Clinimetric properties of the "FIND-NEEDS" to screen geriatric conditions.

INTRODUCTION: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is used to thoroughly assess and identify complex healthcare problems among older adults. However, administration of CGA is time-consuming and labor intensive. A simple screening tool with the mnemonic "FIND-NEEDS" was developed to quickly identify common geriatric conditions. The present study was to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the FIND-NEEDS. METHODS: First-visiting older adults aged 65 years and above (and who were able to communicate by themselves or with the help of a caregiver) were assessed (October to December, 2021) using the FIND-NEEDS and CGA at geriatric outpatient clinics of a tertiary, referred medical center. The FIND-NEEDS was examined for its criterion-related validity and compared with the CGA results. Two types of scoring (summed score and binary score) of FIND-NEEDS and CGA were analyzed using Spearman correlation, sensitivity and specificity, and area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: The mean age of the 114 outpatients was 78.3±7.6 years, and 79(69.3%) were female. The internal consistency was excellent when using all FIND-NEEDS items, and was acceptable when using domain scores. Exploratory factor analysis showed that most of the FIND-NEEDS domain scores had factor loadings higher than 0.3. Intercorrelations of binary scores between domains of FIND-NEEDS and CGA showed most domains were moderately correlated. The overall correlation of summed scores between FIND-NEEDS and CGA was high. The FIND-NEEDS summed score was moderately correlated with CGA score (r=0.494; p<0.001), and the binary score showed excellent correlation (r=0.944; p<0.001). When using the CGA score as the gold standard, the FIND-NEEDS showed excellent AUC (0.950), sensitivity (1.00), and specificity (0.90). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the FIND-NEEDS had acceptable clinimetric properties to screen for geriatric problems among older adults. Further in-depth assessment and care plan can then be conducted afterwards.

A functional evaluation of anti-fatigue and exercise performance improvement following vitamin B complex supplementation in healthy humans, a randomized double-blind trial.

B vitamins play a crucial role in maintaining fundamental cellular functions and various essential metabolic pathways in the body. Although they do not directly provide energy, each B vitamin acts as a cofactor in energy metabolism processes. Based on the evidence presented above, we hypothesized that a 28-day supplementation of vitamin B would enhance physical performance and reduce physical fatigue. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-fatigue effect of vitamin B supplementation, specifically vitamin B1, B2, B6, and B12, and its potential to improve exercise performance. We employed a randomized double-blind crossover design with a 28-day supplementation period. Sixteen male and sixteen female subjects, aged 20-30 years, were divided into two groups: the placebo group (n=16, equal gender distribution) and the Ex PLUS® group (n=16, equal gender distribution). The participants received either placebo or Ex PLUS® (one tablet per day) for 28 consecutive days. Following the intervention, there was a 14-day wash-out period during which the subjects did not receive any further interventions. After supplementation with Ex PLUS®, we found a significant increase in the running time by 1.26-fold (p < 0.05) to exhaustion compared to that before supplementation and that in the placebo group. In addition, the Ex PLUS® supplementation group presented significantly reduced blood lactate and blood ammonia concentrations during exercise and at rest after exercise compared with placebo (p < 0.05). In conclusion, 28 consecutive days of vitamin B complex (Ex PLUS®) supplementation significantly improved exercise endurance performance and reduced exercise fatigue biochemical metabolites in not athletes. In addition, it does not cause adverse effects in humans when taken at appropriate doses.

Proteomic Analysis of Skeletal Muscle and White Adipose Tissue after Aerobic Exercise Training in High Fat Diet Induced Obese Mice.

Obesity is associated with excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissue and other organs, such as skeletal muscle, whereas aerobic exercise (AE) plays an important role in managing obesity through profound protein regulation. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of AE on proteomic changes in both the skeletal muscle and the epididymal fat pad (EFP) of high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. Bioinformatic analyses were performed on differentially regulated proteins using gene ontology enrichment analysis and ingenuity pathway analysis. Eight weeks of AE significantly reduced body weight, increased the serum FNDC5 level, and improved the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. A high-fat diet caused alterations in a subset of proteins involved in the sirtuin signaling pathway and the production of reactive oxygen species in both skeletal muscle and EFP, leading to insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation. On the other hand, AE upregulated skeletal muscle proteins (NDUFB5, NDUFS2, NDUFS7, ETFD, FRDA, and MKNK1) that enhance mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity. Additionally, the upregulation of LDHC and PRKACA and the downregulation of CTBP1 in EFP can promote the browning of white adipose tissue with the involvement of FNDC5/irisin in the canonical pathway. Our study provides insights into AE-induced molecular responses and may help further develop exercise-mimicking therapeutic targets.

