Thesis (Ph.D.)--Victoria University (Melbourne, Vic.), 2008.

Orientador: Roberto Carlos Burini / Banca: Adriana Lucia Mendes / Banca: Edilaine Michelin / Resumo: A menopausa consiste numa etapa normal do processo de envelhecimento da mulher, e é marcada pela amenorréia permanente. É um evento que decorre de alterações nos níveis dos hormônios sexuais femininos e promove uma série de modificações fisiológicas que predispõem ao surgimento ou agravamento de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. O aumento da prevalência do Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) está relacionado ao crescimento da obesidade e cerca de 90% do DM2 é atribuída ao excesso de peso. A identificação de doenças e respectivos fatores de risco que afetam mulheres durante o envelhecimento permitem introduzir programas preventivos que evitem ou retardem seu início, com consequente diminuição da incidência de mortalidade e, portanto, aumento da qualidade de vida. Sabe-se que mudanças no estilo de vida resultam na diminuição do DM e que o exercício físico é uma ferramenta não farmacológica importante no combate dessa doença. Pacientes com DM2 fisicamente ativos melhoram a sensibilidade à insulina por meio do aumento da massa muscular, aumento do fluxo sanguíneo, e da densidade dos receptores de insulina e maior captação e utilização de glicose pelo músculo esquelético. A redução do tecido adiposo induzida pelo treinamento físico em pacientes com DM também melhora a sensibilidade à insulina e a tolerância à glicose. O exercício intervalado (alta intensidade) requer maior recrutamento de fibras musculares e o esgotamento dos estoques de glicogênio muscular ocorre mais rapidamente em todos os tipos de fibras musculares. Deste modo, há melhor captação de glicose muscular e re-sintese de glicogênio pós-exercício quando comparados com os exercícios de baixa ou moderada intensidade. Além disso, maior recrutamento de fibra muscular pode conduzir a adaptações metabólicas em mais fibras musculares, sustentando os efeitos no controle metabólico e a sensibilidade à insulina. O exercício de alta... / Abstract: Menopause is a normal part of the aging process of the woman, which is marked by permanent amenorrhea. It is an event that results from changes in levels of female sex hormones and consequently promotes a series of physiological changes that culminate in the predisposition to the emergence or worsening of chronic diseases. The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is related to the growth of obesity and about 90% of T2DM is attributed to excess weight. The identification of diseases and their risk factors affecting women during aging allow the introduction of preventive measures to prevent or delay its onset, with consequent reduction in the incidence of mortality and thus increase quality of life programs. It is known that changes in lifestyle result in decreased DM and that physical exercise is an important nonpharmacological tool in fighting this disease. Physically active patients with T2DM improve insulin sensitivity by increasing muscle mass, increasing blood flow, increasing in density of insulin receptors, greater uptake and utilization of glucose by skeletal muscle. The reduction of adipose tissue induced by physical training in patients with DM also improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The interval exercise protocol (high intensity) requires greater muscle fiber recruitment and the depletion of muscle glycogen stores occurs more quickly in all types of muscle fibers. Thus, there are better muscle glucose uptake and resynthesize of glycogen after exercise if compared with exercise of low or moderate intensity. Furthermore, increased recruitment of muscle fiber can lead to metabolic adaptations in more muscle fibers, maintenance of the effects on metabolic control and insulin sensitivity. The high-intensity exercise, so can show advantages in the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance and T2DM / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-10T14:23:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-02-27. