The Spontaneously Hypertensive Heart Failure (SHHF) rat mimics the human progression of hypertension from hypertrophy to heart failure. However, it is unknown whether SHHF animals can exercise at sufficient levels to observe beneficial biochemical adaptations in skeletal muscle. Thirty-seven female SHHF and Wistar-Furth (WF) rats were randomized to sedentary (SHHFsed ...

BACKGROUND: The Effects of Aerobic Exercise Training (AET) on self-reported Quality of Life (QoL) in people with hypertension have been previously documented. However, data on black populations, especially from Africa, seem not to be available. This study investigated the effects of AET on QoL and exercise capacity in Nigerians on ...

Techniques to increase physical activity among pulmonary rehabilitation patients outside of the rehabilitation context are warranted. Implementation intentions are a strategy used to initiate goal-directed behaviour, and have been found to be useful in other populations. This study compared the long-term effects of exercise and social implementation intentions interventions on ...

BACKGROUND: Inactive individuals face motivational obstacles for becoming and remaining physically active. Therefore, sustainable physical activity promotion programmes tailored to reach inactive individuals are needed. The aim of this study was to test the role of motivation and the effect and feasibility of a training programme. METHODS: We enrolled physically ...

BACKGROUNDCholinergic enzyme activities are altered in hypertension, reflecting a low-grade inflammation. Regular physical exercise exerts anti-inflammatory effects and has been described as a coadjutant in the treatment of hypertension. In this study, we investigated the effect of 6 weeks of swimming training on cholinergic enzyme activities (acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase) in ...

BACKGROUNDAlthough a hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) is associated with cardiac risk and masked hypertension (MHT), its mechanisms and appropriate treatment remain unclear. We investigated spironolactone as a treatment for abnormal vascular and myocardial stiffness in HRE.METHODSIn this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 115 patients (54±9 years, 57% men) with ...

PURPOSE:: Little is known about physical activity in individuals with interstitial lung disease (ILD). The objectives of this study were (1) to objectively measure physical activity in lung transplant candidates with ILD, (2) to compare levels of physical activity on rehabilitation and nonrehabilitation days, and (3) to explore the relationships ...

Background: Cardiopulmonary fitness is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk. Abnormal systolic blood pressure (SBP) response during recovery has been found to have diagnostic role for detecting cardiovascular risk. Aim of the study was to determine whether increased arterial stiffness associates with reduced aerobic exercise capacity after maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test ...

BACKGROUND Established hypertension is associated with abnormal exercise hemodynamics and reduced exercise capacity through mechanisms that may include contributions from arterial stiffness and endothelial vasomotor dysfunction. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors prolong nitric oxide-mediated cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling in vascular smooth muscle, and have beneficial effects on exercise tolerance ...

Recently, there has been some discussion of whether it is possible to score highly in one dimension of physical activity behaviour (e.g., moderate intensity exercise) whilst also scoring poorly in another (e.g., sedentary time). Interestingly, direct empirical observations to support these proposals are lacking. New technologies now enable the capture ...

Unemployment is associated with health risks. Physical activity produces health benefits. This study examined the effects of a physical activity counseling and exercise referral scheme on physical-activity behavior in long-term unemployed individuals. In this study, 51 long-term unemployed persons received physical-activity counseling and exercise referral. Further, 21 unemployed and 17 ...

Different studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the association of hypertensive response to exercise and cardiovascular morbidity. We compared two different definitions of exaggerated hypertensive response to exercise and their association with cardio-respiratory fitness in a population of healthy firefighters. We examined blood pressure response to exercise in 720 normotensive ...

ABSTRACT: Although active gaming is popular and can increase energy expenditure in young adults, its efficacy as a prescriptive exercise tool is not well understood. This study aimed to: (1) compare the activity intensities experienced by young adults while playing active tennis gaming with conventional sedentary gaming, tennis game-play and ...

Vardenafil, a Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitor, is approved for the therapy of erectile dysfunction; however, in contrast to Sildenafil and Tadalafil, little is known about its effects on pulmonary hypertension. Four weeks after monocrotaline-administration rats exhibited a significant increase in right ventricular pressure (RVSP, 94mmHg vs. 25mmHg; p=0.001) right ventricular weight (right ...

The aim of this study was to quantify the amount of tendon excursion and load experienced during simulated active and passive rehabilitation exercises. Six cadaver specimens were utilized to examine tendon excursion and load. Lateral fluoroscopic images were used to measure the excursions of metal markers placed in the flexor ...

