Association between handgrip strength and body composition, physical fitness, and biomarkers in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between handgrip strength and body composition, physical fitness, and biomarkers in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: A total of 75 postmenopausal women were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome participated in this study. Muscle strength was assessed via a hydraulic grip strength dynamometer; physical fitness tests included a timed-up-and-go, arm curl test, and 30-s chair stand. Body composition was assessed via bioelectrical impedance, from which estimates of fat mass, body fat percentage, fat-free mass, and visceral fat area were determined. Fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin were measured via blood sample analyses. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using handgrip strength as the dependent variable and using body composition, physical fitness, and biomarkers as independent variables. RESULTS: The results revealed that 52% of the total sample were classified as obese, 37.3% as overweight, and only 10.7% as normal weight. Significant correlations were present between handgrip strength and fat-free mass (p=0.002; R=0.590), mean blood pressure (p=0.002; R=0.450), and arm curl (p=0.001; R=0.795). CONCLUSION: This study showed that handgrip strength was predictive of fat-free mass, blood pressure, and upper limb strength performance.

Os efeitos de diferentes intervalos de recuperação no teste de 10RM realizado no supino reto / The effects of different rest intervals in 10RM test performed on bench press

Objetivo: Verificar o efeito de três diferentes intervalos de recuperação (um, três e cinco minutos) no teste de dez repetições máximas (10RM) no supino reto. Método: Onze homens (24,1 ± 4,3 anos) com experiência mínima de um ano de treinamento de força realizaram cinco visitas ao laboratório. Nas visitas I e II, efetuaram-se o teste e o reteste de 10RM. Nas visitas III, IV e V, realizaram-se duas tentativas para que os sujeitos completassem 10RM no supino reto, apenas ocorrendo a manipulação do IR (um, três ou cinco minutos). Resultados: Verificou- se que um IR de um minuto não foi suficiente (p=0,001) para a manutenção do número de repetições na segunda tentativa. Com o IR de três e cinco minutos não ocorreram alterações significativas no número total de repetições estipulado. Conclusão: Apesar de um minuto ser suficiente para regenerar aproximadamente 75% do sistema ATP-CP, este parece não ser o período ideal, quando se trata este volume de repetições máximas.

Objective: To investigate the effect of three different rest intervals in the 10RM test on bench press. Methods: Eleven men (24.1 ± 4.3 years) with a minimum experience of one year of strength training achieved five visits to the laboratory. At visits I and II were performed the test and retest of 10RM loads. At visits III , IV and V two attempts were made so that the subjects completed 10RM on bench press, only with manipulation of IR (one, three or five minutes). Results: An IR one minute were not sufficient (p = 0.001) to maintain the number of repetitions on the second attempt. With the IR three and five minutes there were no significant changes in the total number of prescribed repetitions. Conclusion: Although one minute is enough to regenerate approximately 75% of the ATP-CP system, this seems not to be the ideal period when we deal with this volume of maximum repetitions.

Acute effect of different stretching methods on isometric muscle strength / Efeito agudo de diferentes métodos de alongamento sobre a força muscular isométrica

This study investigated the acute effect of static stretching methods (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on the static muscle strength (SMS). Eleven young male subjects with strength training experience, performed 3 tests with a 48h interval between them, randomly selected, where each one subject carried out all procedures: a) hand grip without stretching; b) hand grip preceded by static stretching of wrist flexors muscles; c) hand grip preceded by PNF stretching of wrist flexors muscles. The Shapiro-Wilk test verified the normality of data, and a one-way ANOVA with repeated measures, followed by Tukey's post hoc test, evaluated the differences between the groups. The significance was set at p < 0.05. Significant differences were detected between control and static stretching protocols (35.4±11.30 vs. 30.2±9.18 kg N-1; p < 0.05). The same was observed between control and PNF stretching protocols (35.4±11.30 vs. 29.1±10.05 kg N-1; p < 0.01). However, no statistical difference was found for static and FNP stretching protocols (30.2±9.18 vs. 29.1±10.05 kg N-1; p > 0.05). In conclusion, both stretching methods had caused negative effects on isometric strength, reducing its levels.

. O presente estudo objetivou investigar o efeito agudo dos métodos de alongamento estático (AE) e facilitação neuromuscular proprioceptiva (FNP) sobre a força muscular estática (FME). Foram realizados, em 11 homens jovens com experiência prévia em treinamento de força, três testes com intervalo de 48h entre a aplicação dos mesmos, selecionados aleatoriamente, fazendo com que cada sujeito realizasse todas as técnicas, em rodízio: a) teste de preensão manual sem alongamento; b) teste de preensão manual precedido por alongamento estático dos músculos flexores de punho; c) teste de preensão manual precedido por FNP dos músculos flexores de punho. O teste de Shapiro-Wilk foi realizado para avaliar a normalidade dos dados e a one-way Anova com medida repetida, seguida por post-hoc de Tukey para análise das diferenças entre grupos. A significância adotada foi alpha p < 0,05. Conforme os resultados, entre os protocolos SA e AE, foram encontradas diferenças significativas na produção de força isométrica (35,4±11,30 vs. 30,2±9,18 kg N-1; p < 0,05). Entre SA e FNP, também foram encontradas diferenças significativas (35,4±11,30 vs. 29,1±10,05 kg N-1; p < 0,001). Todavia, diferenças significativas não foram observadas entre AE e FNP (30,2±9,18 vs. 29,1±10,05 kg N-1; p > 0,05). Os métodos de AE e FNP provocam efeito agudo sobre a FME reduzindo os níveis desta capacidade física.