Current evidence for hypopressive exercises in healthy women: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Hypopressive exercises have been mainly used in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunctions. Recently it has started to spread among healthy women. However, no comprehensive review is available in this population.

PURPOSE

Assess the current evidence of the effects of hypopressive exercises on healthy women.

METHODS

This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020203103). The search was performed in Scielo, Pubmed, Lilacs, Embase, Scopus, Pedro, Trip Database, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The last search was performed on November 1st, 2021. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials and single-arm trials, healthy women, acute or late effects of hypopressive exercises, and pre and post-training analysis. Exclusion criteria included non-original research, conference proceedings, dissertations and theses. Downs and Black checklist were used to assess the methodological quality. Study design, participants characteristics, description of the intervention, follow-up period, variables, instruments, and outcomes were extracted and recorded.

RESULTS

From the 410 studies, five were selected. The variable of major interest was waist circumference, which showed a decrease with exercise. It also seemed to have plausible positive effects on height, lower back mobility, abdominal and pelvic floor muscle contraction, respiratory flow and apnea, and hemodynamic responses.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the current literature on the effects of hypopressive exercise on healthy women is very limited. Despite the plausible positive effects identified, we cannot recommend its practice due to the serious methodological problems. Therefore, more studies are needed to elucidate the benefits and adverse effects of hypopressive exercises.

Breathing Motion Pattern in Cyclists: Role of Inferior against Superior Thorax Compartment

The thoracoabdominal breathing motion pattern is being considered in sports training because of its contribution, along with other physiological adaptations, to overall performance. We examined whether and how experience with cycling training modifies the thoracoabdominal motion patterns. We utilized optoelectronic plethysmography to monitor ten trained male cyclists and compared them to ten physically active male participants performing breathing maneuvers. Cyclists then participated in a self-paced time trial to explore the similarity between that observed during resting breathing. From the 3D coordinates of 32 markers positioned on each participant's trunk, we calculated the percentage of contribution of the superior thorax, inferior thorax, and abdomen and the correlation coefficient among these compartments. During the rest maneuvers, the cyclists showed a thoracoabdominal motion pattern characterized by an increased role of the inferior thorax relative to the superior thorax (26.69±5.88%, 34.93±5.03%; p=0.002, respectively), in contrast to the control group (26.69±5.88%; 25.71±6.04%, p=0.4, respectively). In addition, the inferior thorax showed higher coordination in phase with the abdomen. Furthermore, the results of the time trial test underscored the same pattern found in cyclists breathing at rest, suggesting that the development of a permanent modification in respiratory mechanics may be associated with cycling practice.

Reliability of the Frontal Plane Knee Alignment Measurement Based on a Remote Protocol

Introduction

The analysis of movement quality is important for better exercise prescription. This study tested the reproducibility of a protocol for remote assessment of dynamic knee alignment using images taken by patients.

Methods

Thirteen women filmed themselves performing single-leg squats on two days at a 15-day interval. Three raters measured the knee frontal plane projection angle using the resultant images.

Results

Two participants (15.4%) were excluded for not performing the protocol correctly. The intraclass correlation coefficient was between 0.880 and 0.999 for the intra-rater comparison, and between 0.817 and 0.987 for the inter-rater comparison.

Discussion

The success of the protocol in 84.6% of participants and the excellent reproducibility suggest that the methodology of analyzing patient-captured cell phone images might be a plausible alternative for remote evaluation of dynamic knee alignment.

Is age rating enough to investigate changes in breathing motion pattern associated with aging of physically active women?

The most common way to analyze the effect of aging on breathing is to divide subjects into age groups. However, in addition to the fact that there is no consensus in the literature regarding age group division, such design critically influences the interpretation of the effects attributed to aging. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility to distinguish different age groups from the 3D kinematic variables of breathing motion (i.e., markers' coordinate as a function of time allowing the calculation of compartmental volume variations) and to analyze whether the aging could influence these variables. Seventy-three physically active women aged 19-80 years performed quiet breathing and vital capacity maneuvers. To record the thoracoabdominal breathing motion, the 3D coordinates of 32 retroreflective markers positioned on the trunk were used to estimate the volume variation of the superior thorax, inferior thorax, and abdomen. The percentage of contribution and the correlation coefficient were calculated to analyze the breathing motion pattern from the estimated volumes. The k-means cluster analysis was performed to analyze the age group classification. Linear regression was performed to investigate whether age can predict changes in the breathing motion pattern. The results showed that physically active women could not be classified into age groups from breathing motion. Despite significant p values of the linear regression, the high variability of the data suggested that age itself is not enough to predict the changes in breathing motion pattern when non-sedentary women are considered.

