Practical guidance for firefighter applicants preparing for cardiorespiratory fitness testing: a secondary analysis of self-reported physical activity levels.

Adequate cardiorespiratory fitness is critical for firefighters since an insufficient level of fitness threatens the integrity of their operations and could be dangerous for their lives. In fact, the leading cause of mortality for on-duty firefighters is not injury but sudden cardiac death. Therefore, to mitigate these risks, potential firefighter recruits are often required to perform a graded exercise test to determine their cardiorespiratory fitness as part of the recruitment process.

Multiple propane gas burn rates procedure to determine accuracy and linearity of indirect calorimetry systems: an experimental assessment of a method.

Objective: Indirect calorimetry (IC) systems measure the fractions of expired carbon dioxide (FCO), and oxygen (FO) recorded at the mouth to estimate whole-body energy production. The fundamental principle of IC relates to the catabolism of high-energy substrates such as carbohydrates and lipids to meet the body's energy needs through the oxidative process, which are reflected in the measured oxygen uptake rates (V̇O) and carbon dioxide production rates (V̇CO). Accordingly, it is important to know the accuracy and validity of V̇Oand V̇CO measurements when estimating energy production and substrate partitioning for research and clinical purposes.

Type of self-talk matters: Its effects on perceived exertion, cardiorespiratory, and cortisol responses during an iso-metabolic endurance exercise.

Self-talk is an effective mental training technique that has been shown to facilitate or debilitate an athlete's performance, depending on its valence. Although the effects of self-talk have been supported by observing change in sport performance, little is known about how self-talk can induce physiological changes. Specifically, it is important to understand if the type of self-talk (positive, neutral, or negative) and can influence stress-related parameters, such as perceived exertion, cardiorespiratory, and cortisol responses.

Normobaric Hypoxia Exposure During Treadmill Aerobic Exercise After Stroke: A Safety and Feasibility Study.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of performing treadmill aerobic exercise in moderate normobaric hypoxia among chronic hemiparetic stroke survivors.

Design: Observational study using convenience sampling.

Setting: Research laboratory in a tertiary rehabilitation hospital.

Task-Oriented Circuit Training as an Alternative to Ergometer-Type Aerobic Exercise Training after Stroke.

Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training is an important treatment strategy to enhance functional recovery and decrease cardiometabolic risk factors after stroke. However, stroke related impairments limit access to ergometer-type exercise. The aims of the current study were (1) to evaluate whether our task-oriented circuit training protocol (intermittent functional training; IFT) could be used to sustain moderate-intensity aerobic workloads over a 10-week intervention period, and (2) to investigate its preliminary effects on cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic profiles compared to constant-load ergometer-type exercise (CET).

Fitness Shifts the Balance of BDNF and IL-6 from Inflammation to Repair among People with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Physical sedentarism is linked to elevated levels of circulating cytokines, whereas exercise upregulates growth-promoting proteins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The shift towards a 'repair' phenotype could protect against neurodegeneration, especially in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated whether having higher fitness or participating in an acute bout of maximal exercise would shift the balance of BDNF and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum samples of people with progressive MS ( = 14), compared to matched controls ( = 8).

Exercise-Induced Brain Excitability Changes in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

Background And Purpose: Even a single bout of aerobic exercise (AE) enhances corticospinal excitability (CSE), a biomarker of neuroplasticity. Because neurodegeneration limits capacity for neuroplasticity, it is not clear whether AE would induce CSE changes in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: People with progressive MS (n = 10) requiring ambulatory assistive devices completed a graded maximal exercise test.

Vigorous cool room treadmill training to improve walking ability in people with multiple sclerosis who use ambulatory assistive devices: a feasibility study.

Background: Aerobic training has the potential to restore function, stimulate brain repair, and reduce inflammation in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). However, disability, fatigue, and heat sensitivity are major barriers to exercise for people with MS. We aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting vigorous harness-supported treadmill training in a room cooled to 16 °C (10 weeks; 3times/week) and examine the longer-term effects on markers of function, brain repair, and inflammation among those using ambulatory aids.

Prior Band-Resisted Squat Jumps Improves Running and Neuromuscular Performance in Middle-Distance Runners.

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) conditioning has been reported to increase performance. Most research has examined PAP effects on strength/power activities, whereas the effects on endurance sports are understudied. The aim of this study was to characterize PAP conditioning stimulus effects on a subsequent 5x1 km running trial.

Oxygen Cost During Mobility Tasks and Its Relationship to Fatigue in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: To compare the oxygen costs of mobility tasks between individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) using walking aids and matched controls and to determine whether oxygen cost predicted fatigue.

Design: Cross-sectional descriptive.

Setting: A rehabilitation research laboratory.

The Investigation into the Toxic Potential of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Utilizing Rat Pheochromocytoma and Human Neural Stem Cells.

Magnetic iron oxide (Magnetite, Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles are widely utilized in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and drug delivery applications due to their superparamagnetism. Surface coatings are often employed to change the properties of the magnetite nanoparticles or to modulate their biological responses. In this study, magnetite nanoparticles were fabricated through hydrothermal synthesis.

Synergistic Benefits of Combined Aerobic and Cognitive Training on Fluid Intelligence and the Role of IGF-1 in Chronic Stroke.

