Insights from older adults' lived experience of physical activity and exercise during the COVID-19 lockdown in England.

Introduction: This study investigated older adults' emotional and social experiences of physical activity and exercise during the first Covid-19 lockdown in England.

Methods: Participants were 24 older adults (M = 74 years, SD = 5.0) either physically active or inactive before lockdown.

Impact of Different Mechanical and Metabolic Stimuli on the Temporal Dynamics of Muscle Strength Adaptation.

Lambrianides, Y, Epro, G, Smith, K, Mileva, K, James, D, and Karamanidis, K. Impact of different mechanical and metabolic stimuli on the temporal dynamics of muscle strength adaptation. J Strength Cond Res 36(11): 3246-3255, 2022-A fundamental task in exercise physiology is to determine and ultimately improve the adaptations that take place in the human body, an integrated network of various physiological systems, for example, muscle, tendon, and bone.

The Type of Per-Cooling Strategies Currently Employed by Competitive and Professional Cyclists-Triathletes During Training and Competition Are Condition (Dry vs. Humid) Dependant.

Purpose: To investigate cooling strategies employed by athletes (cyclists-triathletes) during training and competition in hot and dry (HD) and hot and humid (HH) conditions.

Methods: Thirty-five athletes completed an online questionnaire on the type, timing, and justification of cooling strategies employed during past training and/or competitions in HD and HH conditions. In addition, 3 athletes also completed a one-to-one follow-up interview.

What makes young people get involved with street gangs in London? A study of the perceived risk factors.

This study examined the perceived determinants of street gang-related antisocial behavior (ASB) and crime of young people (YP) in a deprived and ethnically diverse community in London. Twenty-six participants were recruited from two youth centers (one sport and one art-based program) from the borough of Tower Hamlets. Participants took part in four focus groups (FGs) organized into two youth (N = 14) and two adults (N = 12) subgroups.

A voluntary activation deficit in m. abductor hallucis exists in asymptomatic feet.

M. abductor hallucis (AbH) is the strongest intrinsic foot muscle and its dysfunction underlies various foot disorders. Attempts to strengthen the muscle by voluntary exercises are constrained by its complex morphology and oblique mechanical action, which leads to an inability even in asymptomatic individuals to fully activate AbH.

Gastrocnemius medialis contractile behavior during running differs between simulated Lunar and Martian gravities.

The international partnership of space agencies has agreed to proceed forward to the Moon sustainably. Activities on the Lunar surface (0.16 g) will allow crewmembers to advance the exploration skills needed when expanding human presence to Mars (0.

Contractile behavior of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle during running in simulated hypogravity.

Vigorous exercise countermeasures in microgravity can largely attenuate muscular degeneration, albeit the extent of applied loading is key for the extent of muscle wasting. Running on the International Space Station is usually performed with maximum loads of 70% body weight (0.7 g).

Gastrocnemius Medialis Contractile Behavior Is Preserved During 30% Body Weight Supported Gait Training.

Rehabilitative body weight supported gait training aims at restoring walking function as a key element in activities of daily living. Studies demonstrated reductions in muscle and joint forces, while kinematic gait patterns appear to be preserved with up to 30% weight support. However, the influence of body weight support on muscle architecture, with respect to fascicle and series elastic element behavior is unknown, despite this having potential clinical implications for gait retraining.

Less Is More-Cyclists-Triathlete's 30 min Cycling Time-Trial Performance Is Impaired With Multiple Feedback Compared to a Single Feedback.

The purpose of this article was to (i) compare different modes of feedback (multiple vs. single) on 30 min cycling time-trial performance in non-cyclist's and cyclists-triathletes, and (ii) investigate cyclists-triathlete's information acquisition. 20 participants (10 non-cyclists, 10 cyclists-triathletes) performed two 30 min self-paced cycling time-trials (TT, ∼5-7 days apart) with either a single feedback (elapsed time) or multiple feedback (power output, elapsed distance, elapsed time, cadence, speed, and heart rate).

