A calibration study was conducted to determine the threshold counts for two commonly used accelerometers, the ActiGraph and the Actical, to classify activities by intensity in children 5 to 8 years of age. Thirty-three children wore both accelerometers and a COSMED portable metabolic system during 15 min of rest and then performed up to nine different activities for 7 min each, on two separate days in the laboratory. Oxygen consumption was measured on a breath-by-breath basis, and accelerometer data were collected in 15-s epochs. Using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, cutpoints that maximised both sensitivity and specificity were determined for sedentary, moderate and vigorous activities. For both accelerometers, discrimination of sedentary behaviour was almost perfect, with the area under the ROC curve at or exceeding 0.98. For both the ActiGraph and Actical, the discrimination of moderate (0.85 and 0.86, respectively) and vigorous activity (0.83 and 0.86, respectively) was acceptable, but not as precise as for sedentary behaviour. This calibration study, using indirect calorimetry, suggests that the two accelerometers can be used to distinguish differing levels of physical activity intensity as well as inactivity among children 5 to 8 years of age.

Purpose:The effect of exercise intensity on the tracking of serum and salivary cortisol responses was examined in 12 endurance-trained males (maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max] = 58.2 ± 6.4 mL/kg/min).Methods:Subjects rested for 30 min (control) and exercised on a cycle ergometer for 30 min at 40% (low), 60% (moderate), and 80% (high intensity) of VO2max on separate days. Serum and saliva samples were collected pretrial, immediately posttrial, and 30 min into the recovery period from each trial.Results:Cortisol responses increased significantly for both serum (40.4%; P = .001) and saliva (170.6%; P = .007) only in response to high-intensity exercise. Peak saliva cortisol occurred at 30 min of recovery, whereas peak serum was at the immediate posttrial sampling time point. The association between serum and saliva cortisol across all trials was examined using concordance correlation (Rc) analysis, which accounts for repeated measures. The overall correlation between serum and saliva cortisol levels in all matched samples was significant (Rc = 0.728; P = .001). The scatter plot revealed that salivary cortisol responses tracked closely to those of serum at lower concentrations, but not as well at higher concentrations.Conclusions:Findings suggest salivary measurements of cortisol closely mirror those in the serum and that peak salivary concentrations do not occur until at least 30 min into the recovery from intense exercise.

Osteoporosis is a serious and potentially debilitating disease, which can lead to a variety of health complications and a diminished quality of life. Consequently, the development of bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) during childhood and adolescence is of great importance, as it may attenuate the effects and incidence of osteoporosis later in life. Identifying the mechanisms by which bones are strengthened early in life is crucial. This review highlights research examining factors that influence BMD and BMC in children and adolescents. While a sizeable amount of variation in BMD and BMC in children and adolescents can be attributed to genetic factors and body size, studies have also shown the positive influence of physical activity and calcium intake on bone development. Research supporting the role of these modifiable factors varies according to age, sex and the bone site studied. During the pubertal years, large gains in BMD and BMC are evident. However, physical activity and calcium intake are also important to the development of BMD and BMC during the prepubertal years. Thus, actions taken throughout childhood may exert a great impact on BMD and BMC, and overall bone health as an adult.

Correlations exist between muscle properties and reproductive hormones. Females, however, may be more sensitive to reproductive hormones and their fluctuations.

Although previous literature suggests a prophylactic effect of OC use with respect to musculoskeletal injury risk, our results indicate that OC use does not affect muscle properties in manners thought to reduce ACL injury risk.