Determinants and reference values for blood volume and total hemoglobin mass in women and men.

Blood volume (BV) is an important clinical parameter and is usually reported per kg of body mass (BM). When fat mass is elevated, this underestimates BV/BM. One aim was to study if differences in BV/BM related to sex, age, and fitness would decrease if normalized to lean body mass (LBM). The analysis included 263 women and 319 men (age: 10-93 years, body mass index: 14-41 kg/m2 ) and 107 athletes who underwent assessment of BV and hemoglobin mass (Hbmass ), body composition, and cardiorespiratory fitness. BV/BM was 25% lower (70.3 ± 11.3 and 80.3 ± 10.8 mL/kgBM ) in women than men, respectively, whereas BV/LBM was 6% higher in women (110.9 ± 12.5 and 105.3 ± 11.2 mL/kgLBM ). Hbmass /BM was 34% lower (8.9 ± 1.4 and 11.5 ± 11.2 g/kgBM ) in women than in men, respectively, but only 6% lower (14.0 ± 1.5 and 14.9 ± 1.5 g/kgLBM )/LBM. Age did not affect BV. Athlete's BV/BM was 17.2% higher than non-athletes, but decreased to only 2.5% when normalized to LBM. Of the variables analyzed, LBM was the strongest predictor for BV (R2 = .72, p < .001) and Hbmass (R2 = .81, p < .001). These data may only be valid for BV/Hbmass when assessed by CO re-breathing. Hbmass /LBM could be considered a valuable clinical matrix in medical care aiming to normalize blood homeostasis.

Superiority of High-Load vs. Low-Load Resistance Training in Military Cadets.

ABSTRACT: Øfsteng, SF, Hammarström, D, Knox, S, Jøsok, Ø, Helkala, K, Koll, L, Hanestadhaugen, M, Raastad, T, Rønnestad, BR, and Ellefsen, S. Superiority of high-load vs. low-load resistance training in military cadets. J Strength Cond Res 38(9): 1584-1595, 2024-Muscle strength and power are important determinants of soldiers' performance in modern warfare. Here, we compare the efficacy of 22 weeks of whole-body resistance training with high load (HL, 10 repetitions maximum/RM) and low load (LL, 30RM) for developing maximal muscle strength and power, performance, and muscle mass in moderately trained cadets (20 ± 1 year, f; n = 5, m; n = 22). Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and at week 22, in addition to a mid-intervention assessment at week 10. Twenty-two weeks of HL led to greater increases in muscle strength (upper limb, Δ 10%, 95% CI [2.8, 17.1], p = 0.01; lower limb, Δ 9.9%, CI [1.1, 18.6], p = 0.029), jump height (Δ 5.5%, CI [1.4, 9.6], p = 0.011), and upper limb lean mass (Δ 5.2%, CI [1, 9.4], p = 0.018) compared with LL. HL and LL led to similar changes in agility, muscle endurance performance, lower limb muscle mass, and cross-sectional area in m. vastus lateralis. For all variables, training-associated changes occurred primarily during the initial 10 weeks of the intervention, including the differential responses to HL and LL. In conclusion, although 22 weeks of HL led to greater increases in lower and upper limb muscle strength, power, and upper limb lean mass than LL, the 2 load conditions led to similar improvements in agility performance and lower limb muscle mass. Our results thus indicate that both loading regimes elicit multifaceted physiological improvements important for military readiness.

Heat suit training increases hemoglobin mass in elite cross-country skiers.

PURPOSE: The primary purpose was to test the effect of heat suit training on hemoglobin mass (Hbmass ) in elite cross-country (XC) skiers. METHODS: Twenty-five male XC-skiers were divided into a group that added 5 × 50 min weekly heat suit training sessions to their regular training (HEAT; n = 13, 23 ± 5 years, 73.9 ± 5.2 kg, 180 ± 6 cm, 76.8 ± 4.6 ml·min-1 ·kg-1 ) or to a control group matched for training volume and intensity distribution (CON; n = 12, 23 ± 4 years, 78.4 ± 5.8 kg, 184 ± 4 cm, 75.2 ± 3.4 ml·min-1 ·kg-1 ) during the five-week intervention period. Hbmass , endurance performance and factors determining endurance performance were assessed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: HEAT led to 30 g greater Hbmass (95% CI: [8.5, 51.7], p = 0.009) and 157 ml greater red blood cell volume ([29, 285], p = 0.018) post-intervention, compared to CON when adjusted for baseline values. In contrast, no group differences were observed for changes in work economy, running velocity, and fractional utilization of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max ) at 4 mmol·L-1 blood lactate, V̇O2max or 15-min running distance performance trial during the intervention. CONCLUSION: HEAT induced a larger increase in Hbmass and red blood cell volume after five weeks with five weekly heat suit training sessions than CON, but with no detectable group differences on physiological determinants of endurance performance or actual endurance performance in elite CX skiers.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease does not impair responses to resistance training.

