Impact of a novel home-based exercise intervention on health indicators in inactive premenopausal women: a 12-week randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study tested the hypothesis that a novel, audio-visual-directed, home-based exercise training intervention would be effective at improving cardiometabolic health and mental well-being in inactive premenopausal women. METHODS: Twenty-four inactive premenopausal women (39 ± 10 years) were randomly assigned to an audio-visual-directed exercise training group (DVD; n = 12) or control group (CON; n = 12). During the 12-week intervention period, the DVD group performed thrice-weekly training sessions of 15 min. Training sessions comprised varying-intensity movements involving multiplanar whole-body accelerations and decelerations (average heart rate (HR) = 76 ± 3% HRmax). CON continued their habitual lifestyle with no physical exercise. A series of health markers were assessed prior to and following the intervention. RESULTS: Following the DVD intervention, HDL cholesterol (pre: 1.83 ± 0.45, post: 1.94 ± 0.46 mmol/L) and mental well-being, assessed via the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, improved (P < 0.05). Conversely, [LDL cholesterol], [triglycerides], fasting [glucose], body composition and resting blood pressure and HR were unchanged following the DVD intervention (P > 0.05). There were no pre-post intervention changes in any of the outcome variables in the CON group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that a novel, audio-visual-directed exercise training intervention, consisting of varied-intensity movements interspersed with spinal and lower limb mobility and balance tasks, can improve [HDL cholesterol] and mental well-being in premenopausal women. Therefore, home-based, audio-visual-directed exercise training (45 min/week) appears to be a useful tool to initiate physical activity and improve aspects of health in previously inactive premenopausal women.

Lowering of blood pressure after nitrate-rich vegetable consumption is abolished with the co-ingestion of thiocyanate-rich vegetables in healthy normotensive males.

A diet rich in vegetables is known to provide cardioprotection. However, it is unclear how the consumption of different vegetables might interact to influence vascular health. This study tested the hypothesis that nitrate-rich vegetable consumption would lower systolic blood pressure but that this effect would be abolished when nitrate-rich and thiocyanate-rich vegetables are co-ingested. On four separate occasions, and in a randomized cross-over design, eleven healthy males reported to the laboratory and consumed a 750 mL vegetable smoothie that was either: low in nitrate (∼0.3 mmol) and thiocyanate (∼5 µmol), low in nitrate and high in thiocyanate (∼72 µmol), high in nitrate (∼4 mmol) and low in thiocyanate and high in nitrate and thiocyanate. Blood pressure as well as plasma and salivary [thiocyanate], [nitrate] and [nitrite] were assessed before and 3 h after smoothie consumption. Plasma [nitrate] and [nitrite] and salivary [nitrate] were not different after consuming the two high-nitrate smoothies, but salivary [nitrite] was higher after consuming the high-nitrate low-thiocyanate smoothie (1183 ±â€¯625 µM) compared to the high-nitrate high-thiocyanate smoothie (941 ±â€¯532 µM; P < .001). Systolic blood pressure was only lowered after consuming the high-nitrate low-thiocyanate smoothie (-3 ±â€¯5 mmHg; P < .05). The acute consumption of vegetables high in nitrate and low in thiocyanate lowered systolic blood pressure. However, when the same dose of nitrate-rich vegetables was co-ingested with thiocyanate-rich vegetables the increase in salivary [nitrite] was smaller and systolic blood pressure was not lowered. These findings might have implications for optimising dietary guidelines aimed at improving cardiovascular health.

Effects of self-paced interval and continuous training on health markers in women.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of self-paced high-intensity interval and continuous cycle training on health markers in premenopausal women. METHODS: Forty-five inactive females were randomised to a high-intensity interval training (HIIT; n = 15), continuous training (CT; n = 15) or an inactive control (CON; n = 15) group. HIIT performed 5 × 5 min sets comprising repetitions of 30-s low-, 20-s moderate- and 10-s high-intensity cycling with 2 min rest between sets. CT completed 50 min of continuous cycling. Training was completed self-paced, 3 times weekly for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Peak oxygen uptake (16 ± 8 and 21 ± 12%), resting heart rate (HR) (-5 ± 9 and -4 ± 7 bpm) and visual and verbal learning improved following HIIT and CT compared to CON (P < 0.05). Total body mass (-0.7 ± 1.4 kg), submaximal walking HR (-3 ± 4 bpm) and verbal memory were enhanced following HIIT (P < 0.05), whereas mental well-being, systolic (-5 ± 6 mmHg) and mean arterial (-3 ± 5 mmHg) blood pressures were improved following CT (P < 0.05). Participants reported similar levels of enjoyment following HIIT and CT, and there were no changes in fasting serum lipids, fasting blood [glucose] or [glucose] during an oral glucose tolerance test following either HIIT or CT (P > 0.05). No outcome variable changed in the CON group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Twelve weeks of self-paced HIIT and CT were similarly effective at improving cardiorespiratory fitness, resting HR and cognitive function in inactive premenopausal women, whereas blood pressure, submaximal HR, well-being and body mass adaptations were training-type-specific. Both training methods improved established health markers, but the adaptations to HIIT were evoked for a lower time commitment.

