A comparison of physiological responses and rating of perceived exertion in two modes of aerobic exercise in men and women over 50 years of age

Heart Rate Responses of Post-Menopausal Women to Zumba Gold® Classes

This study aimed to describe the heart rate (HR) responses of post-menopausal women during Zumba Gold® classes and to investigate the effects of body fat on HR responses. Twenty-three post-menopausal women (68.8 ± 7.2 years old; 160.0 ± 5.2 cm; 66.9 ± 11.1 kg, 36.0 ± 9.9% body fat) participated. Baseline testing assessed participants' anthropometric and fitness characteristics. Then, HR measurements were taken during four of their regular Zumba Gold® classes, and average HR (HRmean), as well as time spent in different HR intensity categories, was calculated. Linear regressions and t-tests were performed to analyse the data. The average HR during Zumba Gold® classes was 70.2% of maximum HR. Women with lower body fat achieved a significantly higher HRmean and spent less time at light to very light intensity and more time at moderate intensity compared to those with higher body fat. Body fat percentage and age were identified as determinants of time spent at moderate intensity. These findings suggest that Zumba Gold® can be an effective exercise option for post-menopausal women aiming to meet the recommended daily exercise guidelines. Understanding the HR responses during Zumba Gold® classes can aid in the development of safe and effective exercise prescriptions for this population.

Early adverse physiological event detection using commercial wearables: challenges and opportunities

Data from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) wearables leveraged with machine learning algorithms provide an unprecedented potential for the early detection of adverse physiological events. However, several challenges inhibit this potential, including (1) heterogeneity among and within participants that make scaling detection algorithms to a general population less precise, (2) confounders that lead to incorrect assumptions regarding a participant's healthy state, (3) noise in the data at the sensor level that limits the sensitivity of detection algorithms, and (4) imprecision in self-reported labels that misrepresent the true data values associated with a given physiological event. The goal of this study was two-fold: (1) to characterize the performance of such algorithms in the presence of these challenges and provide insights to researchers on limitations and opportunities, and (2) to subsequently devise algorithms to address each challenge and offer insights on future opportunities for advancement. Our proposed algorithms include techniques that build on determining suitable baselines for each participant to capture important physiological changes and label correction techniques as it pertains to participant-reported identifiers. Our work is validated on potentially one of the largest datasets available, obtained with 8000+ participants and 1.3+ million hours of wearable data captured from Oura smart rings. Leveraging this extensive dataset, we achieve pre-symptomatic detection of COVID-19 with a performance receiver operator characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) of 0.725 without correction techniques, 0.739 with baseline correction, 0.740 with baseline correction and label correction on the training set, and 0.777 with baseline correction and label correction on both the training and the test set. Using the same respective paradigms, we achieve ROC AUCs of 0.919, 0.938, 0.943 and 0.994 for the detection of self-reported fever, and 0.574, 0.611, 0.601, and 0.635 for detection of self-reported shortness of breath. These techniques offer improvements across almost all metrics and events, including PR AUC, sensitivity at 75% specificity, and precision at 75% recall. The ring allows continuous monitoring for detection of event onset, and we further demonstrate an improvement in the early detection of COVID-19 from an average of 3.5 days to an average of 4.1 days before a reported positive test result.

Assessment of Exercise Intensity for Uphill Walking in Healthy Adults Performed Indoors and Outdoors

BACKGROUND

Borg's rating of perceived exertion (BRPE) scale is a simple, but subjective tool to grade physical strain during exercise. As a result, it is widely used for the prescription of exercise intensity, especially for cardiovascular disease prevention. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare relationships between BRPE and physiological measures of exercise intensity during uphill walking indoors and outdoors.

METHODS

134 healthy participants [median age: 56 years (IQR 52-63)] completed a maximal graded walking test indoors on a treadmill using the modified Bruce protocol, and a submaximal 1 km outdoor uphill cardio-trekking test (1 km CTT). Heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (V̇O2) were continuously measured throughout both tests. BRPE was simultaneously assessed at the end of each increment on the treadmill, while the maximal BRPE value was noted at the end of the 1 km CTT.

