A 12-Week Ballroom Dance Training Improves Physical Fitness Performance More Than Walking Training in Older Women, Regardless of Vitamin B12 or D Adequacy.

AIM: This study aimed to compare the effects of Ballroom Dancing (BD) versus Walking Training (WT) on the physical fitness performance in physically independent older women with adequate or inadequate levels of vitamins B12 and D. METHODS: Forty-three sedentary women aged 68.5 ± 6.5 years, were allocated to the BD (n = 23) or WT (n = 20) groups. They took part in a 12-week intervention, performed 3 times a week, for about 50 minutes with moderate effort intensity. Data were collected through Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), 6 minutes Walk Test (6MWT), Hand Grip Test (HGT), Isokinetic tests for lower limbs and blood tests to detect serum levels of vitamins B12 and D. RESULTS: The BD group performed better after the intervention in relation to the WT in the Sit and Stand Test (SST) (BD pre = 3.1 score vs post = 3.8 score; WT pre = 2.8 score vs post = 3.4 score; P = .02) and in the Peak Torque 180° extension (PKTOQ 180° extension) (BD pre = 56.7 Nm vs post = 61.2 Nm, WT pre = 56.7 Nm vs post = 56.1; P < .01). CONCLUSION: A time effect was observed in all other variables, with the exception of HGT. Both interventions improved physical fitness performance, regardless of the adequacy of vitamins B12 and D, but the older women from BD obtained significant improvements in more variables than the WT.

Lower limb muscle strength and serotonin receptor gene polymorphism as factors associated in women with fibromyalgia.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by generalized skeletal muscle chronic pain. Its etiology is not well defined, because there are several factors that may trigger it such as physical and/or emotional stresses, or a genetic susceptibility, involving serotonergic, dopaminergic and catecholaminergic paths. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between the strength of the lower limb, genetic polymorphism of the serotonin receptor gene HTR2A in women with fibromyalgia. METHODS: In this observational study of case-control type 48 women were evaluated who belonged to the group with FM (52 ± 12 years) and 100 women in the control group (58 ± 11 years). Socio demographic and anthropometric data were collected and peripheral blood samples for DNA extraction; genotypic analyzes were performed by means of PCR in real time by TaqMan® system. The lower limb muscle strength was assessed through the test of sitting down and standing up for 30 s. The chi-square test or Fischer Exact was used for possible associations among the variables; the t-test for independent samples was used to compare the averages among the groups; the value of significance adopted was 5%. RESULTS: There was an association between the polymorphism of the HTR2A gene with FM, demonstrating that carriers of the genotype GG have 24.39 times more likely to develop the syndrome (IC95% 5.15-115.47; p = 0.01). It was observed an association between FM and the test to sit and stand up demonstrating that women with fibromyalgia have lower limb muscle strength (p = 0.01). The study showed that the white race has 3.84 times more likely to develop FM (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that women of Caucasian ethnicity with GG genotype or G allele presented greater risk of developing fibromyalgia and that these patients have lower limb muscle strength compared to the control group.

Associação entre força muscular relativa e indicadores de obesidade em professores universitários / Association between relative muscle strength and indicators of obesity in university professors

Resumo: O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a associação entre a força muscular relativa e os indicadores de obesidade em professores universitários. 71 docentes (37 homens e 34 mulheres) foram submetidos à medida da circunferência da cintura (CC) e ao teste de preensão manual. A partir da massa corporal (MC) e da estatura calculou-se o Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC). A força muscular relativa (% FM) foi determi nada mediante razão dos valores da média de preensão manual direita e esquerda pela MC. Com base nos valores de % FM a amostra foi estratificada em tercis de acordo com o gênero para efeito de comparação da MC, IMC e CC utilizando o teste de Kruskal Wallis. Para identificar a diferença entre dois grupos utilizou-se a Mann- Whitney e para correlação usou-se o coeficiente de Spearman. Os homens do 3° tercil apresentaram valores significativamente menores nos indicadores de obesidade quando comparados ao 1° e 2° tercil. Não houve diferença significativa para as mulheres nos indicadores de obesidade embora os valores encontrados tenham sido menores com o aumento do nível de força. Foram observadas correlações inversas para MC, IMC e CC em ambos os gêneros. O desempenho de força muscular palmar sugere maior importância na prevenção de obesidade entre os professores do que entre as professoras.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to verify the association between relative muscular strength and indicators of obesity in university professors. 71 teachers (37 men and 34 women) were submitted to measurement of waist circumference (WC) and the handgrip test. Based on body mass (BM) and height was calculated Body Mass Index (BMI). Relative muscle strength (% FM) was determined by ratio of the averaged val ues of right and left handgrip by MC. Based on the values of the % FM, the sample was stratified into tertiles according to gender for comparison of MC, BMI and WC using the Kruskal-Wallis test; to identify the difference between two groups was used the Mann- Whitney test and for correlation was used the Spearman coefficient. Men of the 3rd tertile showed lower values significantly on indicators of obesity when compared to the 1st and 2nd tertile. There was no difference for women in obesity indicators, although the values found were lower with increasing level strength. The inverse correlations were observed for MC, BMI and WC in both genders. The performance of strength palmar prehension suggests higher importance in the pre vention of obesity between men than women professors.