BACKGROUND: Subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prone to accelerated decay of muscle strength and mass with advancing age. This is believed to be driven by disease-inherent systemic pathophysiologies, which are also assumed to drive muscle cells into a state of anabolic resistance, leading to impaired abilities to adapt to resistance exercise training. Currently, this phenomenon remains largely unstudied. In this study, we aimed to investigate the assumed negative effects of COPD for health- and muscle-related responsiveness to resistance training using a healthy control-based translational approach. METHODS: Subjects with COPD (n = 20, GOLD II-III, FEV1predicted 57 ± 11%, age 69 ± 5) and healthy controls (Healthy, n = 58, FEV1predicted 112 ± 16%, age 67 ± 4) conducted identical whole-body resistance training interventions for 13 weeks, consisting of two weekly supervised training sessions. Leg exercises were performed unilaterally, with one leg conducting high-load training (10RM) and the contralateral leg conducting low-load training (30RM). Measurements included muscle strength (nvariables = 7), endurance performance (nvariables = 6), muscle mass (nvariables = 3), muscle quality, muscle biology (m. vastus lateralis; muscle fiber characteristics, RNA content including transcriptome) and health variables (body composition, blood). For core outcome domains, weighted combined factors were calculated from the range of singular assessments. RESULTS: COPD displayed well-known pathophysiologies at baseline, including elevated levels of systemic low-grade inflammation ([c-reactive protein]serum), reduced muscle mass and functionality, and muscle biological aberrancies. Despite this, resistance training led to improved lower-limb muscle strength (15 ± 8%), muscle mass (7 ± 5%), muscle quality (8 ± 8%) and lower-limb/whole-body endurance performance (26 ± 12%/8 ± 9%) in COPD, resembling or exceeding responses in Healthy, measured in both relative and numeric change terms. Within the COPD cluster, lower FEV1predicted was associated with larger numeric and relative increases in muscle mass and superior relative improvements in maximal muscle strength. This was accompanied by similar changes in hallmarks of muscle biology such as rRNA-content↑, muscle fiber cross-sectional area↑, type IIX proportions↓, and changes in mRNA transcriptomics. Neither of the core outcome domains were differentially affected by resistance training load. CONCLUSIONS: COPD showed hitherto largely unrecognized responsiveness to resistance training, rejecting the notion of disease-related impairments and rather advocating such training as a potent measure to relieve pathophysiologies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02598830. Registered November 6th 2015, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02598830.

Five weeks of heat training increases haemoglobin mass in elite cyclists.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Do haemoglobin mass and red blood cell volume increase in elite cyclists training in a hot environment compared to a control group training at normal temperature? What is the main finding and its importance? Five weeks of heat training increases haemoglobin mass in elite cyclists. There are small to intermediate effect sizes for exercise parameters favouring heat training. ABSTRACT: In this study we tested the hypothesis that performing 1 h of regular light exercise in a heat chamber (HEAT; 37.8 ± 0.5°C; 65.4 ± 1.8% humidity) 5 times week-1 for a total of 5 weeks increases haemoglobin mass (Hbmass ) and exercise performance in elite cyclists ( V̇O2max  = 76.2 ± 7.6 ml min-1  kg-1 ). Twenty-three male volunteers were assigned to HEAT (n = 11) or CON (n = 12; 15.5 ± 0.1°C; 25.1 ± 0.0% humidity) training groups. Hbmass was determined before and after the intervention period in conjunction with an extensive exercise test protocol (conducted at 16-19°C). HEAT increased (P < 0.05) Hbmass by 42 g from 893 ± 78 to 935 ± 108 g whereas Hbmass remained unchanged (+6 g) in CON. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed a time-group interaction (P < 0.05). The greater increase in Hbmass in HEAT, however, did not manifest in a greater increase in V̇O2max (225 ± 274 ml min-1 in HEAT and 161 ± 202 ml min-1 in CON). While HEAT reduced (P < 0.05) lactate levels during some of the submaximal exercise tests, there was no statistical difference between other performance parameters. There were, however, small to intermediate effect sizes favouring HEAT for lactate threshold power output (2.8 ± 3.9 vs. -0.4 ± 5.1% change, effect size (ES) = 0.34), gross economy in the fatigued state (0.19 ± 0.42 vs. -0.12 ± 0.49%-point change, ES = 0.52) and 15 min mean power (6.9 ± 8.4 vs. 3.4 ± 5.1% increase, ES = 0.22). This study demonstrates an increase in Hbmass and small to intermediate effect sizes on exercise variables in elite cyclists following a 5-week heat training intervention.

