Contractile behavior of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle during running in simulated hypogravity.

Vigorous exercise countermeasures in microgravity can largely attenuate muscular degeneration, albeit the extent of applied loading is key for the extent of muscle wasting. Running on the International Space Station is usually performed with maximum loads of 70% body weight (0.7 g).

Resistin in pregnancy: Analysis of determinants in pairs of umbilical cord blood and maternal serum.

Objective: Despite intensive research on the cytokine resistin only few studies investigated mother-newborn-pairs during healthy pregnancy and reported about interactions with clinical obstetric variables or other cytokines. Comparison of existing studies is difficult due to differences between assays, sample collection, gestational age, definition of healthy controls and patient characteristics. Furthermore, differences between rodent models and humans do not allow for a direct comparison.

Efficacy of foam rolling with additional vibration stimulation on the mobility of the thoracolumbar fascia. An observational study.

Introduction: Observations show that foam rolling improves joint movements. Likewise, it can be stated that a vibration stimulation of the tissue leads to improved joint mobility.

Method: This study investigates whether the combination of foam rolling and vibrations (31 Hz) can influence the sliding of the thoracolumbar fascia more effectively than normal foam rolling.

The effect of a psychomotor intervention on electroencephalography and neuropsychological performances in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment.

Aim: The aim of this pilot study was to examine the acute effect of a psychomotor intervention (PMI) on auditory-verbal memory, emotional state, and electrocortical activity recorded by electroencephalography on subjectively healthy older adults (sHE) and older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCIs).

Methods: Eleven MCIs and 11 sHE underwent a single 45-min PMI. Resting state electroencephalography, the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, MoodMeter®, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were compared between groups and pre- and post-PMI.

Visual Perception and Visuomotor Reaction Speed Are Independent of the Individual Alpha Frequency.

While the resting-state individual alpha frequency (IAF) is related to the cognitive performance and temporal resolution of visual perception, it remains unclear how it affects the neural correlates of visual perception and reaction processes. This study aimed to unravel the relation between IAF, visual perception, and visuomotor reaction time. One hundred forty-eight (148) participants (28 non-athletes, 39 table tennis players, and 81 badminton players) investigated in three previous studies were considered.

Impact of physical activity on course and outcome of pregnancy from pre- to postnatal.

A healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity has numerous positive effects on the mother and child during and after pregnancy. In this context physical activity plays a central role due to its influence on body composition. While visceral fatty tissue has a pro-inflammatory effect via so-called adipokines, myokines seem to have a more anti-inflammatory effect and thus prevent numerous diseases such as gestational hypertension or gestational diabetes.

The Anticipation of Gravity in Human Ballistic Movement.

Stretch-shortening type actions are characterized by lengthening of the pre-activated muscle-tendon unit (MTU) in the eccentric phase immediately followed by muscle shortening. Under 1 g, pre-activity before and muscle activity after ground contact, scale muscle stiffness, which is crucial for the recoil properties of the MTU in the subsequent push-off. This study aimed to examine the neuro-mechanical coupling of the stretch-shortening cycle in response to gravity levels ranging from 0.

Closing the gap between practice and science in school- and community-based participatory physical literacy promotion: study protocol of the StuPs project.

Background: The role of physical activity in the promotion of children's well-being and health is widely known. However, research indicates that the time spent physically exercising and participating in organized sport activities is decreasing among children. Although there is currently no gold standard for promoting sustainable physical activity in children, community-based approaches, particularly those that are multicomponent, appear to be the most successful.

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Functional Connectivity Predicts Working Memory Training Gains.

Normal aging is associated with working memory decline. A decrease in working memory performance is associated with age-related changes in functional activation patterns in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Cognitive training can improve cognitive performance in healthy older adults.

Gastrocnemius Medialis Contractile Behavior Is Preserved During 30% Body Weight Supported Gait Training.

Rehabilitative body weight supported gait training aims at restoring walking function as a key element in activities of daily living. Studies demonstrated reductions in muscle and joint forces, while kinematic gait patterns appear to be preserved with up to 30% weight support. However, the influence of body weight support on muscle architecture, with respect to fascicle and series elastic element behavior is unknown, despite this having potential clinical implications for gait retraining.

NeuroExercise: The Effect of a 12-Month Exercise Intervention on Cognition in Mild Cognitive Impairment-A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Exercise intervention studies in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), have demonstrated inconsistent yet promising results. Addressing the limitations of previous studies, this trial investigated the effects of a 12-month structured exercise program on the progression of MCI. The NeuroExercise study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial across three European countries (Ireland, Netherlands, Germany).

Recovery from Achilles Tendon Repair: A Combination of Postsurgery Outcomes and Insufficient Remodeling of Muscle and Tendon.

Introduction: Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) patients have persistent functional deficits in the triceps surae muscle-tendon unit (MTU). The complex remodeling of the MTU accompanying these deficits remains poorly understood. The purpose of the present study was to associate in vivo and in silico data to investigate the relations between changes in MTU properties and strength deficits in ATR patients.

Biomechanical analysis of single-leg stance using a textured balance board compared to a smooth balance board and the floor: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Previous research showed that standing on textured surfaces can improve postural control by adapting somatosensory inputs from the plantar foot. The additional stimulation of plantar cutaneous mechanoreceptors by a textured surface during single-leg stance on a balance board may increase afferent information to the central nervous system to accelerate muscular responses and to enhance their accuracy. The additional impact of textured surface during single-leg stance on a balance board on postural control and muscle activity is unknown.

