Effects of exercise on the physical fitness level of adults with intellectual disability: a systematic review.

Purpose: To systematically review the existing scientific evidence regarding the effects of physical exercise on the fitness level of people with intellectual disabilities.Methods: Following the checklist of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols, the PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus databases were searched using specific keywords up to January 2018. The methodological quality of the studies found was rated by the means of specific scales according to their specific design.Results: A total of 44 studies were selected. The majority of the included studies were randomized controlled trials (n = 17), followed by non-controlled studies (n = 11), non-randomized controlled trials (n = 10), and comparative studies (n = 6). Aerobic, strengthening, and combined exercise programs were the most frequently proposed interventions. Exercise showed to have significant effects on the cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness. Not all the selected studies reported improvements in parameters related to body composition.Conclusions: There is sufficient scientific evidence for the beneficial effects of exercise on the cardiovascular and muscular fitness of adults with mild/moderate ID. There is a need for more studies focused on the impact of physical exercise on the body composition of this population, and those that aim at identifying the impact of alternative interventions.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThere is a need for basic guidelines that can help rehabilitation professionals to prescribe exercise for maintaining and improving physical fitness in the adults with intellectual disabilities.In adults with intellectual disabilities, aerobic exercise has beneficial effects on cardiovascular and muscular fitness, flexibility, and range of motion.No firm conclusion can be made regarding the effects of aerobic, muscular, and combined training programs on the body composition of adults with intellectual disabilities.Rehabilitation professionals should be aware that scientific evidence regarding the prescription of alternative exercise protocols in adults with intellectual disabilities (i.e. dancing, water-based exercise, animal therapy, etc) is scarce.

Reliability and convergent validity of the 6-min run test in young adults with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence about the psychometric properties of field tests to measure cardiorespiratory fitness in people with Down syndrome. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at analyzing the reliability and convergent validity of the 6-min run test when performed by young adults with Down syndrome (DS). METHODS: In a cross-sectional design fifty-one young adults with DS (mean age 26.20 ± 7.14 years; 54% women) performed the 6-min run test and the 16-min shuttle run test twice with a one week-interval between test and retest. RESULTS: The 6-min run test offered high reliability for the distances covered (ICC: 0.974; 95% CI: 0.955-0.985) and good reliability when comparing peak heart rate values obtained in the test and retest (ICC: 0.870; 95% CI: 0.772-0.926). A significant correlation between the 6-min run test and the 16-min shuttle run test was observed for the test (r = 0.705; Sig = 0.001), and retest phases (r = 0.651; Sig = 0.001). The relationship between the estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) peak after the performance of the 16-min shuttle run test and the distance covered by the 6-min run test was statistically significant (r > 0.7). No significant differences were found between the equations that estimate VO2 peak for both tests. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the 6-min run test shows high test/retest reliability and moderate to moderately high convergent validity when performed by adults with DS.

Economic impact of corporate wellness programs in Europe: A literature review.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this review is to summarize the current evidence on the economic impact of corporate wellness programs (CWPs) in Europe from the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to 2013. METHODS: A review was undertaken by searching for RCTs with key words in the following databases: PubMed, SPORT-Discus, and Business Source Premier. Only RCTs that evaluated the economic impact of CWPs, and included analyses performed in Europe with results converted into monetary values, were eligible for inclusion. An approach to economic analyses from both an employer's perspective and a societal perspective was also undertaken. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs were identified, and review of these studies determined that the economic impact of the majority of CWPs analyzed was mostly negative. We discuss a possible explanation for these discrepancies with regard to prior reviews in this area. Despite the fact that the RCT is the "gold standard" for investigating without bias, several limitations to the methodology may have influenced the results of the studies in this review and suggested the use of caution in the interpretation of the results. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review could be a "wake up call" for companies regarding the high probability of bias from non-RCT studies, the majority of which report a positive economic impact of these programs, and the risk of taking inappropriate decisions based on the results of such studies.

Nordic walking y salud: Una revisión descriptiva / Nordic walking and health: a descriptive review

Este artículo hace una breve revisión descriptiva de 30 estudios publicados en revistas indexadas sobre los efectos de la práctica del Nordic Walking o Marcha Nórdica con Bastones sobre diferentes perfiles de usuarios (sujetos sedentarios, mayores y/o con diagnóstico de enfermedad) desde una perspectiva de salud. El análisis retrospectivo de la literatura revela que se trata de un área de investigación emergente que ha ido incrementando la cantidad y calidad de la evidencia disponible (AU)

This article gives a brief descriptive review of 30 studies published in peer-reviewed journals on the effects of the practice of Nordic Walking or Nordic Walking with poles on different user profiles (sedentary, elderly and / or diagnosis of disease) from a perspective health. Retrospective analysis of the literature reveals that this is an emerging research area that has increased the quantity and quality of evidence available (AU)