What is more damaging to vascular endothelial function: Diabetes, age, high BMI, or all of the above?

BACKGROUND: It is well established that there is a reduction in the skin blood flow (SBF) in response to heat with age and diabetes. While it is known that high BMI creates a stress on the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of all cause of morbidity and mortality, little is known of the effect of high BMI on SBF response to heat. Since diabetes is associated with age and a higher BMI, the interrelationship between age, BMI and SBF needs to be investigated to better understand the contribution diabetes alone has to endothelial impairment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study examined the SBF to heat in young and old people with low and high BMI and people with diabetes with high BMI to determine the contribution these variables have on SBF. Subjects were ten young and older people with BMI <20 and ten young and older people with BMI >20 and ten subjects with diabetes with BMI >20. The SBF response, above the quadriceps, was determined during a 6 minutes exposure to heat at 44°C. RESULTS: Even in young people, SBF after the stress of heat exposure was reduced in subjects with a high BMI. The effect of BMI was greatest in young people and lowest in older people and people with diabetes; in people with diabetes, BMI was a more significant variable than diabetes in causing impairment of blood flow to heat. BMI, for example, was responsible for 49% of the reduction in blood flow after stress heat exposure (R=-0.7) while ageing only accounted for 16% of the blood flow reduction (R=-0.397). CONCLUSIONS: These results would suggest the importance of keeping BMI low not only in people with diabetes to minimize further circulatory vascular damage, but also in young people to diminish long term circulatory vascular compromise.

Relationship between force-time and velocity-time characteristics of dynamic and isometric muscle actions.

Previous research has investigated the force-time curve characteristics of isometric and dynamic muscle actions; however, few studies have addressed their relationship to dynamic exercise velocity-time variables. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between velocity-time characteristics (high pull and vertical jump peak velocity and rate of velocity development [HPPV, HPRVD, VJPV, VJRVD]), force-time characteristics (isometric peak force [IsoPF], body mass adjusted isometric peak force [IsoPF/BM], isometric rate of force development at different millisecond windows [IsoRFD50-250], dynamic peak force [HPPF], body mass adjusted dynamic peak force [HPPF/BM]), and vertical jump height (VJHeight). Nineteen recreationally trained men (age 23.89 ± 2.92 yr; height 176.32 ± 7.06 cm; mass 78.76 ± 16.50 kg) completed 2 testing sessions. The first session consisted of 3 isometric mid-thigh pulls on a force plate with each repetition held for 3 seconds. On the second testing session, subjects completed 3 dynamic mid-thigh high pulls with 30% IsoPF followed by 3 vertical jumps on a force plate. The HPRVD correlated with IsoRFD50 (r = 0.52) and IsoRFD100 (r = 0.49). The HPPV correlated with IsoPF/BM (r = -0.60), IsoRFD50 (r = 0.56), and IsoRFD100 (r = 0.56). The VJHeight correlated with IsoPF/BM (r = 0.61), whereas VJPV correlated with IsoPF/BM (r = 0.62). These correlations suggest that explosive isometric force production within 50 to 100 milliseconds may influence the ability to accelerate an implement or body and attain high velocity, albeit in a moderate fashion. In addition, body mass adjusted strength may positively influence vertical jump parameters.

Performance differences between sexes in the pop-up phase of surfing.

Surfing is a dynamic sport that is multidirectional in nature and requires peak performance in variable ocean conditions. Its growing popularity among the female population has stirred curiosity as to whether women can and will 1 day face their male counterparts in head-to-head competition at the top levels. The purpose of this study was to examine male and female differences in performance of a simulated surfing pop-up movement. Forty recreationally trained surfers (20 men and 20 women) were instructed to lie prone on a force plate, in the pop-up position (similar to a push-up), with only their hands in contact with the plate. A velocity transducer was attached to their back via an adjustable strap around their upper trunk. They completed 3 pop-ups as explosively as possible by pushing forcefully with their hands and jumping to their feet. Absolute and relative force and power were measured. Results demonstrated that men exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) greater relative force (M = 9.56 ± 1.25 N·kg⁻¹, W = 8.15 ± 0.98) and relative power (M = 16.39 ± 4.22 W·kg⁻¹, W = 9.98 ± 2.58) when compared to women. These findings demonstrate that men produce greater force and power than do women even relative to body weight when performing a simulated surfing pop-up movement. It appears that women may be at a disadvantage in regards to peak performance when compared to their male counterparts in the surfing pop-up movement. Therefore, women should train for both maximum and explosive upper-body strength in addition to their time spent surfing.

Muscle activation when performing the chest press and shoulder press on a stable bench vs. a Swiss ball.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stable surface (bench) vs. an unstable surface (Swiss ball) on muscle activation when performing the dumbbell chest press and shoulder press. Sixteen healthy men (24.19 +/- 2.17 years) performed 1 repetition maximum (1RM) tests for the chest press and shoulder press on a stable surface. A minimum of 48 hours post 1RM, subjects returned to perform 3 consecutive repetitions each of the chest press and shoulder press at 80% 1RM under 4 different randomized conditions (chest press on bench, chest press on Swiss ball, shoulder press on bench, shoulder press on Swiss ball). Electromyography was used to assess muscle activation of the anterior deltoid, pectoralis major, and rectus abdominus. The results revealed no significant difference in muscle activation between surface types for either exercise. This suggests that using an unstable surface neither improves nor impairs muscle activation under the current conditions. Coaches and other practitioners can expect similar muscle activation when using a Swiss ball vs. a bench.