RESULTS

On the treadmill, BRPE correlated very high with relative HR (%HRmax) (ρ = 0.88, p < 0.001) and V̇O2 (%V̇O2max) (ρ = 0.89, p < 0.001). During the 1 km CTT, a small correlation between BRPE and %HRmax (ρ = 0.24, p < 0.05), respectively %V̇O2max was found (ρ = 0.24, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Criterion validity of BRPE during uphill walking depends on the environment and is higher during a treadmill test compared to a natural environment. Adding sensor-based, objective exercise-intensity parameters such as HR holds promise to improve intensity prescription and health safety during uphill walking in a natural environment.

Acute Effects of Virtual Reality Exercise Biking on College Students' Physical Responses

Purpose: Current evidence regarding the use of commercially available immersive virtual reality (VR) headsets and compatible VR exercise apparatus in the promotion of individuals' physical activity (PA) is lacking. This exploratory study investigated the acute effects of a VirZoom VR exercise bike (vBike) on college students' physical responses compared to an exergaming bike (eBike) and a traditional stationary exercise bike (tBike). Method: Forty-eight college students (34 females, X_age = 23.58 ± 3.39; X_BMI = 23.81 ± 3.57) completed three separate 20-minute cycling sessions on the vBike, eBike, and tBike in a counterbalanced order. Outcomes included rating of perceived exertion (RPE), assessed at 4-minute intervals throughout each cycling session, and overall PA, operationalized as pedal revolution counts (PRC) during each session. Results: Linear models indicated significant group differences between exercise modalities for RPE (F (2,138) = 14.76-27.30, all p < .001, η² = 0.17-0.27) and PRC (F (2,138) = 74.862, p < .001, η² = 0.48). Pairwise comparisons revealed that RPE was reported significantly higher at each time point (i.e., 4th minute, 8th minute, 12th minute, 16th minute, and 20th minute) during the tBike session vs. the vBike and eBike sessions (p < .001) and that participants had higher PRC during the vBike session vs. the eBike and tBike sessions (p < .001). Conclusion: A commercially available VR exercise bike would trigger greater overall PA as compared to exergaming and traditional cycling while being perceived less intense. Future intervention studies conducted in real-world settings to determine cause and effect relationship are warranted.

Comparison the effects of two types of therapeutic exercises Frenkele vs. Swiss ball on the clinical balance measures in patients with type II diabetic neuropathy

BACKGROUND

The number of diabetic patients is increasing in the world. Peripheral neuropathy is the most important problem of diabetes. Neuropathy eventually leads to balance impairment which is the main cause of falling down in these patients However, not sufficient evidences available to compare different protocols for improving balance in diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the effects of two therapeutic exercises on clinical balance measures in patients with type II diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

METHODS

The study was performed on 60 patients with diabetes categorized randomly into three groups: an intervention group (N=20) that received ball training exercise, another intervention group (N=20) that received Frenkel exercise and a control group (N=20) that received no interventions. Exercise training session was performed for 3 weeks. Then, clinical balance measures were computed in the three groups. Paired t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the collected data.

RESULTS

Both types of therapeutic exercise programs significantly improved balance in single leg stance, star excursion test, and Berg balance scale test (P˂0.05) compared to the control group. Besides, this was more significant in the ball training group (P˂0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

To improve balance in diabetic neuropathy, Swiss ball exercise is preferred compared to Frenkel training.

Managing Noncommunicable Diseases in an African Community: Effects, Compliance, and Barriers to Participation in a 4-Week Exercise Intervention

