A Study on the Effects of Chinese Massage on Physical and Mental Health in Participants Based Smart Healthcare

The purpose of this study is to understand the influence of the effect of the smart Chinese massage appliance on the participants’ sports performance and physical and mental health after intermittent exercises. The study was performed by a mixed-study method. First, the experimental research method was used to design an experimental procedure and specifications such as data collection scope. Next, the quantitative research was carried out, using SPSS 26.0 statistical software to analyze data from the questionnaire. Then, the qualitative research was carried out by interviewing experts and respondents and obtaining their opinions. Finally, all the data were collated and analyzed using the multidimensional review method. Findings. Chinese massage significantly improved the physical fitness, exercise performance, body composition, and physical and mental health status of high-strength cyclic exercise participants. High-strength exercises can improve the physical and mental health of men. Medium-strength exercises could improve current conditions for women. Oxygen intake remained peaked for 8 sessions for men and increased after 30 sessions for women. Both groups required a 1-2-week adaptation period but had different exercise performance periods. After the experiment, head and back pain, as well as stress and negative emotions, was improved. The high intensity of the exercises relieved fear, headache or head stress, overeating, and other problems.

Effect of an Exercise Bout Prior to the Booster Dose of an Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine on Immunogenicity in Immunocompromised Patients

This study aimed to investigate whether a single bout of exercise prior to the homologous booster dose of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine (Sinovac-CoronaVac) could enhance immunogenicity in patients with dysfunctional immune system. This was a randomized controlled trial (1:1) within a single-arm, phase 4 vaccination trial, conducted in São Paulo, Brazil. Patients with spondyloarthritis assigned to the intervention group performed an exercise bout comprising three unilateral strength exercises involving eccentric and concentric contractions. After exercising, patients remained at rest for 1 h prior to vaccination, which was applied to the exercised arm. The control group remained at rest before vaccination. Immunogenicity was assessed before (Pre) and one month after (Post) the booster dose using seropositivity rates of total anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG, geometric mean titers of anti-S1/S2 IgG (GMT), frequency of NAb positivity, and NAb activity. Before the booster dose, 16 patients from the exercise group and 16 patients from the control group exhibited seropositivity for IgG (59% vs. 57.1%), one month after the booster dose, seropositivity occurred in 96% vs. 100% of the cases (p = 0.84, group by time interaction). Only 10 patients from the exercise group and 12 patients from the control group showed positive NAb serology at Pre (37% vs. 42.8%). One month following the booster, NAb positivity was 96% vs. 93% (p = 0.41, group-by-time interaction). GMT was comparable between groups at Pre (p > 0.05). At Post, GMT increased similarly in both groups (exercise: 56.9%; control: 57.9%), with no group-by-time interaction (p = 0.82; estimated mean difference between groups at Post [EMD]: -40.4 UA/mL, 95%CI: -327, 246 UA/mL). Likewise, NAb activity was similar between groups at Pre and increased similarly in both of them as a result of the booster (47.5% vs. 39.9%), with no group-by-time interaction (p = 0.99; EMD: -6.19%, 95%CI: -17; 4.6%). In conclusion, a single bout of exercise did not enhance immunogenicity to a homologous booster dose of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among patients with spondyloarthritis. Studies assessing exercise as an adjuvant to first or second doses remain necessary.

Influence of Special Training Programs in Bodybuilding on Reducing Athletes’ Injuries

The purpose of the study was a comparative analysis of training programs in bodybuilding and an assessment of their influence on the frequency of traumatization of the musculoskeletal system of athletes. Materials and methods. Theoretical analysis of scientific and methodological literature was conducted. For a practical assessment of the primary data on the types of injuries, a survey of medical staff was conducted. We analyzed 54 journals with records of athletes' appeals to medical personnel. Mathematical processing of research results was carried out using the software packages IBM SPSS Statistics 2.0. The study, which was conducted during 4 months – from March to the end of June 2021, involved 60 bodybuilders aged 18-19 years old. Three research groups of 20 athletes each were formed. They were divided according to age, qualifications and anthropometric characteristics. The created groups did not have significant differences in these characteristics; the intergroup difference applied only to the proposed training programs. Results and discussion. In the course of the study, it was found that among the athletes of the control group who used the generally accepted program of training sessions with a certain sequence of using exercises of a basic and formative nature, the number of calls with certain pain sensations during four mesocycles of training decreased by 30.7% (p <0.05) compared to a similar period before the start of the study. At the same time, the results obtained show that among the athletes of the first main group, who used the combined program of training sessions in bodybuilding during the study, the controlled indicator of the number of calls decreased significantly – by 33.4% (p <0.05). Conclusion. In the process of studying the peculiarities of the influence of various programs of training sessions on the dynamics of morpho-functional indicators of the athletes’ organisms during four mesocycles of training sessions, a certain regularity was established regarding the ratio of the manifestations of types of injuries when performing strength exercises, depending on the sequence of their use. In the process of applying the methodical procedure "premature fatigue" on the dynamics of morphometric indicators of body weight of athletes it is shown that it is the third version of the program that contributes to a significant decrease in the number of calls (by 75%, p <0.05), compared with the results obtained over the period of the previous four mesocycles of intensive bodybuilding at the stage of specialized basic training of athletes

