Daily physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, nutritional status, endothelial function, and autonomic modulation in school-age adolescents: A principal component analysis

Impact of an active lifestyle on cardiovascular autonomic modulation and oxidative stress in males with overweight and parental history of hypertension

Family history of hypertension is associated with early autonomic dysfunction and increased oxidative stress. These alterations have been found to be reinforced by the overweight factor. Conversely, an active lifestyle is effective in improving the mechanisms regulating blood pressure control. Hence, we ought to investigate the effects of an active lifestyle on the hemodynamic, autonomic and oxidative stress parameters in individuals carrying both family history of hypertension and overweight risk factors. Fifty-six normotensive males were divided into four groups: eutrophic offspring of normotensive parents (EN, n = 12), eutrophic and inactive with hypertensive parents (EH, n = 14), overweight and inactive with hypertensive parents (OH, n = 13), and overweight and physically active with hypertensive parents (OAH, n = 17). Cardiovascular autonomic modulation was assessed by heart rate (HRV) and blood pressure (BPV) variability indexes. Oxidative stress included pro/antioxidant markers and nitrite concentration. Inactive offspring of hypertensive parents (EH and OH) showed higher LFSBP (vs EN), an indicator of sympathetic outflow to the vasculature and reduced anti-oxidant activity (vs EN), while higher pro-oxidant markers were found exclusively in OH (vs EN and EH). Conversely, the OAH group showed bradycardia, higher vagally-mediated HFabs index (vs OH and EN), lower sympathovagal balance (vs OH) and preserved LFSBP. Yet, the OAH showed preserved pro/antioxidant markers and nitrite levels. Our findings indicates that overweight offspring of hypertensive parents with an active lifestyle have improved hemodynamic, cardiac autonomic modulation and oxidative stress parameters compared to their inactive peers.

Cardiac Changes after Lactate-Guided Conditioning in Young Purebred Arabian Horses

Cardiac adaptation to conditioning in horses was evaluated after empirical training based on trainers' experience. Twelve purebred Arabian horses, aged (mean ± SD) 28.42 ± 3.75 months, which did not perform any type of exercise prior to the research, were submitted to treadmill conditioning for six weeks. The conditioning program was based on the velocity run by the horse at which the blood lactate concentration, determined in an incremental exercise test (IET), reached 2 mmol/L (V2). The velocity at which the blood lactate concentration reached 4 mmol/L (V4) was also determined. The echocardiograms were performed at rest with pulsed-wave and tissue Doppler imaging in B- and M-modes. All procedures were carried out before and after the conditioning period. The results showed increases in V2 (from 5.2 ± 0.3 to 6.7 ± 0.4 m/s) and V4 (from 5.8 ± 0.4 to 7.6 ± 0.5 m/s) (p < 0.0001). There were also increases in the left ventricle internal diameter at diastole (LVIDd), left ventricle mass (LV mass), and stroke volume (SV), while no changes were observed in the LV free wall thickness and mean and relative wall thicknesses. The conditioning protocol, which was completed by all horses, proved to be safe and efficient, as it improved the aerobic capacity of the animals. Finally, the cardiac remodeling that occurred was mainly associated with the effect of physical training.

A Recreational Swimming Intervention during the Whole School Year Improves Fitness and Cardiometabolic Risk in Children and Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity

The benefits of swimming as a treatment for overweight children are undefined. We investigated the effects of recreational swimming on cardiometabolic risk in children/adolescents with normal and excess weight. Participants (n = 49, 26 girls, 10.3 ± 1.8 y) were grouped as 'eutrophic swimming' (EU-Swim, n = 14); 'excess weight swimming' (EW-Swim, n = 20) with an 'obese swimming' subgroup (OB-Swim, n = 10); and 'excess weight sedentary' (EW-Sed, n = 15) with an 'obese sedentary' subgroup (OB-Sed, n = 11). Swimming (50 min, twice/week, moderate-vigorous intensity) was an extra activity during the school year (6 + 3 months with a 3-month school break). Nutritional status, blood pressure (BP), physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, biochemical variables, autonomic modulation, endothelial function, abdominal fat, and carotid thickness were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Greater improvements (p < 0.05) occurred in EW-Swim vs. EW-Sed in body mass index (z-BMI, -16%, d+ 0.52), waist-to-height ratio (W/H, -8%, d+ 0.59-0.79), physical activity (37-53%, d+ 1.8-2.2), cardiorespiratory fitness (30-40%, d+ 0.94-1.41), systolic BP (SBP, -6-8%, d+ 0.88-1.17), diastolic BP (DBP, -9-10%, d+ 0.70-0.85), leptin (-14-18%, d+ 0.29-0.41), forearm blood flow (FBF, 26-41%, d+ 0.53-0.64), subcutaneous fat (SAT, -6%, d+ 0.18), and intra-abdominal fat (VAT, -16%, d+ 0.63). OB-Swim showed improvements vs. OB-Sed in TNFα (-17%, d+ 1.15) and adiponectin (22%, d+ 0.40). Swimming improved fitness and cardiometabolic risk in children/adolescents with overweight/obesity. (TCTR20220216001).

Comparative Analysis of Cardiorespiratory Parameters of Basketball and Soccer Players Using Principal Component Analysis

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a statistical technique used to identify variations in multivariate data obtained during the performance of the maximum ergospirometry test (MET). To use the PCA to compare the coefficients of change of the principal component (PC1) using the eigenvalue and the maximum values ​​of the cardiorespiratory variables obtained in the athletes' in MET. 10 soccer players and 10 basketball players, all male, were evaluated. The PCA analyzed the values ​​of the variables during the performance of the MET. The PC1 for each variable was calculated, and the eigenvalue was generated, representing the coefficients of variation of the PC1 of all variables. In the quantitative assessment (maximum values), a higher VO2max (3.93±0.62 vs. 3.41±0.37 l·min-1) was observed in basketball players compared to soccer players (p<0.05). The qualitative evaluation using PC1 of cardiorespiratory parameters (heart rate, minute volume, O2 consumption, CO2 production, expired fraction of O2 and expired fraction CO2) was observed as an eigenvalue (6.50±0.27 vs. 6.22±0.19) high for basketball players compared to soccer players (p<0.05). It is concluded that the basketball players showed more significant variability in their cardiorespiratory variables during the performance of the MET and higher VO2max at the end of the MET. These findings indicate that basketball players were less efficient in buffering the ventilatory acidosis observed during the MET. The results of this study highlight the importance of making complex assessments of the cardiorespiratory system, providing qualitative information to complement the quantitative data.