Load-velocity Relationship of the Bench Press Exercise is not Affected by Breast Cancer Surgery and Adjuvant Therapy.

We examined the effect of breast cancer surgery and adjuvant therapy on the relationship between bar velocity and relative intensity (load-velocity [L-V] relationship) of the bench press (BP) exercise. Twenty-two breast cancer survivors (age: 48.0±8.2 yr., relative strength: 0.40±0.08) completed a loading test up to the one-repetition maximum (1RM) in the BP using a lightweight carbon bar. General and individual relationships between relative intensity (%1RM) and mean propulsive velocity (MPV) were studied. Furthermore, the mean test velocity (MPVTest) and velocity attained to the 1RM (MPV1RM) were analyzed. These procedures and analyses were also conducted in 22 healthy women (age: 47.8±7.1 yr., relative strength: 0.41±0.09) to examine the differences in velocity parameters derived from these L-V relationships. Polynomial regressions showed very close relationships (R2≥0.965) and reduced estimation errors (≤4.9% 1RM) for both groups. Between-group differences in MPV attained to each %1RM were small (≤0.01 m·s-1) and not significant (p≥0.685). Similarly, the MPVTest (0.59±0.06 m·s-1) and MPV1RM (0.17±0.03 m·s-1) were identical for breast cancer survivors and healthy women. These results suggest that practitioners could use the same velocity parameters derived from the BP L-V relationship to prescribe this exercise in middle-aged women, regardless of whether they have suffered from breast cancer.

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic diseases frequently adapt their lifestyles to their functional limitations. Functional capacity in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) can be assessed by stress testing. We aim to review and analyze the available data from the literature on the value of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) in HCM. Objective measurements from CPET are used for evaluation of patient response to traditional and new developing therapeutic measurements. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane in Mar-20. The original search yielded 2628 results. One hundred and two full texts were read after the first screening, of which, 69 were included for qualitative synthesis. Relevant variables to be included in the review were set and 17 were selected, including comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), cardiac-related symptoms, echocardiographic variables, medications and outcomes. RESULTS: Study sample consisted of 69 research articles, including 11,672 patients (48 ± 14 years old, 65.9%/34.1% men/women). Treadmill was the most common instrument employed (n = 37 studies), followed by upright cycle-ergometer (n = 16 studies). Mean maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) was 22.3 ± 3.8 mL·kg-1·min-1. The highest average values were observed in supine and upright cycle-ergometer (25.3 ± 6.5 and 24.8 ± 9.1 mL·kg-1·min-1; respectively). Oxygen consumption in the anaerobic threshold (ATVO2) was reported in 18 publications. Left ventricular outflow tract gradient (LVOT) > 30 mmHg was present at baseline in 31.4% of cases. It increased to 49% during exercise. Proportion of abnormal blood pressure response (ABPRE) was higher in severe (>20 mm) vs. mild hypertrophy groups (17.9% vs. 13.6%, p < 0.001). Mean VO2max was not significantly different between severe vs. milder hypertrophy, or for obstructive vs. non-obstructive groups. Occurrence of arrhythmias during functional assessment was higher among younger adults (5.42% vs. 1.69% in older adults, p < 0.001). Twenty-three publications (9145 patients) evaluated the prognostic value of exercise capacity. There were 8.5% total deaths, 6.7% cardiovascular deaths, 3.0% sudden cardiac deaths (SCD), 1.2% heart failure death, 0.6% resuscitated cardiac arrests, 1.1% transplants, 2.6% implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapies and 1.2 strokes (mean follow-up: 3.81 ± 2.77 years). VO2max, ATVO2, METs, % of age-gender predicted VO2max, % of age-gender predicted METs, ABPRE and ventricular arrhythmias were significantly associated with major outcomes individually. Mean VO2max was reduced in patients who reached the combined cardiovascular death outcome compared to those who survived (-6.20 mL·kg-1·min-1; CI 95%: -7.95, -4.46; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: CPET is a valuable tool and can safely perform for assessment of physical functional capacity in patients with HCM. VO2max is the most common performance measurement evaluated in functional studies, showing higher values in those based on cycle-ergometer compared to treadmill. Subgroup analysis shows that exercise intolerance seems to be more related to age, medication and comorbidities than HCM phenotype itself. Lower VO2max is consistently seen in HCM patients at major cardiovascular risk.

Effects of Exercise Sequence and Velocity Loss Threshold During Resistance Training on Following Endurance and Strength Performance During Concurrent Training.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the response to 4 concurrent training interventions differing in the training sequence and in the velocity loss (VL) threshold during strength training (20% vs 40%) on following endurance and strength performance. METHODS: A randomized crossover research design was used. Sixteen trained men performed 4 training interventions consisting of endurance training (ET) followed by resistance training (RT), with 20% and 40% VL, respectively (ET + RT20 and ET + RT40), and RT with 20% and 40% VL, respectively, followed by ET (RT20 + ET and RT40 + ET). The ET consisted of running for 10 minutes at 90% of maximal aerobic velocity. The RT consisted of 3 squat sets with 60% of 1-repetition maximum. A 5-minute rest was given between exercises. The oxygen uptake throughout the ET and repetition velocity during RT were recorded. The blood lactate concentration, vertical jump, and squat velocity were measured at preexercise and after the endurance and strength exercises. RESULTS: The RT40 + ET protocol showed an impaired running time along with higher ventilatory equivalents compared with those protocols that performed the ET without previous fatigue. No significant differences were observed in the repetitions per set performed for a given VL threshold, regardless of the exercise sequence. The protocols consisting of 40%VL induced greater reductions in jump height and squat velocity, along with elevated blood lactate concentration. CONCLUSIONS: A high VL magnitude (40%VL) induced higher metabolic and mechanical stress, as well as greater residual fatigue, on the following ET performance.

Tecnología GPS al servicio del deporte / GPS applications in sport science

La presente revision pretende analizar los benificios que el Sistema de Posicionamiento Global (GPS) puede aportar al ámbito de las Ciencias del Deporte. Las técnicas de GPS son cada día más precisas, y permiten monitorizar la posición y la velocidad de un atleta segundo a segundo, al aire libre, en prácticamente cualquier tipo de terreno. Los resultados de los estudios llevados a cabo hasta la fecha son prometedores y destacan el potencial de esta nueva tecnología en su aplicación al mundo de la actividad física y el deporte. Los receptores GPS resultan especialmente interesantes cuando se combina la información que aportan con los datos recogidos para otro tipo de sensores. Recientemente, han aparecido en el mercado algunos dispositivos que integran en un mismo aparato un GPS y un monitor del ritmo cardíaco. Con ellos es posible realizar detallados análisis del rendimiento deportivo, al relacionar la posición, velocidad de desplazamiento o altura a la que se encuentra un deportista con su respuesta fisiológica en cada momento. Esta circunstancia los hace muy útiles en la valoración en campo

This review aims to analyze the benefits that the Global Positioning Syste (GPS) offers to Sport Science. GPS techniques allow the monitoring of the position and speed of an athlete in virtually any aoutdoor location on earth with acceptable precision. The results of the various studies on GPS and physical activity are promising so far. The emphasize the potential of this new technology for the exercise sciences. GPS receivers are especially useful when combined with sensors that provide other bio-measurements. Recently, some devices that integrate a GPS with a heart rate monitor have hit the market. They allow a detailed analysis of sport performance, relating GPS data with the physiological response to exercise, and are thus well suited for sport-specific field testing