Effects of kettlebell training and detraining on mood status and sleep and life quality of healthy women

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Kettlebell exercise have become popular because of its ability to simultaneously train aerobic/anaerobic systems, low cost and easy access, and the great potential for physical fitness programs with a focus on public health. However, little is known about its effects on mood status, sleep, and quality of life (QOL) parameters. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of kettlebell training/detraining on the prevention of depressive and anxiety symptoms and QOL and sleep quality.

METHODS

The sample was composed of 17 healthy women (age: 26.0 ± 5.0 years; body mass: 60.9 ± 12.5 kg; height: 164.6 ± 5.5 cm). The study was organized into four consecutive phases: pre-intervention (PRE), intervention (kettlebell training, 12 weeks, three times/week), post-intervention (POST) and detraining (D, four weeks). The questionnaires SF-36 (QOL), Beck (depressive symptoms), State-Anxiety Inventory (acute anxiety symptoms), POMS (mood state) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (sleep quality) were administered at PRE/POST/D phases.

RESULTS

QOL, anxiety, sleep quality, and mood state exhibited no differences between PRE/POST/D. Levels of depressive symptoms significantly decreased (22.0%, p = 0.003) between PRE and POST phases, and remained low and similar to POST levels after D.

CONCLUSION

Twelve weeks of kettlebell training was able to reduce and prevent depressive/anxiety symptoms in healthy women and these results were maintained after short-term detraining. Thus, kettlebell training might be considered an alternative method on the promotion of mental health and prevention of mood disorders and consequently can improve QOL even in health people.

Relationship between bow stability and postural control in recurve archery

AbstractArchery is a sport that requires fine movement control, and postural stability is considered an important variable to achieve high performance. In order to better understand the coupling between archer and bow during the aiming phase, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between bow stability and postural control in recurve archery according to shooting performance. A total of 8 archers shot 6 arrows at a 13-m distant target. The three-dimensional position of one marker attached to the bow and the center of pressure (COP) position of the archer (the point of application of the resultant ground reaction force on a force plate) were measured during the aiming phase, representing bow and archer displacement, respectively. COP displacement in the direction across the target (COP_Y), length of the COP trajectory (D_COP) and length of the bow trajectory (D_bow) were higher in the lowest scoring shot compared to the highest one. A strong and significant correlation was found between COP and bow displacement in the direction towards/away from the target (COP_X and D_X) and between COP_X and vertical displacement of the bow (D_Z) during the highest scoring shot. This result indicates that synchronization between body and bow sway may influence the accuracy of the shot, suggesting that combined balance and bow stability training exercises would be beneficial to improve archery performance.

Association between lung function, thoracoabdominal mobility and posture in cystic fibrosis: pilot study

Abstract Introduction: Deterioration of lung function is the main cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF), so it is essential to study different related factors. Objective: To assess the association of pulmonary function with thoracoabdominal mobility and postural alignment in individuals with CF. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed in individuals with CF (8-17 years). Pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry. Thoracoabdominal mobility and postural alignment were evaluated by photogrammetry using the Postural Assessment Software (PAS/Sapo). Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was performed, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The following spirometric variables showed a decrease compared to predicted values: FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEF and FEF25-75%. Postural assessment showed alterations in head horizontal alignment (HHA; 2.71 ± 2.23o), acromion horizontal alignment (AHA; 1.33 ± 1.35o), anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) horizontal alignment (ASISHA; 1.11 ± 0.89o), angle between acromia and ASIS (AAASIS; 0.89 ± 0.39o), scapula horizontal asymmetry - T3 (SHAT3; 16.95 ± 12.03%), and asymmetry of the projection of the center of gravity within the base of support in the frontal (11.45 ± 8.10%) and sagittal (48.98 ± 18.55%) planes. A strong positive correlation was found between pulmonary function and thoracoabdominal mobility in the variables anteroposterior mobility of the upper chest (APMUC) and FVC (r = 0.818, p = 0.024), APMUC and FEV1 (r = 0.874, p = 0.010), and APMUC and FEF25-75% (r = 0.797, p = 0.032). A strong negative correlation was detected between FEV1/FVC and AHA (r = -0.761, p = 0.047). Conclusion: Our study showed in CF a reduction in pulmonary function, strong positive correlation between APMUC and pulmonary function, high prevalence of kyphoscoliosis and strong negative correlation between AHA and pulmonary function.

