Effect of eccentric overload training on change of direction speed performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study systematically reviewed and quantified evidence regarding the effectiveness of eccentric overload training (EOT) on change-of-direction speed (CODS) performance. A keyword search was performed in 30 April 2020 in eight electronic bibliographic databases: SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CINAHL and Google Scholar. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled effect size of EOT interventions on CODS performance compared to the control group. Study heterogeneity was assessed by the I 2 index. Publication bias was assessed by the Begg's and Egger's tests. Eleven studies, including nine randomized controlled trials, one randomized crossover trial, and one non-randomized controlled trial met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Time of overall change-of-direction task completion among the EOT group was 1.35 standard deviations (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.18, 2.52) shorter than that in the control group. In conclusion, EOT was found effective in improving CODS performance compared to the control group. Future studies should adopt a randomized experimental design, recruit large and representative samples from professional team sports, and examine the effect of EOT on various measures of CODS performance among population subgroups.

A syndemics approach to exercise is medicine.

This paper offers new insights into the promotion of the Exercise is Medicine (EIM) framework for mental illness and chronic disease. Utilising the Syndemics Framework, which posits mental health conditions as corollaries of social conditions, we argue that medicalized exercise promotion paradigms both ignore the social conditions that can contribute to mental illness and can contribute to mental illness via discrimination and worsening self-concept based on disability. We first address the ways in which the current EIM framework may be too narrow in scope in considering the impact of social factors as determinants of health. We then consider how this narrow scope in combination with the emphasis on independence and individual prescriptions may serve to reinforce stigma and shame associated with both chronic disease and mental illness. We draw on examples from two distinct research projects, one on exercise interventions for depression and one on exercise interventions for multiple sclerosis (MS), in order to consider ways to improve the approach to exercise promotion for these and other, related populations.

Physical Activity and Mental Health among Chinese Adolescents.

Objectives: We assessed the relationship between physical activity (PA) and mental health among Chinese adolescents. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 4 Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Nanchang, and Urumchi. We randomly selected 25 schools from these cities in both urban and suburban areas. A total of 9269 adolescents completed the survey. We conducted multilevel logistic regressions to examine the relationship between PA engagement and mental health, adjusting for various sample characteristics. Results: Compared to those with low levels of daily PA, adolescents with moderate and high levels of daily PA had lower odds of having learning anxiety (23% for moderate and 37% for high), solitude tendency (52% for moderate and 41% for high), self-accusation (13% for moderate and 15% for high), experiencing sensitivity (15% for moderate and 13% for high), physical symptoms (20% for moderate and 21% for high), and a general mental health problem (total score of all the domains: 41% and 34%). Conclusions: An increase in PA participation holds the potential to improve multiple mental health domains among Chinese adolescents. Future longitudinal or experimental research is warranted to confirm findings from this study.