Fitness News You Can Use

Here are a few recent studies collected by FitBits.

Exercise ETC's Review of Exercise Related Research
Compiled by Jeannie Patton, MS, CSCS


Teach the obese that “NEATness” counts!

As obesity levels in children and adults continue to rise it is important for Fitness Professionals to understand contributing lifestyle causes and develop strategies to overcome them. To date, inactivity and excess caloric consumption are common denominators among overweight/obese adults and children. However a new line of research is starting to emerge referred to as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) which refers to the caloric cost of posture allocation (standing, walking and fidgeting). NEAT is the energy expenditure of daily activities that are not considered “planned” physical activity. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in NEAT between inactive lean subjects and mildly obese subjects.

Twenty healthy men and women served as subjects. Five men and women had BMIs of 23 classifying them as “lean” and five men and women had BMIs of 33 classifying them as “obese.” The subjects wore sensitive monitoring equipment which collected data every half second for 10 days giving the researchers 25 million data points on movement and posture for each subject.

The results showed that the obese subjects were seated for 164 minutes longer each day than the lean subjects. The energy expenditure for the extra movement of the lean group averaged 352 calories a day, which is the equivalent of about 36 pounds in one year.

Fitness Professionals should use this information to encourage their clients to increase physical activity throughout their day. In addition to planned exercise sessions, clients can burn a significant number of calories without taking time out of their busy schedules. Fitness Professionals should develop a list of tips to incorporate movement into everyday life such as walking at every opportunity, standing versus sitting whenever possible, and instead of e-mailing a colleague walk to their desk instead.

Levine, J. A., et al. Interindividual variation in posture allocation: Possible role in human obesity. Science. 2005, 307, January 28, 584-586.


DOMS does not necessarily reduce volume of exercise

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) occurs with unaccustomed exercise or when the volume or intensity of exercise greatly exceeds baseline levels. DOMS is related to connective and contractile tissue microtrauma, which results, from the tension and strain produced during eccentric muscle actions, as well as to inflammatory responses after the injury. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the response of the elbow flexors to a second bout of eccentric exercise performed at 80% to 100% of the initial maximal bout of exercise.

Fifty-one athletes served as subjects. Each subject performed 30 eccentric actions of the elbow flexors with 100% of their maximal isometric force. Three days later all subjects except the control group performed a second bout at intensities of 100%, 90% or 80%. The researchers measured muscle damage based on range of motion, muscle soreness, muscle proteins in the blood and other criteria.

The results showed no significant changes in any of the indicators of muscle damage. Subjects in the 80% and 90% intensity groups were able to complete the second bout of exercise as directed, however most of those in the 100% group required some spotting.

These results suggest that it is possible for athletes to complete a second strength training session three days after the first session if the intensity is reduced by 10% to 20%. This intensity should not increase muscle damage or slow down in the recovery process. Fitness Professionals should take this information with a couple of precautions: Athletes have different goals than the general population and may be more motivated to exercise even with soreness; this may not be the case for the average healthy adult. Also, keep in mind this was only done one time in this study, and for one body part. It would seem reasonable to question whether an increase in damage and or recovery time might occur if this were done on a regular basis.

Chen, Trevor, C. Responses of elbow flexors to two strenuous eccentric exercise bouts separated by three days. National Strength & Conditioning Journal. 2006, 20(1), 108-116.


Exercise vital for breast cancer survivors

Each year over a million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer. With the increasing incidence and number of survivors it is becoming evident that greater efforts must be directed toward improving the physical functioning and quality of life of this special population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an 8-week full-body resistance and aerobic exercise program in breast cancer survivors.

Thirty-four breast cancer survivors average age 57.7 served as subjects. All subjects were at least 6 months post-cancer treatment. The resistance program consisted of twice weekly strength training sessions for both upper and lower body; all exercises were performed with 8-12 repetitions. Aerobic sessions were held 3 days a week at an intensity of 65%-85% of maximal heart rate. The duration began with 15 minutes in the target heart rate zone and gradually increased to 30 minutes over the 8 weeks.

Significant reductions in skinfold measurements and waist & hip girth wee noted, as well as significant increases in both upper and lower body strength and endurance. Trunk flexibility and flexibility in both shoulders improved significantly. Quality of Life Assessment score improved significantly and no incidents of lymphedema or injury were reported.

The results of this study document the value of full-body resistance training and aerobic training in survivors of breast cancer. Clients with breast cancer whose physicians recommend exercise are significantly more active than those who receive no recommendations. Fitness Professionals should use the results of this study to promote exercise to both survivors and their physicians.

Birinder, Singh, B. Full-body exercise training improves fitness and quality of life in survivors of breast cancer. National Strength & Conditioning Journal. 2006, 20(1), 14-21.


Caffeine during exercise boosts performance

A number of investigations have reported improved performance following caffeine ingestion during exercise. Most of these studies used prolonged endurance exercise and single bouts of high-intensity exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute caffeine ingestion on prolonged intermittent sprint performance.

Ten male athletes served as subjects for this study. Each subject completed two sprint trials, 7 days apart, sixty minutes after ingesting caffeine or a placebo. The total amount of sprint work performed during the caffeine trial was 8.5% greater than that performed during the placebo trail during the first half and 7.6% greater in the second half. Mean peak power was also significantly greater in the caffeine trial compared to placebo.

The results of this study indicate that ingestion of caffeine can improve performance of intermittent sprint exercise, which is representative of the demands of many team sports. The amount of caffeine used in this study was moderate (6 mg per kilogram of body weight). In this study urinary caffeine levels 2.5 hours following ingestion ranged from 3.5 to 9.1 which is below the 12 level set by the International Olympic Committee for a positive caffeine test.

Schneiker, K.T., et al. Effects of caffeine on prolonged intermittent sprint ability in team sport athletics. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2006, 38(3), 578-585.

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