Lifestyle risk factors of students: a cluster analytical approach.

Objective: Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours have been identified as a problem amongst students. This present study investigated the prevalence and clustering of five lifestyle risk factors within a UK Higher Education (HE) institution during the period of April-May in 2008.

Method: In a cross-sectional design, 410 students completed a 'health and lifestyle' survey.

A role for human endogenous retrovirus-K (HML-2) in rheumatoid arthritis: investigating mechanisms of pathogenesis.

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections within the human genome. These molecular fossils draw parallels with present-day exogenous retroviruses and have been linked previously with immunopathology within rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Mechanisms of pathogenesis for HERV-K in RA such as molecular mimicry were investigated.

The relationship between pedometer-determined physical activity, body mass index and lean body mass index in children.

Objective: To cross-sectionally assess weekend to weekday variation of physical activity in British children and to consider the role of Body Mass Index (BMI, W/H(2)) and Lean Body Mass Index (LBMI, H(2)/W) when examining this issue.

Methods: A total of 496 children aged 8-14 years, were measured for height and weight and the activity levels were analysed using pedometers to measure mean step counts for 4 consecutive days (2 weekdays, 2 weekend days).

Results: Boys had significantly lower BMI than girls.

Does physical fitness affect injury occurrence and time loss due to injury in elite vocational ballet students?

Most ballet dancers will suffer at least one injury a year. There are numerous causes of injury in dance, and while many investigators have documented risk factors such as anatomical characteristics, past medical history, menstrual history, dance experience, length of dance training, fatigue, and stress, risk factors related to body characteristics and nutrient intake, levels of conditioning, or physical fitness parameters have only recently received the same amount of attention. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to investigate correlations between ballet injury and body fat percentage, active and passive flexibility, lower limb power, upper body and core endurance, and aerobic capacity.

Rheumatoid cachexia and cardiovascular disease.

Objective: It has been frequently stated that rheumatoid cachexia (RC) associates with increased cardiovascular risk; however, no studies to date have investigated this. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of RC with multiple novel and classical cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and the presence of established CVD in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: A total of 34 RA patients with RC (RA+RC) were identified from a database of 400 RA patients using published RC criteria and compared to the remaining patients (RA-RC) who did not fulfil RC criteria.

[Evaluation of knee peak torque in athletic and sedentary children].

Objectives: We examined the influence of sex, level of activity, and pubertal status on knee extension (Ext) and flexion (Fl) peak torque (PT) in children using an allometric modeling approach.

Methods: A total of 140 students (67 males, 73 females) aged 12/13 years were enrolled from a Hong Kong junior high school, whose curricula were based on physical education (n=69) or arts (n=71). Isokinetic concentric Ext and Fl PT of the dominant leg was assessed at 1.

Modelling the determinants of 2000 m rowing ergometer performance: a proportional, curvilinear allometric approach.

Previous studies have investigated the determinants of indoor rowing using correlations and linear regression. However, the power demands of ergometer rowing are proportional to the cube of the flywheel's (and boat's) speed. A rower's speed, therefore, should be proportional to the cube root (0.

Biological markers of cardiac damage are not related to measures of cardiac systolic and diastolic function using cardiovascular magnetic resonance and echocardiography after an acute bout of prolonged endurance exercise.

Objectives: Seventeen male participants (mean (SD) (range): age 33.5 (6.5) years (46-26 years), body mass 80 (9.

Allometric associations between body size, shape, and physical performance of Greek children.

We adopted allometric models to identify the most appropriate body size/shape characteristics associated with physical performance activities of Greek school children. Children underwent assessments for aerobic and anaerobic fitness, flexibility and hand-grip strength. Results suggest that the inverse Ponderal index and not BMI is the most appropriate body-shape indicator associated with running and jumping activities.

Physical fitness and developmental coordination disorder in Greek children.

We investigated whether children with suspected Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD+) demonstrate different physical fitness levels compared with their normal peers (DCD-). Randomly recruited Greek children (n = 177) were assessed for body mass index (BMI), flexibility (SR), vertical jump (VJ), hand strength (HS), 40m dash, aerobic power, and motor proficiency. ANCOVA revealed a motor proficiency (i.

Validity and reliability of cardiorespiratory measurements recorded by the LifeShirt during exercise tests.

