The effect of arm training on thermoregulatory responses and calf volume during upper body exercise

The effect of age and sex on peak oxygen uptake during upper and lower body exercise: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Large scale population norms for peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) during cycle ergometry (CE) have been published for men and women across a wide range of ages. Although upper body functional capacity has an important role in activities of daily living far less is known regarding the effect of age and sex on upper body functional capacity (i.e. arm crank ergometry; ACE). The aim of this review was to determine the effect of age and sex on VO2peak obtained during ACE and CE in the same participants.

METHOD

The review was pre-registered with PROSEPERO (Ref: CRD42022349566). A database search using Academic Search Complete including CINAHL complete, CINHAL Ultimate, Medline, PubMed, SPORTDiscus was undertaken.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 460 articles which was reduced to 243 articles following removal of duplicates. Twenty-five articles were subsequently excluded based on title resulting in 218 articles considered for retrieval. Following review of the abstracts, 78 further articles were excluded leaving 140 to be assessed for eligibility. Eighty-five articles were subsequently excluded, resulting in 55 articles being included. The decrease in VO2peak with age during CE was consistent with previous studies. Decreases in VO2peak during ACE with age, although paralleling those of CE, appeared to be of greater functional importance. When changes in VO2peak were considered below the age of 50 years little change was observed for absolute VO2peak during ACE and CE. In contrast, relative VO2peak demonstrated decreases in VO2peak for both ACE and CE likely reflecting increases in body mass and body fat percentage with age. After 50 years of age absolute and relative VO2peak demonstrated more similar and subtle responses. Heterogeneity across studies for both absolute and relative VO2peak between ACE and CE was large. Although strict inclusion criteria were applied, the inter-individual variation in sample populations was likely the main source of heterogeneity. There was a considerable lack data sets available for ages above 40 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS

These responses suggest that upper body VO2peak decreases in line with that of the lower body but, due to the lower peak values achieved during ACE, decreases in VO2peak may have more profound functional impact compared to that for the lower body. Using absolute and relative measures of VO2peak results in different age-related profiles when considered below 50 years of age. To further our understanding of whole body ageing more data is required for participants in mid and later life. The association between VO2peak and underlying physiological factors with age needs to be studied further, particularly in conjunction with activities of daily living and independent living.

Skin Temperature Measurement Using Contact Thermometry: A Systematic Review of Setup Variables and Their Effects on Measured Values

Background: Skin temperature (T_skin) is commonly measured using T_skin sensors affixed directly to the skin surface, although the influence of setup variables on the measured outcome requires clarification. Objectives: The two distinct objectives of this systematic review were (1) to examine measurements from contact T_skin sensors considering equilibrium temperature and temperature disturbance, sensor attachments, pressure, environmental temperature, and sensor type, and (2) to characterise the contact T_skin sensors used, conditions of use, and subsequent reporting in studies investigating sports, exercise, and other physical activity. Data sources and study selection: For the measurement comparison objective, Ovid Medline and Scopus were used (1960 to July 2016) and studies comparing contact T_skin sensor measurements in vivo or using appropriate physical models were included. For the survey of use, Ovid Medline was used (2011 to July 2016) and studies using contact temperature sensors for the measurement of human T_skinin vivo during sport, exercise, and other physical activity were included. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: For measurement comparisons, assessments of risk of bias were made according to an adapted version of the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Comparisons of temperature measurements were expressed, where possible, as mean difference and 95% limits of agreement (LoA). Meta-analyses were not performed due to the lack of a common reference condition. For the survey of use, extracted information was summarised in text and tabular form. Results: For measurement comparisons, 21 studies were included. Results from these studies indicated minor (<0.5°C) to practically meaningful (>0.5°C) measurement bias within the subgroups of attachment type, applied pressure, environmental conditions, and sensor type. The 95% LoA were often within 1.0°C for in vivo studies and 0.5°C for physical models. For the survey of use, 172 studies were included. Details about T_skin sensor setup were often poorly reported and, from those reporting setup information, it was evident that setups widely varied in terms of type of sensors, attachments, and locations used. Conclusions: Setup variables and conditions of use can influence the measured temperature from contact T_skin sensors and thus key setup variables need to be appropriately considered and consistently reported.

Skin Temperature Measurement Using Contact Thermometry: A Systematic Review of Setup Variables and Their Effects on Measured Values

Background: Skin temperature (Tskin) is commonly measured using Tskin sensors affixed directly to the skin surface, although the influence of setup variables on the measured outcome requires clarification. Objectives: The two distinct objectives of this systematic review were (1) to examine measurements from contact Tskin sensors considering equilibrium temperature and temperature disturbance, sensor attachments, pressure, environmental temperature, and sensor type, and (2) to characterise the contact Tskin sensors used, conditions of use, and subsequent reporting in studies investigating sports, exercise, and other physical activity. Data sources and study selection: For the measurement comparison objective, Ovid Medline and Scopus were used (1960 to July 2016) and studies comparing contact Tskin sensor measurements in vivo or using appropriate physical models were included. For the survey of use, Ovid Medline was used (2011 to July 2016) and studies using contact temperature sensors for the measurement of human Tskinin vivo during sport, exercise, and other physical activity were included. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: For measurement comparisons, assessments of risk of bias were made according to an adapted version of the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Comparisons of temperature measurements were expressed, where possible, as mean difference and 95% limits of agreement (LoA). Meta-analyses were not performed due to the lack of a common reference condition. For the survey of use, extracted information was summarised in text and tabular form. Results: For measurement comparisons, 21 studies were included. Results from these studies indicated minor (<0.5°C) to practically meaningful (>0.5°C) measurement bias within the subgroups of attachment type, applied pressure, environmental conditions, and sensor type. The 95% LoA were often within 1.0°C for in vivo studies and 0.5°C for physical models. For the survey of use, 172 studies were included. Details about Tskin sensor setup were often poorly reported and, from those reporting setup information, it was evident that setups widely varied in terms of type of sensors, attachments, and locations used. Conclusions: Setup variables and conditions of use can influence the measured temperature from contact Tskin sensors and thus key setup variables need to be appropriately considered and consistently reported.