Ovariectomy Interferes with Proteomes of Brown Adipose Tissue in Rats.

Postmenopausal women exhibit a higher prevalence of obesity due to decreased energy expenditure and increased food intake compared to their premenopausal counterparts. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a key role in energy homeostasis, thus providing us with appealing therapeutic targets in obesity. However, how BAT proteomes are altered in response to low levels of estrogen remains unclear. To better understand the underlying mechanisms between the postmenopausal state and BAT proteomic changes, our study aimed to investigate the effect of ovariectomy on the BAT proteome. In this study, eight-week-old female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated into bilateral ovariectomy (Ovx) and sham operation (Sham) groups. Mass spectrometry was used for proteomics assay and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was applied to examine the differentially regulated proteins. Of the 1,412 identified proteins, 18 proteins were significantly upregulated, whereas 36 proteins were significantly downregulated in the Ovx group as compared to the Sham group. Our findings demonstrate that the proteins involved in BAT morphology, the browning of white adipose tissue, and metabolic substrates for thermogenesis were regulated by ovariectomy. The dysregulation of proteins by ovariectomy might be related to the disruption of BAT function in the postmenopausal status. Understanding how BAT proteomes are altered in response to ovariectomy may illuminate novel therapeutic strategies for the management of postmenopausal weight gain in the future.

A novel intervention to reduce noninfectious and infectious complications associated with indwelling urethral catheters in hospitalized older patients: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Indwelling urethral catheters are widely used in clinical settings. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection has been recognized as a common adverse event in older patients. However, noninfectious complications are almost 5 times as common as infectious complications, and insufficient attention has been given to noninfectious complications. Given this importance, a novel intervention related to removing unnecessary catheters in a timely manner to promote, after removal, the recovery of self-voiding function is herein developed to reduce infectious and noninfectious complications associated with indwelling urethral catheters in hospitalized older patients. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study design was adopted. Patients aged 65 and older who had a urinary catheter placed within 24 h of hospital admission were included. All patients were allocated into either an intervention group, in which the novel intervention developed in the study was implemented, or a control group, who received care as usual. The outcomes of this study were to evaluate whether the novel intervention reduced the incidence of the following: catheter-associated urinary tract infections, catheter-associated noninfectious complications, decline in activities of daily living, and new nursing home admissions. RESULTS: Of 106 hospitalized older patients who consented to participate, 92 completed follow-up until discharge, including 49 in the control group and 43 in the intervention group. The patients in the intervention group were significantly older than those in the control group [83.72 ± 9.18 vs. 80.26 ± 7.66, p = 0.038], and no differences were found between the groups in other demographics or present health conditions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the control group was more likely to develop noninfectious complications [adjusted odds ratio: 3.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.32-6.81] and a decline in ADLs [adjusted odds ratio: 11.20, 95% confidence interval: 3.68-34.00]. CONCLUSIONS: A novel intervention can be effective as a means of reducing noninfectious complications associated with indwelling urethral catheters in hospitalized older patients. This approach will help to standardize urethral catheter care, and it highlights the fact that health care professionals can play a crucial role in preventing harm from urethral catheters.

The effects of different types of aquatic exercise training interventions on a high-fructose diet-fed mice.

Gradual weight gain in modern people and a lowering onset age of metabolic disease are highly correlated with the intake of sugary drinks and sweets. Long-term excessive fructose consumption can lead to hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and accumulation of visceral fat. Abdominal obesity is more severe in females than in males. In this study, we used a high-fructose-diet-induced model of obesity in female mice. We investigated the effects of aquatic exercise training on body weight and body composition. After 1 week of acclimatization, female ICR mice were randomly divided into two groups: a normal group (n=8) fed standard diet (control), and a high-fructose diet (HFD) group (n=24) fed a HFD. After 4 weeks of induction followed by 4 weeks of aquatic exercise training, the 24 obese mice were divided into 3 groups (n=8 per group): HFD with sedentary control (HFD), HFD with aquatic strength exercise training (HFD+SE), and HFD with aquatic aerobic exercise training (HFD+AE). We conducted serum biochemical profile analysis, weighed the white adipose tissue, and performed organ histopathology. After 4 weeks of induction and 4 weeks of aquatic exercise training, there was no significant difference in body weight among the HFD, HFD+SE and HFD+AE groups. Serum triglyceride (TG), AST, ALT, and uric acid level were significantly lower in the HFD+SE and HFD+AE groups than in the HFD group. The weight of the perirenal fat pad was significantly lower in the HFD+AE group than in the HFD group. Hepatic TG and total cholesterol (TC) were significantly lower in the HFD+AE group than in the other groups. Long-term intake of a high-fructose diet can lead to obesity and increase the risk of metabolic disease. Based on our findings, we speculate that aquatic exercise training can effectively promote health and fitness. However, aquatic aerobic exercise training appears to have greater benefits than aquatic strength exercise training.

