There has been an interest in the kinetics of the V02 response during exercise at various intensities. However, most studies focus on the response of submaximal intensities whereas few studies have examined V02 kinetics at severe intensities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of exercise intensity on V02 kinetics over a range of severe intensities.

There were two primary goals in this investigation. The first goal was to determine if inter-individual variability in time to exhaustion at the velocity associated with V02max (Tlim at Vmax) was explained by anaerobic capacity (AC), Vmax, anaerobic threshold (AT), and/or a combination variable in the form [AC • (Vmax - vAT)^-1]. The second goal was to determine if AC could be predicted from Tlim at Vmax, AT, and/or a combination variable in the form [Tlim • (Vmax - vAT)].

Acute effects of repeated sprinting upon serum creatine kinase (CK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and isozymal activities were studied in five collegiate runners (R_s) and six non-runners (NR_s ). After an intermittent running treadmill test, blood sampling showed three-fold mean increases in CK with no change in LDH in both groups; group differences were insignificant (p>.05). Results suggest (1) intense anaerobic exercise produces moderate enzyme elevations; (2) relatively equivalent exercise intensities are critical to enzyme responses in exercising individuals of varying fitness levels; and (3) exercise-induced enzyme release may be consequential to muscle cell membrane permeability changes from decreased intracellular high-energy phosphates.

Introduction/purpose: Recovery from muscle damage involves a type of programmed cell death known as apoptosis. Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) are released after muscle damage and may cause premature apoptosis in monocytes infiltrating the damaged site. This may alter the time course of events towards recovery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if downhill running causes a change in the susceptibility of monocytes to apoptosis. Methods: Participants (5 male, 6 female) completed a downhill running protocol consisting of 6-5 minute bouts at a speed of 6-9mph on a -15% grade treadmill. Venous blood samples were collected immediately pre-exercise (PRE), in addition to 4 -h, 24 -h and 48 -h post-exercise. Creatine kinase (CK) was measured to give an indication of muscle damage. Monocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry for expression of multicaspase and annexin v reagent was used to detect changes in the plasma membrane. A MILLIPLEX MAP human early apoptosis magnetic bead 7-plex kit (EMD Millipore, Billerica, MA) was used to assess the relative concentration of phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt), Bcl-2 associated death promoter (BAD), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), active caspase-8, active caspase-9, c jun N terminal kinase (JNK) and tumor protein p53 by Luminex multiplex assay. Results: CK peaked at 24- h. Monocytes showed greater expression of multicaspase at 24 –h and 48 -h than at PRE. Bcl-2, p53 and caspase-8 were all significantly greater at 24 –h than at PRE. Conclusion: Downhill running did alter the apoptotic response of monocytes and therefore may be important in the recovery process from muscle damage.

student number: 9305872K M.Sc (Med) Dissertation - School of Physiology / Most performance assessments on athletes involve an excessive amount of testing procedures. The efficacy of these tests is not always apparent, and their application is not always practical. Elite male middle-distance runners (n=20) were used to assess the physiological determinants of 800 meter running performance. We used testing methods recommended by the South African Sports Commission, which included body composition, joint flexibility, muscular strength, -power and -endurance, as well as a Wingate test (anaerobic capacity) and an isokinetic evaluation. An assessment of maximal running speed and acceleration at distances up to 300 meters was conducted on a standard tartan track. In addition, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), running economy, onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) and the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) were determined. Measured values were correlated with competitive performance times using the Pearson product-moment correlation technique, with the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Wingate mean- and minimum power, as well as running times at 40, 60, 70, 80, 90, 150 and 300 meters were found to be significantly correlated to performance (r2>0.4; p<0.01). A multiple correlation comparison was used to determine a significant difference between correlations with performance time for the different variables. A stepwise multiple regression determined that 300 meter time-trial time was the strongest predictor of performance, accounting for 79% of the variability in performance, which was a better predictor of performance than a prediction model. The following formula was derived to estimate 800 meter performance from 300 meter time-trial time: 800m time = 37.1062 + 2.17(300m time) [time in seconds] The tests most able to predict 800 meter running performance were sport-specific track tests of high-speed running ability and tests of anaerobic capacity (especially the Wingate cycle ergometer test).