Breathing exercises versus strength exercises through telerehabilitation in coronavirus disease 2019 patients in the acute phase: A randomized controlled trial

Objective To compare the effectiveness of two different exercise-based programs through telerehabilitation in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Design Randomized, controlled, parallel, double-blinded, three-arm clinical trial. Setting Patients’ homes through telerehabilitation devices. Subjects Subjects with coronavirus disease 2019 in the acute phase. Interventions Subjects were divided into three groups: breathing exercises group, strength exercises group or no treatment/control group. Main measures We analysed visual analogue scale for fatigue, 6-minute walking test, 30-seconds sit-to-stand test, multidimensional dyspnoea-12 questionnaire and Borg scale at baseline and 14 days later. Results From 93 subjects recruited, 88 were enrolled, and 77 patients (mean [SD] age 39.40 [11.71]) completed the 14-days intervention and were included in the analysis: 26 in strength exercises group, 29 in breathing exercises group and 22 in control group. The intergroup analysis shows significant differences between the study groups and control group in all variables ( p < 0.05); Borg scale, multidimensional dyspnoea-12 questionnaire (pre–post intervention score: strength exercises group: 7.85 [6.82] – 4.54[4.82], breathing exercises group: 11.04 [6.49] – 5.32 [3.63], control group: 10.27 [6.49] – 10.59[6.58]), visual analogue scale for fatigue, 6-minute walking test and 30-seconds sit-to-stand test (pre–post intervention score: strength exercises group: 12.19 [4.42] – 13.58 [5.37], breathing exercises group: 11.18 [3.42] – 12.79 [4.00], control group: 10.45 [2.15] – 9.86[1.88]). The greatest effect sizes were found in the variables Borg Scale ( R2 = 0.548) and multidimensional dyspnoea-12 questionnaire ( R2 = 0.475). Conclusions Strength exercises group and breathing exercises group obtained significant improvements in fatigue, dyspnoea, perceived effort, and physical state, compared to control group, although the greatest benefits were found for dyspnoea and aerobic capacity in breathing exercises group.

Adding muscle power exercises to a strength training program for people with patellofemoral pain: protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Background Strong evidence supports the proximal combined with quadriceps strengthening for patellofemoral pain (PFP) rehabilitation. However, most reported rehabilitation programs do not follow specific exercise prescription recommendations or do not provide adequate details for replication in clinical practice. Furthermore, people with PFP have power deficits in hip and knee muscles and it remains unknown whether the addition of power exercises would result in superior or more consistent outcomes. Therefore, this study is designed to verify whether the benefits of a rehabilitation program addressing proximal and knee muscles comprising power and strength exercises are greater than those of a program consisting of strength exercises only. Method This study will be a randomized controlled trial that will be conducted at university facilities. A minimum of 74 people with PFP between the ages of 18 and 45 years will be included. The experimental group will engage in a 12-week resistance training program focusing on proximal and knee muscles using power and strength exercises. The control group will engage in a 12-week resistance training program focusing on proximal and knee muscles using strength exercises only. Primary outcomes will be pain intensity and physical function; and secondary outcomes will be kinesiophobia, self-reported improvement, quality of life, peak hip and knee torque, and hip and knee rate of force development. The primary outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, and after 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. The secondary outcomes will be evaluated at baseline and immediately after the interventions. Therapists and participants will not be blinded to group allocation. Discussion This randomized clinical trial will investigate if adding power exercises to a progressive resistance training may lead to more consistent outcomes for PFP rehabilitation. The study will provide additional knowledge to support rehabilitation programs for people with PFP. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 03985254. Registered on 26 August 2019.

