Medicine and science in sports and exercise
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Jan 2014
Autonomic cardiovascular control in Paralympic athletes with spinal cord injury.
Disruption of autonomic control after spinal cord injury (SCI) results in life-threatening cardiovascular dysfunctions and impaired endurance performance; hence, an improved ability to recognize those at risk of autonomic disturbances is of critical clinical and sporting importance. ⋯ We demonstrate for the first time that neurological level and SSR score provide the optimal combination of assessments to identify those at risk of abnormal cardiovascular control. We advocate the use of autonomic testing in the clinical and sporting classification of SCI athletes.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Jan 2014
Paraspinal muscle morphology and composition: a 15-yr longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study.
The purposes of this study were to define the natural progression of age-related changes of the lumbar paraspinal muscles during adulthood and to investigate the influence of lifestyle and individual factors (e.g., physical activity levels at work and leisure, body mass index, and low back pain [LBP]). ⋯ The present longitudinal study suggests that over adulthood, the multifidus and erector spinae undergo similar morphological changes. Moreover, our findings suggest that the long-term progression of lumbar paraspinal muscle changes evaluated through magnetic resonance imaging are not associated with the range of physical demand levels as were typical of Finnish men or LBP history.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Jan 2014
Comparative StudyComparison of self-reported versus accelerometer-measured physical activity.
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is one of the most widely used questionnaires to assess physical activity (PA). Validation studies for the IPAQ have been executed, but still there is a need for studies comparing absolute values between IPAQ and accelerometer in large population studies. ⋯ The participants report through IPAQ-Short Form more vigorous PA and less sedentary time compared with the accelerometer. The difference between self-reported and accelerometer-measured MVPA increased with higher activity and intensity levels. Associations between the methods were affected by sex, age, and education, but not body mass index.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Jan 2014
Physical activity and improved diastolic function in spinal cord-injured subjects.
Subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) have been reported to present impaired left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in comparison with able-bodied (AB) ones. The present study investigated the effect of regular physical activity on the cardiac structure and function of SCI subjects. ⋯ Regular physical activity is associated with improved LV diastolic function in SCI subjects and might exert distinct cardiac structural effects in tetraplegic and paraplegic subjects.