and workplace sedentary, standing, and stepping bouts. Intervention effects were analyzed using random-intercept mixed linear models accounting for repeated measures and clustering effects. RESULTS: Total daily sedentary time did not significantly differ between or within groups after 12 months. Month 3 gains were observed in total daily and workplace standing time in both intervention groups (sit-to-stand desk: mean Δ ± SD, 1.03 ± 1.9 h·d-1 and 1.10 ± 1.87 h at work; treadmill desk: mean Δ ± SD, 1.23 ± 2.25 h·d-1 and 1.44 ± 2.54 h at work). At month 3, the treadmill desk users stepped more at the workplace than the control group (mean Δ ± SD, 0.69 ± 0.87 h). Month 6 gains in total daily stepping were observed within the sit-to-stand desk group (mean Δ ± SD, 0.82 ± 1.62 h·d-1), and month 3 gains in stepping at the workplace were observed for the treadmill desk group (mean Δ ± SD, 0.77 ± 0.83 h). These trends were sustained through month 12 in only the sit-to-stand desk group. CONCLUSIONS: Active-workstation interventions may cause short-term improvements in daily standing and stepping. Treadmill desk users engaged in fewer sedentary bouts, but sit-to-stand desks resulted in more frequent transitions to upright physical behaviors.

Mobile Intervention to Improve Sleep and Functional Health of Veterans With Insomnia: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is a prevalent and debilitating disorder among veterans. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) can be effective for treating insomnia, although many cannot access this care. Technology-based solutions and lifestyle changes, such as physical activity (PA), offer affordable and accessible self-management alternatives to in-person CBTI. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to extend and replicate prior pilot work to examine whether the use of a mobile app for CBTI (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia coach app [CBT-i Coach]) improves subjective and objective sleep outcomes. This study also aims to investigate whether the use of the CBT-i Coach app with adjunctive PA improves sleep outcomes more than CBT-i Coach alone. METHODS: A total of 33 veterans (mean age 37.61 years, SD 9.35 years) reporting chronic insomnia were randomized to use either the CBT-i Coach app alone or the CBT-i Coach app with a PA intervention over 6 weeks, with outcome measures of objective and subjective sleep at pre- and posttreatment. RESULTS: Although the PA manipulation was unsuccessful, both groups of veterans using the CBT-i Coach app showed significant improvement from baseline to postintervention on insomnia (P<.001), sleep quality (P<.001), and functional sleep outcomes (P=.002). Improvements in subjective sleep outcomes were similar in those with and without posttraumatic stress disorder and mild-to-moderate sleep apnea. We also observed a significant but modest increase in objective sleep efficiency (P=.02). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the use of a mobile app-delivered CBTI is feasible and beneficial for improving sleep outcomes in veterans with insomnia, including those with comorbid conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder or mild-to-moderate sleep apnea. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03305354; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03305354.

Protein kinase C mediated intracellular signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter SGLT1 activity.

The sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter (SGLT1) is regulated by protein kinases. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in the regulation of rabbit (rb) SGLT1 activity as determined by alpha-methyl-D-glucopyranoside (AMG) uptake and to identify the cellular mechanisms involved in this process. For this purpose Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing rbSGLT1 (CHO-G6D3) were treated with PKC activators and inhibitors. PKC activators did not exert any effect on AMG uptake, as corroborated by mutation of the putative phosphorylation sites of PKC. In contrast, the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I (BIM) increased AMG uptake. This effect was associated with translocation of rbSGLT1 from the intracellular pool to the plasma membrane demonstrated by pre-treatment of G6D3 cells with cytochalasin D that abolished the effect of BIM. In addition, intracellular signaling pathways (p38/MAPK, ERK/MAPK, JNK/MAPK, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR) were associated with PKC-regulated AMG uptake. Moreover, rbSGLT1 mRNA level was higher in BIM-treated cells than in untreated, control cells. This effect was completely abolished by actinomycin D treatment. The present study demonstrates that PKC regulates rbSGLT1 activity via a complex intracellular mechanism that involves sorting and transcriptional regulation of rbSGLT1. The study findings suggest the involvement of two complementary opposite mechanism of action, in which the balance between two antagonistic effects, namely stimulation and inhibition of the transporter, regulates the activity of rbSGLT1 by PKC.

Effects of resistance exercise combined with essential amino acid supplementation and energy deficit on markers of skeletal muscle atrophy and regeneration during bed rest and active recovery.

