Background: In the past 37 years, increased efforts have been directed toward a better understanding of the importance of Hcy in disease and it has now become clear that hyperhomocysteinemia is a major independent risk factor for CVD. Extensive research on the influence of vitamin supplementation leading to reductions in Hcy levels and improvements in cardiovascular function has been done. The importance of exercise in the lowering of cardiovascular risk factors, as well as its favourable influence on cardiovascular function has also been indicated in several studies, however, the limited number of studies investigating the effect of exercise on Hcy concentrations revealed contradicting results. Furthermore, a relationship between Hcy concentration and cardiovascular function with the intervention of an exercise training and a vitamin supplementation programme respectively has also not been investigated. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a 12-week exercise training and a 12-week vitamin supplementation intervention respectively on tHcy concentrations and cardiovascular function, and whether the change in tHcy concentration within the different interventions correlated with the change in cardiovascular function. Methods: In a randomised controlled cross-over intervention study, 52 men matched for age, cardiorespiratory fitness levels and cardiovascular risk factors were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups (Group A = exercise training programme, 20-30min. at 70-80% of HRmax; Group B = 400 g folic acid and 25 g vitamin B12 supplement; Group C = control). Group A and B were crossed over for phase 11, and Group C remained the control. The questionnaires were completed, and the body composition variables (BMI, WHR and body fat percentage), cardiovascular function (Finometer), tHcy concentrations and VO2max, were measured before and after each 12-week intervention period. A 6-week washout period separated the crossovers. Results: The ANCOVA, adjusted for age and BMI, showed that the percentage change from baseline to end, corrected for baseline of the tHcy concentration increased significantly (p ≤ .05) by 9.7% with the exercise training intervention and decreased significantly (p ≤ .05) by 12.9%, with the vitamin supplementation intervention. The ANCOVA of the percentage change from baseline to end in cardiovascular function showed that the vitamin supplementation intervention resulted in improvements in cardiovascular function (decreased resting MAP, TPR and increased resting SV, CO, Cw) in comparison to the impairment in cardiovascular function with the exercise training intervention (increased resting DBP, MAP and TPR). The relationship between the tHcy concentration and cardiovascular function at baseline and within each of the different interventions were assessed by partial correlations adjusted for age, BMI and VO2max. Significant (p ≤ .05) relationships only occurred within the vitamin supplementation intervention, where decreased percentage change in tHcy concentration significantly correlated with increased percentage change of resting SV and CO and decreased percentage change of resting TPR. Conclusion: The general conclusion that can be drawn is that a 12-week vitamin supplementation intervention showed increased health related results, e.g. a significant reduction in tHcy concentration, an improvement in cardiovascular function and a significant positive relationship between these b o factors, in comparison to the 12-week exercise training intervention that significantly increased the tHcy concentration and did not show increased health related results. Due to inadequate compliance to the exercise training intervention, no conclusion can be drawn with regard to the effect of exercise training on tHcy concentrations and cardiovascular function. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Water movement in the body is determined by the osmotic forces acting on the cell membrane. Ingestion of a highly-hypertonic glycerol solution resulting in high extracellular osmolality could drive water out of the intracellular space into the vascular space resulting in reduced muscle hydration and increased blood volume. The aim of this thesis was to study the effects of altered body water distribution during exercise. In chapter 3, ingestion of a 400 ml glycerol solution (1 g·kg-1 body mass) increased serum osmolality (309 mosmol·kg-1) which was associated with a 4.0% increase in blood volume due to a 7.2% increase in plasma volume, attributed to a shift of water from the intracellular space, resulting presumably in tissue dehydration. Glycerol ingestion was then used as a means of altering body water distribution in the other studies described in this thesis. Altered body water distribution had no acute effect on force production during quadriceps muscle isometric exercise (chapter 4), or handgrip strength (chapter 5). Regarding chronic effects (chapter 5), two groups of participants exercised handgrip and initiated recovery after ingestion of either a glycerol solution or placebo over a period of 8 weeks. Maximum handgrip strength increased in both groups and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. In chapters 6 and 7, the subjects performed a cycling exercise protocol to fatigue. In the glycerol trial, time to fatigue decreased compared with the iso-osmotic trial during an incremental VO2max test (chapter 6) and during cycling against a constant load at 100% VO2max intensity (chapter 7). In the glycerol trial, there was an accelerated increase in blood lactate and an accelerated increase in serum potassium (chapter 7), indicating altered muscle metabolism which may have contributed to the early development of fatigue.

