Florentine Normative Values for Physical Fitness in Adolescents Aged 14-15 Years.

Physical fitness during youth is linked to the health of today's young people and future adults. Therefore, fitness evaluation can direct any physical exercise interventions and verify improvements. The study aims to provide normative values of the physical fitness of the Florentine adolescent population. This cross-sectional study enrolled 1915 subjects aged 14 and 15 from the first and second high school classes. Tests were performed to assess cardiovascular endurance, upper and lower limb strength, running speed and agility, and lower limb muscle flexibility. Sex and age-related percentiles were elaborated. The study included 1028 subjects in the first class (aged 14.3 ± 0.8 years; 54.5% females) and 887 in the second class (aged 15.3 ± 0.7 years; 53.4% females). Males showed higher values than females except for flexibility. Furthermore, both genders show increased results in transitioning from the first to the second class, except for muscle flexibility and running speed. The percentiles of the present study provide normative values of the physical fitness of the 14-15-year-old Florentine adolescent population. These results, characterized by a sociocultural specificity linked to the territory from which they were collected, can contribute to the assessment and improvement of the physical status of young people, promoting current and future health.

Proposal of a New Parameter for Evaluating Muscle Mass in Footballers through Bioimpedance Analysis.

The evaluation of muscle mass in athletes correlates with sports performance directly. Bioimpedance vector analysis is a growing method of assessing body composition in athletes because it is independent of predictive formulas containing variables such as body weight, ethnicity, age, and sex. The study aims to propose a new parameter (Levi's Muscle Index, LMI) that evaluates muscle mass through raw bioelectrical data. A total of 664 male footballers underwent bioimpedance assessment during the regular season. LMI was correlated with body cell mass (BCM) and phase angle (PA) to establish efficacy. The footballers were 24.5 ± 5.8 years old, 180.7 ± 5.9 cm tall and weighed 76.3 ± 7.1 kg. The relationships were: LMI-BMI: r = 0.908, r2 = 0.824, p < 0.001; LMI-PA: r = 0.704, r2 = 0.495, p = 0.009 and PA-BCM: r = 0.491, r2 = 0.241, p < 0.001. The results obtained confirm that LMI could be considered a new parameter that provides reliable information to evaluate the muscle mass of athletes. Furthermore, the higher LMI-BCM relationship than PA-BCM demonstrates specificity for muscle mass evaluation in athletes regardless of body weight, ethnicity, age, and sex.

The Influence of Menstrual Cycle on Bioimpedance Vector Patterns, Performance, and Flexibility in Elite Soccer Players.

PURPOSE: To examine whether menstrual cycle affects body composition and bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) patterns, jumping and sprinting ability, and flexibility in elite soccer players. METHODS: A total of 20 elite female soccer players (age: 23.8 [3.4] y, height: 1.63 [0.04] m, body mass: 61.4 [5.9] kg, and body mass index: 22.5 [2.4] kg/m2) were monitored during the early follicular and ovulatory phase across 2 consecutive menstrual cycles. Bioimpedance analysis was performed using foot-to-hand technology, and total body water and fat mass were determined by specific equations developed for athletes. Bioelectrical resistance and reactance were adjusted according to the BIVA procedures and plotted as a vector within the resistance-reactance graph. In addition, countermovement jump, 20-m sprint, and sit and reach were assessed. RESULTS: A time effect (P < .05) was found for body mass, total body water, bioelectrical resistance and reactance, and flexibility. Specifically, body mass increased (P = .021) along with a gain in total body water (P = .001) from the ovulatory to the early follicular phase, while it decreased from the early follicular to the ovulatory phase during the second menstrual cycle. The BIVA vector shortened during the early follicular phases (P < .001). No change in jumping and sprinting capacity was observed (P > .05). Flexibility was impaired during the early follicular phases (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Specific bioelectrical impedance analysis and BIVA procedures are able to detect menstrual cycle-induced changes in body composition in elite soccer players. The early follicular phase resulted in fluid accumulations and BIVA vector shortening. In addition, while menstrual cycle did not affect performance, a fluctuation in flexibility was observed.

Spondyloarthritis and Strength Training: A 4-Year Report.

Peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) has predominant peripheral (arthritis, enthesitis, or dactylitis) involvement. The severity of the symptoms can have a significant impact on the quality of life. There is no therapeutic gold standard, and physical exercise, with the opposition of resistance, remains controversial. Herein, we report the case of a woman who, at the age of 50, comes to our center with evident motor difficulties. She was previously diagnosed with SpA and was in therapy with a biological drug (adalimumab) for over one year. The training program and the nutritional intervention plan improved her condition, as pointed out by WOMAC, SQS, RAD-36 questionnaire, and BIA analysis, suspending biological therapy for almost two years. During this period, she achieved in sequence: (i) the Italian master deadlift championship, and (ii) the Italian master powerlifting championship, both for two consecutive years.