To determine the compliance, barriers, and effects of participation in a 4-week exercise intervention aimed at reducing risk factors for noncommunicable diseases among community-dwelling adults from a low-resourced area of South Africa. An exercise program and associated pre-posttest were performed by 76 participants (men, n = 26 and women, n = 50) aged 35 to 65 years. Baseline and end tests included height, weight, hip and waist circumference, heart rate, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, quality of life, and cardiorespiratory fitness measurements. The intervention consisted of 3 days/week combined aerobic and resistance exercise at an intensity of 70% heart rate reserved as determined at baseline. Compliance and barriers to participation were determined post-intervention by means of attendance registers and interviews. ANCOVA with adjustment for pretest was performed for all repeated variables. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for exercise benefits were 0.81 and for barriers 0.84. Of the 26 men (40.8 ± 5.45 years) and 50 women (43.6 ± 7.8 years) recruited, 54 completed the intervention (71% compliance). The 4-week aerobic exercise intervention significantly reduced body mass, rate of perceived exertion, and mental components summary in men, and body mass, body mass index, VO2max, rate of perceived exertion, glucose, physical components summary, and mental components summary in women. Participants reported that the exercise milieu as a major barrier to exercise compliance while the interviews reported lack of time. A 1-month exercise intervention elucidated positive changes in risk factors for noncommunicable diseases in a low-resource community. A drop-out rate of 29% in this study is consistent with other exercise intervention trials. Exploration of the reported barriers may be useful for planning to increase compliance with future programs.

Capacidade funcional submáxima e força muscular respiratória entre idosas praticantes de hidroginástica e dança: um estudo comparativo

O exercício físico é uma estratégia eficaz para prevenir e retardar as perdas funcionais do envelhecimento, mas há poucos estudos indicando qual a melhor modalidade para incrementar o status funcional do idoso. OBJETIVO: Comparar a força muscular respiratória (FMR) e a capacidade funcional submáxima de idosas praticantes de hidroginástica e dança. MATERIAL e MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com idosas do sexo feminino (n=46), praticantes de hidroginástica (Grupo Hidroginástica - GH; n=23) e dança (Grupo Dança - GD; n=23). Para medida da prática de atividade física, foi utilizado o International Physical Activit Questionnarie (IPAQ-versão curta); a FMR foi avaliada por meio da pressão inspiratória máxima (PImax) e da pressão expiratória máxima (PEmax), e a medida da capacidade funcional submáxima, realizada pelo Teste da Caminhada dos Seis Minutos (TC6m). RESULTADOS: O GD apresentou maior PImax (84 ± 12,49 cmH2O) quando comparado ao GH (63,35 ± 10,47 cmH2O) (p< 0,0001), e a PEmax não variou significativamente entre os grupos (p= 0,08). Quanto à distância percorrida no TC6m, o GD (616,53 ± 60,81 m) obteve melhor desempenho que o GH (446,65 ± 48,67 m) (p< 0,0001). Quanto ao nível de atividade física, o GD apresentou 19 idosas (82,61%) muito ativas e quatro (17,39%) ativas, e o GH apresentou oito idosas (30,76%) muito ativas e 15 (69,23%) ativas. CONCLUSÃO: As idosas praticantes de dança evidenciaram maior força muscular inspiratória e capacidade funcional submáxima, possivelmente devido ao maior nível de atividade física e também pelo fato de a dança ser uma modalidade essencialmente aeróbia.

Self-Paced Walking within a Diverse Topographical Environment Elicits an Appropriate Training Stimulus for Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients

Purpose. To assess the effect of a self-paced walking intervention within a topographically varied outdoor environment on physiological and perceptual markers in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients. Methods. Sixteen phase II CR patients completed twelve self-paced one-mile walking sessions over a four-week period within a community-based CR programme. Walking velocity, heart rate (HR), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were reported at eight stages throughout the self-paced walks. Results. The study showed a significant increase in walking velocity from week 1 (~4.5 km/h) to week 4 (~5.1 km/h) of the self-paced walking programme (P < .05). A significantly higher HR was also observed in week 4 (111 ± 13 b·min⁻¹; ~69% of maximal HR) compared to week 1 (106 ± 14 b·min⁻¹; ~65% of maximal HR, P < .001). There were no changes in the average RPE across the course of the 4-week self-paced walking programme (P > .05). Conclusion. A self-paced walking programme may elicit an appropriate training stimulus for CR patients when exercising within a diverse topographical environment. Participants completed a one-mile walk within a shorter period of time and at a higher physiological intensity than that elicited at the onset of the programme, despite no observed changes in participants' subjective perception of exertion.

Effects of an exercise program on balance and trunk proprioception in older adults with diabetic neuropathies

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathies. No definitive treatment for diabetic neuropathies has been reported, and very few studies have been published on the role of exercise in reducing either the symptoms or incidence of diabetic neuropathies.