Lactose-riched Mongolian mare's milk improves physical fatigue and exercise performance in mice.

Fatigue may cause the efficiency of the organ in human body to decrease, which may affect the daily life and exercise performance of the general people and athletes. Mare's milk powder (MMP) is a lactose rich supplement. The research of the study is to evaluate the whether MMP has anti-fatigue effect. Forty male ICR mice were randomly divided into four group to receive vehicle or MMP by oral gavage at 0 (Vehicle), 0.27 (MMP-1X), 0.54 (MMP-2X), 1.35 (MMP-5X) g/kg/day for 14 days. The forelimb grip of the MMP-2X, and MMP-5X group were significantly higher than the vehicle group. The swim-to-exhaustion times of the MMP-1X, MMP-2X, and MMP-5X group were significantly greater than the vehicle group. Glycogen levels in liver and muscle were significantly larger in the MMP-1X, MMP-2X, and MMP-5X groups than the vehicle group. Receive MMP supplement for 14 days can promoting exercise performance and amelioration of exercise-induced fatigue.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Supplementation with Planox® Lemon Verbena Extract in Improving Oxidative Stress and Muscle Damage: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial.

Excessive exercise load can cause muscle soreness and fatigue, as well as inflammation and oxidative stress. Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla; Lippia citriodora) is often used as a spice in tea or beverages. Its leaves are rich in polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities. In the present study, we investigated whether supplementation with Planox® lemon verbena extract (LVE) could improve muscle damage and biochemical indicators after exhaustive exercise challenge. All subjects (30 males and 30 females) underwent a double-blind trial and were randomly divided into a placebo group (0 mg/human/day) and an LVE supplement group (400 mg/human/day), with gender-equal distribution. All subjects started supplementation 10 days before exhaustive exercise and continued it until all tests were completed. Before the intervention, after the exhaustive exercise, and on the following 3 days, the participants underwent 12-minute Cooper running/walking; blood collection; assessments of pain, muscle stiffness, maximum jump heights, and isometric maximum muscle strength. The results showed that supplementation with LVE effectively increased GPx and reduced CK, IL-6, 8-OHdG and muscle pain after the exhaustive exercise, but it had significant effect on strength recovery. In summary, LVE is a safe and edible natural plant extract that can reduce muscle damage and soreness after exercise. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04742244.

Effect of Ambulance Stretcher Bed Height Adjustment on CPR Quality and Rescuer Fatigue in a Laboratory Environment.

Background: The quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is closely related to the survival rate of a patient, and it is crucial to maintain the quality of CPR during the ambulance journey to the receiving hospital. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different stretcher bed heights on operator CPR quality. Methods: In this randomized crossover trial, 16 male emergency medical technicians-paramedics (EMT-Ps) performed continuous chest compressions on a hemimorphic mannequin for 5 minutes, alternating between the current height of the stretcher bed on the ambulance (38 ± 1 cm) (S-38) and the height of the participant's midpoint of the patella (S-knee), where the stretcher bed surface is. Results: According to the analysis of the quality of CPR exercises with two different stretcher bed heights at 5 minutes of continuous chest compression, the mean chest compression depth (CCD) of the S-38 position (53.81 ± 1.91 cm) was significantly lower than that of the S-knee (55.12 ± 2.03 cm; p < 0.001). The mean chest compression rate (CCR) of the S-38 position (111.44 ± 3.44 beats/min) was significantly higher than that of the S-knee (109.63 ± 4.46 beats/min; p = 0.027). The mean of total chest compressions (TCC) of the S-38 position (557.44 ± 16.81 times) was significantly higher than that of the S-knee (548.24 ± 19.40 times; p = 0.029). The rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of the S-38 position was significantly higher than that of the S-knee (12.75 ± 1.91 %; p = 0.015). Only the chest compression rebound rate (CCRR) (S-38: 97.56 ± 4.63 % vs. S-knee: 98.31 ± 1.89 %, p = 0.401) and the chest compression fraction (CCF) (S-38: 98.44 ± 0.81 % vs. S-knee: 98.44 ± 0.96 %, p = 1.000) did not reach a significant difference. Conclusion: When a resuscitator is performing chest compressions in a standing position in an ambulance, the excessive downward leaning of the resuscitator's upper body affects CPR quality and increases fatigue. This study has verified that setting the stretcher bed of the ambulance at the knee height of the EMTs provides better CPR quality and lower fatigue.

