Muscular strength, bone density and body composition of a woman with systemic lupus erythematosus submitted to a resistance training program: A case report

Introduction. Physical activity can provide long-term benefits for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Objective. This study sought to demonstrate the effects of progressive resistance training on the muscular strength, bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition of pre-menopausal women with SLE undergoing glucocorticoid (GC) treatment. Materials and Methods. This is the case report of a 43-year-old African-South American premenopausal woman with non-extensive SLE and low bone density. A six-month program with three bimonthly cycles of 70%, 80%, and 90% intensity according to the 10 maximum-repetition test was used. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure the BMD, T-scores and body composition, and indirect fluorescence was used to measure the levels of antinuclear antibodies. Student's t-test was used. Results. Statistical improvement was noted in all strength exercises, including the 45° leg press (Δ%=+50%, p<0.001) and knee extension (Δ%=+15%, p=0.003) to maintain the BMD of the L2-L4 lumbar (Δ%=+0.031%; p=0.46) as well as the trochanter (Δ%=+0.037%; p=0.31) and BMI (Δ%=-0.8, p=0.54). Conclusion. In this case study, the presented methodology had a positive effect on strength and contributed to the maintenance of BMD and body composition in a woman with SLE undergoing GC treatment. © 2012 Revista Andaluza de Medicina del Deporte.

Engaging environments: Tacit knowledge sharing on the shop floor

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that facilitate tacit knowledge sharing in unstructured work environments, such as those found in automated production lines. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a qualitative approach, and it draws data from a four-month field study at a blown-molded glass factory. Data collection techniques included interviews, informal conversations and on-site observations, and data were interpreted using content analysis. Findings: The results indicated that sharing of tacit knowledge is facilitated by an engaging environment. An engaging environment is supported by shared language and knowledge, which are developed through intense communication and a strong sense of collegiality and a social climate that is dominated by openness and trust. Other factors that contribute to the creation of an engaging environment include managerial efforts to provide appropriate work conditions and to communicate company goals, and HRM practices such as the provision of formal training, on-the-job training and incentives. Practical implications: This paper clarifies the scope of managerial actions that impact knowledge creation and sharing among blue-collar workers. Originality/value: Despite the acknowledgement of the importance of blue-collar workers' knowledge, both the knowledge management and operations management literatures have devoted limited attention to it. Studies related to knowledge management in unstructured working environments are also not abundant. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Effect of different rest intervals, between sets, on muscle performance during leg press exercise, in trained older women

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Exercise-induced muscle damage and running economy in humans

Running economy (RE), defined as the energy demand for a given velocity of submaximal running, has been identified as a critical factor of overall distance running performance. Plyometric and resistance trainings, performed during a relatively short period of time (15-30 days), have been successfully used to improve RE in trained athletes. However, these exercise types, particularly when they are unaccustomed activities for the individuals, may cause delayed onset muscle soreness, swelling, and reduced muscle strength. Some studies have demonstrated that exercise-induced muscle damage has a negative impact on endurance running performance. Specifically, the muscular damage induced by an acute bout of downhill running has been shown to reduce RE during subsequent moderate and high-intensity exercise (>65% VOax). However, strength exercise (i.e., jumps, isoinertial and isokinetic eccentric exercises) seems to impair RE only for subsequent high-intensity exercise (90% VOax). Finally, a single session of resistance exercise or downhill running (i.e., repeated bout effect) attenuates changes in indirect markers of muscle damage and blunts changes in RE. © 2013 Cláudio de Oliveira Assumpção et al.

Effects of resistance training on the performance of activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance training in activities of daily living performance in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Methods: An exploratory and longitudinal study, lasting for 16weeks, with the participation of 34 patients divided equally in: the training group (TG), who participated in a resistance training protocol (three sets of 20 repetitions in five exercises); and the social gathering group (SGG), who participated in a social interaction protocol (i.e. group dynamics, writing and reading activities). Results: We observed significant differences between the groups in moving around the house, climbing stairs, standing up from the floor and putting on socks tests. Conclusion: This study showed that resistance training improves agility, lower limb strength, balance and flexibility in AD patients, while SGG protocol is important to improve the agility. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Overall and differentiated session ratings of perceived exertion at different time points following a circuit weight training workout

