Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of manipulating hypoxic severity with low-intensity exercise on glucose regulation in healthy overweight adults.Methods: In a randomized crossover design, 14 males with overweight (age: 27 ± 5 years; body mass index (BMI) 27.1 ± 1.8 kg⋅m2) completed three exercise trials involving 60 min aerobic exercise cycling at 90% lactate threshold in normoxia (NM, FiO2 = 20.9%), moderate hypoxia (MH, FiO2 = 16.5%) and high hypoxia (HH, FiO2 = 14.8%). A post-exercise oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. Venous blood samples were analyzed for incremental area under the curve (iAUC), plasma glucose and insulin, as well as exerkine concentrations (plasma apelin and fibroblast growth factor 21 [FGF-21]) pre- and post-exercise. A 24-h continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was used to determine interstitial glucose concentrations. Heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2) and perceptual measures were recorded during exercise.Results: Post-exercise OGTT iAUC for plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were lower in MH vs. control (p = 0.02). Post-exercise interstitial glucose iAUC, plasma apelin and FGF-21 were not different between conditions. Heart rate was higher in HH vs. NM and MH, and MH vs. NM (p < 0.001), while SpO2 was lower in HH vs. NM and MH, and MH vs. NM (p < 0.001). Overall perceived discomfort and leg discomfort were higher in HH vs. NM and MH (p < 0.05), while perceived breathing difficulty was higher in HH vs. NM only (p = 0.003).Conclusion: Compared to higher hypoxic conditions, performing acute aerobic-based exercise under moderate hypoxia provided a more effective stimulus for improving post-exercise glucose regulation while concomitantly preventing excessive physiological and perceptual stress in healthy overweight adults.

Acute physiological, perceptual and biomechanical consequences of manipulating both exercise intensity and hypoxic exposure during treadmill running were determined. On separate days, eleven trained individuals ran for 45 s (separated by 135 s of rest) on an instrumented treadmill at seven running speeds (8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 km.h −1 ) in normoxia (NM, FiO 2 = 20.9%), moderate hypoxia (MH, FiO 2 = 16.1%), high hypoxia (HH, FiO 2 = 14.1%) and severe hypoxia (SH, FiO 2 = 13.0%). Running mechanics were collected over 20 consecutive steps (i.e. after running ∼25 s), with concurrent assessment of physiological (heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation) and perceptual (overall perceived discomfort, difficulty breathing and leg discomfort) responses. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (seven speeds × four conditions) were used. There was a speed × condition interaction for heart rate (p = 0.045, ηp 2 = 0.22), with lower values in NM, MH and HH compared to SH at 8 km.h −1 (125 ± 12, 125 ± 11, 128 ± 12 vs 132 ± 10 b.min −1 ). Overall perceived discomfort (8 and 16 km.h −1 ; p = 0.019 and p = 0.007, ηp 2 = 0.21, respectively) and perceived difficulty breathing (all speeds; p = 0.023, ηp 2 = 0.37) were greater in SH compared to MH, whereas leg discomfort was not influenced by hypoxic exposure. Minimal difference was observed in the twelve kinetics/kinematics variables with hypoxia (p > 0.122; η p 2 = 0.19). Running at slower speeds in combination with severe hypoxia elevates physiological and perceptual responses without a corresponding increase in ground reaction forces. Highlights. The extent to which manipulating hypoxia severity (between normoxia and severe hypoxia) and running speed (from 8 to 20 km.h −1 ) influence acute physiological and perceptual responses, as well as kinetic and kinematic adjustments during treadmill running was determined. . Running at slower speeds in combination with severe hypoxia elevates heart rate, while this effect was not apparent at faster speeds. . Arterial oxygen saturation was increasingly lower as running speed and hypoxic severity increased. . Overall perceived discomfort (8 and 16 km.h −1 ) and perceived difficulty breathing (all speeds) were lower in moderate hypoxia than in severe hypoxia, whereas leg discomfort remained unchanged with hypoxic exposure.

