Exercise Intensity Progressions and Criteria to Prescribe Core Stability Exercises in Young Physically Active Men: A Smartphone Accelerometer-Based Study.

ABSTRACT: Heredia-Elvar, JR, Juan-Recio, C, Prat-Luri, A, Barbado, D, Ríos-Calonge, Jdl, and Vera-Garcia, FJ. Exercise intensity progressions and criteria to prescribe core stability exercises in young physically active men: a smartphone accelerometer-based study. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): 266-273, 2024-The establishment of core stability (CS) exercise intensity progressions in sport and clinical settings is normally based on subjective criteria. Therefore, this study aimed to develop exercise intensity progressions for some of the most common CS exercises through smartphone accelerometry and to analyze the effect of the subjects' lumbopelvic postural control on these progressions. Fifty-seven healthy young physically active male students performed 7 isometric variations of front bridge, back bridge, side bridge, and bird-dog exercises with a smartphone accelerometer placed on the pelvis. Mean pelvic accelerations were calculated during each variation to evaluate the lumbopelvic postural control challenge imposed on the subjects as an index of exercise intensity of difficulty. For the bridge exercises, long bridging produced higher pelvic accelerations than short bridging, bridging with single-leg support was more intense than bridging with double-leg support (even with both legs on a hemisphere ball for the back and front bridge), and the most difficult variations were those performed on a Swiss ball, mainly the variations with single-leg support. For the bird-dog exercise, the 2-point positions were more intense than the 3-point positions, the variations performed with a knee on the hemisphere ball produced higher pelvic accelerations than similar variations performed with the forearm on the hemisphere ball, and the variations with limb motions generated higher pelvic accelerations than similar variations performed without limb motions. Although the CS exercise progressions were very similar across subjects, our results showed the need to individualize the prescription of the CS exercise progressions based on the subjects' lumbopelvic postural control level.

Deceleration Capacity During Directional Change as a Time-Efficient (Ecological) Prescreening of Hip Adductor Force Status in Amateur Soccer Players.

ABSTRACT: Miralles-Iborra, A, Del Coso, J, De Los Ríos-Calonge, J, Elvira, JLL, Barbado, D, Urban, T, and Moreno-Pérez, V. Deceleration capacity during directional change as a time-efficient (ecological) prescreening of hip adductor force status in amateur soccer players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-Reduced isometric adductor muscle strength has been identified as a modifiable risk factor contributing to injury in soccer players. However, the measurement of hip adductor muscle strength is habitually laboratory-based, with isolated hip movements that do not reflect soccer-specific movements that induce groin injury during match play. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of deceleration capacity during a change of direction (COD) as a time-efficient (ecological) prescreening of hip adductor force status in soccer players. Nineteen amateur soccer players completed unilateral isometric hip adductor strength assessments and a 180° COD test. Isometric hip strength assessment included the maximum peak torque (PT) and maximum rate of torque development (RTDmax) relative to players' body mass. Players' deceleration capacity during the COD test was determined for each leg through maximum deceleration normalized to the linear momentum. A linear regression analysis was performed to associate isometric hip strength variables with the deceleration capacity during the COD test at each leg. There was not a statistically significant association between deceleration capacity and hip isometric maximum PT of the dominant and nondominant legs (r ≤ 0.14, p > 0.05). Nevertheless, a moderate association was found between deceleration capacity and RTDmax for both legs (r ≥ 0.58, p < 0.05). The optimal linear regression model suggests that measuring deceleration capacity during a directional change test could explain RTDmax by 33 and 43% for the dominant and nondominant legs, respectively. During a 180° COD test, the deceleration capacity captured through GPS-accelerometer device was limited as a prescreening tool to evaluate hip adductor force status in soccer players.

Benefits Perceived by Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease on Physical and Emotional Health in an Interdisciplinary Program: A Qualitative Study.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, severely affecting the families and caregivers who live with those affected. The aim was to explore the physical, psychological, and behavioral benefits for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with informal Alzheimer's caregivers upon completion of the program. Following a discussion on the topics, categories, and codes among the researchers, a consensus was reached to obtain the final themes and categories. Three main categories were obtained: (1) perceived benefits by the participants; (2) applicability of the knowledge; and (3) proposals for improvement. Participants expressed having perceived improvements in their ability to manage emotions and cope with the situation created by the disease, physical capacity, and in their relationships. In this sense, the application of the contents addressed during the intervention became a fundamental tool for the participants' daily lives. This study showed how an interdisciplinary intervention with psychological sessions, health education, and physical activities could be beneficial for improving both the physical and mental health of caregivers.