This two-group pretest and posttest quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Tai Chi exercise programme on exercise behaviour and blood pressure (BP) in outpatients with hypertension. The experimental group (n = 27) received the Yang-style Tai Chi exercise programme three times a week for 8 weeks. The control group ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are one of the main animal models used for studying the effects of exercise on hypertension. Therefore, the determination of adequate intensity has been essential for secure and optimized exercise prescriptions concerning hypertensive subjects. This study aimed to identify the MLSS in SHR by ...

STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study, repeated measures design. OBJECTIVES: To compare hip abductor muscle activity during selected exercises using fine-wire electromyography (EMG), and determine which exercises are best for activating gluteus medius and the superior portion of gluteus maximus while minimizing activity of tensor fascia lata (TFL). BACKGROUND: Abnormal hip ...

The nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) controls the cardiovascular system during exercise, and alteration of its function may underlie exercise-induced cardiovascular adaptation. To understand the molecular basis of the NTS's plasticity in regulating blood pressure (BP) and its potential contribution to the anti-hypertensive effects, we characterized the gene expression profiles at ...

Two case reports involving the increasingly popular activity of "spinning" underscore the need for proper conditioning and adequate hydration before exercising strenuously.

Controversial data exist about the long-term results of aortic coarctation (AC) repair. This study explored the prevalence and predictors of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, late hypertension, and hypertensive response to exercise in 48 subjects (age, 15.1 ± 9.7 years) currently followed in the authors' tertiary care hospital after successful AC repair. Data on ...

We examined whether the improvement of impaired NO-dependent vasorelaxation by exercise training could be mediated through a BH(4)-dependent mechanism. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR, n = 20) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY, n = 20) were trained (Tr) for 9 weeks on a treadmill and compared to age-matched sedentary animals (Sed). Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation (EDV) was assessed ...

Regular physical activity of moderate intensity can bring about major health benefits as well as significant cost savings for the NHS. Evidence suggests that regular exercise can produce up to a 30% reduction in all cause mortality with a 35% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke. ...

Although exercise is recognized as a powerful tool to combat obesity, remarkably few US adults pursue adequate amounts of exercise, with one major impediment being a lack of motivation for active behaviors. Recent empirical work has demonstrated that behavior can be guided by goals to be generally active or inactive. ...

One of the important organ damage of hypertension is cognitive decline. Cognitive function is determined by the function of hippocampus, and previous studies have suggested that the decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus causes cognitive decline. Protection against cognitive decline is reported not only in pharmacological therapy ...

Patients affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) show a typical pattern of abnormalities on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). However, CPET is not routinely used as a screening method. We discuss a patient with hereditary PAH in whom CPET revealed onset of disease. Furthermore, we show that the abnormalities observed can ...

To determine the most effective exercise to specifically activate the scapular posterior tilting muscles by comparing muscle activity generated by different exercises (wall facing arm lift, prone arm lift, backward rocking arm lift, backward rocking diagonal arm lift). Repeated-measure within-subject intervention. The subjects were 20 healthy young men and women. ...

This study sought to investigate the effects of physical detraining on blood pressure (BP) and cardiac morphology and function in hypertension, and on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (PICs and AIC) and oxidative stress within the brain of hypertensive rats. Hypertension was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by delivering AngiotensinII for ...

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, i.e. the formation of new neurons within the existing neuronal network of the dentate gyrus, is subject to modulation by internal and external factors. Among them, voluntary physical exercise is one of the best investigated positive stimulators of neurogenesis in laboratory rodents. Straightforward translation of the observed ...

The maximal rate of O(2) consumption (Vo(2max)) constitutes one of the oldest fitness indexes established for the measure of cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic performance. Procedures have been developed in which Vo(2max) is estimated from physiological responses during submaximal exercise. Generally, Vo(2max) is estimated using the classical renowned Astrand-Ryhming test. In ...

Archer T, Fredriksson A, Johansson B. Exercise alleviates Parkinsonism: clinical and laboratory evidence. Acta Neurol Scand: 2011: 123: 73-84. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. The present review examines the putative benefits for individuals afflicted with Parkinsonism, whether in the clinical setting or in the animal laboratory, accruing from ...

Routine laboratory procedures can be stressful for laboratory animals. We wanted to determine whether human handling of adult rabbits could induce a degree of habituation, reducing stress and facilitating research-related manipulation. To this end, adult New Zealand white rabbits were handled either frequently or minimally. After being handled over 3 ...

The metrological evaluation is indispensable to objectively prove the capability of the medical laboratory to perform analysis. The comparison of analytical performances regarding the accuracy and the reproducibility of the available methods is a real interest of international comparison exercises, especially as the participation to comparison exercises is becoming a ...