Frequency and associated factors of poor knee alignment in young Brazilian volleyball players

Objectives: Poor knee alignment during the deceleration phase of closed kinetic chain movements, such as landings, is a relevant risk factor for injuries in sports. This study assessed the knee alignment and possible associated factors in young Brazilian volleyball athletes Methods: One hundred and seventeen athletes of both genders (9-19 years old) were assessed during a drop jump for the observation of knee alignment. Chi-square test was used to describe the association between poor knee alignment and: gender, age category (≤14 years and ≥15 years), sports experience, participation in competitions, the presence of knee pain during training, and history of lower limb injury Results: Seventy percent of athletes presented poor knee alignment, which was slightly associated with a sports experience lower than one year. Conclusion: Thus, considering the high number of volleyball practitioners and its strong presence in physical education classes, preventive measures should be adopted for young volleyball athletes of both genders, especially in the sports initiation phase.

Quality of Life, Depression, Anxiety Symptoms and Mood State of Wheelchair Athletes and Non-athletes: A Preliminary Study

The present study aims to compare quality of life, depression, anxiety symptoms, and profile of mood state of wheelchair athletes and non-athletes. Thirty-nine basketball and rugby wheelchair athletes (n = 23, nine women, age 36.0 ± 10.0 years; body mass 66.2 ± 13.8 kg; height 170.0 ± 8.5 cm) and non-athletes (n = 16, 4 women, 39.0 ± 14.2 years; body mass 79.6 ± 17.2 kg; height 170.0 ± 6.4 cm) were recruited. Quality of life, anxiety and depressive symptoms and mood disorders were evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and Profile of Mood State questionnaire, respectively. Comparison between groups (non-athletes vs. athletes) was performed using Student’s t-test for independent samples. No differences (p > 0.05) were found between non-athletes vs. athletes regards to quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms and profile of mood state. Overall, non-athletes and athletes presented medium anxiety symptoms and mild to moderate depressive symptoms. In conclusion, the wheelchair athletes and non-athletes presented similar quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and profile of mood state.

Analysis of required coefficient of friction in running and walking

The popularity of running has increased over the past few years. However, just a few studies in running have focused on the friction between surface and shoe/foot. Changes in friction can affect aspects of human motion, such as safety, motion pattern and efficiency among others. The aim was to investigate the effects of cadence (walk, self-selected running and imposed-running), stance sub-phases (absorption and propulsion) and footwear (barefoot and shod) on the required coefficient of friction (RCOF) of regular runners. Twenty healthy runners (12 males, 8 females, 29.4 ± 4.9 years, 70.4 ± 9.6 kg) participated in this study. Two force plates were used to measure the ground reaction forces (GRF) in order to calculate the RCOF for each condition and the stance phase was divided in sub-phases. In walk, the RCOF was smaller in the absorption than in propulsion phase (p < 0.001). Results evidenced effects of the cadence (p < 0.001), stance sub-phases (p < 0.001) and footwear (p < 0.001) on the RCOF. There was interaction effect in cadence with stance sub-phases (p < 0.001) and footwear with stance sub-phases (p < 0.001). Our results show RCOF is influenced by cadence and footwear condition in the absorption phase.