Effects of including sprints during prolonged cycling on hormonal and muscular responses and recovery in elite cyclists.

This study investigated the acute effects of including 30-second sprints during prolonged low-intensity cycling on muscular and hormonal responses and recovery in elite cyclists. Twelve male cyclists (VO2max , 73.4 ± 4.0 mL/kg/min) completed a randomized crossover protocol, wherein 4 hours of cycling at 50% of VO2max were performed with and without inclusion of three sets of 3 × 30 seconds maximal sprints (E&S vs E, work-matched). Muscle biopsies (m. vastus lateralis) and blood were sampled at Pre, immediately after (Post) and 3 hours after (3 h) finalizing sessions. E&S led to greater increases in mRNA levels compared with E for markers of fat metabolism (PDK4, Δ-Log2 fold change between E&S and E ± 95%CI Post; 2.1 ± 0.9, Δ3h; 1.3 ± 0.7) and angiogenesis (VEGFA, Δ3h; 0.3 ± 0.3), and greater changes in markers of muscle protein turnover (myostatin, ΔPost; -1.4 ± 1.2, Δ3h; -1.3 ± 1.3; MuRF1, ΔPost; 1.5 ± 1.2, all P < .05). E&S showed decreased mRNA levels for markers of ion transport at 3h (Na+ -K+ α1; -0.6 ± 0.6, CLC1; -1.0 ± 0.8 and NHE1; -0.3 ± 0.2, all P < .05) and blunted responses for a marker of mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α, Post; -0.3 ± 0.3, 3h; -0.4 ± 0.3, P < .05) compared with E E&S and E showed similar endocrine responses, with exceptions of GH and SHBG, where E&S displayed lower responses at Post (GH; -4.1 ± 3.2 µg/L, SHBG; -2.2 ± 1.9 nmol/L, P < .05). Both E&S and E demonstrated complete recovery in isokinetic knee extension torque 24 hours after exercise. In conclusion, we demonstrate E&S to be an effective exercise protocol for elite cyclists, which potentially leads to beneficial adaptations in skeletal muscle without impairing muscle recovery 24 hours after exercise.

Should we individualize training based on force-velocity profiling to improve physical performance in athletes?

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an individualized training program based on force-velocity (FV) profiling on jumping, sprinting, strength, and power in athletes. Forty national level team sport athletes (20 ± 4years, 83 ± 13 kg) from ice-hockey, handball, and soccer completed a 10-week training intervention. A theoretical optimal squat jump (SJ)-FV-profile was calculated from SJ with five different loads (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 kg). Based on their initial FV-profile, athletes were randomized to train toward, away, or irrespective (balanced training) of their initial theoretical optimal FV-profile. The training content was matched between groups in terms of set x repetitions but varied in relative loading to target the different aspects of the FV-profile. The athletes performed 10 and 30 m sprints, SJ and countermovement jump (CMJ), 1 repetition maximum (1RM) squat, and a leg-press power test before and after the intervention. There were no significant group differences for any of the performance measures. Trivial to small changes in 1RM squat (2.9%, 4.6%, and 6.5%), 10 m sprint time (1.0%, -0.9%, and -1.7%), 30 m sprint time (0.9%, -0.6%, and -0.4%), CMJ height (4.3%, 3.1%, and 5.7%), SJ height (4.8%, 3.7%, and 5.7%), and leg-press power (6.7%, 4.2%, and 2.9%) were observed in the groups training toward, away, or irrespective of their initial theoretical optimal FV-profile, respectively. Changes toward the optimal SJ-FV-profile were negatively correlated with changes in SJ height (r = -0.49, p < 0.001). Changes in SJ-power were positively related to changes in SJ-height (r = 0.88, p < 0.001) and CMJ-height (r = 0.32, p = 0.044), but unrelated to changes in 10 m (r = -0.02, p = 0.921) and 30 m sprint time (r = -0.01, p = 0.974). The results from this study do not support the efficacy of individualized training based on SJ-FV profiling.