Individual Physical Activity Behaviour and Group Composition as Determinants of the Effectiveness of a Childhood Obesity Intervention Program.

Introduction: Up to now, there is limited clarity on factors that determine the effectiveness of childhood obesity interventions.

Objective: This study intends to uncover individual- and program-level predictors of BMI-SDS and fitness to achieve significant, sustainable health improvements.

Methods: Data of 249 children with obesity or overweight who participated in an outpatient multidisciplinary program were analysed and compared to 54 waitlist controls.

The Impact of Age on the Association Between Physical Activity and White Matter Integrity in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults.

Cognition emerges from coordinated processing among distributed cortical brain regions, enabled through interconnected white matter networks. Cortical disconnection caused by age-related decline in white matter integrity (WMI) is likely to contribute to age-related cognitive decline. Physical activity (PA) has been suggested to have beneficial effects on white matter structure.

Martial arts training is related to implicit intermanual transfer of visuomotor adaptation.

Recent work identified an explicit and implicit transfer of sensorimotor adaptation with one limb to the other, untrained limb. Here, we pursue the idea that different individual factors contribute differently to the amount of explicit and implicit intermanual transfer. In particular, we tested a group of judo athletes who show enhanced right-hemispheric involvement in motor control and a group of equally trained athletes.

Maximal Lactate Accumulation Rate in All-out Exercise Differs between Cycling and Running.

This study aims to compare maximal lactate accumulation rate (V̇ La) and power output (P) between cycling and running in terms of reliability, differences between, and correlations among modalities. Eighteen competitive triathletes performed a 15-s all-out exercise test in cycling and a 100-m sprint test in running. Each test was performed twice and separated by one week.

Shifts in broadband power and alpha peak frequency observed during long-term isolation.

Prolonged periods of social isolation and spatial confinement do not only represent an issue that needs to be faced by a few astronauts during space missions, but can affect all of us as recently shown during pandemic situations. The fundamental question, how the brain adapts to periods of sensory deprivation and re-adapts to normality, has only received little attention. Here, we use eyes closed and eyes open resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings to investigate how neural activity is altered during 120 days of isolation in a spatially confined, space-analogue environment.

Short- and Long-Term Stroboscopic Training Effects on Visuomotor Performance in Elite Youth Sports. Part 2: Brain-Behavior Mechanisms.

Purpose: Stroboscopic training has repeatedly been shown to improve visuomotor abilities. However, although performance improvements were attributed to visual processes, information on the neurophysiological mechanisms is missing. Part 2 of this study investigated the effects of stroboscopic training on neural visual and motor functions and its contribution to training-induced changes in visuomotor reaction time.

Short- and Long-Term Stroboscopic Training Effects on Visuomotor Performance in Elite Youth Sports. Part 1: Reaction and Behavior.

Purpose: Recent research suggests that stroboscopic training is an effective tool to improve visual and visuomotor performance. However, many studies were limited by small samples, short training interventions, inexperienced athletes, and an exclusive focus on short-term effects. This first part of the study evaluates the short- and long-term effects of stroboscopic training on visuomotor reaction speed in elite athletes.

Inefficient resource allocation is associated with reduced alpha activity in parietal regions in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

The brain's ability to act as an input filter and to suppress actions is crucial to navigate everyday life and impairments in these abilities affect quality of life substantially. Although Parkinson's disease (PD) is primarily known as a movement disorder, recent research has redefined it as a multisystem disorder affecting cognition, in particular inhibitory control and attentional resource allocation. Analysing the neural mechanisms underlying this cognitive deficit provides a better understanding of brain changes observed in patients affected by PD.

A lifestyle intervention during pregnancy to reduce obesity in early childhood: the study protocol of ADEBAR - a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The prevalence of obesity in childhood is increasing worldwide and may be affected by genetic factors and the lifestyle (exercise, nutrition behavior) of expectant parents. Lifestyle factors affect adipokines, namely leptin, resistin, and adiponectin as well as cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are involved in the regulation of maternal metabolic homeostasis, glucose metabolism, and the development of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, gestational diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. However, studies focusing on the effect of exercise or a combination of parental exercise and nutrition on the above-mentioned markers in newborns (venous cord blood) and especially on the long-term development of infants' weight gain are lacking.

Can School-Based Physical Activity Projects Such as Skipping Hearts Have a Long-Term Impact on Health and Health Behavior?

Low physical activity, limited motor skills, and an increased number of overweight or obese children are major public health problems. Numerous school-based programs try to improve physical activity and health behavior in children but investigations on sustainable effects of these programs are rare. Therefore, we examined the long-term effects of the health promotion project.

Cost-effectiveness of a family-based multicomponent outpatient intervention program for children with obesity in Germany.

Objectives: Facing an epidemic of childhood obesity and budget constraints, public health administrations are showing an urgent interest in interventions that are both health effective and cost-effective. Thus, this study intends to analyze the return on investment of these existing programs.

Study Design: All analyses are based on a comprehensive data set from 249 children with obesity and overweight children who participated in the Children's Health InterventionaL Trial (CHILT), an 11-month outpatient multidisciplinary family-based program.