Running Through the Haze: How Wildfire Smoke Affects Physical Activity and Mental Well-Being.

Background: With a warming climate, extreme wildfires are more likely to occur, which may adversely affect air quality, physical activity (PA), and therefore, mental well-being.

Methods: We assessed PA engagement and mental well-being between periods with and without wildfire smoke, and whether there were associations between changes in PA behavior and mental well-being. Questionnaires on PA and mental well-being during a period of wildfire smoke were completed by 348 participants; of these participants, 162 also completed a follow-up PA and mental well-being questionnaire during a period without wildfire smoke.

Does Higher Self-Reported Cardiorespiratory Fitness Reduce the Odds of Hospitalization From COVID-19?

Background: Regular physical activity and higher cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness enhance immune function, possibly reducing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection severity. The aim was to assess the association between physical activity and self-reported CR fitness on COVID-19 infection characteristics.

Methods: Participants formerly testing positive for COVID-19 completed an online questionnaire measuring COVID-19 infection characteristics and complications, self-reported CR fitness level, physical activity, and sociodemographic and health-related characteristics.

Blueberry supplementation reduces the blood lactate response to running in normobaric hypoxia but has no effect on performance in recreational runners.

Background: Blueberries are concentrated with anthocyanins possessing antioxidant properties. As these properties counter fatigue, blueberry supplementation may improve performance and recovery, particularly in hypoxia, where oxidative stress is elevated.

Methods: This study examined the effects of blueberry supplementation on running performance, physiological responses, and recovery in normobaric hypoxia.

Four Days of Blueberry Powder Supplementation Lowers the Blood Lactate Response to Running But Has No Effect on Time-Trial Performance.

Blueberries are abundant with anthocyanins possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. As these properties combat fatigue and promote recovery, blueberry supplementation may enhance performance and recovery. Thus, the objectives were to examine the effects of two blueberry supplementation protocols on running performance, physiological responses, and short-term recovery.

Physiological responses to diesel exhaust exposure are modified by cycling intensity.

Background: Outdoor exercisers are frequently exposed to diesel exhaust (DE) that contains particulate matter (PM) air pollution. How the respiratory and metabolic responses to exercise are affected by DE exposure and how these responses change with exercise intensity are unknown.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the respiratory and metabolic responses to low- and high-intensity cycling with DE exposure containing high levels of PM.

Fluid balance of elite female basketball players before and during game play.

This study determined the fluid balance of elite female basketball players before and during competition. Before and during 2 international games, 17 national-level players (age 24.2 ± 3 yr, height 180.

Effects of wearing a cooling vest during the warm-up on 10-km run performance.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether wearing a cooling vest during an active warm-up would improve the 10-km time trial (TT) performance of endurance runners. Seven male runners completed 3 10-km TTs (1 familiarization and 2 experimental) on a treadmill after a 30-minute warm-up. During the warm-up of the experimental TTs, runners wore either a t-shirt (control [C]) or a cooling vest (V), the order of which was randomized.

An electromyography analysis of 3 muscles surrounding the shoulder joint during the performance of a chest press exercise at several angles.

This study compared the activation of the clavicular head and the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major and the anterior deltoid when performing the bench press at several different angles. Fifteen healthy male subjects participated in this study. Subjects performed the chest press exercise at 0 (flat bench), 28, 44, and 56 degrees above horizontal using 70% of their respective 1 repetition maximum for each angle.

Protein supplement users among high school athletes have misconceptions about effectiveness.

Protein supplements commonly are ingested by athletes to improve strength, agility, and speed. While athletes require a higher amount of protein (g.kg body weight) than nonathletes do to support protein synthesis, they do not necessarily need to consume protein from supplemental sources.

The acute effects of prior dynamic resistance exercise using different loads on subsequent upper-body explosive performance in resistance-trained men.

The purpose of this study was to determine if explosive upper-body performance could be improved when it was preceded by conditioning contraction protocols that incorporate resistance exercise. Providing that performance was enhanced, it was also the intention to determine the optimal conditioning contraction load for enhancing performance. Eight recreationally trained men completed 4 experimental sessions.

The effects of accentuated eccentric loading on strength, muscle hypertrophy, and neural adaptations in trained individuals.

The purpose of this study was to compare the strength and neuromuscular adaptations for dynamic constant external resistance (DCER) training and dynamic accentuated external resistance (DAER) training (resistance training employing an accentuated load during eccentric actions). Male subjects active in resistance training were assigned to either a DCER training group (n = 10) or a DAER training group (n = 8) for 9 weeks. Subjects in the DCER group performed 4 sets of 10 repetitions with a load of 75% concentric 1 repetition maximum (RM).