Superior On-Ice Performance After Short-Interval vs. Long-Interval Training in Well-Trained Adolescent Ice Hockey Players.

ABSTRACT: Rønnestad, BR, Haugen, OC, and Dæhlin, TE. Superior on-ice performance after short-interval vs long-interval training in well-trained adolescent ice hockey players. J Strength Cond Res 35(12S): S76-S80, 2021-The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 9 weeks with 3 weekly sessions of short intervals (SIs) against long intervals (LIs) on endurance performance in well-trained adolescent ice hockey players. Eighteen male adolescent ice hockey players volunteered to participate and were randomly allocated to perform SIs (n = 9; 3 series with 13 × 30 seconds work intervals) or LIs (n = 7; 4 series of 5 minutes work intervals). Subjects completed a skating multistage aerobic test (SMAT), maximal oxygen consumption, maximal power output, and maximal isokinetic knee-extensor strength tests before and after the intervention, and changes in performance were assessed using analysis of variance (p ≤ 0.05). Short intervals improved SMAT performance more from pretest to post-test than LIs (13.9 ± 8.1% vs. 3.7 ± 5.2%, respectively; p = 0.030, effect size [ES] = 1.48). No significant differences were observed between SIs and LIs in change of maximal oxygen uptake (SI: 3.8 ± 6.1% vs. LI: -0.4 ± 10.2%; p = 0.30) or 60 seconds maximal power output (SI: 1.0 ± 4.9% vs. LI: -3.7 ± 4.1%; p = 0.053). However, ESs were moderate (ES = 0.55) and large (ES = 1.07), respectively, in favor of SI for these dependent variables. There were no changes in isokinetic knee-extension strength (p > 0.05). The present SI protocol induced superior improvements in on-ice endurance performance compared with the LI protocol. Practitioners seeking to improve ice hockey players' on-ice endurance performance should consider including SI in their conditioning protocol.

Increased biological relevance of transcriptome analyses in human skeletal muscle using a model-specific pipeline.

BACKGROUND: Human skeletal muscle responds to weight-bearing exercise with significant inter-individual differences. Investigation of transcriptome responses could improve our understanding of this variation. However, this requires bioinformatic pipelines to be established and evaluated in study-specific contexts. Skeletal muscle subjected to mechanical stress, such as through resistance training (RT), accumulates RNA due to increased ribosomal biogenesis. When a fixed amount of total-RNA is used for RNA-seq library preparations, mRNA counts are thus assessed in different amounts of tissue, potentially invalidating subsequent conclusions. The purpose of this study was to establish a bioinformatic pipeline specific for analysis of RNA-seq data from skeletal muscles, to explore the effects of different normalization strategies and to identify genes responding to RT in a volume-dependent manner (moderate vs. low volume). To this end, we analyzed RNA-seq data derived from a twelve-week RT intervention, wherein 25 participants performed both low- and moderate-volume leg RT, allocated to the two legs in a randomized manner. Bilateral muscle biopsies were sampled from m. vastus lateralis before and after the intervention, as well as before and after the fifth training session (Week 2). RESULT: Bioinformatic tools were selected based on read quality, observed gene counts, methodological variation between paired observations, and correlations between mRNA abundance and protein expression of myosin heavy chain family proteins. Different normalization strategies were compared to account for global changes in RNA to tissue ratio. After accounting for the amounts of muscle tissue used in library preparation, global mRNA expression increased by 43-53%. At Week 2, this was accompanied by dose-dependent increases for 21 genes in rested-state muscle, most of which were related to the extracellular matrix. In contrast, at Week 12, no readily explainable dose-dependencies were observed. Instead, traditional normalization and non-normalized models resulted in counterintuitive reverse dose-dependency for many genes. Overall, training led to robust transcriptome changes, with the number of differentially expressed genes ranging from 603 to 5110, varying with time point and normalization strategy. CONCLUSION: Optimized selection of bioinformatic tools increases the biological relevance of transcriptome analyses from resistance-trained skeletal muscle. Moreover, normalization procedures need to account for global changes in rRNA and mRNA abundance.

Benefits of higher resistance-training volume are related to ribosome biogenesis.