METHODS

This study assessed the effects of an exercise program on balance and trunk proprioception in older adults with diabetic neuropathies. Thirty-eight patients with diabetes having peripheral neuropathies were enrolled, randomized, and subdivided in two groups: an experimental group of 19 participants with diabetes (72.9 ± 5.6 years old) and a control group of 19 participants with diabetes (73.2 ± 5.4 years old). Both groups received health education on diabetes for 50 min/week for 8 weeks. The experimental group practiced an additional balance exercise program for 60 min, two times a week. The exercise training was performed two times per week for 8 weeks. Results were evaluated by both static and dynamic balance and trunk proprioception.

RESULTS

Postural sway significantly decreased (P < 0.05), the one-leg stance test significantly increased (P < 0.05), and dynamic balance from the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go test, and 10-m walking time improved significantly after balance exercise (P < 0.05). Trunk repositioning errors also decreased with training (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The balance exercise program improved balance and trunk proprioception. These results suggested that a balance exercise is suitable for individuals with diabetic neuropathy.

Evaluation of the exercise workload of broadcast calisthenics for children and adolescents aged 11-17 years

The aim of this study was to examine the exercise workload of the 3rd Series of National Broadcast Calisthenics for Elementary and Middle School Students. Altogether, 120 students aged 11-17 years were randomly selected from elementary and middle schools to participate in the study. Each participant performed a cycle ergometer test to obtain maximum oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O(2max)) and maximum heart rate values. In the laboratory, oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O(2)), metabolic equivalents (METs), and heart rate were recorded continuously throughout a calisthenics session performed by the participants. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were also recorded. Throughout the calisthenics session, mean percentage of [Vdot]O(2) reserve varied from 30.7% to 41.2%, mean percentage of heart rate reserve from 39.0% to 56.9%, and mean RPE from 9.0 to 10.4. The mean energy cost during most of the segments across the four routines of calisthenics was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than 3.0 METs. In conclusion, the exercise workload of the 3rd Series of National Broadcast Calisthenics for Elementary and Middle School Students session varied from low to moderate. As part of a school-based physical activity intervention project, calisthenics would help to promote an active lifestyle and health in children and adolescents.

Physical Benefits of Dancing for Healthy Older Adults: A Review

Dancing is a mode of physical activity that may allow older adults to improve their physical function, health, and well-being. However, no reviews on the physical benefits of dancing for healthy older adults have been published in the scientific literature. Using relevant databases and keywords, 15 training and 3 cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Grade B–level evidence indicated that older adults can significantly improve their aerobic power, lower body muscle endurance, strength and flexibility, balance, agility, and gait through dancing. Grade C evidence suggested that dancing might improve older adults’ lower body bone-mineral content and muscle power, as well as reduce the prevalence of falls and cardiovascular health risks. Further research is, however, needed to determine the efficacy of different forms of dance, the relative effectiveness of these forms of dance compared with other exercise modes, and how best to engage older adults in dance participation.

The effects of a 12-week walking program on community-dwelling older adults

Walking is a popular and easily accessible form of physical activity. However, walking instruction for older adults is based on the evidence gathered from younger populations. This study evaluated walking conditions, strength, balance, and subjective health status after a 12-week walking-training program in community-dwelling adults > 65-years-old. Participants walked 1,921 m (3,158.88 steps) in 26.69 min with a heart rate of 114 beats/min. An analysis of covariance to adjust for previous exercise habits, pretest strength, and subjective health status revealed significant differences in strength and in subjective physical and mental health status between experimental and control groups. This study identified the effects of the walking-training program on community-dwelling elderly adults without changing their previous physical activities.

Validity of values for metabolic equivalents of task during submaximal all-extremity exercise and reliability of exercise responses in frail older adults

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Physical therapists and rehabilitation professionals in hospital and long-term care centers are using all-extremity semirecumbent exercise machines in their treatment programs. This study was undertaken to investigate the concurrent validity of values for software-generated metabolic equivalents of task (MET) from an all-extremity semirecumbent exercise machine and directly measured values for MET from a portable metabolic unit across a range of submaximal exercise intensities. A second purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of oxygen consumption and heart rate responses in older adults between standardized sessions of submaximal all-extremity aerobic exercise.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The study participants were 18 older adults (mean age=82 years, SD=5; 3 women, 15 men) who were living in long-term care centers and who completed 2 test sessions of a standardized exercise protocol 1 week apart. The exercise protocol included a warm-up period, three 4-minute stages of exercise at incremental workload levels, and a cool-down period. The breath-by-breath metabolic data from the portable metabolic unit, heart rate, MET values from the exercise machine, Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion, and watts were recorded continuously throughout the exercise protocol.