Background: Paired exercise and cognitive training have the potential to enhance cognition by "priming" the brain and upregulating neurotrophins.

Methods: Two-site randomized controlled trial. Fifty-two patients >6 months poststroke with concerns about cognitive impairment trained 50 to 70 minutes, 3× week for 10 weeks with 12-week follow-up.

Prolonged cortical silent period is related to poor fitness and fatigue, but not tumor necrosis factor, in Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: Poor fitness among people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) aggravates disease symptoms. Whether low fitness levels accompany brain functioning changes is unknown.

Methods: MS patients (n = 82) completed a graded maximal exercise test, blood was drawn, and transcranial magnetic stimulation determined resting and active motor thresholds, motor evoked potential latency, and cortical silent period (CSP).

Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor as potential recovery biomarkers in stroke.

Objectives: Our objectives were: 1) to determine whether maximal aerobic exercise increased serum neurotrophins in chronic stroke and 2) to determine the factors that predict resting and exercise-dependent levels.

Methods: We investigated the potential predictors of resting and exercise-dependent serum insulin-like growth factor-1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor among 35 chronic stroke patients. Predictors from three domains (demographic, disease burden, and cardiometabolic) were entered into 4 separate stepwise linear regression models with outcome variables: resting insulin-like growth factor, resting brain-derived neurotrophic factor, exercise-dependent change in insulin-like growth factor, and exercise-dependent change brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Asymmetry of Brain Excitability: A New Biomarker that Predicts Objective and Subjective Symptoms in Multiple Sclerosis.

Objectives: Investigate whether asymmetrical corticospinal excitability exists in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and its association with MS symptoms.

Methods: Bilateral resting and active motor thresholds (RMT, AMT) were gathered using transcranial magnetic stimulation among 82 MS patients. Corticospinal excitability (CSE) asymmetry was expressed as the ratio between weaker and stronger sides' RMT and AMT.

A Bout of High Intensity Interval Training Lengthened Nerve Conduction Latency to the Non-exercised Affected Limb in Chronic Stroke.

Evaluate intensity-dependent effects of a single bout of high intensity interval training (HIIT) compared to moderate intensity constant-load exercise (MICE) on corticospinal excitability (CSE) and effects on upper limb performance in chronic stroke. Randomized cross-over trial. Research laboratory in a tertiary rehabilitation hospital.

Excessive sedentary time during in-patient stroke rehabilitation.

Background and Purpose Previous research suggests that patients receiving inpatient stroke rehabilitation are sedentary although there is little data to confirm this supposition within the Canadian healthcare system. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to observe two weeks of inpatient rehabilitation in a tertiary stroke center to determine patients' activity levels and sedentary time. Methods Heart rate (HR) and accelerometer data were measured using an Actiheart monitor for seven consecutive days, 24 h/day, on the second week and the last week of admission.

Advanced Continuous Flow Platform for On-Demand Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.

As a demonstration of an alternative to the challenges faced with batch pharmaceutical manufacturing including the large production footprint and lengthy time-scale, we previously reported a refrigerator-sized continuous flow system for the on-demand production of essential medicines. Building on this technology, herein we report a second-generation, reconfigurable and 25 % smaller (by volume) continuous flow pharmaceutical manufacturing platform featuring advances in reaction and purification equipment. Consisting of two compact [0.

Environmental temperature and exercise modality independently impact central and muscle fatigue among people with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Heat sensitivity and fatigue limit the ability of multiple sclerosis patients to participate in exercise.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal aerobic exercise parameters (environmental temperature and exercise modality) to limit exercise-induced central and muscle fatigue among people with multiple sclerosis.

Methods: Fourteen people with multiple sclerosis with varying levels of disability completed four randomized exercise sessions at 65% of the maximal volume of oxygen: body-weight supported treadmill cool (16°C), body-weight supported treadmill room (21°C), total-body recumbent stepper cool and total-body recumbent stepper room.

Intensifying Functional Task Practice to Meet Aerobic Training Guidelines in Stroke Survivors.

To determine whether stroke survivors could maintain workloads during functional task practice that can reach moderate levels of cardiometabolic stress (i.e., ≥40% oxygen uptake reserve ([Formula: see text]OR) for ≥20 min) without the use of ergometer-based exercise.

Acute Normobaric Hypoxia Increases Post-exercise Lipid Oxidation in Healthy Males.

The primary objective of the current study was to determine the effect of moderate normobaric hypoxia exposure during constant load cycling on post-exercise energy metabolism recorded in normoxia. Indirect calorimetry was used to examine whole body substrate oxidation before, during, 40-60 min post, and 22 h after performing 60 min of cycling exercise at two different fractions of inspired oxygen (FO): (i) FO = 0.2091 (normoxia) and (ii) FO = 0.

Four birds with one stone? Reparative, neuroplastic, cardiorespiratory, and metabolic benefits of aerobic exercise poststroke.

Purpose Of Review: Converging evidence from animal models of stroke and clinical trials suggests that aerobic exercise has effects across multiple targets.

Recent Findings: The subacute phase is characterized by a period of heightened neuroplasticity when aerobic exercise has the potential to optimize recovery. In animals, low intensity aerobic exercise shrinks lesion size and reduces cell death and inflammation, beginning 24 h poststroke.