Impact of passive stretching on vertical jump performance: a systematic review: a systematic review

Passive stretching is commonly used in sport by physiologists, fitness coaches, and coaches as part of a warm-up session before engaging in various sports. It is possible to find reports in the literature that performing passive stretching can improve performance in strength exercises and/or reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. However, scientific evidence has shown that stretching before power exercises can harm performance. This review aimed to investigate in the literature the effects of passive stretching on muscle performance in vertical jumps. The search was carried out in the SciELO database and also in the Google Academic search tool and the strategy used for the search was to look for titles that were relevant and linked to the desired subject, without language restrictions, but mainly languages were observed english, portuguese and spanish. The exclusion criterion for the studies was directed only to the literature review type and only 11 articles were selected for their use in the work, with no established chronological limit, however, giving preference to more current studies. In most studies, pre-exercise stretching harmed muscle performance and in others, they did not show differences or even an improvement, although statistically insignificant. Thus, it can be concluded that muscle stretching performed before strength exercise is not the most efficient form of warm-up or preparation for muscle performance.

The effectiveness of an online intervention in stimulating injury-preventive behaviour in adult novice runners. Results of a randomised controlled trial.

Background: The online intervention Runfitcheck was developed to stimulate injury-preventive behaviour among adult novice runners. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Runfitcheck on injury-preventive behaviour among adult novice runners. Material and methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted among adult novice runners. The intervention group had access to the Runfitcheck intervention, the control group performed their running activities as usual. One, three, and five months after enrolment, participants reported retrospectively what they had done regarding injury-preventive behaviour (operationalised as (i) using a (personalised) training schedule; (ii) performing strength and technique exercises; and (iii) performing a warm-up routine prior to running). Relative Risks (RR) and 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) were used to analyse behavioural change. Results: The intervention group (n=715) searched more often for information about a warm-up routine (RR 1.211; 95%CI 1.080-1.357), added more often strength exercises to their warm-up routine ( RR 1.228; 95%CI 1.092-1.380). The intervention group performed more often running technique exercises compared to the control group (n=696) (RR 1.134; 95%CI 1.015-1.267), but less often strength exercises (RR 0.865 (95%CI 0.752-0.995). Within the group of runners that did not perform any warm-up routine at enrolment (n=272), the intervention group performed a regular warm-up routine more often than the control group (RR 1.461; 95%CI 1.084-1.968) No significant results were found for using a training schedule. Discussion and conclusion: The online intervention Runfitcheck was effective in stimulating aspects of injury-preventive behaviour in adult novice runners, mostly related to a warm-up routine.

Can Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and its Chronic Complications Influence the Level of Maximal Oxygen Uptake of Exercise Participants?

Patients with type 2 diabetes have reduced aerobic capacity, negatively reflecting on their daily life and prompt independence. Greater damage can be harmed by the presence of chronic complications from diabetes, but this can be mitigated by the effects of physical exercise. The aim of the study was to assess the level of maximum oxygen consumption of people with type 2 diabetes who already have chronic complications and exercise practitioners and also compare with the reference value for women of age group, exercisers and without diagnosis of diabetes. The study was characterized as descriptive, a sample composed of 10 women with type 2 diabetes, mean age of 53 ± 13 years, as who had chronic complications from diabetes such as autonomic and peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy and hypertension and who participated in Doce Vida - Supervised Physical Exercise Program for Diabetics / ESEF / UPE. The group participated in a training protocol combined with 20 minutes of walking and 04 strength exercises (protocol A and B) in each physical exercise session. The weekly frequency of training was three times a week, in the morning period. To assess VO2max, the Rockport 1-Mile Walking Test was performed, the volunteers were instructed to walk as fast as possible. For data analysis, the t-test was applied to a sample, with a significance level of p≤0.05. The results obtained showed an average of 16.8 ml / kg / min of VO2max in the volunteers, values ​​lower than the ideal average for the age (53 ± 13 years) of women without diabetes, which corresponds to 28.2 ml / kg / min (p = 0.02). Therefore, it is concluded that women with type 2 diabetes with the presence of chronic complications, similar levels of VO2max complications are lower than recommended for the same age group of women without diabetes. Therefore, it is suggested that women with the profile of the participants in this study should undergo a cautious progression of physical exercise, better adaptation and adherence to physical exercise.