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-12-10T14:29:50Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000851310.pdf: 842976 bytes, checksum: 7a304b971ff57b2b9534aff8373976d6 (MD5) / A menopausa consiste numa etapa normal do processo de envelhecimento da mulher, e é marcada pela amenorréia permanente. É um evento que decorre de alterações nos níveis dos hormônios sexuais femininos e promove uma série de modificações fisiológicas que predispõem ao surgimento ou agravamento de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. O aumento da prevalência do Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) está relacionado ao crescimento da obesidade e cerca de 90% do DM2 é atribuída ao excesso de peso. A identificação de doenças e respectivos fatores de risco que afetam mulheres durante o envelhecimento permitem introduzir programas preventivos que evitem ou retardem seu início, com consequente diminuição da incidência de mortalidade e, portanto, aumento da qualidade de vida. Sabe-se que mudanças no estilo de vida resultam na diminuição do DM e que o exercício físico é uma ferramenta não farmacológica importante no combate dessa doença. Pacientes com DM2 fisicamente ativos melhoram a sensibilidade à insulina por meio do aumento da massa muscular, aumento do fluxo sanguíneo, e da densidade dos receptores de insulina e maior captação e utilização de glicose pelo músculo esquelético. A redução do tecido adiposo induzida pelo treinamento físico em pacientes com DM também melhora a sensibilidade à insulina e a tolerância à glicose. O exercício intervalado (alta intensidade) requer maior recrutamento de fibras musculares e o esgotamento dos estoques de glicogênio muscular ocorre mais rapidamente em todos os tipos de fibras musculares. Deste modo, há melhor captação de glicose muscular e re-sintese de glicogênio pós-exercício quando comparados com os exercícios de baixa ou moderada intensidade. Além disso, maior recrutamento de fibra muscular pode conduzir a adaptações metabólicas em mais fibras musculares, sustentando os efeitos no controle metabólico e a sensibilidade à insulina. O exercício de alta... / Menopause is a normal part of the aging process of the woman, which is marked by permanent amenorrhea. It is an event that results from changes in levels of female sex hormones and consequently promotes a series of physiological changes that culminate in the predisposition to the emergence or worsening of chronic diseases. The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is related to the growth of obesity and about 90% of T2DM is attributed to excess weight. The identification of diseases and their risk factors affecting women during aging allow the introduction of preventive measures to prevent or delay its onset, with consequent reduction in the incidence of mortality and thus increase quality of life programs. It is known that changes in lifestyle result in decreased DM and that physical exercise is an important nonpharmacological tool in fighting this disease. Physically active patients with T2DM improve insulin sensitivity by increasing muscle mass, increasing blood flow, increasing in density of insulin receptors, greater uptake and utilization of glucose by skeletal muscle. The reduction of adipose tissue induced by physical training in patients with DM also improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The interval exercise protocol (high intensity) requires greater muscle fiber recruitment and the depletion of muscle glycogen stores occurs more quickly in all types of muscle fibers. Thus, there are better muscle glucose uptake and resynthesize of glycogen after exercise if compared with exercise of low or moderate intensity. Furthermore, increased recruitment of muscle fiber can lead to metabolic adaptations in more muscle fibers, maintenance of the effects on metabolic control and insulin sensitivity. The high-intensity exercise, so can show advantages in the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance and T2DM

