Influence of increased physical activity without body weight loss on hepatic inflammation in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND@#Physical activity (PA) that includes an accumulated exercise regimen that meets or exceeds a certain intensity reduces intrahepatic fat, leading to the improvement of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in afflicted patients. However, whether an increase in comprehensive PA, including activities of daily living, contributes to ameliorating the pathophysiology of NAFLD remains unclear. This study aimed to examine whether PA improves liver function in patients with NAFLD.@*METHODS@#The study included 45 patients with NAFLD who underwent follow-up examinations at least 6 months-but no later than 1 year-after their baseline examinations. The patients were interviewed about their daily activities and exercise habits to determine whether they had engaged in at least 3 metabolic equivalents (METs) per day during the previous 6 months; the quantity of PA, expressed in Ekusasaizu (Ex) units, was calculated as METs multiplied by hours. Patients who had achieved at least a 1-Ex increase in PA per week compared to baseline at the time of their follow-up interview (the PA increase group) were compared to those whose PA was the same or lower at the time of follow-up (the PA non-increase group).@*RESULTS@#There were no significant changes in all blood and biochemical parameters in the PA non-increase group at the time of follow-up when compared with baseline levels. In the PA increase group, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-guanosine triphosphate levels were all significantly lower at follow-up than they were at baseline. Body weight did not change significantly from baseline to follow-up in both groups.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In the present study, hepatic inflammation improvement was accompanied by increased PA but not decreased body weight. Increasing PA may be effective for the improvement of hepatic inflammation even without body weight loss. Our results indicate the effectiveness of PA monitoring for the management of NAFLD.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#UMIN-CTR, UMIN000038530.

Physical activity patterns of college students of the University of Santo Tomas

OBJECTIVES@#This study examined the physical activity patterns of the University of Santo Tomas college students in Manila, Philippines in terms of participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity, frequency and duration of participation, METS-min/week, sitting habits and walking activities.@*METHODS@#A total of 551 males and 850 female college students (N=1401) from the University of Santo Tomas were randomly selected for the study. After anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI and Waist circumference) were taken, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form) was answered by the students.@*RESULTS@#A greater percentage of male college students engage in vigorous physical activity (66.97%) in terms of frequency per week (2.42 + 1.56 days), duration (119.52 + 70.70 minutes) and MET-min/week (2252.77 + 2789.81 METS). On the other hand, more female college students engage in moderate physical activity in terms of frequency per week (4.69 + 2.04 days). However, male college students who engage in moderate physical activity spend a longer duration (106.02 + 108.55 minutes) and higher METmin/week (1945.59 + 2721.02 METS) than their female counterpart.@*CONCLUSION@#It is important to engage in physical activity on a daily basis, with recommendations given by the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization. Appropriate physical activity assists young people to develop healthy musculoskeletal tissues, cardiovascular system, neuromuscular awareness and maintain a healthy body weight and composition. It has also been associated with psychological benefits in young people by improving control over anxiety and depression, good selfperception and expression, as well as avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and drug use.

Association between activity level assessed by a uniaxial accelerometer and metabolic equivalents during walking and running in male youths / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between activity levels assessed by a uniaxial accelerometer and metabolic equivalents (METs) during walking and running in school students. The participants were elementary (10 boys, 10.3 ± 0.8 years), middle (10 boys, 13.0 ± 0.9 years) and high school students (10 boys, 15.7 ± 0.7 years) who performed treadmill walking (1, 3, and 5 km/h respectively) and running (5, 7, and 9 km/h respectively) trials. Activity levels were assessed using a uniaxial accelerometer (Lifecorder EX; Suzuken Co. Ltd., Nagoya, Japan). Energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry. METs and activity levels indicated by Lifecorder were highly correlated in elementary (y = 0.0432x² + 0.0914x + 1.786, r = 0.883, p < 0.05), middle (y = 0.0781x² - 0.0262x + 2.1098, r = 0.913, p < 0.05), and high (y = 0.0516x² + 0.1863x + 1.7812, r = 0.876, p < 0.05) school students. We confirmed that higher accuracy showed LC5, LC4, and LC4 for elementary, middle, and high school students, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that Lifecorder intensity for ≥3 METs physical activity indicate ≥5, ≥4, and ≥4 for elementary, middle, and high school students, respectively.

Energy expenditure measurement of various physical activity and correlation analysis of body weight and energy expenditure in elementary school children / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: There is a lack of data on the energy cost of children's everyday activities, adult values are often used as surrogates. In addition, the influence of body weight on the energy cost of activity when expressed as metabolic equivalents (METs) has not been vigorously explored. METHODS: In this study 20 elementary school students 9~12 years of age completed 18 various physical activities while energy expenditure was measured continuously using a portable telemetry gas exchange system (K4b2, Cosmed, Rome, Italy). RESULTS: The average age was 10.4 years and the average height and weight was 145.1 cm and 43.6 kg, respectively. Oxygen consumption (VO2), energy expenditure and METs at the time of resting of the subjects were 5.41 mL/kg/min, 1.44 kcal/kg/h, and 1.5 METs, respectively. METs values by 18 physical activities were as follows: Homework and reading books (1.6 METs), playing game with a mobile phone or video while sitting (1.6 METs), watching TV while sitting on a comfortable chair (1.7 METs), playing video game or mobile phone game while standing (1.9 METs), sweeping a room with a broom (2.7 METs) and playing a board game (2.8 METs) belong to light intensity physical activities. By contrary, speedy walking and running were 6.6 and 6.7 METs, respectively, which belong to high intensity physical activities over 6.0 METs. When the effect of body weight on physical activity energy expenditure was determined, R2 values increased with 0.116 (playing a game at sitting), 0.176 (climbing up and down stairs), 0.246 (slow walking), and 0.455 (running), which showed that higher activity intensity increased explanation power of body weight on METs value. CONCLUSION: This study is important for direct evaluation of energy expenditure by physical activities of children, and it could be used directly for revising and complementing the existing activity classification table to fit for children.