Effect of Trunk-Focused Exercises on Pain, Disability, Quality of Life, and Trunk Physical Fitness in Low Back Pain and How Potential Effect Modifiers Modulate Their Effects: A Systematic Review With Meta-analyses.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of trunkfocused exercise programs (TEPs) and moderator factors on chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP). DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analyses. LITERATURE SEARCH: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and CENTRAL databases from their inception to June 2022. STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials comparing TEPs to control or general exercises. DATA SYNTHESIS: We used random-effects models to calculate the standardized mean difference (SMD) plus confidence interval (CI) and heterogeneity (I2) for pain, disability, quality of life, and trunk performance. The impact of moderator factors was analyzed through meta-regression. RESULTS: Forty randomized controlled trials (n = 2391) were included. TEPs showed positive effects for all outcomes versus control (SMD 0.90-2.46; 95% CI, -0.04 to 4.96; I2 61%-98%). There were small effects in favor of TEPs versus general exercises for pain (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI, 0.03-0.37; I2 = 13.4%) and disability (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI, 0.02-0.38; I2 = 0%). Trunk and/or hip range-of-motion improvements were associated with greater reductions in pain (P<.01; ß = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.25-0.87) and disability (P<.01; ß = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.27-1.05). Low body mass was associated with higher pain reduction (P = .03; ß = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Trunk-focused exercise programs had positive effects on pain, disability, quality of life, and trunk performance compared to control groups, and on pain and disability compared to general exercises. Increasing trunk and/or hip range of motion was associated with greater pain and disability reduction, and lower body mass with higher pain reduction. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2023;53(2):64-93. Epub: 16 January 2023. doi:10.2519/jospt.2023.11091.

Physical literacy in older adults: a scoping review protocol.

Population aging is a prominent phenomenon worldwide. The increase in physical inactivity and co-morbid diseases poses a major challenge to current community health policies. Physical activity guidelines recommended for older people have not been met by this population group. For this reason, a new model, physical literacy, is being innovated and has gained global attention and has emerged as an effective and innovative active aging strategy to improve physical activity participation of this vulnerable group. However, the evidence on physical literacy in the older adult so far is brief and diffuse. Therefore, the aim was to conduct a scoping review protocol to identify and map physical literacy in older people. This scoping review protocol was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Method. The search will be performed on Embase, IBSS ProQuest, Medline OVID, PsycINFO Ebsco, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Social Services Abstracts ProQuest, Sociological Abstracts ProQuest, Web of Science ISI, Wiley Online Library, Cochrane Library, and ERIC Ebsco databases. All types of studies published since 2001 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese examining physical literacy over the lifespan of older adults were included. Two independent reviewers will organize and select studies according to the objectives and questions of the scoping review. The selected publications will be organized and summarized using a checklist proposed by the PRISMA-ScR. Qualitative data analysis (thematic analysis) will be performed to identify meanings and patterns to answer the research question. The final scoping review will present the main evidence available, key concepts/definitions, research conducted, and knowledge gaps related to physical literacy in older adults, leading to strategies to improve the community health of this population, as well as health literacy.

Cost-Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Interdisciplinary Program-Care in Informal Caregivers of People with Alzheimer's Disease.

People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis who get informal care remain at home longer, reducing the demand for healthcare resources but increasing the stress of caregiving. Research on the effectiveness of physical training, psychoeducational, cognitive-behavioural, and health education programs in reducing the caregiver load and enhancing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) exist, but none exist about an integrated interdisciplinary program. The goals of this project are (1) to assess the Integral-CARE Interdisciplinary Program (IP) applicability, safety, effects on HRQoL, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for AD caregivers; (2) to evaluate the IP applicability and cost-effectiveness to enhance the physical, psychoemotional, cognitive-behavioural dimensions, and the health education status of informal caregivers, and (3) to study the transference of the results to the public and private sectors. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted with an experimental (IP) and a control group (no intervention). The PI will be conducted over nine months using face-to-face sessions (twice a week) and virtual sessions on an online platform (once a week). There will be an initial, interim (every three months), and final assessment. Focus groups with social and health agents will be organized to determine the most important information to convey to the public and private sectors in Extremadura (Spain). Applicability, safety, HRQoL, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and HRQoL will be the main outcome measures, while secondary measures will include sociodemographic data; physical, psychoemotional, health education, and cognitive-behavioural domains; program adherence; and patient health status. Data will be examined per procedure and intention to treat. A cost-effectiveness study will also be performed from the viewpoints of private and public healthcare resources.