Direct muscle electrical stimulation as a method for the in vivo assessment of force production in m. abductor hallucis.

In vivo assessment of the force-generating capacity of m. abductor hallucis (AbH) is problematic due to its combined abduction-flexion action and the inability of some individuals to voluntarily activate the muscle. This study investigated direct muscle electrical stimulation as a method to assess isometric force production in AbH about the 1st metatarsal phalangeal joint (1MPJ) at different muscle-tendon lengths, with the aim of identifying an optimal angle for force production.

Training Regimes and Recovery Monitoring Practices of Elite British Swimmers.

Consistent prescriptions for event-specific training of swimmers are lacking, which points to likely differences in training practices and a potential gap between practice and scientific knowledge. This study aimed to analyze the distance-specific training load of elite swimmers, derive a consistent training sessions' description and reflect on the current recommendations for training and recovery. The individual training regimes of 18 elite British swimmers were documented by surveying four swim and two strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches.

Correction to: Effect of Immobilisation on Neuromuscular Function In Vivo in Humans: A Systematic Review.

The following sections 3.5.1 to 3.

Effect of Immobilisation on Neuromuscular Function In Vivo in Humans: A Systematic Review.

Background: Muscle strength loss following immobilisation has been predominantly attributed to rapid muscle atrophy. However, this cannot fully explain the magnitude of muscle strength loss, so changes in neuromuscular function (NMF) may be involved.

Objectives: We systematically reviewed literature that quantified changes in muscle strength, size and NMF following periods of limb immobilisation in vivo in humans.

Lower Body Acceleration and Muscular Responses to Rotational and Vertical Whole-Body Vibration at Different Frequencies and Amplitudes.

Aim: The aim of this study was to characterize acceleration transmission and neuromuscular responses to rotational vibration (RV) and vertical vibration (VV) at different frequencies and amplitudes.

Methods: Twelve healthy males completed 2 experimental trials (RV vs VV) during which vibration was delivered during either squatting (30°; RV vs VV) or standing (RV only) with 20, 25, and 30 Hz, at 1.5 and 3.

Wide-pulse, high-frequency, low-intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation has potential for targeted strengthening of an intrinsic foot muscle: a feasibility study.

Background: Strengthening the intrinsic foot muscles is a poorly understood and largely overlooked area. In this study, we explore the feasibility of strengthening . abductor hallucis (AH) with a specific paradigm of neuromuscular electrical stimulation; one which is low-intensity in nature and designed to interleave physiologically-relevant low frequency stimulation with high-frequencies to enhance effective current delivery to spinal motoneurones, and enable a proportion of force produced by the target muscle to be generated from a central origin.

Improved Exercise Tolerance with Caffeine Is Associated with Modulation of both Peripheral and Central Neural Processes in Human Participants.

Background: Caffeine has been shown to enhance exercise performance and capacity. The mechanisms remain unclear but are suggested to relate to adenosine receptor antagonism, resulting in increased central motor drive, reduced perception of effort, and altered peripheral processes such as enhanced calcium handling and extracellular potassium regulation. Our aims were to investigate how caffeine (i) affects knee extensor PCr kinetics and pH during repeated sets of single-leg knee extensor exercise to task failure and (ii) modulates the interplay between central and peripheral neural processes.

Muscle metabolic and neuromuscular determinants of fatigue during cycling in different exercise intensity domains.

Lactate or gas exchange threshold (GET) and critical power (CP) are closely associated with human exercise performance. We tested the hypothesis that the limit of tolerance (T) during cycle exercise performed within the exercise intensity domains demarcated by GET and CP is linked to discrete muscle metabolic and neuromuscular responses. Eleven men performed a ramp incremental exercise test, 4-5 severe-intensity (SEV; >CP) constant-work-rate (CWR) tests until T, a heavy-intensity (HVY; GET) CWR test until T, and a moderate-intensity (MOD; 0.