The dissertation thesis consists of five articles, bringing together results from investigations of macroinvertebrates in running waters. The use of freshwater macroinvertebrate organisms to assess environmental changes was based on the following facts: a) the presence/absence of taxa provide information about abiotic factors and/or about the pollution status of the site, b) they are indigenous and sedentary species, so that the environmental implications can be related to the site they live on, c) the organisms accumulate xenobiotic elements or compounds, thus reflecting the contaminant level in the environment. Localization of the sampling sites was related to the "hot-spots" of environmental problems. The particular investigations were carried out in the Elbe River catchment and in the Czech mountains on the selected headwater streams of the GEOMON network of the Czech Geological Survey. The Elbe was considered one of the most polluted rivers across Europe in the second half of the past century until the socio-economic transformation after 1989. The headwater streams in the Czech Republic were chosen with respect to the problem of acidification. The ability of bioaccumulation of xenobiotics in macroinvertebrate organisms was used to assess the long-term load of the Elbe ecosystem with trace...

A corrida de rua é uma das atividades que obteve maior número de adeptos entre a população idosa. É sabido que, durante a corrida, idosos apresentam padrões diferente de adultos jovens, como um maior ângulo de toe-out. No entanto, não é conhecida a relação com a carga mecânica nas articulações dos membros inferiores. Muitos estudos apontam para uma relação entre o momento adutor externo do joelho e o ângulo de toe-out, inclusive como mecanismo de proteção em indivíduos com osteoartrite do joelho, doença comum em pessoas acima dos 65 anos. Assim, pretendeu-se investigar uma possível relação do ângulo de toe-out aumentado nesses indivíduos e o momento do joelho no plano frontal. Vinte e dois adultos jovens corredores, 23 idosos corredores e 13 idosos sedentários andaram a 5 km/h e correram a 7, 10 km/h e na velocidade média da última prova de 10 km. Na velocidade de 5 km/h e 10 km/h os indivíduos corredores realizaram também uma condição com o toe-out aumentado além do natural. Os indivíduos executaram estas tarefas em uma esteira instrumentada com duas cintas independentes e com duas plataformas de força de seis componentes operando a 600 Hz (Bertec, USA) e tiveram os movimentos dos membros inferiores registrados por um sistema de análise tridimensional do movimento composto por oito câmeras de infravermelho operando a 150 Hz (Motion Analysis Corporation, USA). Uma completa análise cinemática e cinética das tarefas foi realizada por meio dos softwares Visual3D (CMotion. Inc., USA) e Matlab (Mathworks, USA). Em particular, o ângulo de toe-out e o momento adutor externo do joelho foram mensurados em todas as condições e comparados entre as condições com e sem o toe-out aumentado e entre os grupos a partir de análise de variâncias fatorial mistas e ANOVA, respectivamente. Os ângulos e momentos artivulares foram comparados entre os grupos com testes de Wicoxon Signed-rank com correção de Bonferroni. Em geral, os adultos corredores, idosos corredores e idosos sedentários apresentaram diferenças nos padrões cinemáticos e cinéticos do movimento dos membros inferiores durante o andar a 5 km/h e durante o correr a 7 km/h. Também foram observadas diferenças, porém em menor número, durante a corrida a 10 km/h e a corrida na velocidade média da última prova de 10 km para os adultos corredores e idosos corredores. Quanto à relação do ângulo de toe-out e o momento adutor externo do joelho, contrariamente à literatura, nós não observamos um aumento deste ângulo para os idosos durante o andar ou correr em relação aos adultos, assim como uma relação inversa entre o ângulo de toe-out e o momento adutor externo do joelho, talvez pelas coletas terem sido realizadas sobre uma esteira com cinta dupla, o que pode ter levado à alteração do posicionamento natural dos pés (toe-out) / Running is one of the activities that had the highest number of participants among elderly population. It is known that during running, elderly have different patterns of young adults, as a greater toe-out angle. However it is still unknown the relationship between the mechanical loads at the joints of the lower limbs. Several studies point to a correlation between the external knee adduction moment and the toe-out angle, including as a protective mechanism among people with knee osteoarthritis, a common disease in people over 65 years old. Thus, we sought to investigate a possible relationship between the toe-out angle increased in these individuals and the knee moment in the frontal plane. Twenty-two young adult runners, 23 elderly runners and 13 sedentary elderly walked at 5 km/h and ran at 7, 10 km/h and at the mean speed of the last 10 K race. At the speed of 5 km/h and 10 km/h the individuals who were runners also performed a condition with the toe-out angle increased beyond the natural. The subjects did all tasks in an instrumented treadmill with independent two belts and two force plates with six components operating at 600 Hz (Bertec, USA) and had the lower limb movements registered by a tridimentional motion analysis system with eight infrared cameras operating at 150Hz (Motion Analysis Corporation, USA). A complete kinematics and kinectics analysis were made using Visual3D (CMotion. Inc., USA) and Matlab (Mathworks, USA) softwares. The toe-out angle and the external knee adduction moment were measured during all conditions and compared between the condition with and without the toe-out angle increased, and between the groups with a mixed effects modeling and ANOVA respectivelly. The joint angles and joint moments were compared between groups with Wilcoxon Signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction. In general, young adult runners, elderly runners and elderly sedentaries had differences in kinematic and kinetic pattern of movement of lower limbs during walk at 5 km/h and run at 7 km/h. There were also differences, though in smaller number, during run at 10 km/h and run at mean speed of the last 10 K race between young adult runners and elderly runners. Contrasting the literature there was no relation between toe-out angle and external knee adduction moment and we didnt observe a greater angle in elderly than young adults during walk or run, it maybe can be explained by the fact that the tasks were above a double belt treadmill, what can lead to a different feet position (toe-out)