Low-volume high-intensity swim training is superior to high-volume low-intensity training in relation to insulin sensitivity and glucose control in inactive middle-aged women.

PURPOSE: We tested the hypothesis that low-volume high-intensity swimming has a larger impact on insulin sensitivity and glucose control than high-volume low-intensity swimming in inactive premenopausal women with mild hypertension. METHODS: Sixty-two untrained premenopausal women were randomised to an inactive control (n = 20; CON), a high-intensity low-volume (n = 21; HIT) or a low-intensity high-volume (n = 21; LIT) training group. During the 15-week intervention period, HIT performed 3 weekly 6-10 × 30-s all-out swimming intervals (average heart rate (HR) = 86 ± 3 % HRmax) interspersed by 2-min recovery periods and LIT swam continuously for 1 h at low intensity (average HR = 73 ± 3 % HRmax). Fasting blood samples were taken and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: After HIT, resting plasma [insulin] was lowered (17 ± 34 %; P < 0.05) but remained similar after LIT and CON. Following HIT, 60-min OGTT plasma [insulin] and [glucose] was lowered (24 ± 30 % and 10 ± 16 %; P < 0.05) but remained similar after LIT and CON. Total area under the curve for plasma [glucose] was lower (P < 0.05) after HIT than LIT (660 ± 141 vs. 860 ± 325 mmol min L(-1)). Insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR) had increased (P < 0.05) by 22 ± 34 % after HIT, with no significant change after LIT or CON, respectively. Plasma soluble intracellular cell adhesion molecule 1 was lowered (P < 0.05) by 4 ± 8 and 3 ± 9 % after HIT and CON, respectively, while plasma soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 had decreased (P < 0.05) by 8 ± 23 % after HIT only. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that low-volume high-intensity intermittent swimming is an effective and time-efficient training strategy for improving insulin sensitivity, glucose control and biomarkers of vascular function in inactive, middle-aged mildly hypertensive women.

Technologies to Support Assessment of Movement During Video Consultations: Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding and assessing patients' body movements is essential for physical rehabilitation but is challenging in video consultations, as clinicians are frequently unable to see the whole patient or observe the patient as they perform specific movements. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this exploratory study was to assess the use of readily available technologies that would enable remote assessment of patient movement as part of a video consultation. METHODS: We reviewed the literature and available technologies and chose four technologies (Kubi and Pivo desktop robots, Facebook Portal TV, wide-angle webcam), in addition to help from a friend or a simple mobile phone holder, to assist video consultations. We used 5 standard assessments (sit-to-stand, timed "Up & Go," Berg Balance Test, ankle range of motion, shoulder range of motion) as the "challenge" for the technology. We developed an evaluation framework of 6 items: efficacy, cost, delivery, patient setup, clinician training and guidance, and safety. The coauthors, including 10 physiotherapists, then took the roles of clinician and patient to explore 7 combinations of 5 technologies. Subsequently, we applied our findings to hypothetical patients based on the researchers' family members and clinical experience. RESULTS: Kubi, which allowed the clinician to remotely control the patient's device, was useful for repositioning the tablet camera to gain a better view of the patient's body parts but not for tracking movement. Facebook Portal TV was useful, but only for upper body movement, as it functions based on face tracking. Both Pivo, with automated full body tracking using a mobile phone, and the wide-angle webcam for a laptop or desktop computer show promise. Simple solutions such as having a friend operate a mobile phone and use of a mobile phone holder also have potential. The setup of these technologies will require better instructions than are currently available from suppliers, and successful use will depend on the technology readiness of patients and, to some degree, of clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: Technologies that may enable clinicians to assess movement remotely as part of video consultations depend on the interplay of technology readiness, the patient's clinical conditions, and social support. The most promising off-the-shelf approaches seem to be use of wide-angle webcams, Pivo, help from a friend, or a simple mobile phone holder. Collaborative work between patients and clinicians is needed to develop and trial technological solutions to support video consultations assessing movement.