Effect of delayed-onset muscle soreness on elbow flexion strength and rate of velocity development.

Eccentric muscle actions cause muscle damage and lead to delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which may impair performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of DOMS on elbow flexion strength and rate of velocity development (RVD). Nineteen college male subjects performed 6 tests (pre- and posteccentric and every 24 hours for 4 days). In the preeccentric tests, each subject reported his arm pain and then did 5 concentric repetitions of elbow flexion/extension on an isokinetic dynamometer at 240 degrees x s(-1). Each subject then completed 6 sets of 10 eccentric elbow flexion actions at 30 degrees x s(-1) and finished with a posteccentric test with another 5 concentric repetitions at 240 degrees x s(-1). On days 1-4, each subject reported his arm pain and then did 5 more repetitions at 240 degrees x s(-1). Analysis was performed on the values for DOMS, peak torque (PT), and RVD. For DOMS, scores on the posteccentric test (2.34 +/- 2.53), day 1 (3.18 +/- 2.18), day 2 (3.21 +/- 2.91), day 3 (1.81 +/- 1.78), and day 4 (1.02 +/- 1.30) were all significantly (p < 0.05) greater than the preeccentric scores (0.00 +/- 0.00). For PT, the scores on the posteccentric test (22.40 +/- 8.87 ft x lb(-1)) and day 1 (23.88 +/- 9.00 ft x lb(-1)) were both significantly less than on the preeccentric test (29.56 +/- 8.42 ft x lb(-1)). The RVD scores on the posteccentric test (1505.73 +/- 462.12 d x s(-1) x s(-1)), day 1 (1571.55 +/- 475.99 d x s(-1) x s(-1)), and day 2 (1546.99 +/- 494.52 d x s(-1) x s(-1)) were all significantly less than on the preeccentric test (1719.86 +/- 473.18 d x s(-1) x s(-1)). This suggests that muscle damage may cause significant decreases in elbow flexion concentric strength and RVD even as DOMS remains elevated.

Effect of potentiating exercise volume on vertical jump parameters in recreationally trained men.

High-force activities have demonstrated postactivation potentiation (PAP) and may enhance performance in athletes; however, the efficacy of high-force activities to generate PAP in recreationally trained men remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of high-force back squat volume on vertical jump (VJ) height, ground reaction force (GRF), impulse (IMP), and takeoff velocity (TOV) in recreationally trained men. Sixteen recreationally trained men (age 24.56 +/- 2.10 years, height 174.53 +/- 8.54 cm, mass 84.59 +/- 14.75 kg, and 1 repetition maximum [1RM] back squat 124.71 +/- 17.58 kg) with at least 1 year of back squat experience completed 5 testing sessions separated by a minimum of 72 hours' rest. On session 1, subjects completed VJ testing without a potentiating exercise intervention (control condition) in a test-retest fashion (3 VJs, 5 minutes seated rest, and 3 more VJs) and performed 1RM back squat testing. Subjects completed the subsequent 4 testing sessions in a test-retest fashion (3 VJs, experimental condition, 5 minutes seated rest, and 3 more VJs) in random order. The 4 experimental conditions required subjects to perform the back squat using a load of 85% 1RM with volumes of 1 x 2, 1 x 3, 1 x 4, or 1 x 5. Analysis of variance revealed no significant (p > 0.05) condition by time interactions for any dependent variable; however, there were significant (p < 0.05) main effects for time for GRF (pre 2,123.74 +/- 422.86 N, > post 2,094.53 +/- 390.99 N) and IMP (pre 210.88 +/- 100.97 Nxs, > post 204.63 +/- 106.14 Nxs) but not for VJ or TOV. These results suggest that 85% 1RM back squat volume assignments do not produce a VJ potentiation response in recreationally trained men.

The effect of single versus multiple sets on strength.

Research has previously been divided on whether performing resistance training with a single set per training session is as effective for increasing strength as training with multiple sets. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of single sets versus multiple sets on strength. Forty subjects were randomly assigned into 1 of 3 groups: control (C; n = 8), single set (SS; n = 14), or multiple sets (MS; n = 18) to perform 8 maximal knee extensions at 60 degrees .s(-1) on a Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer twice a week for 8 weeks. The SS group performed 1 set while the MS group performed 3 sets. All groups were pre-, mid- (4 weeks), and posttested at 60 degrees x s(-1). Strength was expressed as peak torque (PT). A 3 x 3 x 2 (time x group x sex) mixed factor repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no interaction involving sex, but there was an interaction of group by time. The MS group exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) increase in PT (pre = 171.39 +/- 61.98 Nm; mid = 193.08 +/- 66.23 Nm) between the pretest and the midtest while the SS (pre = 163.45 +/- 56.37 Nm; mid = 172.60 +/- 61.78 Nm) and C groups (pre = 135.997 +/- 54.31 Nm; mid = 127.66 +/- 53.12 Nm) did not change. Strength did not change between the midtest and the posttest for any group. It was concluded that performing 3 sets of isokinetic knee extensions was more effective than performing a single set for increasing peak torque. These results seem to indicate that for increasing strength of the quadriceps, performing multiple sets is superior to performing a single set of resistance exercise.