The feasibility of emergency medical technicians performing intermittent high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Background: Whether intermittent chest compressions have an effect on the quality of CPR is worthy of discussion. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the chest compression quality of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with different rest intervals. Methods: Seventy male firefighters with EMT licenses participated in this study. Participants completed body composition measurements and three CPR quality tests, as follows: (1) CPR-uninterrupted for 10 minutes; (2) after 2 days of rest, CPR 10s-intermittent (CPR-10s), for 2 minutes each time and 5 cycles; (3) after another 2 days of rest, CPR 20s-intermittent (CPR-20s), for 2 minutes each time and 5 cycles. Results: Body composition results showed that body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), upper limb muscle mass (ULMM), core muscle mass (CMM), and upper limb-core muscle mass (UL+CMM) were positively correlated with chest compression depth (CCD) (p < 0.05). Analysis of the three different modes of CPR quality analysis indicated significant differences in the chest compression fraction (CCF, F = 6.801, p = 0.001), chest compression rebound rate (CCRR, F = 3.919, p = 0.021), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE, F = 23.815, p < 0.001). Among the different performance cycles of CPR-10s, significant differences were found in CCF, CCD, CCR (chest compression rate), and RPE (p < 0.05). On the other hand, among the different performance cycles of CPR-20s, significant differences were found in CCD, CCR, and RPE (p < 0.05). Moreover, the CCF, CCD, and RPE scores of the two tests reached significant differences in specific phases (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study confirmed that the upper limb muscle mass or the weight of the upper body of EMTs is positively correlated with the quality of CPR. In addition, intermittent chest compressions with safe interruption intervals can reduce fatigue caused by long-term chest compressions and maintain better chest compression quality.

Protective Effects of Resveratrol Supplementation on Contusion Induced Muscle Injury.

Muscle injuries frequently occur in contact sports events. The current treatment options for soft tissue injuries remain suboptimal and often result in delayed or incomplete recovery of damaged muscles. Resveratrol (RES) is a phenolic phytochemical, well-known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of RES supplementation on inflammation and regeneration in skeletal muscle after a contusion injury, in comparison to a conventional treatment of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). After one week of acclimation, forty eight -week-old male ICR mice were randomly divided into the five groups (n=8 per group): 1) normal control (NC), 2) mass-drop injury without any treatment (mass-drop injury, MDI), 3) post-injury NSAID treatment (MDI+ 10mg/kg NSAID), 4) post-injury RES supplementation (MDI+ 25mg/kg/day RES) and 5) post-injury treatment with RES and NSAID (MDI + resveratrol+ NSAID). After muscle contusion injury of the left gastrocnemius muscle, RES or NSAID were orally administered post-injury once a day for 7 days. Results showed that the MDI group had significantly higher serum uric acid (UA), CREA (creatinine), LDH (lactic dehydrogenase) and creatine kinase (CK) than the normal control group. Treatment with resveratrol reduced muscle damage as evidenced by the significantly decreased serum levels of UA, CREA, LDH and CK after contusion-induced muscle injuries in mice. In addition, RES and RES + NSAID groups promoted muscle satellite cell regeneration with increase in desmin protein after injury. Our results suggest that resveratrol combined with NSAID potentially improve muscle recovery and may be a potential candidate for further development as an effective clinical treatment for muscle repair.

