Walking against the odds: The intricate connection between spatiotemporal characteristics, kinetic and kinematic variables, cognitive stress, and passive assistive exoskeletons in senior and young adults.

In this study, we investigated the combined effects of age, dual-tasking (DT) and a passive hip exoskeleton on gait patterns among senior (SA) and young adults (YA). It was hypothesized that SA will be more affected by DT and that wearing the exoskeleton will improve gait patterns for both groups during DT. Twenty-two SA and twenty-six YA performed a single task (normal walking) and DT walking at their preferred speed with an exoskeleton (EXO), without (noEXO), and a sham version (SHAM) in a randomized and balanced order.

Effect of applied cadence in repeated sprint cycling on muscle characteristics.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate physiological responses, muscle-tendon unit properties of the quadriceps muscle, and mechanical performance after repeated sprint cycling at optimal and 70% of optimal cadence.

Methods: Twenty recreational cyclists performed as first sprint performance cycling test and during subsequent sessions two repeated sprint cycling protocols at optimal and 70% of optimal cadence, in random order. The muscle-tendon unit outcome measures on the dominant leg included muscle thickness, fascicle length (L), pennation angle (θ), and stiffness for the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis muscle (VM) at baseline, immediately after repeated sprint cycling, and 1-h post-exercise.

Changes in normalized mutual information in response to strength training: An ancillary analysis of a quasi-randomized controlled trial.

The aim of the present investigation was twofold. (1) to assess test-retest reliability of normalized mutual information (NMI) values extracted from the surface electromyography (sEMG) signal of muscles pairs of the upper body during dynamic bench press at a high load, and (2) to assess changes in NMI values from before to after a five-week quasi-randomized controlled bench press training intervention. For test-retest reliability, 20 strength trained males (age 25 ± 2 years, height 1.

Enhanced Maximal Upper-Body Strength Increases Performance in Sprint Kayaking.

Kristiansen, M, Sydow Krogh Pedersen, A-M, Sandvej, G, Jørgensen, P, Jakobsen, JV, de Zee, M, Hansen, EA, and Klitgaard, KK. Enhanced maximal upper-body strength increases performance in sprint kayaking. J Strength Cond Res 37(4): e305-e312, 2023-The association between upper-body strength and performance in 200-m flat-water sprint kayak is not fully elucidated.

Maximal accelerations for twelve weeks elicit improvement in a single out of a collection of cycling performance indicators in trained cyclists.

Introduction: Cycling is a time-consuming sport. Cyclists, as many other athletes, therefore, focus on training effectively. The hypothesis was tested that twelve weeks of supplementary maximal acceleration training caused more favourable changes in cycling performance indicators as compared to changes measured in comparable control cyclists.

Freely Chosen Cadence is Increased during Repeated Bouts of Submaximal Ergometer Pedalling.

It was investigated whether the phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement occurs during submaximal ergometer cycling. Repeated bout rate enhancement is defined as an increase of the freely, or spontaneously, chosen cadence during repeated bouts of pedalling and has previously been reported for finger tapping. This is relevant to study since cadence can affect biomechanical and physiological responses.

Optimal and freely chosen paddling rate during moderate kayak ergometry.

Moderate paddling, as in long distance kayaking, constitutes an endurance activity, which shares energetic aspects with activities such as long distance running and road cycling. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether in moderate paddling there is a U-shaped relationship between oxygen uptake and stroke rate, and also whether elite kayakers apply a freely chosen stroke rate, which is energetically optimal. Eleven young male elite kayakers performed moderate kayak ergometry at preset target stroke rates of 65, 75, and 90 strokes min, and at a freely chosen stroke rate, while physiological responses including oxygen uptake were measured.

Freely chosen cadence during ergometer cycling is dependent on pedalling history.

Purpose: History dependence can refer to the fact that parts of the human physiology (e.g., one or a group of muscles, or the nervous system) as well as functional aspects of the human (e.

Unprompted Alteration of Freely Chosen Movement Rate During Stereotyped Rhythmic Movement: Examples and Review.

Investigations of behavior and control of voluntary stereotyped rhythmic movement contribute to the enhancement of motor function and performance of disabled, sick, injured, healthy, and exercising humans. The present article presents examples of unprompted alteration of freely chosen movement rate during voluntary stereotyped rhythmic movements. The examples, in the form of both increases and decreases of movement rate, are taken from activities of cycling, finger tapping, and locomotion.

The puzzle of the walk-to-run transition in humans.

Background: The walk-to-run transition, which occurs during gradually increasing locomotion speed, has been addressed in research at least eight decades back.

Research Question: Why does the walk-to-run transition occur? In the present review, we focus on the reason for the transition, more than on the consequences of it. The latter has historically constituted a primary focus.

A field study investigating sensory manifestations in recreational female cyclists using a novel female-specific cycling pad.

This randomised controlled field study aimed to design a female-specific cycling pad with reduced padding in the crotch area (half-pad) and test its effects on self-reported sensory manifestations in comparison with full-padded cycling bib shorts. Recreational female road cyclists ( = 183) participated (divided into two groups). Self-reported sensory manifestations were collected six times over 12 weeks.

Effect of Tapping Bout Duration During Freely Chosen and Passive Finger Tapping on Rate Enhancement.

