Sleep Differences in Firefighters: Barracks vs. Home.

Unlabelled: It has been shown that the firefighter occupation leads to poor sleep quality and sleep architecture. Disturbed sleep in these occupations can lead to deleterious outcomes including a series of chronic diseases and illnesses such as CVD.

Purpose: The aims were (1) to quantify firefighters' sleep via polysomnography, (2) to identify differences between sleeping in the barracks versus sleeping at home, and (3) to compare firefighter data to age-matched normative data.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is an Indicator of Arterial Stiffness and Aortic Blood Pressure in Healthy Adolescents.

We aimed to investigate the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body composition on arterial stiffness. Carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and aortic systolic (ASBP) and diastolic (ADBP) blood pressure were compared between upper and lower tertiles of oxygen consumption at the aerobic threshold (VO), peak oxygen consumption (VO), percentage of fat mass (FM%), and body mass index (BMI) in sixty adolescents (30 males and 30 females, 14.9 ± 2.

Familiarization with ambulatory sleep and blood pressure monitoring is necessary for representative data collection.

Ambulatory sleep and blood pressure monitoring are gaining popularity as these can be completed in an individual's home. Little is known regarding the reliability of data and the time it takes to acclimate to the equipment. This study aimed to determine how many nights of wearing the monitoring equipment were required to restore sleep architecture and blood pressure data to baseline.

Central arterial stiffness, wave reflection, and heart rate variability following 4-week high-intensity resistance training intervention in young active women.

Purpose: Arterial stiffness, expedited wave reflection, and autonomic dysfunction are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in women in the United States. Evaluation of the effects of resistance training on these factors has been inconclusive, and even less is known about the effects of high-intensity resistance training (HIRT). This study evaluated the effects of a 4-week HIRT intervention on central arterial stiffness, wave reflection, and heart rate variability in young healthy and active women.

Measures of ejection duration and subendocardial viability ratio in normal weight and overweight adolescent children.

The aim of our study was to determine how being overweight (OW) affects measures of ejection duration (ED), subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), and central arterial health in a sample of adolescent children. Thirty-four sex and age-matched adolescent children (n = 34, 17 OW, age = 14 ± 2 years) participated in one laboratory visit. Anthropometric measures, body composition, and cardiovascular measures including resting heart rate, aortic systolic blood pressure (ASBP), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), ED (EDms absolute vs.

Correlation Between Heart Rate at Maximal Fat Oxidation and Aerobic Threshold in Healthy Adolescent Boys and Girls.

Purpose: To investigate the association between the heart rate (HR) at maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and the HR at the aerobic threshold (AerT) in adolescent boys and girls, and to identify sex differences in the intensity that elicits MFO (Fatmax) as a percentage of HR peak (HRpeak).

Methods: Fifty-eight healthy adolescents participated in this study (29 boys and 29 girls). Participants performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer.

The effect of acute alcohol ingestion on systemic hemodynamics and sleep architecture in young, healthy men.

Heightened nocturnal blood pressure (BP) may be attributed to the disruption of sleep, a condition worsened by alcohol ingestion. This study investigated the effects of acute alcohol ingestion on hemodynamics and sleep architecture in a young, healthy cohort of male. METHODS: Subjects ( = 17) underwent acute alcohol ingestion reaching a breath alcohol content of 0.

Withings Body Cardio versus Gold Standards of Pulse-Wave Velocity and Body Composition.

Unlabelled: Home blood pressure monitors are widely used by consumers yet cardiovascular health may be better defined by pulse-wave velocity (PWV). So far, the Withings Body Cardio scale is the only consumer device that has been designed to measure PWV and body composition, including fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), in the home setting. While one study has demonstrated that this device meets the acceptable accuracy standards of the ARTERY Society, no study has accounted for the gravitational effect of standing on a scale on aortic-leg PWV.

Extreme Conditioning Program Induced Acute Hypotensive Effects are Independent of the Exercise Session Intensity.

The aim of the study was to determine the acute systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR) responses following two intense training sessions (24 hours apart). Nine male extreme conditioning program (ECP) practitioners with more than 6 months of experience (age 26.7 ± 6.

Metabolomic Shifts Following Play-Based Activity in Overweight Preadolescents.

Background: Play-based activities can be a positive intervention to increase participation of overweight children. Metabolomics can reveal elemental shifts in the metabolome, lending to potential mechanistic explanations behind improvements in physiological systems.

Objective: To elucidate dose-response urinary metabolomic signature shifts in overweight preadolescents following four or eight weeks of supervised play-based activity versus a typical summer break control group.

How consumer physical activity monitors could transform human physiology research.

A sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity are well-established risk factors for chronic disease and adverse health outcomes. Thus, there is enormous interest in measuring physical activity in biomedical research. Many consumer physical activity monitors, including Basis Health Tracker, BodyMedia Fit, DirectLife, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit One, Fitbit Zip, Garmin Vivofit, Jawbone UP, MisFit Shine, Nike FuelBand, Polar Loop, Withings Pulse O, and others have accuracies similar to that of research-grade physical activity monitors for measuring steps.

Effects of tai chi chuan on anxiety and sleep quality in young adults: lessons from a randomized controlled feasibility study.

Objective: To determine feasibility and estimate the effect of a 10-week tai chi chuan (TCC) intervention on anxiety and sleep quality in young adults.

Participants: Seventy-five adults (18-40 years) from a predominately undergraduate midsized university.

Methods: This was an assessor blinded, randomized feasibility trial, and participants were randomized into one of three groups: 10 weeks of TCC meeting 2 times per week, 10 weeks of TCC with a DVD of the curriculum, and control group receiving a handout on anxiety management.

