Qigong is a Chinese mind-body therapy that aims to, through the use of movements, relaxed breathing and relaxation/meditation, create a healthy flow of life force, qi, in the body, and consequently improve health. A growing number of Qigong studies report beneficial effects on health and well-being. However, little attention has fo-cused on the acute affective responses that accompany single sessions of Qigong ex-ercise. The aim of the present thesis was therefore to study affective reactions to Qigong exercise. In Study I, the effects of Qigong exercise on mood and anxiety were compared to a control group. Results showed partial support for the superiority of Qigong exercise compared to controls. In Study II, different lengths of session time were compared, resulting in similar affective benefits for the 30 and 60-minute ses-sions. In Study III, affective responses were also assessed during the session, using mean scores and individual responses. Results showed an increase toward greater Activated and Deactivated Pleasantness during the session, with the greatest changes at the end of the bout. The majority of individuals reported increased Pleasantness during the Qigong session. Expectations of positive outcomes were significantly as-sociated with only few affective responses. Responses to open-ended questions of af-fective experiences displayed affective reactions mostly toward greater Deactivated Pleasantness. This thesis contributes to a greater understanding of the limited area of Qigong-related affective responses. For the exercisers, Qigong is associated with a greater momentary emotional state. However, due to the highly select group of regu-lar Qigong exercisers, generalizing the results outside the sample population is lim-ited. Theories on active mechanisms in the Qigong-affect relationship, and results from studies of affective responses to similar activities, suggest that other groups of people would also benefit affectively from Qigong exercise. Given the many benefits of positive affect, Qigong exercise may also pose great promises for the enhancement of other areas related to health and well-being. This calls for additional studies.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T15:59:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese de doutorado Lourenco Sampaio de Mara.pdf: 1379341 bytes, checksum: baa0c8e2efbdb57ed99a15951be025d1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Fundamentação: A insuficiência cardíaca (IC) cursa com disfunções em diversos sistemas, repercussões na qualidade de vida (QV) e função sexual. A hipotestosteronemia é relevante na IC e fator contribuinte para o desbalanço catabolismo/anabolismo que integra a síndrome. Há pouco conhecimento a respeito dos efeitos do exercício de alta intensidade e terapia de suplementação de testosterona (TST) neste contexto. Hipótese: Exercício físico de alta intensidade e TST têm efeito sinérgico para um tratamento mais eficiente em pacientes com IC e baixos níveis de testosterona, inseridos em programa de reabilitação cardíaca (RC). Objetivo: Investigar os efeitos do exercício de alta intensidade e TST em pacientes com IC e baixos níveis de testosterona sérica participantes de programa de RC. Método: Dezenove pacientes portadores de IC (idade média de 58 anos; ± 10; fração de ejeção de 34 ±8%) foram randomizados para o grupo exercício alta intensidade (EAI) ou controle, (n=9) e grupo exercício de alta intensidade com suplementação de testosterona (EAIS) ou intervenção, (n=10). Pacientes exercitaram-se por 12 semanas e o grupo intervenção recebeu testosterona na primeira e sexta semanas. Antes e após o período de estudo foram obtidas medidas do teste cardiopulmonar, teste caminhada dos seis minutos (T6 ), ecocardiograma, função endotelial, erétil, perfil hormonal e da QV. Resultados: Houve aumento respectivamente intragrupos, do consumo máximo de oxigênio (12% e 15%; EAI e EAIS; p<0,05 e p<0,01), da distância percorrida no T6 (15% e 29%; EAI e EAIS; p<0,05 e p<0,01), da curva de eficiência de captação de oxigênio (22% e 14,2%; EAI e EAIS; p<0,05 em ambos os grupos), da velocidade máxima da onda E´ junto ao anel mitral septal (36%; EAI; p<0,05), da velocidade máxima da onda E´ junto ao anel mitral lateral (35%; EAI; p<0,05), do percentual de dilatação mediada pelo fluxo na artéria braquial (56% e 92%, EAI e EAIS, sem significância), dos escores da função erétil (150% e 59%, EAI e EAIS; p<0,01 e p<0,05), da testosterona total (78%, EAIS,p<0,01), da testosterona livre (89%; EAIS; p<0,01), da testosterona biodisponível (89%. EAIS; p<0,01), do hematócrito (8%, EAIS; p<0,01), do antígeno prostático específico (33%; EAIS; p<0,01). Houve diminuição da curva do equivalente ventilatório de dióxido de carbono (5%; EAIS; p<0,05), da relação da velocidade máxima da onda E com a velocidade máxima da onda E´ junto ao anel mitral septal (29%; EAI; P<0,05), do hormônio luteinizante (96%; EAIS; p<0,01), do hormônio folículo estimulante (84%; EAIS; p<0,01), do fator de necrose tumoral-&#945; (42% e 47%, EAI e EAIS; p<0,05 em ambos os grupos), do escore global do Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (54% e 54%;EAI e EAIS; p<0,01 e p<0,05), do domínio físico (52% e 54%; EAI e EAIS; p<0,01 e p<0,05), do domínio emocional (60%; EAIS; p<0,05), do domínio das questões remanescentes (58%; EAI; p<0,01). Entre grupos houve aumento a favor do EAIS nos níveis de testosterona total, testosterona livre e testosterona biodisponível (54%, p<0,05; 48%, p<0,05 e 48%, p<0,05 respectivamente), e diminuição a favor do EAIS nos níveis do hormônio folículo estimulante e luteinizante (83%, p<0,01 e 97%, p<0,01 respectivamente). Conclusões: Pacientes com IC e baixos níveis de testosterona submetidos a programa de exercícios de alta intensidade e TST apresentam melhora da capacidade funcional, dos índices de eficiência ventilatória, da função cardíaca, da QV e função erétil, contudo o estudo não corroborou a hipótese que a TST tem efeito sinérgico associado ao exercício físico de alta intensidade no tratamento destes pacientes.

The graduation thesis is focused on the quantitative and qualitative comparison of weekly physical activity of boys and girls at Gymnázium Jihlava(a general secondary education institution) and on their sport preferences. The research was conducted within the frame of four school classes by the help of pedometers, online questionnaire IPAQ-long and questionnaire of sport preferences in the system INDARES.COM in 2009. Obtained data were elaborated in The Centre of Kinantropological Research in Olomouc. Outcomes of the research are introduced by the tables and diagrams describing the differences between physical activity of boys and girls, between work days and weekends and between sport preferences of students. Results of the pedometers did not confirm the expectation that boys perform more physical activity than girls. After all, this expectation was confirmed by the results of IPAQ questionnaire. On the contrary, the pedometers proved that students´ physical activity is more intensive during the week than at the weekends. Sport preferences questionnaire confirmed current trends in in the field. The thesis was elaborated within the research ?Physical activity and inactivity of Czech population in the context of behavioral changes? organized by Ministry of Eduction, Youth and Sports under the number 619895221.

These graduation theses are focused on the analysis of physical activity and inactivity of youth in the district of Havlickuv Brod from the standpoint of the movement activity during a week considering the age and the gender. The research was accomplished at a group of young people at two grammar schools at the age between 15 and 19 years from the point of view of intensive, moderate burdening movement activity, walking and average movement activity at work and in their free time, namely in 2008. Positive values are registered in shape of tables and graphs, the results have been processed statistically.