Session ratings of perceived exertion (SRPE) have been considered to provide a quantitative evaluation of the entire exercise session in different types of resistance training. In this study we investigated the ability of SRPE to assess exercise strain in a circuit weight training (CWT) workout and the influence of time lag to report SRPE. Ten healthy male volunteers (22.3±2.8 years, 72.5±6.5kg, and 175±5cm) completed a CWT session involving three circuits of five multiple joint exercises with single sets of 20 repetitions at 30% one repetition maximum (1-RM). Heart rate [63.7-75.0% maximum heart rate (%HRmax)], blood lactate (5.6-7.6mM) as well as overall, chest, and active muscle RPE increased significantly (p<0.05) throughout the CWT, but no significant differences were found between ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) types. Overall, chest and active muscle SRPE were accessed 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes after the workout, with no significant main effects or SRPE type×time interaction being found (p>0.05). Finally, no significant differences (p>0.05) were observed between averaged SRPE and RPE responses (overall: 3.7±0.6 vs. 3.5±0.9; chest: 3.8±0.7 vs. 3.6±0.8; active muscle; 3.7±0.7 vs. 3.5±0.7). These results suggest SRPE, irrespective of the moment at which it is taken, to be a useful tool for assessing global exercise strain in a CWT workout, providing coaches, physicians, and exercisers a practical way for monitoring this type of resistance training. © 2013.

Are early and late rate of force development differently influenced by fast-velocity resistance training?

This study examined the effect of fast-velocity concentric isokinetic resistance training (FV) on the rate of force development (RFD) at early (<100 ms) and late phases (>100 ms) of rising muscle force. Nine men participated in a 6-week resistance training intervention for the lower body, and nine matched subjects participated as controls (CON). During concentric isokinetic (180°s-1) knee extension training, subjects were instructed to do each contraction 'as fast and forcefully as possible'. Maximal muscle strength (MVC) and RFD (0-10, 0-20, ..., 0-250 ms from the onset of contraction) were measured during maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors (KE). There were no significant changes in MVC of KE in both groups after intervention (FV = 314·2 ± 101·1 versus 338·7 ± 88·0 N{bullet operator}m, P>0·05; CON = 293·3 ± 94·8 versus 280·0 ± 72·2 N{bullet operator}m, P>0·05). The RFD increased 39-71% at time intervals up to 90 ms from the onset of the contraction (P<0·05), whereas no change occurred at later time intervals. Similarly, relative RFD (i.e.%MVC{bullet operator}s-1) (RFDr) increased 33-56% at time intervals up to 70 ms from the onset of the contraction (P<0·05). It can be concluded that a short period of resistance training performed with concentric fast-velocity isokinetic muscle contractions is able to enhance RFD and RFDr obtained at the early phase of rising muscle force. © 2013 The Authors Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging © 2013 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine.

Resistance training for explosive and maximal strength: Effects on early and late rate of force development

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of physical training on metabolic and bone profile in weaning rats

Introduction: The practice of moderate-intensity exercise can reduce the risk of infections and improve metabolic aspects of the person. Objective: To investigate the effects of aerobic physical training on endocrine and metabolic aspects, bone and immune systems. Methods: Twenty Wistar rats were divided in two groups: sedentary (SG) and trained group (TG). Training program consisted in swimming, 6 weeks, supporting a workload corresponding to 5% of body weight. At the end of the experiment, were performed counting total and differential leukocyte count and hematocrit. After training period, were analyzed glucose, total protein, triglycerides, cholesterol, liver and muscle samples for the determination of the levels of glycogen, and determination of the tibia length and bone area. All dependent variables were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a significance level of P < 0.05 was used for all comparisons. Results: Hematocrit (%) analyzed showed a significant difference, with higher values ffor TG (54.63 ± 1.41) than for the SG (49.5 ± 1.65). The total leukocyte count was not significantly different, as there was no difference in the differential count. Total cholesterol showed significant decrease in TG (TG = 68.27 ± 13.71 mg/dL; SG = 94.44 ± 28.09), the total protein levels also showed significant reduction (TG = 7.3 ± 0.40 g/dL; SG = 7.74 ± 0.36 g/dL) glucose levels and triglyceride showed no significant differences. The bone length showed significant difference (TG = 40±0.14 mm; SG = 42.10 ± 0.12mm). Tibial area showed a lower value for TG (1.53 ± 0.12cm2) than for SG (1.67 ± 0.18cm2); however, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: It can be concluded that aerobic exercise training is able to produce some unique physiological changes in young rats. There is also the need to prescribe exercises that meet the particular maturational stage of development.