RESULTS

The concurrent validity of the MET values from the exercise machine and the portable metabolic unit ranged from very good to excellent on both day 1 and day 2 (r=.85-.97). The test-retest reliability of subjects' heart rate responses and MET values from the portable metabolic unit was moderate to high across submaximal exercise intensities (intraclass correlation coefficients [2,1]=.85-.91).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The exercise machine software-generated MET values were representative of directly measured oxygen consumption values across a range of submaximal intensities during all-extremity semirecumbent exercise in older adults with multisystem impairments.

Effects of a group-based exercise program on the physical performance, muscle strength and quality of life in older women

This study was aimed at determining the effect of a group-based exercise program on the physical performance, muscle strength and quality of life (QoL) in older women. Twenty women performed an exercise program for 8 weeks, at the rehabilitation unit. Outcome measures included a 4-m and 20-m walk test, a 6-min walk test, stair climbing and chair rise time, timed up and go test, isokinetic muscle testing of the knee and ankle, and the short form-36 (SF-36) and geriatric depression scale (GDS) questionnaires. The mean age of the study group was 70.3+/-6.5 years. After the completion of the exercise program, all of the physical performance tests and the SF-36 scores for the participants showed statistically significant improvements (p<0.05). In the isokinetic evaluations, most of angular velocities showed a significant increase in the peak torque (PT) values for knee extension and flexion, and for ankle plantar flexion (p<0.05). We concluded that this exercise program, when applied to older women, resulted in improved physical performance, increased muscle strength measured in both the knee and ankle, and improvement in the scores, estimating the QoL. We have shown that this exercise program is both effective and reliable for this age group of women.

Perceived exertion : influence of age and cognitive development

Because little is known about the effects of aging on perceived exertion, the aim of this article is to review the key findings from the published literature concerning rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in relation to the developmental level of a subject. The use of RPE in the exercise setting has included both an estimation paradigm, which is the quantification of the effort sense at a given level of exercise, and a production paradigm, which involves producing a given physiological effort based on an RPE value. The results of the review show that the cognitive developmental level of children aged 0-3 years does not allow them to rate their perceived exertion during a handgrip task. From 4 to 7 years of age, there is a critical period where children are able to progressively rate at first their peripheral sensory cues during handgrip tests, and then their cardiorespiratory cues during outdoor running in an accurate manner. Between 8 and 12 years of age, children are able to estimate and produce 2-4 cycling intensities guided by their effort sense and distinguish sensory cues from different parts of their body. However, most of the studies report that the exercise mode and the rating scale used could influence their perceptual responsiveness. During adolescence, it seems that the RPE-heart rate (HR) relationship is less pronounced than in adults. Similar to observations made in younger children, RPE values are influenced by the exercise mode, test protocol and rating scale. Limited research has examined the ability of adolescents to produce a given exercise intensity based on perceived exertion. Little else is known about RPE in this age group. In healthy middle-aged and elderly individuals, age-related differences in perceptual responsiveness may not be present as long as variations in cardiorespiratory fitness are taken into account. For this reason, RPE could be associated with HR as a useful tool for monitoring and prescribing exercise. In physically deconditioned elderly persons, a rehabilitation training programme may increase the subject's ability to detect muscular sensations and the ability to utilise these sensory cues in the perception of effort. RPE appears to be a cognitive function that involves a long and progressive developmental process from 4 years of age to adulthood. In healthy middle-aged and elderly individuals, RPE is not impaired by aging and can be associated with HR as a useful tool to control exercise intensity. While much is known about RPE responses in 8- to 12-year-old children, more research is needed to fully understand the influence of cognitive development on perceived exertion in children, adolescents and elderly individuals.