Low-Intensity Resistance Exercise in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review of Mechanistic Evidence and Clinical Implications.

Cardiac rehabilitation, a multi-component intervention designed to mitigate the impact of cardiovascular disease, often underutilises low-intensity resistance exercise despite its potential benefits. This narrative review critically examines the mechanistic and clinical evidence supporting the incorporation of low-intensity resistance exercise into cardiac rehabilitation programmes. Research indicates that low-intensity resistance exercise induces hypertrophic adaptations by maximising muscle fibre activation through the size principle, effectively recruiting larger motor units as it approaches maximal effort.

Long-term patient outcomes from a multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation programme with integrated nurse specialist support: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation programmes, while demonstrating benefits, face challenges in universal adoption, particularly in New Zealand. This study evaluates the long-term impact of cardiac rehabilitation participation and attendance on survival and readmission rates in the Auckland Health District.

Objective: To examine the impact of patient participation in nurse-led lifestyle rehabilitation and physiotherapy exercise rehabilitation on key outcomes, including all-cause mortality, and all-cause, cardiac-specific, and kidney disease readmission rates.

An expert consensus on the most effective components of integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy for lifestyle behaviour change: protocol for an online modified Delphi study.

Introduction: Behaviour change interventions are advocated as a key approach to manage behavioural risk factors such as insufficient physical activity, poor diet and smoking. Integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy (MI-CBT) interventions have become increasingly popular to promote behaviour change; however, there is a lack of agreement as to what constitutes necessary components of MI-CBT interventions for lifestyle behaviour change. The primary objective of this study is to use a consensus method to develop guidelines to design and deliver MI-CBT interventions for lifestyle behaviour change.

Preventive healthcare practice by allied health professionals: Results from a cross-sectional survey in rural and regional Victoria.

Objectives: To describe the frequency of preventive healthcare practice (assess, advice, refer for support) provided by allied health professionals (AHPs) practicing in regional and rural healthcare settings to address smoking, diet and physical inactivity. To identify factors that influence the delivery of preventive healthcare practice.

Methods: AHPs working in public healthcare services in the Loddon Mallee region of Victoria were surveyed.

Breaking the cycle of reoccurring low back pain with integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy to facilitate education and exercise advice: a superiority randomised controlled trial study protocol.

Background: Non-specific low back pain is a common and costly global issue. Many people with low back pain live for years with ongoing symptom recurrence and disability, making it crucial to find effective prevention strategies. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based patient-centred counselling style that helps motivate individuals to change their behaviours.

Assessment, diagnosis and management characteristics of people with acute Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy in a regional Australian health service: A 3-year retrospective audit.

Objective: Acute Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy (CN) is highly destructive, causing bone and joint damage that can result in devastating structural changes to the foot. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of assessment, diagnosis and management of people with acute CN attending a large regional Australian health service.

Design: Three-year retrospective medical record audit.

Behaviour change interventions to improve physical activity in adults: a systematic review of economic evaluations.

Background: Behaviour change interventions can result in lasting improvements in physical activity (PA). A broad implementation of behaviour change interventions are likely to be associated with considerable additional costs, and the evidence is unclear whether they represent good value for money. The aim of this study was to investigate costs and cost-effectiveness of behaviour change interventions to increase PA in community-dwelling adults.

Coagulation activity and thrombotic risk following high-volume endurance exercise in recreationally active cyclists.

Despite the prognostic effect of physical activity, acute bouts of high-volume endurance exercise can induce cardiac stress and postexercise hypercoagulation associated with increased thrombotic risk. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of high-volume endurance exercise on coagulation and thrombotic activity in recreational cyclists. Thirty-four recreational cyclists completed 4.

Predicting successful draft outcome in Australian Rules football: Model sensitivity is superior in neural networks when compared to logistic regression.

Using logistic regression and neural networks, the aim of this study was to compare model performance when predicting player draft outcome during the 2021 AFL National Draft. Physical testing, in-game movement and technical involvements were collected from 708 elite-junior Australian Rules football players during consecutive seasons. Predictive models were generated using data from 465 players (2017 to 2020).

A Mediterranean Diet and Walking Intervention to Reduce Cognitive Decline and Dementia Risk in Independently Living Older Australians: The MedWalk Randomized Controlled Trial Experimental Protocol, Including COVID-19 Related Modifications and Baseline Characteristics.

Background: Several clinical trials have examined diet and physical activity lifestyle changes as mitigation strategies for risk factors linked to cognitive decline and dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. However, the ability to modify these behaviors longer term, to impact cognitive health has remained elusive.

Objective: The MedWalk trial's primary aim is to investigate whether longer-term adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and regular walking, delivered through motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy (MI-CBT), can reduce age-associated cognitive decline and other dementia risk factors in older, independently living individuals without cognitive impairment.

Habitual Physical Activity of People with or at Risk of Diabetes-Related Foot Complications.

Regular physical activity is an important component of diabetes management. However, there are limited data on the habitual physical activity of people with or at risk of diabetes-related foot complications. The aim of this study was to describe the habitual physical activity of people with or at risk of diabetes-related foot complications in regional Australia.

Comparison of telehealth and supervised phase III cardiac rehabilitation in regional Australia: protocol for a non-inferiority trial.

