Menopause is an age-dependent physiological condition associated with a natural decline in oestrogen levels, which causes a progressive decrease of muscle mass and strength and bone density. Sarcopenia and osteoporosis often coexist in elderly people, with a prevalence of the latter in elderly women. The profound interaction between muscle and bone induces a negative resonance between the two tissues affected by these disorders worsening the quality of life in the postmenopausal period. It has been estimated that at least 1 in 3 women over age 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, often requiring hospitalisation and long-term care, causing a large financial burden to health insurance systems. Hormonal replacement therapy is effective in osteoporosis prevention, but concerns have been raised with regard to its safety. On the whole, the increase in life expectancy for postmenopausal women along with the need to improve their quality of life makes it necessary to develop specific and safe therapeutic strategies, alternative to hormonal replacement therapy, targeting both sarcopenia and osteoporosis progression. This review will examine the rationale and the effects of dietary protein, vitamin D and calcium supplementation combined with a specifically-designed exercise training prescription as a strategy to counteract these postmenopausal-associated disorders.
Growing evidence points to the effectiveness of flywheel (FW) based iso-inertial resistance training in improving physical performance capacities. However, molecular adaptations induced by FW exercises are largely unknown. Eight resistance-trained men performed 5 sets of 10 maximal squats on a FW device. Muscle biopsies (fine needle aspiration technique) and blood samples were collected before (t0), and 2 h (t1) after FW exercise. Blood samples were additionally drawn after 24 h (t2) and 48 h (t3). Paired samples t -tests revealed significant increases, at t1, of mRNA expression of the genes involved in inflammation, in both muscle ( MCP-1, TNF- α , IL-6 ) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( IkB- α , MCP-1 ). Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) and EV-encapsulated miRNA levels (miR-206, miR-146a) significantly increased at t1 as well. Conversely, muscle mRNA level of genes associated with muscle growth/remodeling ( IGF-1Ea, cyclin D1, myogenin ) decreased at t1. One-way repeated measure ANOVAs, with Bonferroni corrected post-hoc pairwise comparisons, revealed significant increases in plasma concentrations of IL-6 (t1; t2; t3) and muscle creatine kinase (t1; t2), while IGF-1 significantly increased at t2 only. Our findings show that, even in experienced resistance trained individuals, a single FW training session modifies local and systemic markers involved in late structural remodeling and functional adaptation of skeletal muscle.
This study aimed to evaluate the cardiometabolic effects of a home-based lifestyle intervention (LI) in breast cancer survivors (BCSs) during the COVID-19 lockdown. In total, 30 BCSs (women; stages 0–II; non-metastatic; aged 53.5 ± 7.6 years; non-physically active; normal left ventricular systolic function) with a risk factor for recurrence underwent a 3-month LI based on nutrition and exercise. Anthropometrics, Mediterranean diet adherence, physical activity level (PAL), cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), echocardiographic parameters, heart rate variability (average standard deviation of NN intervals (ASDNN/5 min) and 24 h very- (24 hVLF) and low-frequency (24 hLF)), and metabolic, endocrine, and inflammatory serum biomarkers (glycemia, insulin resistance, progesterone, testosterone, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)) were evaluated before (T0) and after (T1) the LI. After the LI, there were improvements in: body mass index (kg/m2: T0 = 26.0 ± 5.0, T1 = 25.5 ± 4.7; p = 0.035); diet (Mediet score: T0 = 6.9 ± 2.3, T1 = 8.8 ± 2.2; p < 0.001); PAL (MET-min/week: T0 = 647 ± 547, T1 = 1043 ± 564; p < 0.001); VO2max (mL·min−1·kg−1: T0 = 30.5 ± 5.8, T1 = 33.4 ± 6.8; p < 0.001); signs of diastolic dysfunction (participants: T0 = 15, T1 = 10; p = 0.007); AS-DNN/5 min (ms: T0 = 50.6 ± 14.4, T1 = 55.3 ± 16.7; p = 0.032); 24 hLF (ms2: T0 = 589 ± 391, T1 = 732 ± 542; p = 0.014); glycemia (mg/dL: T0 = 100.8 ± 11.4, T1 = 91.7 ± 11.0; p < 0.001); insulin resistance (HOMA-IR score: T0 = 2.07 ± 1.54, T1 = 1.53 ± 1.11; p = 0.005); testosterone (ng/mL: T0 = 0.34 ± 0.27, T1 = 0.24 ± 0.20; p = 0.003); hs-CRP (mg/L: T0 = 2.18 ± 2.14, T1 = 1.75 ± 1.74; p = 0.027). The other parameters did not change. Despite the home-confinement, LI based on exercise and nutrition improved cardiometabolic health in BCSs.
