Medicine and science in sports and exercise
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Aug 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialTestosterone and Resistance Training Improve Muscle Quality in Spinal Cord Injury.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) negatively impacts muscle quality and testosterone levels. Resistance training (RT) has been shown to increase muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) after SCI, whereas testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has been shown to improve muscle quality in other populations. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine if the combined effects of these interventions, TRT + RT, may maximize the beneficial effects on muscle quality after SCI. ⋯ The addition of mechanical stress via RT to TRT maximizes improvements to muscle quality after complete SCI when compared with TRT administered alone. Our evidence shows that this intervention increases muscle size and strength while also improving muscle contractile properties.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Oct 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialHigh-Intensity Interval or Continuous Moderate Exercise: A 24-Week Pilot Trial.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) may lead to superior cardiometabolic improvements when compared with moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). However, adherence to HIIT requires examination. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) adherence 24 wk after a brief counseling intervention combined with either HIIT or MICT. ⋯ This pilot intervention was successful in increasing, and maintaining, free-living MVPA over a 24-wk period in individuals at high risk of T2D. Speculation that HIIT is inappropriate or unattainable for overweight individuals at high risk of T2D may be unfounded.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Jun 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of Docosahexaenoic Acid on a Biomarker of Head Trauma in American Football.
American football athletes are exposed to subconcussive impacts over the course of the season resulting in elevations in serum neurofilament light (NFL), a biomarker of axonal injury. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been reported to reduce axonal trauma associated with traumatic brain injury in rodent models. However, the optimal dose in American football athletes is unknown. This study examined the effect of differing doses of DHA on serum NFL over the course of a season of American football. ⋯ Findings from this study, the first large-scale study examining potential prophylactic use of DHA in American football athletes, include identification of optimal dose of DHA, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of DHA supplementation.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Nov 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialInhomogeneous Quadriceps Femoris Hypertrophy in Response to Strength and Power Training.
Previous studies have reported inhomogeneous changes in quadriceps femoris (QF) cross-sectional area (CSA) in response to strength training. It is assumed that these differential changes in muscle shape influence the muscle's functional capacity during high-force and high-power movements. The purpose of the current study was to compare intermuscular and intramuscular QF adaptations to high-load strength training and fast-speed power training. ⋯ These observed inhomogeneous changes in CSA may alter the thigh's moment of inertia and moment arms of muscle "compartments," and the influence of elastic component force transmission on the muscular force expression. Such selective hypertrophy is speculated to be biomechanically beneficial to high-force or high-power movements used in training.
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Med Sci Sports Exerc · Jan 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of exercise in the cold on Ghrelin, PYY, and food intake in overweight adults.
Exercise in cold water has been shown to simulate postexercise energy intake (EI) in normal-weight individuals. However, the effect of cold exercise on EI in overweight individuals has yet to be examined. The present study investigated the effect of brisk walking in a cold (8°C) and neutral (20°C) environment on postexercise EI and appetite hormone responses. ⋯ These findings show that in overweight individuals, exercise in the cold stimulates postexercise EI to a greater extent than exercise in a neutral environment.