Epidemiologic data suggest 25% to 75% of all runners experience an overuse injury each year. Commonly cited biomechanical factors related to overuse injuries such as Achilles tendinopathy or medial tibial stress syndrome include excessive amounts or velocities of foot pronation. However, there is conflicting evidence in the literature supporting this theory. An alternative hypothesis suggests it is not necessarily the amount or velocity of pronation which is important for injury development; rather it is the duration the foot remains in a pronated position throughout stance that is the important variable. This project examined this hypothesis by first identifying biomechanical markers of prolonged pronation. Second, it assessed whether individuals currently symptomatic with injuries typically attributed to excessive pronation instead demonstrate the biomechanical markers of prolonged pronation. Finally, musculoskeletal modeling techniques were used to examine musculotendinous kinematics in injured and healthy runners, as well as healthy runners with prolonged pronation. The results suggest the two most robust measures for identifying individuals with prolonged pronation are the period of pronation and the eversion of the rear foot at heel off. Individuals with prolonged pronation can also be identified with a set of clinically feasible measures including higher standing tibia varus angles, reduced static hip internal rotation range of motion, and increased hip internal rotation during stance phase. Finally, individuals with prolonged pronation display a more medially located center of pressure trajectory during stance. Compared to healthy controls, individuals currently symptomatic with Achilles tendinopathy or medial tibial stress syndrome did not differ in the amount or velocity of pronation. However, they did demonstrate the biomechanical markers of prolonged pronation. Injured individuals also demonstrated greater average musculotendinous percent elongation than healthy controls, especially through mid and late stance. Currently healthy individuals demonstrating prolonged pronation exhibited musculotendinous percent elongations intermediate to the healthy and injured groups. As a whole, the results from this study suggest prolonged pronation may play a role in the development of common overuse running injuries. It is suggested future studies on injury mechanisms consider pronation duration as an important variable to examine. This dissertation includes unpublished co-authored material.

Orientador: José Geraldo Trani Brandão / Banca: José Elias Tomazini / Banca: Marcelo Sampaio Martins / Banca: Rita de Cássia Rigotti Vilela Monteiro / Banca: Eliane Cristina Martinez Teodoro / Resumo: O retreinamento de corrida vem sendo utilizado por muitos clínicos e pesquisadores com intuito de corrigir padrões lesivos de movimentos que tendem a gerar maior sobrecarga nos tecidos músculoesqueléticos. Para isso algumas formas de biofeedback visual e auditivo são frequentemente utilizadas. Porém esses retreinamentos são realizados através de esteiras instrumentadas com plataforma de força, acelerômetros, dispositivos para mensuração de pressão plantar e outros dispositivos de alto custo que inviabilizam essa conduta fora do ambiente laboratorial, dificultando a utilização dessa ferramenta na prática clínica. O número de estudos sobre biofeeedback em tempo real para retreinamento de corrida vem aumentando, porém seu acesso à imensa maioria dos corredores com padrões inadequados de movimento permanece muito raro. Esse estudo tem o objetivo de desenvolver e avaliar a efetividade de palmilhas instrumentadas com sensores táteis e sinalizadores de LED no retreinamento de corrida através de biofeedback visual. Para isso, foram desenvolvidas palmilhas com sensores de contato que informam, em tempo real, qual tipo de contato inicial está sendo realizado pelo corredor. Isso facilita a conduta de retreinamento do padrão de contato de retropé para mediopé/antepé, como sugerido para alguns casos de lesão musculoesquelética. Essa alteração do padrão de movimento é utilizada para diminuir o pico inicial de força de reação vertical do solo e o pico de aceleração positiva da tíbia, útil e... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The running gait retraining has been used by many clinicians and researchers to correct injurious movement patterns which tend to generate greater overload in the musculoskeletal tissues. To do that many visual and auditory biofeedback are often used. However, these retraining strategies are performed through instrumented treadmills with force platform, accelerometers, devices that measure plantar pressure and other high cost devices that make evaluation infeasible outside the laboratory enviroment, making it difficult to use this tool in clinical practice. The number of studies on real-time biofeedback for running gait retraining has increased, but the access to the vast majority of runners with inadequate movement patterns remains very rare. This study aims to develop and determine the effectiveness of instrumented insoles with contact sensors and notifying LED signaling system in running gait retraining through visual biofeedback. For this purpose insoles with contact sensors were developed that inform in real time what type of initial contact is being made by the runner in each step with the purpose of re-educating the change of the initial contact pattern from back to midfoot / forefoot, in some cases of musculoskeletal injuries. This change in movement pattern is used to decrease the initial peak of vertical ground reaction force and the peak positive tibial acceleration, useful in some runners with medial tibial stress syndrome and history of tibial stress fracture. Te... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

