Online exercise is undoubtedly useful and important; however, chronic adaptations to online exercise, particularly strength gain, muscle hypertrophy, and cardiovascular parameters, remain unclear. We investigated the effect of online exercise training using Zoom on fitness parameters compared with the same exercises supervised directly. In the present study, 34 subjects (age: 42.9±14.4 years) were included. Twenty-three subjects performed eight weeks of body mass-based exercise training online using Zoom, and eleven subjects performed the same exercise supervised directly as the control group. The subjects performed low-load resistance exercises twice a week for 8 weeks for a total of 16 sessions. The sessions included 9 exercises: leg raises, squats, rear raises, shoulder presses, rowing, dips, lunges, Romanian dead lifts, and push-ups. Chair-stand, push-up, and sit-and-reach tests were performed on all subjects. Overall, the home exercise program effectively increased strength and muscle mass and decreased blood pressure and arterial stiffness, but there were no differences between the groups. Changes in chair-stand and sit-and-reach test results were higher in the control group than in the online group. Our results show that there is a similar training response to body mass-based training in both groups, even with virtual experiences using Zoom.

Homma, H, Kobatake, N, Sekimoto, Y, Saito, M, Mochizuki, Y, Okamoto, T, Nakazato, K, Nishiyama, T, and Kikuchi, N. Ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor rs41274853 polymorphism is associated with weightlifting performance in Japanese weightlifters. J Strength Cond Res 34(11): 3037–3041, 2020—At least 69 genetic markers are associated with power athlete status. In the present study, we investigated the genotype frequency of the ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor (CNTFR) rs41274853 polymorphism and the association between specific CNTFR genotype and weightlifting performance in Japanese weightlifters. One hundred sixty-five Japanese weightlifters (103 men and 62 women) and 338 controls (122 men and 216 women) participated in the present case-control study. Saliva samples were collected using the Oragene DNA self-collection kit and genotyping for the CNTFR (rs41274853) polymorphism was performed using the TaqMan assay. A questionnaire, noting each subject's best record in an official weightlifting competition, was used to obtain the weightlifting performance. The frequencies of the CNTFR genotypes CC, CT, and TT were 56, 32, 12% in the weightlifters, and 53, 40, and 7% in the controls, respectively. There was no significant difference in CNTFR genotype frequencies between the weightlifters and controls. However, the frequency of the CT + TT genotype was significantly higher in international-level weightlifters than in the national-level weightlifters. The relative value per body weight of snatch, clean, and jerk, and total record were significantly higher in the athletes with CT + TT genotype than in the athletes with CC genotype (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that the CNTFR rs41274853 CT + TT genotype is associated with weightlifting performance in Japanese weightlifters. The CNTFR rs41274853 polymorphism may enable coaches to develop tailor-made training programs for individual athletes. In addition, strength and conditioning coaches could benefit from genetic information when assessing potential athletic talents and creating strength training programs for their athletes.

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Purpose: This study investigated the effect of online home-based resistance exercise training on fitness, depression, stress, and well-being. A total of 67 individuals participated. Of them, 28 participants (13 men and 15 women, average age: 45.1 ± 12.2 years) performed the same exercise training online (n = 17), using Zoom, or in person (n = 11) in 2020 (Study 1). In addition, 39 participants (15 men and 24 women; average age: 47.6 ± 10.8 years) performed eight weeks of online home-based resistance exercise training in 2021 (Study 2). The participants performed low-load resistance exercises twice a week for eight weeks (16 sessions). Muscle strength, thigh muscle cross-sectional area, fitness parameters, blood pressure, mental health (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale—CES-D; and Kessler Psychological Distress scale—K6), and well-being (Well-Being Index—WHO-5) were measured pre-and post-resistance training. In Study 1, eight weeks of online home-based resistance training improved CES-D (p = 0.003), and a similar tendency was observed in resistance training (RT) with the in-person group (p = 0.06). There was a significant improvement in CES-D symptoms after the online home-based resistance training in Study 2 (p = 0.009). However, there were no significant changes in the WHO-5 and K6. Our results suggest that online low-load resistance training improves fitness parameters and curbs depressive status.

New Findings What is the central question of this study?How do free weight resistance training (RT) and body mass‐based RT for 8 weeks compare for isometric muscular strength, muscle size and intramuscular fat (IMF) content in the quadriceps femoris? What is the main finding and its importance?Free weight and body mass‐based RTs could induce muscle hypertrophy; however, decreased IMF content was observed following the body mass‐based RT alone. Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of free weight and body mass‐based resistance training (RT) on muscle size and thigh intramuscular fat (IMF) in young and middle‐aged individuals. Healthy individuals (aged 30–64 years) were assigned to either a free weight RT group (n = 21) or a body mass‐based RT group (n = 16). Both groups performed whole‐body resistance exercise twice a week for 8 weeks. Free weight resistance exercises (squats, bench press, deadlift, dumbbell rows and back range) involved 70% one repetition maximum, with three sets of 8–12 repetitions per exercise. The nine body mass‐based resistance exercises (leg raise, squats, rear raise, overhead shoulder mobility exercise, rowing, dips, lunge, single‐leg Romanian deadlifts and push‐ups) included the maximum possible repetitions per session, which were performed in one or two sets. Mid‐thigh magnetic resonance images using the two‐point Dixon method were taken pre‐ and post‐training. The muscle cross‐sectional area (CSA) and IMF content in the quadriceps femoris were measured from the images. Both the groups showed significantly increased muscle CSA post‐training (free weight RT group, P = 0.001; body mass‐based RT group, P = 0.002). IMF content in the body mass‐based RT group significantly decreased (P = 0.036) but did not significantly change in the free weight RT group (P = 0.076). These results suggest that the free weight and body mass‐based RTs could induce muscle hypertrophy; however, in healthy young and middle‐aged individuals, decreased IMF content was induced following the body mass‐based RT alone.