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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of classroom-based Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solution in Southeast Asia Singaporean primary school students and their attitude towards physical activity (PA) over a ten-week intervention. A total of 113 participants (8–11 years old) were randomly assigned to either an experimental (EG) or a control group (CG), with six classes to each group; the Brain Breaks® group (EG: six classes) and the Control group (CG: six classes). All EG members participated in a Brain Breaks® video intervention (three–five min) during academic classes and the CG continued their lessons as per normal. The student’s attitudes towards PA in both research conditions were evaluated using the self–reported Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS), applied before and after intervention. The effects of the intervention on APAS scores were analysed using a mixed model analysis of variance with Time as within-subject and Group as between-subject factors. The analysis revealed evidence in support of the positive effect of classroom video interventions such as Brain Breaks® on student’s attitudes toward benefits, importance, learning, self-efficacy, fun, fitness, and trying to do their personal best in PA. The Brain Breaks® intervention provided a positive significant impact on students in Singapore. This study also revealed that interactive technology tools implemented into the school curriculum benefit students in terms of health and education.

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This study determined Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) at a speed that utilizes maximal aerobic and minimal anaerobic contributions. This method of determining MAS was compared between endurance (ET) and sprint (ST) trained athletes. Nineteen and 21 healthy participants were selected for the determination and validation of MAS respectively. All athletes completed five exercise sessions in the laboratory. Participants validating MAS also ran an all-out 5000 m at the track. Oxygen uptake at MAS was at 96.09 ± 2.51% maximal oxygen consumption ($${{\dot{\rm{V}}}}\text{O}_{\text{2max}}$$ V ˙ O 2max ). MAS had a significantly higher correlation with velocity at lactate threshold (vLT), critical speed, 5000 m, time-to-exhaustion velocity at delta 50 in addition to 5% velocity at $${{\dot{\rm{V}}}}\text{O}_{\text{2max}}$$ V ˙ O 2max (TlimυΔ50 + 5%v$${{\dot{\rm{V}}}}\text{O}_{\text{2max}}$$ V ˙ O 2max ), and Vsub%95 (υΔ50 or υΔ50 + 5%v$${{\dot{\rm{V}}}}\text{O}_{\text{2max}}$$ V ˙ O 2max ) compared with v$${{\dot{\rm{V}}}}\text{O}_{\text{2max}}$$ V ˙ O 2max , and predicted 5000 m speed (R2 = 0.90, p < 0.001) and vLT (R2 = 0.96, p < 0.001). ET athletes achieved significantly higher MAS (16.07 ± 1.58 km·h−1 vs. 12.77 ± 0.81 km·h−1, p ≤ 0.001) and maximal aerobic energy (EMAS) (52.87 ± 5.35 ml·kg−1·min−1 vs. 46.42 ± 3.38 ml·kg−1·min−1, p = 0.005) and significantly shorter duration at MAS (ET: 678.59 ± 165.44 s; ST: 840.28 ± 164.97 s, p = 0.039). ST athletes had significantly higher maximal speed (35.21 ± 1.90 km·h−1, p < 0.001) at a significantly longer distance (41.05 ± 3.14 m, p = 0.003) in the 50 m sprint run test. Significant differences were also observed in 50 m sprint performance (p < 0.001), and peak post-exercise blood lactate (p = 0.005). This study demonstrates that MAS is more accurate at a percentage of v$${{\dot{\rm{V}}}}\text{O}_{\text{2max}}$$ V ˙ O 2max than at v$${{\dot{\rm{V}}}}\text{O}_{\text{2max}}$$ V ˙ O 2max . The accurate calculation of MAS can be used to predict running performances with lower errors (Running Energy Reserve Index Paper).

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