O problema central desta tese está na carreira de corredores participantes em um grupo de corridas no sul do Brasil o que levou à reflexão sobre como ela se relaciona com seu envelhecimento. Fez-se uma tentativa por explicar esse elemento aproximando-o da proposta conceitual de lazer de Robert A. Stebbins (2008) dentro de um contexto ainda pouco conhecido e explorado. Foram propostos os seguintes objetivos específicos para a exploração: 1. aproximar a perspectiva de lazer de Stebbins (2008) ao contexto estudado, com ênfase no conceito de carreira; 2. identificar as características das práticas de lazer dos corredores do grupo de corridas; 3. analisar as inter-relações entre as práticas de lazer dos corredores e suas carreiras com o seu envelhecimento. Para a compreensão do lazer no grupo de corredores, foram feitas observações diretas e participantes, incluindo conversas informais com os atores do meio social e mantendo-se seus registros em diário de campo. Adicionalmente, foram feitas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, com o objetivo de captar informações que não eram alcançáveis pelas observações. Para a construção dos dados, as entrevistas foram transcritas e codificadas e, cruzadas com as informações obtidas nas observações, sendo possível identificar temas relevantes para os corredores. Com a concatenação de tais temas, foi possível conceber um modelo teórico que explica e evidencia os possíveis delineamentos das carreiras dos corredores dentro de um contexto que engloba seus elementos mais amplos, como os processos que envolvem a constituição de grupos de corridas e configuram o lazer e envelhecimento dos corredores; elementos que se relacionam com a forma de interpretação e interação dos corredores com o contexto em que experimentam o lazer, como a relativização de valores e o humor; e, finalmente, elementos que são parte inerente do lazer que elegeram por realizar, como a aprendizagem das habilidades necessárias ao desenvolvimento das atividades. Como forma de aproximar o modelo à educação, há uma síntese propositiva de elementos educacionais que bem poderiam ser aprofundados por futuras pesquisas e discutidos em relação ao envelhecimento e carreira dos corredores do grupo. / The core problem in this thesis is on the career of runner who participates in a running group in Southern Brazil which led to reflection about how it relates to their aging. It was done an attempting to explain this element in an unexplored and almost unknown field as part of serious leisure perspective, the theoretical framework proposed by Robert A. Stebbins (2008). As specific objectives it was proposed: 1. to get the group activities close to the serious leisure perspective, emphasizing on career; 2. to identify the features of runners leisure in the running group; 3. to analyze the interrelations among leisure practices of runners, their careers and aging. Aiming to comprehend the leisure of the running group, direct and participant observations were held, including informal talking with social actors, and they were recorded in a field notebook. Additionally, semi structured interviews were held intending to catch information not reachable just through observations. To data construction, the interview were transcribed and coded and crossed with information obtained in observations, being it possible to identify relevant themes on runners’ careers. Concatenating these themes, it was possible to develop a theoretical model to explain the runners’ career and its possible designs in a context which includes its broader elements, as the processes of constitution of the running group which configures leisure and aging of runners; elements related to the way runners interpret and interact with the context they experience their leisure, as the values relativization and humour; and, finally, elements which are inherent part of the kind of leisure they chose to do, as learning required abilities and skills. As a way of put close the model and education it was done a propositional synthesis of educational issues which could be detailed in future investigations and discussed in their relation to aging and career in the running group.