The LifeShirt is a novel ambulatory monitoring system that records cardiorespiratory measurements outside the laboratory. Validity and reliability of cardiorespiratory measurements recorded by the LifeShirt were assessed and two methods of calibrating the LifeShirt were compared. Participants performed an incremental treadmill test and a constant work rate test (65% peak oxygen uptake) on four occasions (>48 h apart) and wore the LifeShirt, COSMED system and Polar Sport Tester simultaneously.

Why Great Britain's success in Beijing could have been anticipated and why it should continue beyond 2012.

Background: Home advantage in the summer Olympic Games is well known. What is not so well known is that countries that host the Olympic Games perform better in the games before and after the games in which they were hosts.

Objective: To model/quantify the significance associated with these "hosting" effects and to explain the likely causes of Great Britain's improved medals haul in Beijing, while examining implications for London 2012 and beyond.

Effects of a 6-week circuit training intervention on body esteem and body mass index in British primary school children.

Research examining the impact of physical activity on children's body image has been limited and equivocal. The current researchers examined the effect of 6-week circuit-based training on body esteem and body mass index (BMI) in 68 British children (34 boys and 34 girls, aged 10-11 years, 16% overweight, 7% obese). The Body Esteem Scale for Children (BES-C) was administered to both the intervention group and control group, pre, post and 6 weeks post the intervention.

The changing shape of "successful" professional footballers.

Football coaches and sports scientists are always seeking to identify key characteristics that can distinguish between successful and less successful footballers and teams. The purpose of the present article was to identify whether any body size, shape, and age characteristics might be associated with more successful professional footballers and whether any such characteristics might have changed over time. We found that despite a significant increase in professional footballers' height, body mass, and body mass index (BMI) from 1973-74 to 2003-04, no differences in the body shape parameter, reciprocal ponderal index (RPI) or age were identified.

Association of physical inactivity with increased cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are characterized by reduced physical activity and increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to investigate associations between levels of physical activity and CVD risk profile in RA patients.

Methods: Levels of physical activity were assessed in 65 RA patients (43 females).

Scaling concept II rowing ergometer performance for differences in body mass to better reflect rowing in water.

We investigated whether the concept II indoor rowing ergometer accurately reflects rowing on water. Forty-nine junior elite male rowers from a Great Britain training camp completed a 2000 m concept II model C indoor rowing ergometer test and a water-based 2000 m single-scull rowing test. Rowing speed in water (3.

Whole-body efficiency is negatively correlated with minimum torque per duty cycle in trained cyclists.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a causal relationship between pedalling "circularity" and cycling efficiency. Eleven trained cyclists were studied during submaximal cycling. Variables recorded included gross and delta efficiency and the ratio of minimum to peak torque during a duty cycle.

Effect of a school-based intervention to promote healthy lifestyles in 7-11 year old children.

Background: Physical inactivity is recognised as a public health concern within children and interventions to increase physical activity are needed. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of a school-based healthy lifestyles intervention on physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, body composition, knowledge, and psychological variables.

Method: A non-randomised controlled study involving 8 primary schools (4 intervention, 4 control).

Cardio-respiratory fitness, habitual physical activity and serum brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in men and women.

Short episodes of high intensity exercise transiently increase serum levels of BDNF in humans, but serum levels of BDNF at rest appear to be lower in more physically active humans with greater levels of energy expenditure. The relationship between serum BDNF concentration, cardio-respiratory fitness (Astrand-Rhyming test estimated VO2 max) and volume of long-term, regular exercise and sporting activity (Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Index) was investigated in 44 men and women between the age range of 18-57 years. In this group an inverse relationship between resting serum BDNF concentration and measures of both estimated VO2 max (r=-0.

Effect of the rotor crank system on cycling performance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a novel crank system on laboratory time-trial cycling performance. The Rotor system makes each pedal independent from the other so that the cranks are no longer fixed at 180°. Twelve male competitive but non-elite cyclists (mean ± s: 35 ± 7 yr, Wmax = 363 ± 38 W, VO2peak = 4.

Underweight and obese states both associate with worse disease activity and physical function in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis.

Obesity is characterised by low-grade inflammation and could potentially affect disease activity and severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Body mass index (BMI), body fat (BF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, disease activity score 28, physical function (health assessment questionnaire) and presence of erosions and joint surgery were assessed in 294 (female=219) volunteers with established RA [age 63.3 (56.