KEY POINTS: For individuals showing suboptimal adaptations to resistance training, manipulation of training volume is a potential measure to facilitate responses. This remains unexplored. Here, 34 untrained individuals performed contralateral resistance training with moderate and low volume for 12 weeks. Moderate volume led to larger increases in muscle cross-sectional area, strength and type II fibre-type transitions. These changes coincided with greater activation of signalling pathways controlling muscle growth and greater induction of ribosome synthesis. Out of 34 participants, thirteen displayed clear benefit of MOD on muscle hypertrophy and sixteen showed clear benefit of MOD on muscle strength gains. This coincided with greater total RNA accumulation in the early phase of the training period, suggesting that ribosomal biogenesis regulates the dose-response relationship between training volume and muscle hypertrophy. These results demonstrate that there is a dose-dependent relationship between training volume and outcomes. On the individual level, benefits of higher training volume were associated with increased ribosomal biogenesis. ABSTRACT: Resistance-exercise volume is a determinant of training outcomes. However not all individuals respond in a dose-dependent fashion. In this study, 34 healthy individuals (males n = 16, 23.6 (4.1) years; females n = 18, 22.0 (1.3) years) performed moderate- (3 sets per exercise, MOD) and low-volume (1 set, LOW) resistance training in a contralateral fashion for 12 weeks (2-3 sessions per week). Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and strength were assessed at Weeks 0 and 12, along with biopsy sampling (m. vastus lateralis). Muscle biopsies were also sampled before and 1 h after the fifth session (Week 2). MOD resulted in larger increases in muscle CSA (5.2 (3.8)% versus 3.7 (3.7)%, P < 0.001) and strength (3.4-7.7% difference, all P < 0.05. This coincided with greater reductions in type IIX fibres from Week 0 to Week 12 (MOD, -4.6 percentage points; LOW -3.2 percentage points), greater phosphorylation of S6-kinase 1 (p85 S6K1Thr412 , 19%; p70 S6K1Thr389 , 58%) and ribosomal protein S6Ser235/236 (37%), greater rested-state total RNA (8.8%) and greater exercise-induced c-Myc mRNA expression (25%; Week 2, all P < 0.05). Thirteen and sixteen participants, respectively, displayed clear benefits in response to MOD on muscle hypertrophy and strength. Benefits were associated with greater accumulation of total RNA at Week 2 in the MOD leg, with every 1% difference increasing the odds of MOD benefit by 7.0% (P = 0.005) and 9.8% (P = 0.002). In conclusion, MOD led to greater functional and biological adaptations than LOW. Associations between dose-dependent total RNA accumulation and increases in muscle mass and strength point to ribosome biogenesis as a determinant of dose-dependent training responses.

Superior performance improvements in elite cyclists following short-interval vs effort-matched long-interval training.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 3 weeks with three weekly sessions (ie, nine sessions in total) of short intervals (SI; n = 9; 3 series with 13 × 30-second work intervals interspersed with 15-second recovery and 3-minutes recovery between series) against effort-matched (rate of perceived effort based) long intervals (LI; n = 9; 4 series of 5-minute work intervals with 2.5-minutes recovery between series) on performance parameters in elite cyclists ( V ˙ O 2max 73 ± 4 mL min-1  kg-1 ). There were no differences between groups in total volume and intensity distribution of training during the intervention period. SI achieved a larger (P < .05) relative improvement in peak aerobic power output than LI (3.7 ± 4.3% vs -0.3 ± 2.8%, respectively), fractional utilization of V ˙ O 2max at 4 mmol L-1 [La- ] (3.0 ± 5.8 percent points vs -3.5 ± 2.7 percent points, respectively), and larger relative increase in power output at 4 mmol L-1 [La- ] (2.0 ± 6.7% vs -2.8 ± 3.4, respectively), while there was no group difference in change of V ˙ O 2max . Improvements in performance measured as mean power output during 20-minute cycling test were greater (P < .01) in SI compared with LI (4.7 ± 4.4% vs -1.4 ± 2.2%, respectively). Mean effect size of the improvement in the above variables revealed a small to large effect of SI training vs LI training. The data thus demonstrate that the present SI protocol induces superior training adaptations compared with the present LI protocol in elite cyclists.

Systemic and muscular responses to effort-matched short intervals and long intervals in elite cyclists.