Congenital exercise ability ameliorates muscle atrophy but not spinal cord recovery in spinal cord injury mouse model.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause loss of mobility in the limbs, and no drugs, surgical procedures, or rehabilitation strategies provide a complete cure. Exercise capacity is thought to be associated with the causes of many diseases. However, no studies to date have assessed whether congenital exercise ability is related to the recovery of spinal cord injury. High congenital exercise ability (HE) and low congenital exercise ability (LE) mice were artificially bred from the same founder ICR mice. The HE and LE groups still exhibited differences in exercise ability after 13 generations of breeding. Histological staining and immunohistochemistry staining indicated no significant differences between the HE and LE groups on recovery of the spinal cord. In contrast, after SCI, the HE group exhibited better mobility in gait analysis and longer endurance times in the exhaustive swimming test than the LE group. In addition, after SCI, the HE group also exhibited less atrophy than the LE group, and no inflammatory cells appeared. In conclusion, we found that high congenital exercise ability may reduce the rate of muscle atrophy. This result can be applied to sports science and rehabilitation science as a reference for preventive medicine research.

Electronic cigarette exposure reduces exercise performance and changes the biochemical profile of female mice.

Electronic cigarette(s) (EC) becoming a preferred replacement for nicotine delivery among many smokers in recent years. However, the effect of EC on human health is inconclusive due to a lack of empirical research investigating EC-induced health hazard or benefit. In this study, we examine the effect of vapor produced by EC on exercise performance and health-related profiles in a mouse model. Female ICR mice were divided into five groups (n = 6 per group) and exposed for 14 days. Our results indicate that EC exposure leads to dose-dependent decrease in the grip strength and swimming time of the mice. The EC-treated groups also showed a dose-dependent decrease in liver and muscle glycogen storage. In addition, EC treatment had no negative effect on levels of biochemical indices. We also did not detect any adverse effect or gross abnormalities on the morphology of the major organs.

Tea Seed Oil Prevents Obesity, Reduces Physical Fatigue, and Improves Exercise Performance in High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obese Ovariectomized Mice.

Menopause is associated with changes in body composition (a decline in lean body mass and an increase in total fat mass), leading to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and heart disease. A healthy diet to control body weight is an effective strategy for preventing and treating menopause-related metabolic syndromes. In the present study, we investigated the effect of long-term feeding of edible oils (soybean oil (SO), tea seed oil (TO), and lard oil (LO)) on female ovariectomized (OVX) mice. SO, TO, and LO comprise mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and saturated fatty acids (SFA), respectively. However, there have been quite limited studies to investigate the effects of different fatty acids (PUFA, MUFA, and SFA) on physiological adaption and metabolic homeostasis in a menopausal population. In this study, 7-week-old female Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice underwent either bilateral laparotomy (sham group, n = 8) or bilateral oophorectomy (OVX groups, n = 24). The OVX mice given a high-fat diet (HFD) were randomly divided into three groups: OVX+SO, OVX+TO, and OVX+LO. An HFD rich in SO, TO, or LO was given to the OVX mice for 12 weeks. Our findings revealed that the body weight and relative tissues of UFP (uterus fatty peripheral) and total fat (TF) were significantly decreased in the OVX+TO group compared with those in the OVX+SO and OVX+LO groups. However, no significant difference in body weight or in the relative tissues of UFP and TF was noted among the OVX+SO and OVX+LO groups. Furthermore, mice given an HFD rich in TO exhibited significantly decreased accumulation of liver lipid droplets and adipocyte sizes of UFP and brown adipose tissue (BAT) compared with those given an HFD rich in SO or LO. Moreover, replacing SO or LO with TO significantly increased oral glucose tolerance. Additionally, TO improved endurance performance and exhibited antifatigue activity by lowering ammonia, blood urea nitrogen, and creatine kinase levels. Thus, tea seed oil (TO) rich in MUFA could prevent obesity, reduce physical fatigue, and improve exercise performance compared with either SO (PUFA)- or LO(SFA)-rich diets in this HFD-induced obese OVX mice model.

The Effects of Ergosta-7,9(11),22-trien-3ß-ol from Antrodia camphorata on the Biochemical Profile and Exercise Performance of Mice.