Introduction: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes (ExCRP) promote recovery and secondary prevention for individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, enrolment and adherence to ExCRP in rural locations is low. Telehealth programmes provide a convenient, home-based intervention, but concerns remain about compliance to exercise prescription.

The effect of motivational interviewing and/or cognitive behaviour therapy techniques on gestational weight gain - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Women with gestational weight gain (GWG) that is below or above recommendations are at risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Motivational interviewing and/or cognitive behaviour therapy have demonstrated efficacy in initiating and sustaining behaviour change, including weight control. The objective of this review was to investigate the effect of antenatal interventions that include components of motivational interviewing and/or cognitive behaviour therapy on gestational weight gain.

Including a Technical Factor with Physical and In-Game Movement Factors Improves Model Sensitivity When Evaluating Draft Outcome in Elite-Junior Australian Rules Football.

Determining characteristics that define talent is critical for recruitment and player development. When developing predictive models, sensitivity is important, as it describes the ability of models to identify players with draft potential (true positives). In the current literature, modelling is limited to a small number of selected variables, and model sensitivity is often poor or unreported.

Position-Specific Running and Technical Demands During Male Elite-Junior and Elite-Senior Australian Rules Football Match-Play.

Jennings, J, Štaka, Z, Wundersitz, DW, Sullivan, CJ, Cousins, SD, Čustović, E, and Kingsley, MI. Position-specific running and technical demands during male elite-junior and elite-senior Australian rules football match-play. J Strength Cond Res 37(7): 1449-1455, 2023-The aim of this study was to compare position-specific running and technical demands of elite-junior and elite-senior Australian rules football match-play to better inform practice and assist transition between the levels.

Moderate continuous- and high-intensity interval training elicit comparable cardiovascular effect among middle-aged men regardless of recovery mode.

To assess the effect of active and passive intra-interval recovery modes in time-efficient high-intensity interval training (HIT) on cardiorespiratory fitness, autonomic function, and endothelial function in sedentary middle-aged men.Participants (= 62; age: 49.5 ± 5.

Comparison between a targeted exercise program and a sham intervention on gluteal muscle activity in people with hip osteoarthritis: Analysis of secondary outcomes from a randomised clinical trial.

Background: People with hip osteoarthritis (OA) typically display altered gluteus minimus (GMin) and gluteus medius (GMed) activity during gait, in addition to reduced walking speed and stride length. It is unknown if current rehabilitation programs address changes in gluteal muscle activity in people with hip OA.

Research Question: Can a targeted gluteal intervention restore normal gluteal muscle segment activity during gait in people with hip OA?

Methods: This study presents secondary outcomes from a multi-site, double-blinded clinical trial in which participants with radiologically confirmed mild-moderate hip OA were randomised into a targeted gluteal or sham intervention for 12-weeks following baseline testing.

Effects of a targeted resistance intervention compared to a sham intervention on gluteal muscle hypertrophy, fatty infiltration and strength in people with hip osteoarthritis: analysis of secondary outcomes from a randomised clinical trial.

Background: People with hip osteoarthritis are typically offered a combination of education and exercise to address muscle atrophy and weakness. Limited evidence exists to assess the efficacy of exercise programs on muscle structure or function in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of targeted resistance exercise on gluteal muscle hypertrophy and strength in people with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis.

External nasal dilator decreases N95 respirator-related respiratory effort and symptoms in gastrointestinal endoscopy unit staff.

N95-filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) use is associated with physiological changes and symptoms due to impaired nasal airflow and increased breathing resistance. We prospectively studied the effect of using an external nasal dilator (END) in gastroenterology laboratory (gastrointestinal lab) staff using N95FFR. N95FFR qualitative saccharine fit testing was performed on study participants with and without an END.

Training and match demands differ between the regular season and finals in semi-professional basketball.

Basketball competitions often include a scheduled regular season followed by knock-out finals. Understanding training and match demands through the season can help optimize performance and reduce injury risk. This study investigated whether training and/or match demands differed between the regular season and finals, and whether these differences were dependent on player role.

Factors influencing adults who participate in a physical activity coaching intervention: a theoretically informed qualitative study.

Objective: Behaviour change interventions targeting changes in physical activity (PA) can benefit by examining the underlying mechanisms that promote change. This study explored the use of the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour (COM-B) model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to code and contextualise the experiences of participants who completed a PA coaching intervention underpinned by motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioural therapy.

Design: Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of participants.

Residual neuromuscular fatigue influences subsequent on-court activity in basketball.

The aim of this study was to determine if residual neuromuscular fatigue influenced subsequent match and training activity in professional women's basketball. Prior to matches and training sessions throughout a season, players performed countermovement jumps while wearing a magnetic, angular rate and gravity (acceleration) sensor on their upper back. Flight time to contraction time ratio was used to determine neuromuscular performance and to identify neuromuscular fatigue.

On-Court Activity and Game-Related Statistics during Scoring Streaks in Basketball: Applied Use of Accelerometers.

The aim of this observational study was to determine if on-court activity and match statistics differed between periods of scoring streaks and regular play in basketball. Thirty-seven basketballers including professional women, semi-professional women and semi-professional men wore accelerometers during competitive matches throughout a season. Accelerometry-derived live-time individual on-court exercise intensity and team game-related statistics were compared between scoring streaks (periods of play where the teams participating in the study scored at least three times in a row), streaks against (periods of play where the opposition teams scored at least three times in a row) and regular play.