The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of time- and effort-matched high-intensity intervals on physiological, endocrine, and skeletal muscle molecular variables in elite cyclists. Eight elite cyclists performed short intervals (SI: 30-seconds) and long intervals (LI: 5-minutes) with work:recovery ratio 2:1, using a randomized crossover design. SI was associated with 14% ± 3% higher mean power output (SI; 421 ± 27 vs LI; 371 ± 22 W), and longer working time above 90% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max , 54% ± 76%) and 90% peak heart rate (HRpeak , 153% ± 148%) than LI (all P < .05), despite similar degrees of perceived exertion, blood lactate levels and muscle activation measured using EMG root mean square (EMG rms). In blood, SI was associated with more pronounced increases in testosterone and testosterone-to-sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) ratios, as well as prolonged cortisol responses (P < .05). In skeletal muscle (m. Vastus lateralis), SI and LI led to similar changes in mRNA abundance for a range of transcripts, with the exception of NHE1 mRNA, which decreased after SI (P < .05). Overall, SI was associated with more pronounced physiological and endocrine responses than LI in elite cyclists, suggesting that such training might lead to superior adaptations in elite cyclists.

No effect of increasing protein intake during military exercise with severe energy deficit on body composition and performance.

In this study, we compare the effects of isocaloric high- (HIGH: 2 g kg-1  d-1 , n = 19) and low-protein diet (LOW: 1 g kg-1  d-1 , n = 19) on changes in body composition, muscle strength, and endocrine variables in response to a 10-day military field exercise with energy deficit, followed by 7 days of recovery. Body composition (DXA), one repetition maximum (1RM) bench and leg press, counter-movement jump height (CMJ) and blood variables were assessed before and after the exercise. Performance and blood variables were reassessed after 7 days of recovery. The 10-day exercise resulted in severe energy deficit in both LOW and HIGH (-4373 ± 1250, -4271 ± 1075 kcal d-1 ) and led to decreased body mass (-6.1%, -5.2%), fat mass (-40.5%, -33.4%), 1RM bench press (-9.5%, -9.7%), 1RM leg press (-7.8%, -8.3%), and CMJ (-14.7%, -14.6%), with no differences between groups. No change was seen for fat-free mass. In both groups, the exercise led to a switch toward a catabolic physiological milieu, evident as reduced levels of anabolic hormones (testosterone, IGF-1) and increased levels of cortisol (more pronounced in HIGH, P < .05). Both groups also displayed substantial increases in creatine kinase. After 7 days of recovery, most variables had returned to close-to pre-exercise levels, except for CMJ, which remained at reduced levels. In conclusion, increased protein intake during 10-day military field exercise with severe energy deficiency did not mitigate loss of body mass or impairment of physical performance.

Adaptations to strength training differ between endurance-trained and untrained women.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate if endurance athletes, sustaining their normal endurance training, experience attenuated adaptations to strength training compared to untrained individuals. METHODS: Eleven non-strength-trained female endurance athletes (E + S) added 11 weeks of strength training to their normal endurance training (5.1 ± 1.1 h per week), and 10 untrained women (S) performed the same strength training without any endurance training. The strength training consisted of four leg exercises [3 × 4 - 10 repetition maximum (RM)], performed twice a week for 11 weeks. RESULTS: E + S and S displayed similar increases in 1RM one-legged leg press (E + S 39 ± 19%, S 42 ± 17%, p < 0.05), maximal isometric torque in knee extension (E + S 12 ± 11%, S 8 ± 10%, p < 0.05) and lean mass in the legs (E + S 3 ± 4%, S 3 ± 3%, p < 0.05). However, S displayed superior increases in peak torque in knee extension at an angular velocity of 240° sec-1 (E + S 8 ± 5%, S 15 ± 7%, p < 0.05) and maximal squat jump height (E + S 8 ± 6%, S 14 ± 7%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, concurrent training did not impair the adaptations in the ability to develop force at low contraction velocities or muscle hypertrophy. However, concurrent training attenuated strength training-associated changes in the ability to develop force at higher muscular contraction velocities.

Adding Whole-Body Vibration to Preconditioning Squat Exercise Increases Cycling Sprint Performance.

Duc, S, Rønnestad, BR, and Bertucci, W. Adding whole-body vibration to preconditioning squat exercise increases cycling sprint performance. J Strength Cond Res 34(5): 1354-1361, 2020-This study investigated the effect of performing a preconditioning exercise with or without whole-body vibration (WBV) on a subsequent cycling sprint performance. Fourteen trained subjects performed 2 separate test sessions in randomized order. After a warm-up, the preconditioning exercise (body-loaded half-squats) was applied: 30 seconds of half-squats with WBV (40 Hz, 2 mm) or 30 seconds of half-squats without WBV with a 10-second all-out sprint performed after 1 minute. Surface electromyography (EMG) was measured from the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and gastrocnemius medialis during the sprints. Blood lactate level (BL), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were determined immediately after the 10-second sprint. Performing preconditioning exercise with WBV resulted in superior peak (1,693 ± 356 vs. 1,637 ± 349 W, p ≤ 0.05) and mean power output (1,121 ± 174 vs. 1,085 ± 175 W, p ≤ 0.05) compared with preconditioning exercise without WBV. Effect sizes showed a moderate and large practical effect of WBV vs. no WBV on peak and mean power output, respectively. No differences were observed between the conditions for BL, HR, and RPE after the sprints and in EMG activity during the sprints. In conclusion, it is plausible to suggest that body-loaded half-squats with WBV acutely induce higher power output levels. The practical application of the current study is that body-loaded squats with WBV can be incorporated into preparations for specific sprint training to improve the quality of the sprint training and also to improve sprint performance in relevant competitions.