The present study investigated whether the duration of the first tapping bout, which could also be considered 'the priming', would play a role for the occurrence of the behavioral phenomenon termed repeated bout rate enhancement. Eighty-eight healthy individuals were recruited. Sixty-three of these demonstrated repeated bout rate enhancement and they were assigned to two different groups, which performed either active or passive tapping as priming.

Motor variability in elicited repeated bout rate enhancement is associated with higher sample entropy.

In this study we investigated motor variability in individuals who showed (responders) and who did not show (non-responders) a behavioural phenomenon termed repeated bout rate enhancement. The phenomenon is characterized by an increase of the freely chosen index finger tapping rate during the second of two consecutive tapping bouts. It was hypothesized that responders would perform (i) tapping with a lower magnitude, but more complex structure of variability than non-responders and (ii) bout 2 with a lower magnitude and increased complexity of variability than bout 1, as opposed to non-responders.

Contralateral Transfer of the Phenomenon of Repeated Bout Rate Enhancement in Unilateral Index Finger Tapping.

These hypotheses were tested: (1) Freely chosen frequency in unilateral index finger tapping is correlated between the two index fingers, and (2) A 3-min bout of unilateral index finger tapping followed by 10 min rest results in an increase of the freely chosen tapping frequency performed by the contralateral index finger in a second bout. Thirty-two adults participated. Freely chosen tapping frequencies from first bouts were 167.

External and Internal Focus of Attention Increases Muscular Activation During Bench Press in Resistance-Trained Participants.

Kristiansen, M, Samani, A, Vuillerme, N, Madeleine, P, and Hansen, EA. External and internal focus of attention increases muscular activation during bench press in resistance-trained participants. J Strength Cond Res 32(9): 2442-2451, 2018-Research on the effects of instructed attentional focus during execution of strength training exercises is limited and has thus far only been performed on single-joint exercises.

Repeated Bout Rate Enhancement Is Elicited by Various Forms of Finger Tapping.

Voluntary rhythmic movements, such as, for example, locomotion and other cyclic tasks, are fundamental during everyday life. Patients with impaired neural or motor function often take part in rehabilitation programs, which include rhythmic movements. Therefore, it is imperative to have the best possible understanding of control and behaviour of human voluntary rhythmic movements.

Peak Power Output in Loaded Jump Squat Exercise is Affected by Set Structure.

A priority in strength and power exercise might be to train with as high quality as possible for the shortest possible duration. In this context, peak power output could reflect quality. Designing an exercise session as a cluster set structure, as compared to a traditional set structure, may be a way to obtain higher peak power output in the session.

The effect of saddle nose width and cutout on saddle pressure distribution and perceived discomfort in women during ergometer cycling.

The objectives were 1) to design and produce two novel unpadded bicycle saddles with a wide/medium width and partial nose cutout; 2) to investigate the responses on pressure distribution and perceived discomfort in female cyclists. For comparison, a standard saddle was also tested. Nineteen female cyclists pedaled on an ergometer cycle for 20 min with each saddle in a counterbalanced order.

Prediction of walk-to-run transition using stride frequency: A test-retest reliability study.

The transition from walking to running has previously been predicted to occur at a point where the stride frequency starts getting closer to the running attractor than to the walking attractor. The two behavioural attractors were considered to be represented by the freely chosen stride frequencies during unrestricted treadmill walking and running. The aim of the present study was to determine the relative and absolute test-retest reliability of the predicted walk-to-run transition stride frequency.

The role of stride frequency for walk-to-run transition in humans.

It remains unclear why humans spontaneously shift from walking to running at a certain point during locomotion at gradually increasing velocity. We show that a calculated walk-to-run transition stride frequency (70.6 ± 3.

Effects of Cycling Training at Imposed Low Cadences: A Systematic Review.

The present article reviews effects of training at low imposed cadences in cycling. The authors performed a systematic literature search of MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus up to April 2016 to identify potentially relevant articles. Based on the titles and abstracts of the identified articles, a subset of articles was selected for evaluation.

Vertical Finger Displacement Is Reduced in Index Finger Tapping During Repeated Bout Rate Enhancement.

The present study analyzed (a) whether a recently reported phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement in finger tapping (i.e., a cumulating increase in freely chosen finger tapping frequency following submaximal muscle activation in the form of externally unloaded voluntary tapping) could be replicated and (b) the hypotheses that the faster tapping was accompanied by changed vertical displacement of the fingertip and changed peak force during tapping.

Muscle synergies during bench press are reliable across days.

Muscle synergies have been investigated during different types of human movement using nonnegative matrix factorization. However, there are not any reports available on the reliability of the method. To evaluate between-day reliability, 21 subjects performed bench press, in two test sessions separated by approximately 7days.

Voluntary Movement Frequencies in Submaximal One- and Two-Legged Knee Extension Exercise and Pedaling.

Understanding of behavior and control of human voluntary rhythmic stereotyped leg movements is useful in work to improve performance, function, and rehabilitation of exercising, healthy, and injured humans. The present study aimed at adding to the existing understanding within this field. To pursue the aim, correlations between freely chosen movement frequencies in relatively simple, single-joint, one- and two-legged knee extension exercise were investigated.

Effect of seat positions on discomfort, muscle activation, pressure distribution and pedal force during cycling.

The aim of this study was to measure and analyse discomfort and biomechanics of cycling, i.e., muscle activation, centre of pressure of seat pressure profiles and pedal forces as a function of seat position.