High altitude training has become a mainstay in endurance sports, with live high-train low as the current protocol of choice. Athletes either live or sleep in artificial or natural hypoxic conditions with the aim to increase serum erythropoietin concentrations, which are thought to improve maximum oxygen uptake and thus exercise ...

Abnormal right ventricular systolic pressure response (RVPR) during exercise has previously been demonstrated in patients with septal defects of the heart. Our study investigated whether moderate altitude affects RVPR and oxygen saturation during rest and exercise in patients with surgically closed septal defects. Ten patients with surgically closed heart septal ...

The existence of a general influence of exercise on the incidence of decompression sickness (DCS) has been known for more than a half-century. However, quantification of the effect has not been done for several reasons, including isolation of exercise as the only variable. The DCS database at Brooks City-Base, TX, ...

To develop exercises that allow pharmacy students to apply foundational knowledge discussed in a first-professional year (P1) biochemistry course to specific disease states and patient scenarios. A pharmacy practice laboratory exercise was developed to accompany a lecture sequence pertaining to purine biosynthesis and degradation. The assignment required students to fill ...

Hypoxia often causes body water deficits (hypohydration, HYPO); however, the effects of HYPO on aerobic exercise performance and prevalence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) at high altitude (ALT) have not been reported. We hypothesized that 1) HYPO and ALT would each degrade aerobic performance relative to sea level (SL)-euhydrated (EUH) ...

Data assessing the effect of altitude on Fontan haemodynamics are limited to experimental models and case reports. Both suggest a detrimental impact. This study describes exercise performance in patients with Fontan circulation and matched controls at a low altitude versus at sea level. We sought to assess the impact of ...

Active-assistive range of motion exercises to gain shoulder elevation have been subdivided into gravity-minimized and upright-assisted exercises, yet no study has evaluated differences in muscular demands. Compared with gravity-minimized exercises, upright-assisted exercises will generate larger electromyographic (EMG) activity. Compared with all active-assistive exercises, upright active forward elevation will generate more ...

RATIONALE: Quantitative data on ventilation during acclimatization at very high altitude are scant. Therefore, we monitored nocturnal ventilation and oxygen saturation in mountaineers ascending Mt. Muztagh Ata (7,546 m). OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether periodic breathing persists during prolonged stay at very high altitude. METHODS: A total of 34 mountaineers (median ...

Altitude training has become very popular among athletes as a means to further increase exercise performance at sea level or to acclimatize to competition at altitude. Several approaches have evolved during the last few decades, with "live high-train low" and "live low-train high" being the most popular. This review focuses ...

INTRODUCTION: Specific inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been shown to significantly attenuate the fall in arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) during exhaustive exercise while breathing a hypoxic gas mixture of 14% oxygen. The aim of the current study was to assess the impact of IMT on resting SpO2 over a range ...

Annually, more than 100 million tourists are attracted by the mountainous areas around the world. On the one hand, leisure time activities at altitude may well contribute to the well-established beneficial effects of exercise; on the other hand, these activities are also associated with a relatively high risk of death. ...

Altitude poses physiological challenges to the sports participant in excess of those encountered at sea level. The main problem is hypoxia and the reduction in oxygen transport capacity, which is linked to the fall in alveolar oxygen tension. Training at altitude is imperative as preparation for competing there in aerobic ...

Acetazolamide is useful for acclimatizing to high altitude. How long it should be taken, and the physiological consequences of stopping it have not been thoroughly studied. We investigated the effect of acetazolamide cessation on exercise oxygenation at different altitudes and durations of use. Three groups were studied: group 1 acclimatized ...

The aim of this study was to test the short-term effects of using hypoxic rooms before a simulated running event. Thirteen subjects (29 +/- 4 years) lived in a hypoxic dormitory (1,800 m) for either 2 nights (n = 6) or 2 days + nights (n = 7) before performing ...

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species have been reported to be increased due to hypobaric hypoxia. It was hypothesized that lowlanders are more susceptible to protein nitration, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage at high altitude than highlanders and formation of these biomarkers may have strong correlation with oxygen consumption. Male volunteers ...

Prolonged, exhaustive exercise frequently leads to an increased incidence of upper respiratory tract illness (URTI) which is linked to transient immunodepression. We investigated potential biochemical markers of stress and fatigue, and URTI symptoms as a surrogate of immunodepression, in US Marines undergoing intensive winter training at altitude. Selected plasma amino ...

In this study, we examined the effects of a pre-acclimatization programme on endurance performance at moderate altitude using a resting intermittent hypoxia protocol. The time-trial performance of 11 cyclists was determined at low altitude (600 m). Athletes were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to the hypoxia or the control ...