A 11-day compressed overload and taper induces larger physiological improvements than a normal taper in elite cyclists.

Endurance athletes usually achieve performance peaking with 2-4 weeks of overload training followed by 1-3 weeks of tapering. With a tight competition schedule, this may not be appropriate. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of a compressed variant of the recommended overload and tapering approach (EXP; n = 9, VO2peak  = 77 ± 5 mL·min-1 ·kg-1 ) with a 11-day traditional taper that maintained the usual frequency of high-intensity aerobic interval training (HIT) and reduced the duration of training at lower exercise intensity (TRAD, n = 8, VO2peak  = 74 ± 4 mL·min-1 ·kg-1 ) on physiological and psychological variables of endurance performance. EXP performed a 6-day period with daily HIT followed by a 5-day step taper. Testing was performed before the intervention (pre), on the 7th (post-1), and on the 11th day of the intervention (post-2). From pre to post-2, EXP achieved a larger relative improvement than TRAD in VO2peak (4.0 ± 3.7% vs 0.8 ± 1.8%, respectively, P = .041) and the 1-min peak power output from the VO2peak test (5.0 ± 3.6% vs 0.9 ± 1.5%, respectively, P = .009) and had a tendency toward larger improvement in power output at a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol∙L-1 (P = .088) and peak isokinetic knee extension (P = .06). The effect size of the relative improvement in the endurance variables revealed a moderate-to-large effect of EXP vs TRAD. In conclusion, this study indicates that elite cyclists performing the present 11-day compressed performance peaking protocol consisting of a 6-day HIT overload followed by a 5-day step taper are superior to a 11-day taper only.

Block periodization of strength and endurance training is superior to traditional periodization in ice hockey players.

Team sports like ice hockey require high levels of performance in numerous physical characteristics such as strength, power, and endurance. As such, training is associated with a potential interference effect. The present study randomized well-trained ice hockey players into a block periodization group (BP; n = 8), focusing on the development of either strength and power or endurance on a weekly, undulating basis, and a traditional group (TRAD; n = 8), performing a mixed training model, with simultaneous focus of strength, power, and endurance training every week. During the 6-week intervention, the two groups performed equal volumes and intensities of both strength, power, and endurance training. BP led to larger improvements than TRAD in knee extension peak torque at 180° s-1 (6.6 ± 8.7 vs -4.2% ± 6.3%, respectively; P < 0.05) and maximal oxygen uptake (5.1 ± 3.3 vs 1.1% ± 3.5%, respectively; P < 0.05). There was also a trend toward larger improvements in BP than TRAD in peak torque in knee extension at 60° s-1 (2.1 ± 2.5 vs -0.1% ± 2.5%, respectively; P < 0.1, effect size = 0.83) and mean power output during a 30-s cycling sprint (4.1 ± 2.5 vs -0.3% ± 5.9%, respectively; P < 0.1, effect size = 0.89). Overall, BP exhibited a moderate to large effect size for all these variables compared to TRAD. The present study suggests that block periodization of strength and endurance training induces superior adaptations in both strength and endurance capacities in well-trained ice hockey players compared to traditional mixed organization, despite similar training volume and intensity.

Adding vibration to high-intensity intervals increase time at high oxygen uptake in well-trained cyclists.