Thesis (MScSportSc)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a growing concern in South Africa and worldwide about the global epidemic of obesity and overweightness among the general population. Obesity mediates the pathogenesis of pathological conditions and is associated with a poor quality of life, high morbidity and mortality rates and a huge burden on an individual’s and the health system’s infrastructure and finances. The answer to this rising epidemic is weight loss. Endurance training has been shown to induce weight loss however, people usually cite lack of time as a barrier to meaningful participation in exercise programmes. High intensity interval training (HIIT) therefore emerges as a potential solution to these barriers as it takes a relatively short period of time compared to endurance training. Despite the differences in exercise durations the most cogent advantage is that HIIT elicits not just similar, but even superior central and peripheral adaptations. The central and peripheral adaptations have been shown to enhance weight loss, improve blood lipids and glucose levels, as well as decreasing blood pressure. The challenge facing exercise physiologists is to find the optimal exercise intensity and duration of HIIT bouts which would be time efficient, safe and well tolerated by overweight and obese people. The shortcomings of literature are that most HIIT studies have focused on healthy, overweight and obese men and these studies cannot be extrapolated to women who have been shown to respond differently to training. Moreover, other interventions investigating the effects of HIIT in women and men have been longer term rather than short term interventions. In order to fill the gaps in the literature, the main aim of this study was to investigate the training and detraining effects of a short-term HIIT programme on selected health-related measures in young overweight and obese women. To this end, a non-random sample of 20 overweight and obese women (aged 18-25) volunteered to participate in this study. Selected health-related outcomes were measured prior to training. The pre-training testing was followed by the HIIT intervention which was two weeks and consisted of six sessions using the 10 – 15x1 minute running at 90% HRmax which was separated by one minute active recovery periods at 50-60% of HRmax. The HIIT intervention was followed by a post test in which baseline measurements were repeated. This was then followed by a two week detraining period and follow up testing. The main finding of this study was that a period of two weeks of HIIT can elicit adaptations that can lower the risk profiles of young overweight and obese women. The results showed a statistically significant decrease in body mass (1.6%, p = 0.001), fat mass (3.7%, p = 0.001) and waist circumference (4.8%, p = 0.001), and an increase in lean mass of 1.9% (p = 0.001). There was also a decrease in blood glucose (11%, p = 0.001), total cholesterol (10.4 %, p = 0.01), systolic (3.4%, p = 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (5.8%, p = 0.001) levels. Finally there was a statistically significant increase in relative VO2max and exercise capacity after the HIIT The follow-up testing after two weeks of detraining shows that the metabolic adaptations that were achieved by the HIIT protocol are relatively lasting or are at least not completely reversed. The weight loss induced by HIIT is important in that it is the major target in lowering the prevalence of overweightness and obesity. The HIIT protocol in this study emerges as a time efficient strategy in eliciting positive adaptations in clinical populations and healthy people. Moreover these findings suggest that 10 minute and 15 minute HIIT work bouts at near-maximal intensities are possibly the minimum amount of training that is needed to induce significant weight loss and other positive health-related outcomes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar bestaan ʼn toenemende besorgdheid in Suid-Afrika en wêreldwyd oor die globale epidemie van obesiteit en oorgewig onder die algemene bevolking. Obesiteit fasiliteer die patogenese van verskeie siektetoestande en word met ʼn swak kwaliteit lewe, hoë morbiditeit en mortaliteit en ʼn geweldige las op ʼn individu en die gesondheidsowerhede se infrastruktuur en finansies