Valgo dinâmico de joelho e desempenho de salto entre atletas jovens de voleibol

Objetivo: O valgo dinâmico de joelho é uma disfunção de movimento muito comum entre os atletas de vôlei, sendo fator de risco para lesões nessa articulação, o que poderia impactar negativamente a produção de potência muscular. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência da lateralidade do valgo dinâmico de joelho (uni- vs. bi-lateral) no desempenho do salto horizontal de atletas jovens de vôlei. Metodologia: Para tanto, foram selecionados 22 atletas de voleibol competitivos (oito do sexo masculino e 14 do feminino) que foram divididos nos grupos: valgo de joelho unilateral [VU - n=10, idade (anos): 13,7±1,4; massa corporal (kg): 56,9±12,9; estatura (cm): 163,5±9,2] e bilateral [VB - n=12, idade (anos): 13,6±2,3; massa corporal (kg): 52,8±13,8; estatura (cm): 165,91±8,65]. Os atletas realizaram três saltos horizontais e as distâncias horizontais obtidas (a melhor de três tentativas em cm) foram submetidas ao teste t para amostras independentes para verificar diferenças entre os grupos VU e VB. Resultados e discussão: Não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os grupos VU vs. VB no teste de salto horizontal (VU: 166,2 ± 22,0 cm; VB: 162,6 ± 21,3 cm; p=0,703). Conclusão: Na casuística do presente estudo, a presença do valgo dinâmico de joelho/lateralidade não se mostrou um fator que pode influenciar no desempenho físico, particularmente da potência muscular de membros inferiores avaliada através de testes de salto horizontal, de atletas jovens de voleibol.

Reproducibility and Validity of a Stroke Effectiveness Test in Table Tennis Based on the Temporal Game Structure

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a stroke effectiveness test in table tennis based on the temporal game structure to assess the ball speed and ball placement of the players, with a purpose to analyze its reproducibility and validity.

Methods: Nineteen male table tennis players participated in this study. The test was performed twice during the first session and once during the second session to assess the intrasession and intersession reproducibility, respectively. Moreover, the test was examined on its ability to discriminate between regional (n = 10) and local performance-level (n = 9) players and on the relationship between the test results and the table tennis performance to assess the discriminant and concurrent validity, respectively. In general, the test consisted of 11 simulated rallies of 2–5 balls with the effort and rest ratio of 0.5, and focused on attack with offensive strokes at defensive balls delivered by a robot randomly between the left and right positions on the table.

Results: Ball speed, ball placement, and ball speed-ball placement index showed satisfactory reliability (ICC range 0.78–0.96, P < 0.05) and agreement (CV range 2.7–16.2%) outcomes. Additionally, the Bland–Altman plots show the systematic error of the analyses closer to 0, and that most values were within the limits of agreements. Concerning validity analyses, regional players had higher scores of ball placement (+51.3%; P = 0.01, ES = 1.33) and ball speed-ball placement index (+56.1%; P = 0.0009, ES = 1.87) as well as made fewer errors (-25.4%; P = 0.017, ES = 1.20) than local players. Moreover, ball placement (r = -0.79, P = 0.04), ball speed-ball placement index (r = -0.78, P = 0.04), and percentage error (r = 0.88, P = 0.01) presented a strong and significant correlation with table tennis performance. However, ball speed was slightly different between the regional than local players (+1.7%; P = 0.78, ES = 0.13) and this variable was not related to table tennis performance (r = 0.32, P = 0.49).

Conclusion: Our findings show evidences that the test is reproducible. Moreover, discriminant and concurrent validity are confirmed for ball placement and ball speed-ball placement index.

Pilates and aerobic training improve levels of depression, anxiety and quality of life in overweight and obese individuals

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare the effects of Pilates and walking on quality of life, depression, and anxiety levels. Methods: Sixty-three overweight/obese participants were randomly divided into: control (n = 20), walking (n = 21), and Pilates (n = 22) groups. Pilates and walking groups attended eight weeks of 60-minute exercise sessions three times per week. Quality of life, depression, and state- and trait-anxiety levels were evaluated before and after eight weeks of training. Results: Scores of quality of life, depression, and trait-anxiety improved in the Pilates and walking groups. State-anxiety levels improved only in the walking group. Conclusion: Pilates and walking positively impact quality of life, depression and anxiety. The Pilates method could be used as an alternative to improve mood disorders in overweight/obese individuals.