Introduction According to current guidelines, the intensity of health-enhancing aerobic exercise should be prescribed using a percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR), which is considered to be more closely associated (showing a 1:1 relation) with the percentage of oxygen uptake reserve (%V˙O2R) rather than with the percentage of maximal oxygen uptake (%V˙O2max) during incremental exercise. However, the associations between %HRR and %V˙O2R and between %HRR and %V˙O2max are under debate; hence, their actual relationships were investigated in this study. Methods Data from each stage of a maximal incremental exercise test performed by 737 healthy and physically inactive participants of the HERITAGE Family Study were screened and filtered then used to calculate the individual linear regressions between %HRR and either %V˙O2R or %V˙O2max. For each relationship, the mean slope and intercept of the individual linear regression were compared with 1 and 0 (i.e., the identity line), respectively, using one-sample t-tests. The individual root mean square errors of the actual versus the 1:1 predicted %HRR were calculated for both relationships and compared using a paired-sample t-test. Results The mean slopes (%HRR–%V˙O2R, 0.972 ± 0.189; %HRR–%V˙O2max, 1.096 ± 0.216) and intercepts (%HRR–%V˙O2R, 8.855 ± 16.022; %HRR–%V˙O2max, −3.616 ± 18.993) of both relationships were significantly different from 1 and 0, respectively, with high interindividual variability. The average root mean square errors were high and revealed that the %HRR–%V˙O2max relationship was more similar to the identity line (P < 0.001) than the %HRR–%V˙O2R relationship (7.78% ± 4.49% vs 9.25% ± 5.54%). Conclusions Because both relationships are different from the identity line and using a single equation may not be appropriate to predict exercise intensity at the individual level, a rethinking of the relationships between the intensity variables may be necessary to ensure that the most suitable health-enhancing aerobic exercise intensity is prescribed.
Background Workplace exercise interventions showed good results, but lack of time was often reported as a barrier to participation. To overcome this problem, several studies attempted to implement short high-intensity interval training (HIT) within the workplace. Objectives The aim of this systematic review is to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of HIT interventions within the workplace setting. Data sources A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and SPORTDiscus to identify articles related to HIT within the workplace. Study eligibility criteria Only interventions that consisted of HIT programmes within the workplace and tested at least one physiological, psychological, or work-related outcome were included. Results Seven studies (317 participants) met the inclusion criteria. HIT interventions lasted 6–12 weeks, with a frequency of 2–4 sessions/week and a duration of 8–30 min per session. Feasibility was qualitatively investigated in four studies, with key positive aspects reported for HIT time-appeal, the sense of competence driven by individual intensity, and improved intention to exercise; five studies reported adherence rates > 80%. Small-to-large effect sizes were reported for improvements in cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness. Small-to-medium effect sizes were reported for blood parameters and health-related quality of life. Conclusions HIT interventions in the workplace showed limited effectiveness in improving health-related outcomes, while promising results regarding feasibility were reported, mainly due to the time-efficiency and the positive post-exercise psychosocial responses. However, further high-quality studies involving more participants are still needed to make firm conclusions on HIT effectiveness and feasibility compared to other types of exercise in this context.
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