The biomechanical characteristics of wearing FitFlop™ sandals highlight significant alterations in gait pattern: a comparative study.

Background: The net contribution of all muscles that act about a joint can be represented as an internal joint moment profile. This approach may be advantageous when studying footwear-induced perturbations during walking since the contribution of the smaller deeper muscles that cross the ankle joint cannot be evaluated with surface electromyography. Therefore, the present study aimed to advance the understanding of FitFlop™ footwear interaction by investigating lower extremity joint moment, and kinematic and centre of pressure profiles during gait.

Low-frequency accelerations over-estimate impact-related shock during walking.

During gait, a failure to acknowledge the low-frequency component of a segmental acceleration signal will result in an overestimation of impact-related shock and may lead to inappropriately drawn conclusions. The present study was undertaken to investigate the significance of this low-frequency component in two distinctly different modalities of gait: barefoot (BF) and shod (SHOD) walking. Twenty-seven participants performed five walking trials at self-selected speed in each condition.

Experimental evidence of the tonic vibration reflex during whole-body vibration of the loaded and unloaded leg.

Increased muscle activation during whole-body vibration (WBV) is mainly ascribed to a complex spinal and supraspinal neurophysiological mechanism termed the tonic vibration reflex (TVR). However, TVR has not been experimentally demonstrated during low-frequency WBV, therefore this investigation aimed to determine the expression of TVR during WBV. Whilst seated, eight healthy males were exposed to either vertical WBV applied to the leg via the plantar-surface of the foot, or Achilles tendon vibration (ATV) at 25 Hz and 50 Hz for 70s.

Repeated sprint training in normobaric hypoxia.

Repeated sprint ability (RSA) is a critical success factor for intermittent sport performance. Repeated sprint training has been shown to improve RSA, we hypothesised that hypoxia would augment these training adaptations. Thirty male well-trained academy rugby union and rugby league players (18.

Effect of hypohydration on peripheral and corticospinal excitability and voluntary activation.

We investigated whether altered peripheral and/or corticospinal excitatory output and voluntary activation are implicated in hypohydration-induced reductions in muscle isometric and isokinetic (90°.s(-1)) strength. Nine male athletes completed two trials (hypohydrated, euhydrated) comprising 90 min cycling at 40°C, with body weight losses replaced in euhydrated trial.

Acute physiological and performance responses to repeated sprints in varying degrees of hypoxia.

Objectives: Our aim was to determine the effects of different inspired oxygen fractions on repeated sprint performance and cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular responses, to construct a hypoxic dose response.

Design: Nine male well-trained multi-sport athletes completed 10×6s all-out running sprints with 30s recovery in 5 conditions with different inspired oxygen fraction (FIO2: 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 21%).

Methods: Peak running speed was measured in each sprint and electromyography data were recorded from m.

Montmorency cherry juice reduces muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise.

Purpose: Montmorency cherries contain high levels of polyphenolic compounds including flavonoids and anthocyanins possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated whether the effects of intensive unilateral leg exercise on oxidative damage and muscle function were attenuated by consumption of a Montmorency cherry juice concentrate using a crossover experimental design.

Methods: Ten well-trained male overnight-fasted athletes completed two trials of 10 sets of 10 single-leg knee extensions at 80% one-repetition maximum.

Acute effects of Flexi-bar vs. Sham-bar exercise on muscle electromyography activity and performance.

This study was conducted to investigate whether the low-frequency (5-Hz) oscillatory vibration-like stimulus, purported to be delivered by exercising with Flexi-bar, acutely affects muscle activation and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force. Nine healthy men participated in 2 trials, separated by at least 1 week, during which 4 x 30-second sets of exercise were performed with either the Flexi bar or a Sham bar. Maximal voluntary contraction force for elbow flexion, elbow extension, and knee extension were measured before and after the exercise.