geassosieer. Een van die antwoorde op hierdie stygende epidemie is gewigsverlies. Dit is reeds gewys dat uithouvermoë oefening saam met ʼn kalorie beperkende dieet gewigsverlies in die hand werk. Mense dui egter ʼn tekort aan tyd as ʼn hindernis tot betekenisvolle deelname aan ʼn oefenprogram aan. Hoë intensiteit interval inoefening (HIIO) is dus ʼn potensiële oplossing tot hierdie hindernis aangesien dit in vergelyking met uithouvermoë inoefening in ʼn relatiewe korter periode van tyd uitgevoer kan word. Afgesien van die verskille in inoefenperiodes is die mees logiese voordeel dat die HIIO nie net soortgelyke nie, maar self beter sentrale en periferale fisiologiese aanpassing voortbring. Die sentrale en periferale aanpassing verhoog gewigsverlies, verbeter bloedlipiedes en glukose vlakke, en veroorsaak ʼn afname in bloeddruk. Alhoewel ʼn aantal studies die voordele van HIIO by jonger en ouer populasies aandui, is baie min studies op vrouens uitgevoer. Bevindinge kan nie noodwendig na vrouens ekstrapoleer word nie omdat hulle dikwels verskillend op inoefening as mans reageer. Dit is ook nie bekend of ʼn kort HIIO intervensie ʼn betekenisvolle impak op oorgewig en vetsugtige vrouens sou hê nie, asook hoe blywend enige veranderinge sou wees nie. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was dus om die inoefening- en die geen-inoefening effekte van ʼn korttermyn HIIO program op geselekteerde gesondheidskenmerke in jong oorgewig en vetsugtige dames te bepaal. ʼn Nie-ewekansige steekproef van 20 oorgewig en vetsugtige vrouens (18-25 jaar) het vrywillig ingestem om aan hierdie studie deel te neem. Geselekteerde gesondheidskenmerke is voor die aanvang van die inoefening gemeet. Die HIIO intervensie het twee weke geduur en het uit ses sessies bestaan (10 – 15x1 minuut draf by 90% HSmaks en een minuut aktiewe herstel by 50-60% HSmaks). Die HIIO intervensie is deur ʼn na-toets gevolg waarin basislyn metings herhaal is. Dit is deur ʼn twee weke geen-inoefening periode en opvolgtoetse opgevolg. Die hoofbevinding van hierdie studie was dat ses sessies van HIIO fisiologiese aanpassings na vore gebring het wat die risiko profiele van jong oorgewig en vetsugtige vrouens verlaag het. Daar was statisties betekenisvolle afnames in liggaamsmassa (1.6%, p < 0.001), vetmassa (3.7%, p < 0.001) en heupomtrek (4.8%, p < 0.001) en ʼn toename in vetvrye liggaamsmassa van 1.9% (p < 0.001). Daar was ook ʼn afname in bloedglukose (11%, p < 0.001), totale cholesterol (10.4 %, p = 0.01), sistoliese (3.4%, p < 0.001) en diastoliese bloeddruk (5.8%, p < 0.001). Daar was ook statisties betekenisvolle verbeteringe in relatiewe VO2maks en oefeningtoleransie na inoefening. Die opvolgtoetse na twee weke van geen-inoefening het getoon dat metaboliese aanpassings wat deur die HIIO bereik is, relatief blywend van aard was of ten minste nie totaal omgekeerd was nie. Die gewigsverlies wat deur die HIIO veroorsaak was is belangrik in die sin dat dit die hoofdoelwit aanspreek om die voorkoms van oorgewig en vetsugtigheid te verminder. Die studie suggereer verder dat 10 – 15 minute HIIO werksessies, by naby maksimale intensiteite, moontlik die minimum hoeveelheid inoefening is wat benodig word om betekenisvolle gewigsverlies en ander positiewe gesondheidskenmerke te bereik.

The purposes of this study were (1) to determine if three selected aerobic dance related conditions would result in chronic alterations of flexibility of college women and (2) to compare flexibility measures of college age females during a semester of aerobic dance instruction. Subjects were sixty-three college women enrolled in aerobic dance, bowling, and archery classes. Eight flexibility measures were obtained during the third and eleventh weeks of the experimental period. Data were analyzed by a factor analysis the Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and eight oneway analyses of covariance. Conclusions of the investigation were (1) a program of aerobic dance alone is not sufficient to promote flexibility, and (2) supplemental flexibility activities of ten minutes duration used with aerobic dance training are beneficial in increasing hip flexion.