Prevalência, características clínicas e epidemiológicas das enfermidades podais em vacas lactantes da bacia leiteira do município de Rondon do Pará

Com o objetivo de determinar a prevalência, classificar clinicamente e estabelecer os fatores epidemiológicos das enfermidades podais em vacas lactantes de propriedades localizadas na bacia leiteira do município de Rondon do Pará, foram avaliadas 1.236 vacas, das quais 275 apresentaram pelo menos um tipo de lesão podal, identificando-se 655 lesões e verificando-se uma prevalência de 22,25%. As enfermidades mais frequentemente diagnosticadas foram: hiperplasia interdigital, correspondendo a 80,92 %, seguida por pododermatite séptica difusa com 6,11%, crescimento excessivo do casco com 3,82%, casco em forma de tesoura com 2,60% e pododermatite da sobre unha com 2,44%. Os membros pélvicos foram os mais acometidos com 61,83% do total das lesões, sendo o espaço interdigital, tanto nos membros torácicos com 36,34%, como nos pélvicos com 48,09%, a região digital acometida com maior frequência. O estudo epidemiológico mostrou que as características ambientais (relevo montanhoso, pastagem em formação com presença de troncos e galhos de árvores, irregularidades nos pisos dos currais, presença de piçarra e lama) favorecem o aparecimento das lesões podais. Constatou-se a ausência de medida de controle e profilaxia com relação às afecções que acometem os cascos em 95,5% das propriedades estudadas. O exame clínico específico do casco foi eficiente no diagnóstico das enfermidades.

Atividade eletromiográfica durante exercícios de propriocepção de tornozelo em apoio unipodal

Propriocepção refere-se à percepção dos mecanorreceptores para discriminar a posição do corpo e movimentos articulares, bem como tensões sobre os tendões na fase estática ou dinâmica da marcha. Objetivou-se avaliar por eletromiografia a ativação muscular do gastrocnêmio e tibial anterior em diferentes exercícios de propriocepção do tornozelo em apoio unipodal, comparando graus de dificuldade. Foram selecionados 54 voluntários, sedentários, destros, do sexo masculino (20-35 anos). Exercícios foram feitos no balancinho, prancha de equilíbrio, cama elástica e solo, à razão de três repetições de 15 segundos cada, com intervalo de 15 segundos entre as repetições. Ao final dos testes os voluntários indicaram a maior dificuldade. A atividade elétrica de ambos os músculos foi significativamente maior durante o teste no balancinho. No solo, ambos os músculos apresentaram menor atividade, mas apenas no gastrocnêmio essa diferença foi significativa. No exercício na prancha de equilíbrio e na cama elástica não se encontrou diferença quanto à ativação dos músculos. Na análise intermúsculo foi observada maior atividade do tibial anterior, exceto no balancinho. Assim, para o treino do apoio unipodal na aquisição do ganho proprioceptivo, o equipamento adotado deve ser escolhido com cuidado: no balancinho é maior o recrutamento dos músculos tibial anterior e gastrocnêmio, assim como é maior o grau de dificuldade para manutenção do equilíbrio.

The influence of resistance exercise with emphasis on specific contractions (concentric vs. eccentric) on muscle strength and post-exercise autonomic modulation: a randomized clinical trial

Contextualização:Ações concêntricas apresentam maior estresse cardiovascular quando comparadas às excêntricas. Entretanto, não se sabe a influência desses tipos de ações no comportamento da modulação autonômica cardíaca durante o processo de recuperação pós-esforço.Objetivo:Comparar o efeito de um treinamento resistido para o grupo extensor do joelho realizado com ênfase concêntrica vs excêntrica sobre a força muscular e a recuperação pós-exercício considerando índices de variabilidade de frequência cardíaca (VFC) em jovens saudáveis.Método:Cento e cinco homens, com idades entre 18 e 30 anos, foram randomizados em quatro grupos: controle concêntrico (CCONC), controle excêntrico (CEXC), treinamento concêntrico (TCONC) e treinamento excêntrico (TEXC). Os grupos CCONC e CEXC realizaram uma sessão de exercício reduzido (ER) para o grupo extensor do joelho [três séries de uma repetição a 100% de uma repetição máxima (1RM)], e os grupos TCONC e TEXC realizaram dez sessões de treinamento. A VFC foi analisada no momento basal e na recuperação após as sessões (T1, T2, T3 e T4).Resultados:Observou-se aumento da força muscular para o grupo TEXC. Em relação à modulação autonômica cardíaca, observou-se, em comparação ao momento basal, aumento dos índices SDNN e SD2 no momento T1 nos grupos CCONC e CEXC e aumento dos índices RMSSD, SD1 e AF (ms2) nos momentos T1, T2 e T4 no grupo TEXC.Conclusões:Conclui-se que o treinamento resistido realizado com ênfase em contrações excêntricas promoveu ganho de força e aumento da modulação vagal cardíaca durante o processo de recuperação em relação à condição basal.

Influence of creatine supplementation on indicators of glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle of exercised rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of resistance training frequency on body composition and metabolics and inflammatory markers in overweight postmenopausal women

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Monitoring muscle damage markers during a four-week downhill walking exercise program

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)