scholarly journals Moderate levels of physical activity enhance short-term visual plasticity in adult humans

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Lunghi ◽  
Alessandro Sale
2020 ◽  
Vol 183 ◽  
pp. 109270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Koch ◽  
Ana Zelembaba ◽  
Raymond Tran ◽  
Michelle Laeremans ◽  
Benjamin Hives ◽  
...  

1998 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 615-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galen Cole ◽  
Sharon Hammond ◽  
Bruce Leonard ◽  
Fred Fridinger

We evaluated a three-level incentive program to promote regular, moderate physical activity among employees working in a federal agency. The objective was to assess the short-term effects of the intervention by examining the stages people go through as they attempt to make permanent changes in physical activity. Indicators of the process by which changes in physical activity take place were based on a modified version of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior. A one-group pretest/posttest design was used to ascertain which of the stages the 1,192 participants were in both before and after the intervention. Analysis indicated that, of the 1,192 participants, 6.5% regressed one or more stages, 30.3% did not regress or progress from one stage to another, 27.7% remained in the maintenance stage, and 35.4% progressed one (21.1%) or more (14.3%) stages during the 50-day intervention. Among those who progressed, the most common change was from preparation to late preparation (20.8%) and from late preparation to action (19.4%). Findings reinforce the notion that the stages of change concept can serve as indicators of the change process which, in turn, can be used as evidence of the short-term effectiveness of interventions. Findings also indicate this type of intervention holds promise for increasing physical activity among willing participants of a worksite population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (spe) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wladimir Rafael Beck ◽  
Pedro Paulo Menezes Scariot ◽  
Stefânia Santos do Carmo ◽  
Fúlvia Barros Manchado-Gobatto ◽  
Claudio Alexandre Gobatto

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 204201881988882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A. Bowden Davies ◽  
Samuel Pickles ◽  
Victoria S. Sprung ◽  
Graham J. Kemp ◽  
Uazman Alam ◽  
...  

Background: Although the health benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are well established and have been incorporated into national public health recommendations, there is a relative lack of understanding pertaining to the harmful effects of physical inactivity. Experimental paradigms including complete immobilization and bed rest are not physiologically representative of sedentary living. A useful ‘real-world’ approach to contextualize the physiology of societal downward shifts in physical activity patterns is that of short-term daily step reduction. Results: Step-reduction studies have largely focused on musculoskeletal and metabolic health parameters, providing relevant disease models for metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes (T2D), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), sarcopenia and osteopenia/osteoporosis. In untrained individuals, even a short-term reduction in physical activity has a significant impact on skeletal muscle protein and carbohydrate metabolism, causing anabolic resistance and peripheral insulin resistance, respectively. From a metabolic perspective, short-term inactivity-induced peripheral insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, with consequent liver triglyceride accumulation, leads to hepatic insulin resistance and a characteristic dyslipidaemia. Concomitantly, various inactivity-related factors contribute to a decline in function; a reduction in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle mass and muscle strength. Conclusions: Physical inactivity maybe particularly deleterious in certain patient populations, such as those at high risk of T2D or in the elderly, considering concomitant sarcopenia or osteoporosis. The effects of short-term physical inactivity (with step reduction) are reversible on resumption of habitual physical activity in younger people, but less so in older adults. Nutritional interventions and resistance training offer potential strategies to prevent these deleterious metabolic and musculoskeletal effects. Impact: Individuals at high risk of/with cardiometabolic disease and older adults may be more prone to these acute periods of inactivity due to acute illness or hospitalization. Understanding the risks is paramount to implementing countermeasures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56
Author(s):  
John McMahon ◽  
Robert S. Wall Emerson ◽  
Paul Ponchillia ◽  
Amy Curtis

Introduction: This study explored the relationship between first-time or repeat participation at a sports education camp and demographic variables of gender, age, race or ethnicity, measures of self-perception, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity in participants’ communities. Methods: The study was a secondary data analysis of interview and BMI data for youths with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision) who attended a sports education camp in one of 12 states in the years 1989, 1996, and 2000–2010. Results: The short-term intervention model of a sports education camp had a positive effect on participants’ perceptions of themselves. This result was more pronounced for boys and for youths with some usable vision. Involvement in a sports education camp did not tend to translate to increased involvement in sports in a student’s community. The mean BMI of first-time participants was consistent across gender, race or ethnicity, and vision category, and the BMI of first-time participants tended to be higher according to the age of the participant. Discussion: The findings revealed that the short-term intervention model of a sports education camp is highly effective in increasing self-perception for youngsters with vision impairments. Implications for practitioners: For youths with visual impairments who might be experiencing reduced social interaction, decreased self-perception or increased BMI involvement in a sports education camp is a short-term intervention that can positively impact these effects.


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