Title: Determination energy costingness and means of it's cover in complex outdoor performance in special physical training Objektive of work: Objektive of this work was to found the level of the stress and it's energetic severity of the Komplex drill in Special physical education as a komplex and so the each Themis, which are in the Komplex drill contained. Consequently energy costingness compare with options of energy cover which are availiable for soldiers of Czech army Metod: Master thesis was processed as a empiric kvantitative research with method of shared watching proband in the Komplex drill in nature. In the first part of the thesis there was found the level of the minute lungs ventilation with the spiroergometric test. In the second part there was a observation with seven participants of the Komplex drill. After that we did analysis of all possibilities which have soldiers of Czech army availiable. Results: There was the observation of the heart beat frequence, in duration 27 hours. The highest depletion of the energy was observed in theme of the movements in the nature, concretely in orienteering run. Average heart beat frequence was 161 beats per minute. The lowest heart beat frequence in the themes of the Special physical education was observed in surfoval drills where it was 105...

Title Regime intervention to influence aerobic fitness level of middle age women Objective The aim of the work is to evaluate the effect of two-month physical intervention on the aerobic fitness level of middle-aged women and the influence of this intervention on the change of the body composition of individual study participants. Methods The tested group consisted of 5 middle-aged women with a sedentary occupation and no regular physical activity. The evaluation of their aerobic fitness and body composition was performed before the start of the intervention. These values were compared to the results of the same tests after the intervention. The values of VO2max measured before and after the intervention were used for the evaluation of aerobic fitness. The regression equation, based on the results of 2 km walking test (part of the UNIFITTEST 6-60), was used for the calculation of VO2max. The methods of bioimpedance (using the portable device Body stat 1500) and anthropometric measurement (body high, weight, circuits) were used for determination of body composition - mainly % FFM and% BF. The physical intervention itself was focused on walking for two months period. The form was used for monitoring of intervention individual exercise units. The group of middle-aged women performed the prescribed...

Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Bakgrund. Nitrat är ett födoämne som fått stor uppmärksamhet inom forskningen de senaste åren. Studier påvisar blodtryckssänkande effekt, minskad syrekostnad vid submaximalt- och maximalt arbete. Det ökar samtidigt den muskulära verkningsgraden och kan därmed i idrottssammanhang ha eventuell positiv inverkan på prestationen. Syfte. Att undersöka om tre dagars uppladdning med nitrat i form av 7 cl rödbetsjuice (0,4 gram nitrat) om dagen, samt en fjärde dos på testdagen kan öka prestationen hos medeltränade löpare i ett Coopers test.  Metod. En randomiserad dubbelblind placebo-kontrollerad korsad studie utfördes på totalt 6 fullt friska försökspersoner, varav tre män och tre kvinnor (ålder 25,5±7 år, VO2max 46,7±22, kroppsvikt 73±17,1 kg, längd 178,8±17,9 cm, BMI 23±6,4). Försökspersonerna genomgick vid två tillfällen tre dagars uppladdning samt en fjärde dos på testdagen med två olika typer av kosttillskott, nitratprov (rödbetsjuice) och placebo (tranbärsjuice). De två testperioderna separerades av en 7 dagars washout-period. Totalt genomfördes fem olika typer av mätningar i följande ordning; längd och vikt, blodtryck, löptest (Coopers test 12min) då även puls och upplevd ansträngning registrerades. I den statistiska analysen tillämpades ett parat t-test för att jämföra placebo, nitrat och första och andra testperiod. Resultat. Ingen signifikant skillnad i prestation vid Coopers test mellan nitrat och placebo. En signifikant prestationsförbättring (p<0.03) noterades dock vid andra löptestet gentemot första. Blodtrycksvärden var inte signifikant olika mellan nitratprov och placebo. Däremot var både systoliskt och diastoliskt blodtryck lägre vid andra mätningen i förhållande till första (Systoliskt bt; p<0.02, diastoliskt bt; p<0.01). Konklusion. Tre dagars uppladdning samt en fjärde dos nitrat på testdagen förbättrar inte prestationen hos medeltränade löpare i ett Coopers test. Försökspersonerna presterade bättre vid andra löptestet än vid första vilket sannolikt beror på en träningseffekt. 60 minuter efter dietärt intag av nitrat har blodtrycket inte påverkats. Lägre blodtrycksvärden vid andra mätningen kan ha orsakats av ”white coat hypertension”.

