Prediction of body density in young and middle-aged women

The effect of regular exercise on cognitive functioning and personality

The effect of regular exercise on cognitive functioning and personality was investigated in 32 subjects representing 4 discrete groups based on sex and age. Before and after a 10 week exercise programme of jogging, calisthenics, and recreational activities, a test battery was administered to assess functioning in a number of domains: intelligence (WAIS Digit Symbol and Block Design); brain function (Trail-Making); speed of performance (Crossing-Off); memory and learning (WMS Visual Reproduction and Associate Learning); morale and life satisfaction (Life Satisfaction and Control Ratings); anxiety (MAACL); and depression (MAACL). Improvement was observed on several physiological parameters. ANOVA revealed significant sex and age differences on Digit Symbol and Block Design and age differences on Trail-Making, Crossing-Off, Associate Learning, and anxiety. Regardless of sex and age, significant improvement in performance was observed from pre to post-test on Digit Symbol, Block Design, Trail-Making, Crossing-Off, and on Associate Learning. In addition, an increase on health status rating (p less than .01) and decrease in anxiety were observed from pre to post-test. These data illustrate beneficial effects of exercise on certain measures of cognitive functioning and personality.

Relationships among cardiorespiratory fitness, regular physical activity, and plasma lipids in young adults

Relationships between physical activity and plasma lipids and between cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness and plasma lipids were investigated in 152 young adults. There were no significant correlations in either females or males between the physical activity indicators and any of the plasma lipids investigated. CR fitness, as indicated by treadmill test duration, showed a small but statistically significant sexes, an association that may well underestimate the true relationship because of the limitations of the study. Plasma triglycerides were negatively correlated with CR fitness in the males. It was suggested that the two fitness components, aerobic capacity and percent fat, may be related to certain plasma lipids differently in males than in females.

Routine anthropometry and arm radiography in assessment of nutritional status: its potential

Elementary anthropometric and radiographic techniques, carefully executed and routinely employed in definitive surveys of healthy persons, are of potential value in assessment of patients, and provide the following: 1. Formulas to compute mean "ideal body weights" of young adults from stature (W = kh1.7). 2. A "unit size-weight" index (uS-W) with a mean value of 100 or nearly identical to 100 for all mean "ideal weights" relative to stature. 3. The distribution of values of the uS-W index for 80 and 90% of the population of young adults around the mean. 4. Conversion of body girths and stature to ponderal equivalents such that component A reflects fatness (if present) and component B, leanness and muscularity. 5. Conversion of skeletal diameters and stature to a relative "frame" size weight, designated component C, and employed as a "reference weight" (Ref W) for the calculation of lean body weight (LBW) in the male, and "minimal weight" as well as LBW in the female. 6. Conversion of skinfold thickness to estimates of body fat by means of a surface area formulation where: Weight of fat = SA x skinfold widths x k(fat). 7. The introduction of comprehensive arm radiography to reveal presumptive estimates of body fat from SA and of the amount of bone and muscle in the arm to LBW. 8. The visualization of body shape in the somatogram, and the value of photography under strictly controlled conditions.

Effect of a twelve week exercise programme on cardiorespiratory and body composition variables in nonobese young and middle-aged females

This study investigated the effect of a 12-week exercise programme consisting of jogging, calistnenics, and recreational activities on the cardiorespiratory function and body composition of 15 young and 15 middle-aged nonobese women 21-32 and 34-57 years, respectively. The exercise programme was 3 days per week for an average of 45 minutes each session. Pre- and post-programme data were obtained on: age, height, total body weight, resting heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, vital capacity, submaximal heart rate, supra-iliac skinfold, thigh skinfold, waist girth, cup size, body density, and percent fat. The t-test was used to test the difference between the young and middle-aged groups before and after the exercise programme and to test the pre- and post-programme mean values of each group. No differences between the groups or changes due to the exercise programme were observed on total body weight. No significant cardiorespiratory differences were found between the two groups at either test period, however, the young group decreased significantly (p < .01) in submaximal HR and the middle-aged group decreased significantly in resting (p < .01) and submaximal (p < .001) HR illustrating the positive effect of the programme. No significant body composition differences were found between the two groups at the pre-test. At the post-test the middle-aged group had a significantly (p < .10) larger thigh skinfold thickness than the young group. The young group did not change significantly on body composition measures from pre- to post-test. In contrast, the middle-aged group increased significantly in body density (p < .01) and decreased in percent body fat (p < .01) due to a significant (p < .01) reduction in supra-iliac skinfold thickness from 21.67 ± 2.35 to 18.13 ± 2.08 mm. The data were compared with data from other studies using similar age groups. The pre-test percent fat of the young group (25.07 ± .74) was similar to values reported in other studies. The middle-aged group had a relatively lower fat percentage (27.46 ± 1.58) compared with other middle-aged groups.

Plasma lipoprotein distributions in male and female runners

Recent studies have shown a consistent association between relatively low plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and increased risk of coronary heart disease. A cross-sectional comparison was made of the distribution of plasma lipids and lipoproteins in groups of 41 male and 43 female long distance runners versus larger control groups matched for age and sex, randomly selected from northern California towns. The runners showed modestly lower total cholesterol concentrations, while their triglyceride levels were only 50% of control. HDL-cholesterol was higher in runners than controls (75 +/- 14 vs 56 +/- 14 mg/100 ml for women; 64 +/- 13 vs 43 +/- 10 for men), while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was lower (113 +/- 33 vs 124 +/- 34 for women; 125 +/- 21 vs 139 +/- 32 for men). All differences were statistically significant (p less than 0.05), and only partially attributable to known factors other than high physical activity level. Since the runners were predominantly normotensive, relatively lean, and exclusively nonsmokers, they appear to constitute a remarkably favored group with respect to risk of cardiovascular disease.