Spaceflight and bed rest (BR) lead to muscle atrophy. This study assessed the effect of essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation and resistance training with decreased energy intake on molecular changes in skeletal muscle after 28-day BR and 14-day recovery. Thirty-one men (31-55 years) subjected to an 8 ± 6% energy deficit were randomized to receive EAA without resistance training (AA, n = 7), or EAA 3 h after (RT, n = 12) or 5 min before (AART, n = 12) resistance training. During BR, myostatin transcript levels increased twofold in the AA group. During recovery, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA increased in all groups, whereas Pax7, MyoD, myogenin, and MRF4 transcripts increased in AA only (all P < 0.05). MAFbx transcripts decreased twofold with AA and RT. Satellite cells did not change during BR or recovery. This suggests that EAA alone is the least protective countermeasure to muscle loss, and several molecular mechanisms are proposed by which exercise attenuates muscle atrophy during BR with energy deficit.

Effect of intra-dialytic, low-intensity strength training on functional capacity in adult haemodialysis patients: a randomized pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Kidney failure is associated with muscle wasting and physical impairment. Moderate- to high-intensity strength training improves physical performance, nutritional status and quality of life in people with chronic kidney disease and in dialysis patients. However, the effect of low-intensity strength training has not been well documented, thus representing the objective of this pilot study. METHODS: Fifty participants (mean +/- SD, age 69 +/- 13 years) receiving long-term haemodialysis (3.7 +/- 4.2 years) were randomized to intra-dialytic low-intensity strength training or stretching (attention-control) exercises twice weekly for a total of 48 exercise sessions. The primary study outcome was physical performance assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery score (SPPB) after 36 sessions, if available, or carried forward from 24 sessions. Secondary outcomes included lower body strength, body composition and quality of life. Measurements were obtained at baseline and at completion of 24 (mid), 36 (post) and 48 (final) exercise sessions. RESULTS: Baseline median (IQR) SPPB score was 6.0 (5.0), with 57% of the participants having SPPB scores below 7. Exercise adherence was 89 +/- 15%. The primary outcome could be computed in 44 participants. SPPB improved in the strength training group compared to the attention-control group [21.1% (43.1%) vs. 0.2% (38.4%), respectively, P = 0.03]. Similarly, strength training participants exhibited significant improvements from baseline compared to the control group in knee extensor strength, leisure-time physical activity and self-reported physical function and activities of daily living (ADL) disability; all P < 0.02. Adverse events were common but not related to study participation. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-dialytic, low-intensity progressive strength training was safe and effective among maintenance dialysis patients. Further studies are needed to establish the generalizability of this strength training program in dialysis patients.

Calcitriol mediates the activity of SGLT1 through an extranuclear initiated mechanism that involves intracellular signaling pathways.

The present study explored whether calcitriol plays a role in the regulation of sodium-dependent glucose transporter protein 1 (SGLT1) activity. For this purpose, alpha-methyl glucoside (AMG) uptake in stable transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-G6D3) cells expressing rabbit SGLT1 (rbSGLT1) was used. The involvement of second messengers, intracellular signaling pathways, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were examined using specific inhibitors before incubation with calcitriol for 15 min. The present study demonstrated the involvement of second messengers produced by phospholipase A(2), phospholipase C, calmodulin, diacylglycerol kinase, and phosphoinositide 3 kinase on calcitriol-regulated AMG uptake. Pretreatment with inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway increased calcitriol-induced AMG uptake. In contrast, inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway decreased the effect of calcitriol on AMG uptake. These findings suggest that calcitriol regulates rbSGLT1 activity through a rapid, extranuclear initiated mechanism of action stimulated by MAPK and inhibited by PI3K/Akt/mTOR. Another important finding was the effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines on calcitriol-induced AMG uptake. Interleukin-6 increased while tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreased calcitriol-induced AMG uptake. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the involvement of calcitriol in the regulation of rbSGLT1 activity. This is due to the activation of intracellular signaling pathways triggered by second messenger molecules and cytokines after a short time (15 min) exposure to calcitriol.

Go&Grow: An Evaluation of a Pervasive Social Exergame for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Dementia.

Caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) experience higher rates of stress, social isolation, and poor mental and physical health compared to non-caregiving populations. There is a vital need for engaging, sustainable, and scalable resources to support social, physical, and emotional wellbeing amongst caregivers of PWD. To explore this open design space, we designed and conducted a 6-week mixed-method evaluation of Go&Grow, a pervasive social exergame in which flowers grow as users increase physical activity and interact with other caregivers of PWD. Our findings showed that using Go&Grow helped participants relieve stress, increase physical activity, and develop empathy for and patience towards the loved one with dementia that they cared for. At the same time, tension arose as some caregivers desired to learn about the life challenges that Go&Grow users faced, while others hesitated to share such content. We discuss our findings and recommendations for future technology that promotes caregivers' time for themselves, understanding of PWD, and connections with other caregivers.

Online preschool teacher training to promote physical activity in young children: A pilot cluster randomized controlled trial.

This study tested the Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity in Young Children (WE PLAY) program, a 4-week online preschool teacher training, on children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). In this cluster RCT, six Head Start preschools were randomized to an intervention and comparison group. Children's MVPA was measured using accelerometers at pre- and posttest. The magnitude of the difference in MVPA between groups at posttest was small, but in the expected direction: Δ min/hour = 1.60, 95% CI [-0.97, 4.18], p = .22, Cohen's d = 0.32. We observed a pre/post within group increase in average minutes per hour of MVPA in school with a medium effect size for the intervention group: Δ mean min/hour = 2.09, 95% CI [0.51, 3.67], p = .0096, Cohen's d = 0.42. An increase was not seen for the comparison group: Δ mean min/hour = 0.44, 95% CI [-0.70, 1.59], p = .45, Cohen's d = 0.07. WE PLAY children in 6 hr/day programs gained 63 min of MVPA per week in school, providing preliminary evidence of the benefits of WE PLAY on children's physical activity levels. WE PLAY deserves further testing with larger groups of children and teachers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Treatment with potassium bicarbonate lowers calcium excretion and bone resorption in older men and women.

CONTEXT: Bicarbonate has been implicated in bone health in older subjects on acid-producing diets in short-term studies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of potassium bicarbonate and its components on changes in bone resorption and calcium excretion over 3 months in older men and women. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVENTION: In this double-blind, controlled trial, 171 men and women age 50 and older were randomized to receive placebo or 67.5 mmol/d of potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or potassium chloride for 3 months. All subjects received calcium (600 mg of calcium as triphosphate) and 525 IU of vitamin D(3) daily. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Twenty-four-hour urinary N-telopeptide and calcium were measured at entry and after 3 months. Changes in these measures were compared across treatment groups in the 162 participants included in the analyses. RESULTS: Bicarbonate affected the study outcomes, whereas potassium did not; the two bicarbonate groups and the two no bicarbonate groups were therefore combined. Subjects taking bicarbonate had significant reductions in urinary N-telopeptide and calcium excretion, when compared with subjects taking no bicarbonate (both before and after adjustment for baseline laboratory value, sex, and changes in urinary sodium and potassium; P = 0.001 for both, adjusted). Potassium supplementation did not significantly affect N-telopeptide or calcium excretion. CONCLUSIONS: Bicarbonate, but not potassium, had a favorable effect on bone resorption and calcium excretion. This suggests that increasing the alkali content of the diet may attenuate bone loss in healthy older adults.

The theoretical foundation, fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability of a teacher training to promote physical activity among preschoolers in child care: A pilot study.

This article describes the Wellness Enhancing Physical Activity in Young Children (WE PLAY) teacher training, which was designed to assist early childhood educators to promote physical activity among preschoolers in child care. We describe the WE PLAY intervention and its grounding in constructs from theories of health behavior and an implementation science framework. Fidelity, feasibility, and acceptability data from the WE PLAY pilot study, a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with six Head Start programs in Massachusetts. Data, collected between October 2017-May 2018, are from teachers and supervisors at 3 preschool programs who participated in the WE PLAY (intervention) group. To understand program feasibility and acceptability, we used the Usage Rating Profile-Intervention (URP-I; n = 13) and key informant interviews (n = 5). The URP-I is a validated teacher survey with 6 subscales (Acceptability, Understanding, Feasibility, Family-School Collaboration, Systems Climate, and Systems Support). It was administered twice; immediately after users completed the first component, an online training (week 2), and after implementation of all program components (week 4). WE PLAY was implemented as it was intended, and it was considered acceptable and feasible to users. There was an increase in users' understanding of how to implement the program between weeks 2 and 4, and a concomitant decrease in the amount of additional systems-level supports users thought they would need to implement WE PLAY between weeks 2 and 4. WE PLAY was easily understandable and feasible to implement in real world settings, it was highly acceptable to users, and it deserves further testing.