This study aims to identify the most significant physical fitness parameters among youth female Terengganu field hockey players. Multivariate methods of unsupervised pattern recognition of principal component analysis (PCA) and descriptive statistic were used to determine the most significant physical fitness related performance parameters on 42 Terengganu youth female field hockey players. The first PC's project high factor loading in BMI (0.86) and predict VO 2 max (-0.82) as the most significant parameters indicating the requirements of body composition in this sport. The second PC's displayed high factor loading in 1-minute sit up (0.89) and 20-meter speed (-0.84) highlighting the need for core muscle strength. The third PC's demonstrated high factor loading in V-sit and reach (0.71) and maximum push up (0.82) were recognising the importance of upper muscle strength in the sport. The results from the current study revealed that certain physical fitness components are seemed to be more pronounced in the performance of the game by the Terengganu female youth hockey players. The study has indicated that body composition, core muscle strength, and upper muscle strength are the most outstanding physical fitness variables possess by the players for the enactment of the game compared to other fitness parameters. Highlighting the physical fitness performance related parameters might help to evaluate the strength and weakness of the players on the relevant parameters which could prompt to the adjustment of the training programme for the inclusive improvement of the players.

Background: During coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Malaysian government adopted Movement Control Order (MCO) to contain the spreading of COVID-19 including physical activity restrictions. The aims of this study were to measure the physical activity during pandemic COVID-19 among undergraduate university students, and to measure the difference between genders. Methods: A total sample of 400 full-time undergraduate university students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sarawak Branch were recruited in this study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess the physical activity. An electronic questionnaire was administered once to students during MCO Phase 3. The Independent Samples T-Test was used to identify the level of physical activity between genders. Results: During MCO the weekly total physical activity MET was 1734.80±1484.94 min/week; with total mean for vigorous, moderate and walking MET of 640.80±897.48, 500.75±728.652 and 593.25±806.01 min/week, respectively. The result of mean indicated that the total physical activity MET for undergraduate students during pandemic COVID-19 MCO (phase 3) was moderate-active (M= 1734.80 min/week). The findings shown that there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between physical activity and gender (male and female) among undergraduate students during pandemic COVID-19. Conclusions: The physical activity level among undergraduate university students in Malaysia was found moderate-active during pandemic COVID-19 MCO phase 3.

Introduction: Various fitness challenges had been invented and innovated in order to integrate exercise in life, especially during the new norm of Covid-19 pandemic. There is a lack of study on the effect of push-up exercise on sedentary women. The study aimed to compare the effects of six-week push-up (PU) and low-load bench press (BP) exercise interventions towards muscular strength (MS) and muscular endurance (ME) among healthy sedentary female youth. Methodology: Forty (n= 40) healthy sedentary female youth (aged 18.93 ±.97 years; body mass index 23.44 ±4.5 kg/m2) were recruited in the study. Participants were divided into two groups of training interventions (push-up and bench press group). Resistance exercise intervention involving four sessions per week for six consecutive weeks. Each session comprised of 3 sets of 12 repetitions with one minute of rest between each set. Bench press exercise was performed at 40% 1RM for bench press group. One-repetition maximum bench press (1RM BP) test and one-minute push-up (1Min PU) test were performed at pre and post-intervention to measure muscular strength and muscular endurance. A 2 x 2 mixed model ANOVA was employed to compare the effects of the two interventions following six-weeks of training. Result: Muscular strength and muscular endurance for the push-up group have significantly improved (p < .05), with at the end of the intervention were 59.75 ±13.91 and 45.05 ±6.59 as compared to during the pre-intervention of 42.0± 11.40 and 28.95 ±5.93, respectively. A similar result also found for bench press group. Muscular strength and muscular endurance for bench press group had significantly increased (p < .05), from the pre-test of 44.50 ±9.58 and 29.95 ±6.28 to the post-test of 60.25 ±10.45 and 41.45 ±6.20, respectively. However, there is no significant difference observed between groups (bench press and push-up protocols) on muscular strength (p= .661) and muscular endurance (p= .472). Conclusions: The present study concludes that push-up and low-load bench press exercise interventions do significantly improve muscular strength and muscular endurance of sedentary female youth, with push-up as an alternative for bench press for sedentary female youth.