Antrodia camphorata (AC) is a rare and unique mushroom that is difficult to cultivate. Previous studies have demonstrated the bioactivity of the compound Ergosta-7,9(11),22-trien-3ß-ol (EK100) from AC in submerged culture. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of EK100 on fatigue and ergogenic functions following physiological challenge. Male ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8 per group) and orally administered EK100 for six weeks at 0 (Vehicle), 10 (EK100-1X), and 20 (EK100-2X) mg/kg/day. The six-week Ek100 supplementation significantly increased grip strength (P = 0.0051) in trend analysis. Anti-fatigue activity was evaluated using 15-min. acute exercise testing and measuring the levels of serum lactate, ammonia, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatine kinase (CK) after a 15-min. swimming exercise. Our results indicate that AC supplementation leads to a dose-dependent decrease in serum lactate, ammonia, BUN, and CK activity after exercise and significantly increases serum glucose and glycogen content in liver tissues. Biochemical and histopathological data demonstrated that long term daily administration of EK100 for over six weeks (subacute toxicity) was safe. EK100's anti-fatigue properties appear to be through the preservation of energy storage, increasing blood glucose and liver glycogen content, and decreasing the serum levels of lactate, ammonia, BUN, and CK. EK100 could potentially be used to improve exercise physiological adaptation, promote health, and as a potential ergogenic aid in combination with different nutrient strategies.

Accuracy of the energy expenditure during uphill exercise measured by the Waist-worn ActiGraph.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The application of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Sensors (MEMS) as measurements of energy expenditure (EE) has certain disadvantages. For example, the inertial sensors cannot easily distinguish changes in ground slope during walking/running conditions, so the accuracy of EE calculation is biased. To resolve this issue, heart rate (HR) and heart rate reserve (HRR) were used as compensatory factors respectively to correct the classical empirical formula of the accelerometer analyzer for EE in this study. METHODS: To explore the improvement of the accuracy of EE during uphill exercise and compare the correction levels between HR and HRR, oxygen uptake was used as a criterion measure (CM). Thirty healthy adult males wore an ActiGraph GT3X with the Polar HR monitor and Vmax indirect calorimeter during twelve treadmill activities (3 gradients and 4 speeds). RESULTS: When the slopes were increased by 0%, 3%, and 6%, the measurement accuracy of the accelerometers, calculated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), decreased by 0.877, 0.755, and 0.504, respectively (p < 0.05). The HR and HRR parameters of linear regression were used to correct the classical formula. The results showed that HR had higher coefficients of determination (R2) (0.801, 0.700, and 0.642 respectively) and ICCs (0.887, 0.825, and 0.785 respectively) than did the accelerometer outputs. HRR showed the highest coefficients of determination (R2) (0.821, 0.728, and 0.656 respectively) and ICCs (0.901, 0.844, and 0.795 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Through adding HRR parameters, the accuracy of the classical prediction formula EE was significantly improved during walking/running on sloping ground.

Effects of dextrose prolotherapy on contusion-induced muscle injuries in mice.

Current treatment options for muscle injuries remain suboptimal and often result in delayed/incomplete recovery of damaged muscles. In this study, the effects of dextrose prolotherapy on inflammation and regeneration of skeletal muscles after a contusion injury were investigated. Mice were separated into five groups, including a normal control (NC), post-injury with no treatment (mass-drop injury, MDI), post-injury with 10% dextrose (MDI + 10% dextrose), post-injury with 20% dextrose (MDI + 20% dextrose), and post-injury with 30% dextrose (MDI + 30% dextrose). The gastrocnemius muscles of the mice were subjected to an MDI, and muscle samples were collected at 7 days post-injury. Results showed the serum creatine kinase (CK), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CREA), and low-density lipoprotein (LDH) of the MDI-alone group were significantly higher than those of the normal control group (p<0.05). However, levels of serum CK, BUN, CREA, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) significantly decreased with different concentrations of dextrose. In addition, dextrose suppressed the macrophage response (F4/80 protein decreased) and promoted muscle satellite cell regeneration (desmin protein increased). In conclusion, dextrose prolotherapy can effectively help repair muscles; therefore, it may be one of the methods for clinically treating muscle injuries.

Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation combined with Weight-Loading Whole-Body Vibration Training (WWBV) affects exercise performance and muscle glycogen storage in middle-aged C57BL/6 mice.