Differential Effects of Continuous Versus Discontinuous Aerobic Training on Blood Pressure and Hemodynamics.

Landram, MJ, Utter, AC, Baldari, C, Guidetti, L, McAnulty, SR, and Collier, SR. Differential effects of continuous versus discontinuous aerobic training on blood pressure and hemodynamics. J Strength Cond Res 32(1): 97-104, 2018-The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamic, arterial stiffness, and blood flow changes after 4 weeks of either continuous or discontinuous aerobic exercise in adults.

Acute Sodium Ingestion Before Exercise Increases Voluntary Water Consumption Resulting In Preexercise Hyperhydration and Improvement in Exercise Performance in the Heat.

Dehydration has been shown to hinder performance of sustained exercise in the heat. Consuming fluids before exercise can result in hyperhydration, delay the onset of dehydration during exercise and improve exercise performance. However, humans normally drink only in response to thirst, which does not result in hyperhydration.

Effects of exercise timing on sleep architecture and nocturnal blood pressure in prehypertensives.

Background: During nocturnal sleep, blood pressure (BP) "dips" compared to diurnal BP, reducing stress on the cardiovascular system. Both the hypotensive response elicited by acute aerobic exercise and sleep quality can impact this dipping response.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise timing on circadian BP changes and sleep architecture.

Impact of obesity and Down syndrome on peak heart rate and aerobic capacity in youth and adults.

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit reduced aerobic capacity with reduced peak heart rate (HR). This condition is often coexistent with higher level of obesity compared to individuals without DS. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of obesity and Down syndrome (DS) on peak heart rate (HR) and peak oxygen consumption (VO) in children and adults both with and without intellectual disabilities (ID)s.

Effects of resistance exercise timing on sleep architecture and nocturnal blood pressure.

Short sleep duration and poor quality of sleep have been associated with health risks including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Prior research has suggested that regular aerobic exercise improves the quality of sleep; however, less is known regarding resistance exercise (RE) and how RE may affect sleep architecture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of timing of RE on sleep architecture and nocturnal blood pressure.

Six weeks daily ingestion of whole blueberry powder increases natural killer cell counts and reduces arterial stiffness in sedentary males and females.

Evidence suggests that berries contain bioactive compounds, which reduce certain cancers and hypertension. Our hypothesis was that daily blueberry (BB) consumption would increase natural killer (NK) cells and plasma redox capacity and reduce blood pressure, augmentation index (AIx), central pulse wave velocity, and aortic systolic pressures (ASPs). Twenty-five men and postmenopausal women aged 18 to 50 years were recruited and randomized to BB (n, 13) or placebo groups (n, 12).

Similar hypotensive effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise with 1 set versus 3 sets in women with metabolic syndrome.

The aim of the present study was to compare the response of systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean blood pressure (MBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) following combined training with 1 set or with 3 sets of resistance exercise (RE). Sixteen women with metabolic syndrome (MetS) were randomly assigned to perform two combined exercise protocols and a control session (CON): 1-set, 30 min of aerobic exercise (AE) at 65-70% of reserve heart rate and 1 set of 8-12 repetitions at 80% of 10-RM in six resistance exercises; 3-sets, same protocol but with 3 sets; and CON, 30 min of seated rest. The SBP, MBP and DBP were measured before and every 15 min during 90 min following the experimental sessions.

Normal HR with tilt, yet autonomic dysfunction in persons with Down syndrome.

Unlabelled: Persons with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit altered autonomic function at rest and in response to adrenergic stimuli. It is unknown whether a subset of persons with DS that have similar HR responses to a task would have similar responses in HR variability (HRV).

Purpose: This study aimed to compare cardiac autonomic function during upright tilt using HRV analysis in persons with and without DS when persons with and without DS were matched for the change in HR.

Acute and chronic cardiovascular response to 16 weeks of combined eccentric or traditional resistance and aerobic training in elderly hypertensive women: a randomized controlled trial.

Both aerobic (AT) and resistance training (RT) are recommended as nonpharmacological treatments to prevent hypertension. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating the effects of combined exercise modes (RT combined with AT) in elderly hypertensive women. Thus, our aim was to compare the postexercise hypotension (PEH) response to both protocol models and to assess the correlation between the degree of PEH after acute and chronic training.

Effects of supervised exercise program on metabolic function in overweight adolescents.

Background: Inactivity is a primary factor related to childhood obesity, yet aerobic exercise has been shown to prevent weight gain and improve fitness in adolescents. Moreover, children become less active during their summer break from school. This study compared the effects of 4 and 8 weeks of supervised summer activity versus an unsupervised summer break on metabolic function and fitness in adolescents.

A randomized trial of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids on arterial health, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome in a young healthy population.

Background: Long chain omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils (O3) are known to have beneficial effects on a number of vascular risk factors in at-risk populations. The effects of a highly bioavailable emulsified preparation on an overweight young adult population are less well known.

Methods: Young adults, age 18-30, with body mass indices (BMIs) greater than 23 (average = 28.

Dehydration and acute weight gain in mixed martial arts fighters before competition.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the magnitude of acute weight gain (AWG) and dehydration in mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters before competition. Urinary measures of hydration status and body mass were determined approximately 24 hours before and then again approximately 2 hours before competition in 40 MMA fighters (mean ± SE, age: 25.2 ± 0.

Treatment of prehypertension: lifestyle and/or medication.

Prehypertension is a warning to individuals with resting blood pressures between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg of an insidious progression of blood pressure towards hypertensive levels (≥ 140/90 mmHg). Prehypertension is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and end organ damage compared with individuals who are normotensive. This review primarily focuses on internal and external factors associated with the prevalence of prehypertension.