The importance of accumulated time ≥90% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max ) to improve performance in well-trained endurance athletes is well established. The present study compared the acute effects of adding vibrations (VIB; 40 Hz) with the work intervals during a high-intensity cycling session (HIT) with a traditional HIT session without vibration (TRAD) on time ≥90% of VO2max , time ≥90% of peak heart rate (HRpeak ), electromyography (EMG) activity, and mean power in well-trained cyclists (n = 10, VO2max =78.6 ± 7.4 mL/min/kg). The order of VIB and TRAD was randomized and consisted of 6 × 5-minutes work intervals performed with the highest possible mean power across the work intervals (2.5-minutes standardized relief periods). VIB was superior to TRAD on time ≥90% of VO2max , (10.99 ± 7.00 vs 6.95 ± 5.28 minutes, respectively), time ≥90% of HRpeak (24.61 ± 2.38 vs 19.97 ± 4.12 minutes, respectively), and averaged EMG activity in m. Vastus Lateralis during the work intervals (all P < 0.05). The EMG/power output ratio across all work intervals was higher in VIB than TRAD (P < 0.05). Mean values across work intervals showed no difference between VIB and TRAD in mean power, rate of perceived exertion, or blood lactate concentration. Thus, the present study indicated that adding vibration to the work intervals during a HIT session can acutely increase the physiological responses of the cardiovascular system and increase time ≥90% VO2max and should therefore be considered in order to optimize the exercise stimulus of well-trained cyclists.

Determinants of maximal whole-body fat oxidation in elite cross-country skiers: Role of skeletal muscle mitochondria.

Elite endurance athletes possess a high capacity for whole-body maximal fat oxidation (MFO). The aim was to investigate the determinants of a high MFO in endurance athletes. The hypotheses were that augmented MFO in endurance athletes is related to concomitantly increments of skeletal muscle mitochondrial volume density (MitoVD ) and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAOp ), that is, quantitative mitochondrial adaptations as well as intrinsic FAOp per mitochondria, that is, qualitative adaptations. Eight competitive male cross-country skiers and eight untrained controls were compared in the study. A graded exercise test was performed to determine MFO, the intensity where MFO occurs (FatMax ), and V ˙ O 2 Max . Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained to determine MitoVD (electron microscopy), FAOp , and OXPHOSp (high-resolution respirometry). The following were higher (P < 0.05) in endurance athletes compared to controls: MFO (mean [95% confidence intervals]) (0.60 g/min [0.50-0.70] vs 0.32 [0.24-0.39]), FatMax (46% V ˙ O 2 Max [44-47] vs 35 [34-37]), V ˙ O 2 Max (71 mL/min/kg [69-72] vs 48 [47-49]), MitoVD (7.8% [7.2-8.5] vs 6.0 [5.3-6.8]), FAOp (34 pmol/s/mg muscle ww [27-40] vs 21 [17-25]), and OXPHOSp (108 pmol/s/mg muscle ww [104-112] vs 69 [68-71]). Intrinsic FAOp (4.0 pmol/s/mg muscle w.w/MitoVD [2.7-5.3] vs 3.3 [2.7-3.9]) and OXPHOSp (14 pmol/s/mg muscle ww/MitoVD [13-15] vs 11 [10-13]) were, however, similar in the endurance athletes and untrained controls. MFO and MitoVD correlated (r2  = 0.504, P < 0.05) in the endurance athletes. A strong correlation between MitoVD and MFO suggests that expansion of MitoVD might be rate-limiting for MFO in the endurance athletes. In contrast, intrinsic mitochondrial changes were not associated with augmented MFO.

Acute effects of post-absorptive and postprandial moderate exercise on markers of inflammation in hyperglycemic individuals.

PURPOSE: Systemic inflammation is involved in the development of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It is known that vigorous exercise affects systemic inflammation, but less is known about exercise at lower intensities. Hyperglycemia can also entail pro-inflammatory responses; however, postprandial hyperglycemia is blunted if the meal is followed by exercise. Hypotheses were: (1) moderate physical exercise acutely affects levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) in hyperglycemic individuals and (2) the effect depends on whether the activity is performed in a post-absorptive or postprandial state. METHODS: Twelve participants diagnosed with hyperglycemia, but not using anti-diabetic medication, underwent three test days in a randomized cross-over study; 1 control day without exercise, 1 day with 60 min of treadmill walking ending 30 min before breakfast, and 1 day with an identical bout of activity 30 min after the start of breakfast. Food intake was strictly standardized and venous blood for CRP, and sVCAM-1 analysis was sampled at standardized timepoints during the first 3.5 h after breakfast and once 24 h later. RESULTS: Merged data from the two exercise days showed that sVCAM-1 increased from baseline (4 ± 16 ng/mL) compared to the control condition (-28 ± 47 ng/mL, ES = 0.7, p = 0.024). There was no statistically significant difference in changes in sVCAM-1 levels between the two exercise test days. Exercise did not affect CRP values. CONCLUSION: Moderate exercise increases sVCAM-1 in hyperglycemic individuals, whereas it does not affect CRP.