<p>The primary aim of this study was to investigate the changes in physical fitness characteristics of elite women&rsquo / s rugby union players over the duration of the season. Thirty two elite female rugby players who were identified as members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad were assessed on three separate occasions (pre-season, mid-season and post-season) throughout the competition season. The players were sub-divided into two positional categories consisting of 17 forwards and 15 backs. On all testing occasions, players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (sit-and-reach, vertical jump, 10m and 40m speed, 1 RM bench press / pull-ups / 1 min push-ups and multi-stage shuttle run test). A two&ndash / factor analysis of variance evaluated differences in the physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season.</p>

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the role of physical activity in the lives of three Indian women living in Canada, specifically in the Lower Mainland, and to examine some of the more prominent issues they are facing in today's physical activity context by giving voice to their experiences and stories. This is a vital area to investigate because of the tendency to universalize and stereotype Indo-Canadian women without properly understanding their cultural backgrounds and the content and context of their physical activity experiences. I wish to understand what has motivated Indo-Canadian women to get involved with and continue with physical activity pursuits; and to what degree have social support structures (family, school, community, peers) influenced their decisions. Women in this particular age bracket (25-35) will hopefully be able to articulate not only their sporting experiences, but also their opportunities, constraints, dissatisfactions and accomplishments as they relate to physical activity. Social support structures such as family, community and school, physicality and the body, leadership and mentoring and self-promotion and marketing are some of the more prominent themes. The methodology chosen to extract the data is that of life story interviews. A series of in-depth interviews conducted with each of the individual participants reveals their own unique, complex and selective life and physical activity experiences. Each woman seemed to view, and construct the issue of participation in physical activity as a personal responsibility for community development. For example, one woman struggled to create and find support for an all-Indian dragon boat team and define a space for Indian women, while another desired to promote alternatives and encourage women to dance and maintain culture at a community level. The third participant's goals included increasing the participation rates of younger Indian women, by providing positive leadership. The participants are teaching Indian women and girls to un-learn an exclusion of self. Solutions proposed and implemented by them included: female-only environments, minimal or no-cost sessions, training and employing South Asians, daycare, accommodation of religious calendar, transportation, education in community and family, choice of attire, use of ethnic language, and redefinition of common images.

<p>The primary aim of this study was to investigate the changes in physical fitness characteristics of elite women&rsquo / s rugby union players over the duration of the season. Thirty two elite female rugby players who were identified as members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad were assessed on three separate occasions (pre-season, mid-season and post-season) throughout the competition season. The players were sub-divided into two positional categories consisting of 17 forwards and 15 backs. On all testing occasions, players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (sit-and-reach, vertical jump, 10m and 40m speed, 1 RM bench press / pull-ups / 1 min push-ups and multi-stage shuttle run test). A two&ndash / factor analysis of variance evaluated differences in the physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season.</p>

The main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of progressive resistance training on the blood lipid profile in post-menopausal women. Thirty-four female subjects aged 50 to 75 years were selected from the population of Grahamstown, South Africa. All participants were previously sedentary and possessed at least one lipid profile abnormality but were otherwise healthy. Pre-tests included a sub-maximal stress Electrocardiogram, measures of stature, mass, central and limb girths as well as an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a total blood lipid profile. Participants took part in a 24-week progressive resistance training programme, consisting of three supervised sessions per week, each lasting 45 minutes and were not permitted to lose more than 10% of initial body mass during the 24-week study. All pre-test measures, excluding the stress ECG and the OGTT, were repeated every four weeks for the duration of the study. Results were that body mass, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio did not change. Girth measures at mid-humerus, chest, waist, hip, mid-quadricep and mid-gastrocnemius all decreased significantly (p=0.05). LDL-cholesterol increased significantly over the course of 24 weeks (3.61mmol.L-1 to 4.07mmol.L-1) as did total cholesterol (5.81mmol.L-1 to 6.24mmol.L-1). Triglyceride concentration remained unchanged and HDL-cholesterol decreased significantly between the pre-test measure (1.55mmol.L-1) and the measure after six months (1.42mmol.L-1). It can be concluded that the blood lipid profile in a sample of post-menopausal women was not positively affected by a progressive resistance training programme over a 24 week period. / Maiden name: Kelly, Janet Erica

Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / The primary aim of this study was to investigate the changes in physical fitness characteristics of elite women's rugby union players over the duration of the season. Thirty two elite female rugby players who were identified as members of the South African Rugby Union High Performance Squad were assessed on three separate occasions (pre-season, mid-season and post-season) throughout the competition season. The players were sub-divided into two positional categories consisting of 17 forwards and 15 backs. On all testing occasions, players underwent anthropometric (stature, body mass and sum of 7 skinfolds) and physical performance measurements (sit-and-reach, vertical jump, 10m and 40m speed, 1 RM bench press; pull-ups;1 min push-ups and multi-stage shuttle run test). A two-factor analysis of variance evaluated differences in the physical fitness variables between and within playing positions over the competition season. / South Africa