Dispêndio energético durante a prática de Exergames: um estudo com crianças da região sul do Brasil / Energetic cost during Exergames: a Southern Brazil region children's study

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o dispêndio energético em jogos de videogame ativo (exergames) e comparar as modalidades de jogo tênis, natação e boxe, considerando as variáveis equivalentes metabólicos (METs), frequência cardíaca e escala subjetiva de esforço. Trata-se de um estudo transversal com amostra de 20 crianças, idades entre 8 e 10 anos, do sexo feminino e masculino. Foi previamente estabelecido que os participantes realizassem 30 minutos de atividade nos jogos virtuais de tênis, natação e boxe, respectivamente, utilizando console Nintendo Wii ®. O tempo de prática foi dividido em três etapas de 10 minutos para cada modalidade com 5 minutos de intervalo entre as etapas. Foi mensurado peso corporal, estatura, consumo de oxigênio, frequência cardíaca e escala subjetiva de esforço. Foram encontrados valores de média e desvio padrão de 3,1±1,5 METs, 5,2±2,5 METs, 5,63±2,2 METs para as três modalidades respectivamente. Houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre tênis e natação (IC95%: -3,759; -0,4188) e tênis e boxe (IC95%: -4,170; -0,8723) na variável METS, entre tênis e natação (IC95%: -30,59; -9,807) e tenis e boxe (IC95%: -33,19; -12,41) na variavel frequencia cardíaca. Não foi encontrado resultado estatisticamente significativo entre as modalidades na variável BORG. Observou-se que 25% da amostra realizou atividade física leve, 40% atividade física moderada e 35% atividade física vigorosa. Portanto, nosso estudo indica que a prática de exergames permite que os praticantes realizem atividade física que alcance níveis moderado a vigoroso, podendo ser recomendado para crianças como uma forma das mesmas alcançarem as recomendações de atividade física.

The aim of this study was to assessment energy expenditure in active video games (exergames) and compare the tennis, swimming and boxing games, considering the variables metabolic equivalents ( METs ), heart rate and exertion scale. It is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 20 children, age between 8 and 10 years old, female and male. It was previously established that participants performed 30 minutes of activity in virtual games of tennis, swimming and boxing, respectively, using Nintendo ® Wii console. The practice time was divided into three stages of 10 minutes for each mode with 5 minute interval between steps. Body weight, height, heart rate, and subjective effort scale metabolic equivalent was measured. Results: Mean and standard deviation were found 3.1 ± 1.5 METs, 5.2 ± 2.5 METs, 5.63 ± 2.2 METs for all three modalities respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between tennis and swimming (95% CI: -3.759, -0.4188) and tennis and boxing (95% CI: -4.170, -0.8723) in METS variable between tennis and swimming (95% CI: -30 , 59, -9.807) and tennis and boxing (95% CI: -33.19, -12.41) in the variable heart rate. Not found statistically significant result between the modalities in BORG. It was observed that 25% of the sample performed light physical activity, 40% moderate physical activity and vigorous physical activity 35%. Therefore, our study indicates that the practice of exergames allows practitioners to perform physical activity that achieves moderate to vigorous levels and may be recommended for children as a way of achieving the same physical activity recommendations.

Association between chronotropic incompetence and metabolic equivalents in type 2 diabetic mellitus patients complicated with metabolic syndrome / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective To investigate the association between chronotropic incompetence (CI)and motor ability in type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients complicated with metabolic syndrome (MS).Methods One hundred and twenty patients with T2DM were enrolled in the study,including 66 cases with MS (MS group) and 54 without MS (non-MS group).The electrocardiographic exercise test was performed,the CI indexes including ratio of heart rate (rHR),heart rate reserve (HRR)were measured and the max metabolic equivalents(maxMETs) were calculated.Result The rHR(0.77 ±0.04 vs.0.81 ±0.06,t =3.41,P ＜ 0.05),HRR (0.62 ± 0.05 vs.0.70 ± 0.07,t =5.96,P ＜ 0.05) and maxMETs (8.8 ± 1.1 vs.9.7 ± 1.2,t =0.16,P ＜ 0.05) in patients of MS group all lower than those in non-MS group.The maxMETs were positively correlated with rHR (r =0.81,P ＜ 0.05) and HRR (r =0.78,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The results indicate that CI as well as maxMETs and rating of perceived exertion can be used as monitoring index in type 2 diabetic patients complicated with metabolic syndrome.