Background: In the past 37 years, increased efforts have been directed toward a better understanding of the importance of Hcy in disease and it has now become clear that hyperhomocysteinemia is a major independent risk factor for CVD. Extensive research on the influence of vitamin supplementation leading to reductions in Hcy levels and improvements in cardiovascular function has been done. The importance of exercise in the lowering of cardiovascular risk factors, as well as its favourable influence on cardiovascular function has also been indicated in several studies, however, the limited number of studies investigating the effect of exercise on Hcy concentrations revealed contradicting results. Furthermore, a relationship between Hcy concentration and cardiovascular function with the intervention of an exercise training and a vitamin supplementation programme respectively has also not been investigated. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a 12-week exercise training and a 12-week vitamin supplementation intervention respectively on tHcy concentrations and cardiovascular function, and whether the change in tHcy concentration within the different interventions correlated with the change in cardiovascular function. Methods: In a randomised controlled cross-over intervention study, 52 men matched for age, cardiorespiratory fitness levels and cardiovascular risk factors were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups (Group A = exercise training programme, 20-30min. at 70-80% of HRmax; Group B = 400 g folic acid and 25 g vitamin B12 supplement; Group C = control). Group A and B were crossed over for phase 11, and Group C remained the control. The questionnaires were completed, and the body composition variables (BMI, WHR and body fat percentage), cardiovascular function (Finometer), tHcy concentrations and VO2max, were measured before and after each 12-week intervention period. A 6-week washout period separated the crossovers. Results: The ANCOVA, adjusted for age and BMI, showed that the percentage change from baseline to end, corrected for baseline of the tHcy concentration increased significantly (p ≤ .05) by 9.7% with the exercise training intervention and decreased significantly (p ≤ .05) by 12.9%, with the vitamin supplementation intervention. The ANCOVA of the percentage change from baseline to end in cardiovascular function showed that the vitamin supplementation intervention resulted in improvements in cardiovascular function (decreased resting MAP, TPR and increased resting SV, CO, Cw) in comparison to the impairment in cardiovascular function with the exercise training intervention (increased resting DBP, MAP and TPR). The relationship between the tHcy concentration and cardiovascular function at baseline and within each of the different interventions were assessed by partial correlations adjusted for age, BMI and VO2max. Significant (p ≤ .05) relationships only occurred within the vitamin supplementation intervention, where decreased percentage change in tHcy concentration significantly correlated with increased percentage change of resting SV and CO and decreased percentage change of resting TPR. Conclusion: The general conclusion that can be drawn is that a 12-week vitamin supplementation intervention showed increased health related results, e.g. a significant reduction in tHcy concentration, an improvement in cardiovascular function and a significant positive relationship between these b o factors, in comparison to the 12-week exercise training intervention that significantly increased the tHcy concentration and did not show increased health related results. Due to inadequate compliance to the exercise training intervention, no conclusion can be drawn with regard to the effect of exercise training on tHcy concentrations and cardiovascular function. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Syfte. Syftet med studien var att undersöka, om det finns något samband mellan beräknad maximal syreupptagningsförmåga (VO2max) och risken att drabbas av infektion orsakad av covid-19 bland seniorer, som har deltagit i GIHs hälsoprojekt de senaste fyra åren. Metod. En retrospektiv longitudinell kohortstudie utfördes för att studera om risken att få covid-19 infektion samvarierade med beräknad absolut och relativt VO2max. Data från hälsoprojekten på GIH under de senaste fyra åren användes som baslinjedata. Data på utfallsmåttet, självrapporterad covid-19 infektion, samlades in vid en uppföljningsundersökning som genomfördes via telefonintervjuer. Studiepopulationen bestod av personer som deltagit i en träningsintervention vid GIH och som vid efterundersökningen var 62 år och äldre. Sambandet mellan beräknad maximal syreupptagning och risk för Covid-19 kontrollerades för valda störfaktorer. Resultat. Av 1200 personer som genomfört baslinjeundersökningen, kontaktades 383 via telefon. Vid uppföljning var antalet män 121 och kvinnor 262 (62-91 år), varav 162 hade hypertoni, 73 hjärt- och kärlsjukdom, 38 hade diabetes, 76 hade eller hade haft cancer och 36 hade astma eller KOL. Därutöver var 7 rökare och 45 hade någon autoimmun sjukdom. Uppföljningstiden var 1,9 (SD: 0,85) år. Av dessa hade 26 testats positivt för covid-19 det senaste året, antingen med PCR- eller antikroppstest. Sammanlagt 56 seniorer hade haft minst 4 symtom som är vanliga vid covid-19 (inklusive de 26 med positivt test). Vi fann en stark trend till högre risk för genomgången covid-19 infektion med hos individer som vid baslinjeundersökningen hade högre beräknad relativ syreupptagning. (OR: 1,07%CI: 0,996 till 1,149), justerat för ålder, kön, hypertoni, hjärt- & kärlsjukdom, diabetes, BMI, och cancer, astma/KOL, rökning, autoimmun sjukdom. Motsvarande värde för absolut syreupptagning (uttryckt som dl/min) var signifikant med OR; 1,17 (95% CI: 1,13 till 1,36). Detta justerat för kön, hypertoni, hjärt- & kärlsjukdom, diabetes, ålder, längd och vikt. Slutsats. Resultatet i studien visar att högre syreupptagningsförmåga vid baslinjemätingen samvarierar med högre risk att ha drabbats av covid-19 under uppföljningsperioden bland denna grupp av seniorer, vilket var något som motsa vår hypotes. Tidigare studier av testad syreupptagningsförmåga innan en covid-19 infektion är få eller saknas helt, och därför behövs mer framtida undersökningar inom området.

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