Physical activity has a fundamental role in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. The precise measurement of physical activity is key to many surveillance and epidemiological studies investigating trends and associations with disease. Public health initiatives aimed at increasing physical activity rely on the measurement of physical activity to monitor their effectiveness. Physical activity is multidimensional, and a complex behaviour to measure; its various domains are often misunderstood. Inappropriate or crude measures of physical activity have serious implications, and are likely to lead to misleading results and underestimate effect size. In this review, key definitions and theoretical aspects, which underpin the measurement of physical activity, are briefly discussed. Methodologies particularly suited for use in epidemiological research are reviewed, with particular reference to their validity, primary outcome measure and considerations when using each in the field. It is acknowledged that the choice of method may be a compromise between accuracy level and feasibility, but the ultimate choice of tool must suit the stated aim of the research. A framework is presented to guide researchers on the selection of the most suitable tool for use in a specific study.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between anthropometry, physical capacity, and sprint swimming performance in swimmers of both genders aged 12 - 14 years old. Anthropometric characteristics (body height and mass, total upper extremity, hand and foot lengths, chest circumference, certain body breadths, and skinfolds), as well as leg explosiveness (horizontal jump) and arm strength (handgrip strength test) were evaluated in 263 competitive swimmers (178 boys and 85 girls) aged 12 - 14 years. Skeletal age was assessed with the Tanner-Whitehouse method. All variables, except for the ankle and shoulder flexibility as well as the skeletal age, correlated with 100 m freestyle performance in boys (r = - 0.46 to - 0.73, p < 0.01). Using a split-sample approach, upper extremity length, horizontal jump, and grip strength were detected as significant predictors of 100 m freestyle performance in boys (R (2) = 0.59, p < 0.01). In girls, body height, upper extremity and hand length, shoulder flexibility, and horizontal jump were all significantly related to 100 m freestyle time (r = - 0.22 to - 0.31, p < 0.05) but the degree of association was markedly lower than in boys. In addition, only 17 % of the variance in performance was explained by a combination of body height, hand length, and horizontal jump in girls. These results suggest that 100 m freestyle performance can be partially explained by anthropometry and physical capacity tests in young swimmers. The contribution of these factors to sprint swimming performance is different in boys and girls and this requires further research. These findings could be used for male young swimmers' selection.

In a previous paper, as the first of a series of three on the importance of characteristics and modalities of physical activity (PA) and exercise in the management of cardiovascular health within the general population, we concluded that, in the population at large, PA and aerobic exercise capacity clearly are inversely associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and that a dose–response curve on cardiovascular outcome has been demonstrated in most studies. More and more evidence is accumulated that engaging in regular PA and exercise interventions are essential components for reducing the severity of cardiovascular risk factors, such as obesity and abdominal fat, high BP, metabolic risk factors, and systemic inflammation. However, it is less clear whether and which type of PA and exercise intervention (aerobic exercise, dynamic resistive exercise, or both) or characteristic of exercise (frequency, intensity, time or duration, and volume) would yield more benefit for each separate risk factor. The present paper, therefore, will review and make recommendations for PA and exercise training in the management of cardiovascular health in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors. The guidance offered in this series of papers is aimed at medical doctors, health practitioners, kinesiologists, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, politicians, public health policy makers, and individual members of the public. Based on previous and the current literature overviews, recommendations from the European Association on Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation are formulated regarding type, volume, and intensity of PA and regarding appropriate risk evaluation during exercise in individuals with cardiovascular risk factors.

Over the last decades, more and more evidence is accumulated that physical activity (PA) and exercise interventions are essential components in primary and secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease. However, it is less clear whether and which type of PA and exercise intervention (aerobic exercise, dynamic resistive exercise, or both) or characteristic of exercise (frequency, intensity, time or duration, and volume) would yield more benefit in achieving cardiovascular health. The present paper, as the first of a series of three, will make specific recommendations on the importance of these characteristics for cardiovascular health in the population at large. The guidance offered in this series of papers is aimed at medical doctors, health practitioners, kinesiologists, physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, politicians, public health policy makers, and the individual member of the public. Based on previous and the current literature, recommendations from the European Association on Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation are formulated regarding type, volume, and intensity of PA and exercise.

Background: Not all patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progressively hyperinflate during symptom limited exercise. The pattern of change in chest wall volumes (Vcw) was investigated in patients with severe COPD who progressively hyperinflate during exercise and those who do not. Methods: Twenty patients with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) 35 (2)% predicted were studied during a ramp incremental cycling test to the limit of tolerance (Wpeak). Changes in Vcw at the end of expiration (EEVcw), end of inspiration (EIVcw), and at total lung capacity (TLCVcw) were computed by optoelectronic plethysmography (OEP) during exercise and recovery. Results: Two significantly different patterns of change in EEVcw were observed during exercise. Twelve patients had a progressive significant increase in EEVcw during exercise (early hyperinflators, EH) amounting to 750 (90) ml at Wpeak. In contrast, in all eight remaining patients EEVcw remained unchanged up to 66% Wpeak but increased significantly by 210 (80) ml at Wpeak (late hyperinflators, LH). Although at the limit of tolerance the increase in EEVcw was significantly greater in EH, both groups reached similar Wpeak and breathed with a tidal EIVcw that closely approached TLCVcw (EIVcw/TLCVcw 93 (1)% and 93 (3)%, respectively). EEVcw was increased by 254 (130) ml above baseline 3 minutes after exercise only in EH. Conclusions: Patients with severe COPD exhibit two patterns during exercise: early and late hyperinflation. In those who hyperinflate early, it may take several minutes before the hyperinflation is fully reversed after termination of exercise.