Benefits of Resistance Training During Pregnancy for Maternal and Fetal Health: A Brief Overview.

Research demonstrates resistance training is not only safe but also beneficial for pregnant women. However, exercise recommendations for pregnant women still minimize the importance of resistance exercise and provide minimal guidance. With a large increase in strength-focused sports among women, it is critical to re-evaluate the risk/benefit ratio of these exercises and ensure the latest recommendations reflect the latest clinical research.

The Validity of Perceptual Recovery Status on Monitoring Recovery During a High-Intensity Back-Squat Session.

Unlabelled: Adaptations to resistance training and subsequent performance can be undermined by inadequate interset recovery. Methods typically used to monitor recovery were developed for longitudinal use, making them time-inefficient within singular exercise bouts. If valid, perceptual recovery status (PRS) may be used as an efficient and inexpensive assessment tool to monitor individual recovery.

Effects of Varying Load Intensity on Skeletal Muscle Damage Between Two Isovolumic Resistance Exercise Bouts.

There are limited data comparing the efficacy of resistance loads within the hypertrophy range for promoting muscular growth, particularly when similar training volumes are utilized. The purpose of this study was to determine if two similar volume-loads, utilizing different intensities, would produce dissimilar muscular damage and inflammation. Eleven resistance-trained, college-aged males participated in this study.

Evaluation of Repetitive Jumping Intensity on the Digi-Jump Machine.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is an important element of aerobic fitness, particularly in weight management and reducing risk for cardiovascular disease. While there are numerous options for aerobic exercise, rope jumping is often overlooked. In addition to regular exercise and a healthy diet, the American Heart Association strongly recommends rope jumping.

Comparing Physical Fitness in Career vs. Volunteer Firefighters.

Morris, CE, Arnett, SW, and Winchester, LJ. Comparing physical fitness in career vs. volunteer firefighters.

Post Exercise Hypotension Following Concurrent Exercise: Does Order of Exercise Modality Matter?

Cardiovascular (CV) and resistance training (RT) can moderate negative effects of aging, disease, and inactivity. Post-exercise hypotension (PEH) has been used as a non-pharmacological means to control and reduce BP. Few have evaluated PEH response following a bout of exercise combining CV and RT, whether or not there is an order effect, or if PEH continues when activities of daily living (ADLs) are resumed.

Effect of a simulated tactical occupation task on physiological strain index, stress and inflammation.

. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological strain index (PSI) along with specific immune system markers in response to a simulated firefighting occupation workload. .

The effects of an unanticipated side-cut on lower extremity kinematics and ground reaction forces during a drop landing.

Unanticipated direction to cut after landing may alter the lower extremity landing biomechanics when performing landing motions. These alterations may potentially increase the risk of ACL injury. The purpose of this study was to determine if an unanticipated side-cut affects lower extremity landing biomechanics in females.

LOWER EXTREMITY KINEMATICS OF ACL-REPAIRED AND NON-INJURED FEMALES WHEN USING KNEE SAVERS®.

Background: Knee Savers® (KS) are an ergonomic aid purported to lessen the risk of injuries linked to deep squats. While widely used in sports such as baseball and softball, KS have not been tested to determine their effect upon lower extremity kinematics in any population.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if KS influenced the lower extremity kinematics when females with previous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstruction and healthy participants completed an end-range squat.

The effects of a lateral in-flight perturbation on lower extremity biomechanics during drop landings.

One potential ACL injury situation is due to contact with another person or object during the flight phase, thereby causing the person to land improperly. Conversely, athletes often have flight-phase collisions but do land safely. Therefore, to better understand ACL injury causation and methods by which people typically land safely, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an in-flight perturbation on the lower extremity biomechanics displayed by females during typical drop landings.

Effects of a simulated tennis match on lymphocyte subset measurements.

Unlabelled: Tennis is an activity requiring both endurance and anaerobic components, which could have immunosuppressive effects postexercise.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of a simulated tennis match on apoptotic and migratory markers on lymphocyte subsets.

Method: Male high school (n = 5) and college (n = 3) tennis players (M(age) = 18.

Does wearing a prophylactic ankle brace during drop landings affect lower extremity kinematics and ground reaction forces?

The objective of the study was to determine if prophylactic ankle bracing worn by females during landings produces abnormal lower extremity mechanics. Angular kinematic and ground reaction force (GRF) data were obtained for 16 athletically experienced females who performed brace and no-brace drop landings. The brace condition displayed reduced in/external rotation and flexion displacements about the ankle and knee joints and increased vertical and mediolateral GRF peak magnitudes and rate of vertical GRF application (paired t test, P < .05). The ankle and knee joints landed in a less plantar flexed and more flexed position, respectively. No significant ab/adduction outcomes may have occurred due to interparticipant variability and/or a lack of brace restriction. Conclusion: During typical landings, this lace-up brace increases vertical GRF, decreases ankle and knee joint displacements of flexion and int/external rotation, but minimally affects ab/adduction displacements.

Repeated high-intensity Wingate cycle bouts influence markers of lymphocyte migration but not apoptosis.

Studies have shown significant changes in lymphocytes during continuous exercise, but little has been shown on the effect of repeated high intensity bouts. This study was designed to examine the effect of repeated intermittent bouts on lymphocyte subset cell count, apoptosis, and migration. A series of 6 Wingate anaerobic cycle tests were performed by participants (N = 8) with blood samples attained before, immediately following, and after a designated recovery period (excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)) to observe lymphocyte changes.

Cognitive awareness of carbohydrate intake does not alter exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether cognitive awareness of carbohydrate beverage consumption affects exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis, independent of actual carbohydrate intake.

Introduction: Carbohydrate supplementation during aerobic exercise generally protects against the immunosuppressive effects of exercise. It is not currently known whether carbohydrate consumption or simply the knowledge of carbohydrate consumption also has that effect.

Finger-stick blood sampling methodology for the determination of exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis.

Exercise is a physiological stimulus capable of inducing apoptosis in immune cells. To date, various limitations have been identified with the measurement of this phenomenon, particularly relating to the amount of time required to isolate and treat a blood sample prior to the assessment of cell death. Because of this, it is difficult to determine whether reported increases in immune cell apoptosis can be contributed to the actual effect of exercise on the system, or are a reflection of the time and processing necessary to eventually obtain this measurement.

Specificity of training modalities on upper-body one repetition maximum performance: free weights vs. hammer strength equipment.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between 1-repetition maximum (1RM) performed on hammer strength (HS) machines compared to free weights (FWs) and also to develop regression equations that can accurately predict 1RM when switching from exercise modality to another. Thirty-one trained male subjects performed 1-RM lifts (1RM's) on 3 HS externally loaded machines and 3 comparable FW exercises. Subjects performed 2 1RM tests during each laboratory session, with at least 48-72 hours of recovery between each.

Aerobic reserve and physical functional performance in older adults.

Background: older adults can be limited in their performance of daily tasks due to an inadequate aerobic capacity. Aerobic capacity below minimum physiological thresholds required to maintain independence leaves older adults with little, or no, aerobic reserve.

Objective: the aim of this study was to measure functional performance and aerobic reserve in older adults during the serial performance of daily tasks.