Effects of mat Pilates training and habitual physical activity on thoracoabdominal expansion during quiet and vital capacity breathing in healthy women

BACKGROUND

Pilates is a body/mind method that requires different types of exercise (balance, endurance, strength, and flexibility) and attention to muscle control, posture, and breathing. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of mat Pilates training and habitual physical activity on thoracoabdominal motion of healthy and physically active women.

METHODS

Thirty-five women without experience in Pilates exercise, aged between 18 and 35 years, participated in the study (habitual physical activity group: N.=14; and mat Pilates group: N.=21). Three-dimensional kinematic analysis was used to evaluate total and separate thoracoabdominal compartments' expansion (superior and inferior thorax and abdomen), contribution of each compartment to total thoracoabdominal expansion, and coordination between thoracoabdominal compartments.

RESULTS

After 12 weeks of mat Pilates training, thoracoabdominal expansion during quiet breathing was improved by increasing the expansion of abdomen by about 33% (P=0.01). Moreover, expansion of superior (P=0.04) and inferior thorax (P=0.02) and abdomen (P=0.01) was also improved in Pilates (35%, 33%, and 37%, respectively) compared to the habitual physical activity group, after the experimental protocol. Finally, the habitual physical activity group presented a decrease of 13% in the expansion of abdomen (P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest the capability of Mat Pilates in improving the action of respiratory and abdominal muscles during breathing and, thus, its benefits to breathing mechanics.

IMPACTO DE 12 SEMANAS DE PRÁTICA DE PILATES SOLO NA FORÇA DE PREENSÃO MANUAL, RESISTÊNCIA ABDOMINAL E NA FLEXIBILIDADE AVALIADA POR FOTOGRAMETRIA EM MULHERES SAUDÁVEIS

Este estudo avaliou o efeito do Pilates solo na força e flexibilidade de mulheres saudáveis. O grupo controle (GC; n=11) manteve a prática de atividade física habitual; o grupo Pilates (GP; n=11) praticou Pilates solo (60 minutos, duas vezes semanais) por 12 semanas. Foram avaliadas: a flexibilidade por fotogrametria, a força de preensão manual pelo dinamômetro e a resistência abdominal pelo número de repetições do exercício abdominal realizado em um minuto. No GP houve aumento significativo da resistência abdominal (12,5%) e na força de preensão esquerda (33%); no GC houve aumento da força de preensão direita (38,5%). Não foram observadas diferenças na flexibilidade. Doze semanas de Pilates solo foram suficientes para melhorar a aptidão muscular de mulheres saudáveis.

A pedagogia do ensino das modalidades esportivas coletivas e individuais: um ensaio teórico

A pedagogia do esporte investiga a prática educativa pelo esporte. Os objetivos da pedagogia do esporte são apontar princípios norteadores e organizar, planejar e sistematizar procedimentos de ensino/aprendizagem/treinamento que auxiliem no desenvolvimento integral do ser humano. Além disso, seu conhecimento contribui para sistematizar e aperfeiçoar o ensino de diferentes modalidades esportivas coletivas e/ou individuais. Dessa forma, um ensaio teórico sobre a pedagogia do esporte, pautado nos principais conceitos necessários à prática diária da Educação Física, pode contribuir para que os profissionais da área aperfeiçoem a sua práxis.

Isomap transform for segmenting human body shapes

Segmentation of the 3D human body is a very challenging problem in applications exploiting volume capture data. Direct clustering in the Euclidean space is usually complex or even unsolvable. This paper presents an original method based on the Isomap (isometric feature mapping) transform of the volume data-set. The 3D articulated posture is mapped by Isomap in the pose of Da Vinci's Vitruvian man. The limbs are unrolled from each other and separated from the trunk and pelvis, and the topology of the human body shape is recovered. In such a configuration, Hoshen-Kopelman clustering applied to concentric spherical shells is used to automatically group points into the labelled principal curves. Shepard interpolation is utilised to back-map points of the principal curves into the original volume space. The experimental results performed on many different postures have proved the validity of the proposed method. Reliability of less than 2 cm and 3° in the location of the joint centres and direction axes of rotations has been obtained, respectively, which qualifies this procedure as a potential tool for markerless motion analysis.