Background: Adequate nutritional intake and an optimal training program are important elements of any strategy to preserve or increase muscle mass and strength during aging. Purpose: In the current study, we investigate the effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), one of the most abundant circulating steroids in humans and a precursor hormone, supplementation combined with a weight-loading whole-body vibration (WWBV) on exercise performance, physical fatigue-related biochemical responses and testosterone content in middle-aged 9 months old C57BL/6 mice. Methods: Male middle-aged C57BL/6 mice were divided into 3 groups (n = 8 per group) and treated for 4 weeks with the following: 1) Sedentary control (SC) with vehicle 2) DHEA supplementation (DHEA, 10.2 mg/kg) and 3) DHEA supplementation with WWBV training (DHEA: 10.2 mg/kg; WBV: 5.6 Hz, 2 mm, 0.13 g). Exercise performance was evaluated by forelimb grip strength and time to exhaustion, as well as changes in body composition and anti-fatigue levels after a 15-min swimming exercise. Fatigue-related biochemical responses of serum lactate, ammonia, glucose, creatine kinase (CK), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured following the swimming exercise. In addition, the biochemical parameters and the testosterone levels were measured at the end of the experiment. Results: DHEA supplementation combined with WWBV training for 4 weeks significantly decreased the amount of white adipose tissue and increased the food and water intake. Additionally, WWBV+DHEA supplementation improved exercise performance, testosterone levels and glycogen contents of both liver and muscle. WWBV+DHEA supplementation also decreased serum lactate, ammonia and BUN levels, while increasing glucose levels following the 15-min swim test. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that combining the WWBV training program with DHEA supplementation could provide an anti-fatigue pharmacological effect for elderly populations.

Effect of Lactobacillus Plantarum TWK10 on Improving Endurance Performance in Humans.

Microbiota is currently an important issue in disease and health and many studies have revealed it to play an important role in physiological homeostasis and health promotion. Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum), isolated from Taiwan pickled vegetables, is a well-known probiotic microorganism. In a recent animal study, it was shown that supplementation of mice with L. plantarum TWK10 (TWK10) could increase muscle mass, improve exercise performance and exert anti-fatigue effects. In order to examine the ergogenic effect of TWK10 supplementation on endurance performance in humans, we conducted a human double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study. A total of sixteen adult subjects over 20 years of age were recruited and randomly allocated to the placebo or TWK10 group (n = 8 each). The TWK10 group received 6 weeks of supplementation. Physiological assessments were conducted by exhaustive treadmill exercise measurements and related biochemical indexes. After 6 weeks of supplementation, levels of lactic acid, blood ammonia, blood glucose, free fatty acid (FFA) and creatine kinase (CK) were evaluated during exhaustive exercise. We were able to show that the TWK10 group had significantly higher endurance performance and glucose content in a maximal treadmill running test compared to the placebo group (P < 0.05), suggesting that TWK10 supplementation may be beneficial to energy harvest. Taken together, our results suggest that TWK10 has the potential to be an aerobic exercise supplement for physiological adaptation or an ergogenic supplement with health benefits for amateur runners.

Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and 'Essence of Chicken' on Physical Fatigue Recovery and Exercise Performance Improvement.

A fast-paced lifestyle, pressure from the environment and a heavy work load often cause extreme tiredness in modern life. Different kinds of nutritional supplements in the form of functional foods or traditional Chinese medicine, such as 'essence of chicken' and Ganoderma lucidum have been claimed to benefit physical performance and promote health. Previous studies have revealed that 'essence of chicken' or G. lucidum have a wide spectrum of biological activities. In this study, we combined these two ingredients together (designated as CEG) to evaluate their synergistic effects on physiological adaption on exercise fatigue and physical activities. The ICR strain mice were allocated as 0, 833, 1666, and 4165 mg/kg dose groups and administrated by oral gavage consecutively for 4 weeks. Physical activities including grip strength and aerobic endurance were evaluated. Various fatigue-associated biochemical variables such as lactate, BUN or CK were also evaluated. The levels of liver and muscle glycogen were measured as an indicator of energy storage at the end of the experiment. Safety assessments for supplementation were also evaluated. CEG supplementation significantly increased the endurance and grip strength and demonstrated beneficial effects on lactate production and clearance rate after an acute exercise challenge. The CEG supplementation significantly mitigated the BUN and CK indexes after extended exercise and elevated the glycogen content in the liver and muscle tissues. According to body composition, biochemical and histopathological data, daily administration of CEG for over 28 days (subacute toxicity) also demonstrated reasonable safety results for supplementation. Combined G. lucidum and 'essence of chicken' can significantly increase the exercise performance and improve fatigue recovery. It may also provide a viable alternative nutritional supplement for health promotion.