Peer-Based Strategies to Support Physical Activity Interventions for Older Adults: A Typology, Conceptual Framework, and Practice Guidelines.

Despite the documented and well-publicized health and well-being benefits of regular physical activity (PA), low rates of participation have persisted among American older adults. Peer-based intervention strategies may be an important component of PA interventions, yet there is inconsistent and overlapping terminology and a lack of clear frameworks to provide a general understanding of what peer-based programs are exactly and what they aim to accomplish in the current gerontological, health promotion literature. Therefore, a group of researchers from the Boston Roybal Center for Active Lifestyle Interventions (RALI) collaborated on this paper with the goals to: (a) propose a typology of peer-based intervention strategies for use in the PA promotion literature and a variety of modifiable design characteristics, (b) situate peer-based strategies within a broader conceptual framework, and (c) provide practice guidelines for designing, implementing, and reporting peer-based PA programs with older adults. We advance clarity and a common terminology and highlight key decision points that offer guidance for researchers and practitioners in using peers in their health promotions efforts, and anticipate that it will facilitate appropriate selection, application, and reporting of relevant approaches in future research and implementation work.

The Effects of Varying Structured Physical Activity Duration on Young Children's and Parents' Activity Levels.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether structured physical activity (PA) in a family-based community exercise program affects PA of young children and parents. Method: Twenty-two children (mean ± SD; age, 4.9 ± 2.1 years) and their parents (age, 34.3 ± 7.6 years) participated in unstructured PA sessions followed by either short- or long-duration structured PA sessions, while wearing an ActiGraph GT9X activity monitor on their right hip to estimate PA. Independent t-tests compared children's and parents' PA during short- and long-structured PA sessions. Paired t-tests compared short- versus long-structured PA sessions. A mixed model ANOVA compared PA during unstructured versus structured sessions and between children and parents. Results: Children spent proportionately more time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and had higher accelerometer counts/min than parents during short-structured PA (children:60.9 ± 18.8% vs. parents:17.7 ± 6.8%, children:3870 ± 742 vs. parents:1836 ± 556 counts/min, p < .05) and long-structured PA (children:61.1 ± 20.1% vs. parents:12.6 ± 4.9%, children:3415 ± 758 vs. parents:1604 ± 633 counts/min, p < .05). No statistical differences were found between short- and long-structured PA sessions for proportion of time spent in MVPA or counts/min for children or parents (all, p > .05). Children spent proportionally more time in MVPA and had higher counts/min during unstructured PA compared to structured PA (unstructured MVPA:54.4 ± 3.9% vs. structured MVPA:38.2 ± 4.2%, unstructured counts/min:3830 ± 222 vs. structured counts/min:2768 ± 239 counts/min; p < .05). Conclusions: Children were more active than parents during both the unstructured and structured PA sessions. However, unstructured PA sessions resulted in 63-77% and 10-11% of PA recommendations for children and adults, respectively. Family-based exercise programming can provide an opportunity for children and their parents to attain MVPA during the week.

Physical activity and public health in older adults: recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association.

OBJECTIVE: To issue a recommendation on the types and amounts of physical activity needed to improve and maintain health in older adults. PARTICIPANTS: A panel of scientists with expertise in public health, behavioral science, epidemiology, exercise science, medicine, and gerontology. EVIDENCE: The expert panel reviewed existing consensus statements and relevant evidence from primary research articles and reviews of the literature. PROCESS: After drafting a recommendation for the older adult population and reviewing drafts of the Updated Recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) for Adults, the panel issued a final recommendation on physical activity for older adults. SUMMARY: The recommendation for older adults is similar to the updated ACSM/AHA recommendation for adults, but has several important differences including: the recommended intensity of aerobic activity takes into account the older adult's aerobic fitness; activities that maintain or increase flexibility are recommended; and balance exercises are recommended for older adults at risk of falls. In addition, older adults should have an activity plan for achieving recommended physical activity that integrates preventive and therapeutic recommendations. The promotion of physical activity in older adults should emphasize moderate-intensity aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity, reducing sedentary behavior, and risk management.