Estradiol levels predict bone mineral density in male collegiate athletes: a pilot study.

Objective:   Strenuous training commonly results in amenorrhoea, which contributes to bone loss in some female collegiate athletes. However, the impact of athletic training on endocrine function and bone mineral density (BMD) in male collegiate athletes is less well understood. The objective of the study was to investigate the specific endocrine determinants of BMD in male collegiate runners and wrestlers, including the potential impact of gonadal steroid levels.

Seven intermittent exposures to altitude improves exercise performance at 4300 m.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether seven intermittent altitude exposures (IAE), in combination with either rest or exercise training, improves time-trial exercise performance and induces physiologic adaptations consistent with chronic altitude adaptation at 4300 m.

Methods: Ten adult lowlanders (26 +/- 2 yr; 78 +/- 4 kg; means +/- SE) completed cycle endurance testing during an acute exposure to a 4300-m-altitude equivalent (446 mm Hg) once before (pre-IAE) and once after (post-IAE) 7 d of IAE (4h x d(-1), 5 d x wk(-1), 4300 m). Cycle endurance testing consisted of two consecutive 15-min constant-work rate exercise bouts followed immediately by a time-trial exercise performance test.

A framework for health promotion services for people with psychiatric disabilities.

The concepts of wellness and its complement, health promotion, have popularized the notion that health itself is more than simply the absence of disease. Furthermore, the wellness concept has advanced the idea of the importance of engaging in certain health promoting behaviors within healthy environments, not simply for the purpose of preventing or better managing a disease, but also to enhance one's well-being and quality of life (Green & Kreuter, 1991; Mullen, 1986). Encouraging this emphasis on wellness is Healthy People 2010 (U.

White blood cell and hormonal responses to 4300 m altitude before and after intermittent altitude exposure.

Recent studies have demonstrated that brief daily IAE (intermittent altitude exposure) was equally as effective as continuous altitude residence in inducing physiological adaptations consistent with altitude acclimatization. Although the positive benefits of IAE have been clearly defined, the potential negative consequences of IAE on health, specifically the immune system, remain undefined. The present study determined the effects of IAE on WBC (white blood cell) and hormonal responses during rest and exercise at 4300 m altitude.

The role of a fitness intervention on people with serious psychiatric disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects a health education and exercise program would have in limiting weight gain and in improving fitness and psychological parameters in adults with mood or psychotic disorders. Thirty volunteers were randomly assigned to the healthy lifestyle group (HL) or a control group. The HL group engaged in exercise for 12 weeks.

Integrating physical activity into mental health services for persons with serious mental illness.

This article reviews evidence supporting the need for interventions to promote physical activity among persons with serious mental illness. Principles of designing effective physical activity interventions are discussed along with ways to adapt such interventions for this population. Individuals with serious mental illness are at high risk of chronic diseases associated with sedentary behavior, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Intermittent altitude exposures reduce acute mountain sickness at 4300 m.

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) commonly occurs at altitudes exceeding 2000-2500 m and usually resolves after acclimatization induced by a few days of chronic residence at the same altitude. Increased ventilation and diuresis may contribute to the reduction in AMS with altitude acclimatization. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of intermittent altitude exposures (IAE), in combination with rest and exercise training, on the incidence and severity of AMS, resting ventilation and 24-h urine volume at 4300 m.

Intermittent altitude exposures improve muscular performance at 4,300 m.

Chronic altitude residence improves muscular performance at altitude, but the effect of intermittent altitude exposures (IAE) on muscular performance at altitude has not been defined. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 3 wk of IAE, in combination with rest and cycle training, on muscular performance at altitude. Six lowlanders (23 +/- 2 yr, 77 +/- 6 kg; means +/- SE) completed a cycle time trial and adductor pollicis endurance test at sea level and during a 30-h acute exposure to 4,300 m altitude equivalent (barometric pressure = 446 mmHg) once before (pre-IAE) and once after (post-IAE) a 3-wk period of IAE (4 h/day, 5 days/wk, 4,300 m).