Examining the Impact of Far-Infrared Technology on Quality of Life in Older Adults.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of far-infrared (FIR) heat on quality of life (QOL) in older adults. Participants were assigned to either a convective heat group (CON) or a convective and FIR group. Participants received six, 30-min heat sessions over the course of three weeks. Pre- and post-assessments included physical measures such as range of motion, gait speed, Timed Up and Go, and hand grip strength. Standardized questionnaires were used to determine pain severity and its interference with daily life, and the impact pain had on overall QOL. Pain severity was significantly reduced (from 3.31 to 2.5, p < .05) in the FIR group from pre-to-post, and pain interference was significantly reduced (from 1.26 to 0.43, p < .05) in the CON group from pre-to-post testing. Findings suggest that heat therapy was successful in reducing pain over time.

For Aging Research and Equity: Lessons Learned in Undergraduate Research Education.

Mentoring underrepresented students in aging research during the COVID-19 pandemic affords many opportunities for innovation and learning, for both students and program leaders. Here, we describe lessons learned from an Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (ADAR) program at a women-centered, minority-serving undergraduate institution. We share program elements and assessment results related to scholars' education in aging, support through community-building and mentorship, and research experiences in gerosciences. Notably, we highlight lessons learned for retaining and training undergraduate students as graduate school-ready researchers: 1) draw students into a community focused on social justice, 2) show students that geroscience is inclusive and integrative, 3) model professionalism with flexibility, 4) keep open lines of communication, and 5) build a team of mentors around each scholar. By sharing insights from our community of practice in geroscience research and education, we hope to model best practices for URM student support in aging research.

Opportunities to strengthen aging curricula across the health professions.

The rapidly aging population of the United States presents an urgent need for healthcare professionals trained in Gerontology, rooted in a holistic framework of health across the lifespan, and sustained by interprofessional collaborative practice. Institutions of higher education can meet this demand by aligning their curriculum and co-curriculum to train health sciences students in the increasingly important field of Gerontology. This IPEP guide will outline lessons learned at one University based on program director insight into aging-related courses, experiential training, and research opportunities. The lessons described here provide insight for other faculty and program directors on the current state of aging-related education and how to move from aging-related to aging-rich education in an interprofessional way.

The effects of scaling tennis equipment on the forehand groundstroke performance of children.

The modifications that have taken place within youth sports have made games, such as basketball, soccer, or tennis, easier for children to play. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects low compression (LC) tennis balls and scaled tennis courts had on the forehand groundstroke performance of children. The forehand groundstroke performances of eight subjects' (8.10 ± 0.74 yrs) using LC tennis balls were measured on a scaled tennis court and standard compression balls (SC) on a standard court. Forehand groundstroke performance was assessed by the ForeGround test which measures Velocity Precision Success Index (VPS) and Velocity Precision Index (VP). Participants attempted three different forehand rally patterns on two successive days, using LC balls on the 18.3m court one day and SC balls on the 23.8m court the other. When using LC balls, participants' recorded higher overall VPS performance scores (p < 0.001) for each non-error stroke as well as higher VP scores (p = 0.01). The results of this study confirmed that the use of modified balls and modified court size may increase the control, velocity and overall success rate of the tennis forehand groundstroke of children. Key PointsThis study observed the effects of modified tennis balls and court had on the forehand groundstroke performance in children.Modified ball compression and modified court size can increase control, velocity and overall success of tennis performance.Children will have more success learning the game of tennis using modified equipment than using standard equipment.

The effects of specific preconditioning activities on acute sprint performance.

Previous research suggests that specific preconditioning activities such as whole-body vibration (WBV) and resistance training may play an important role in ensuing dynamic activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 2 preconditioning activities, WBV and power cleans (PC), on acute sprint performance. Two studies were conducted in which 14 (WBV) and 9 (PC) male track and field athletes were subjects. The WBV treatment consisted of 4 bouts of 5 seconds of high-knee running on a vibrating platform at 0, 30, 40, or 50 Hz. The PC treatment consisted of 3 PC reps at 90% 1RM. In both cases, acute sprint performance was the dependent variable of interest. For WBV, split times were recorded at 10, 20, and 40 m. Reaction times (RXN) as well as 5-, 10-, and 40-m split times were recorded for the PC study. Results indicated no significant differences between treatment and nontreatment groups for both studies. However, significant correlations were present between RXN and 5-m splits (r = 0.65) and RXN and 10-m splits (r = 0.63), although they decreased as a function of sprint distance to r = 0.43 at 40 m. These results suggest little efficacy for the use of WBV and PC as a means of augmenting acute sprint performance. However, a trend within the 30-Hz protocol may suggest that WBV as part of a warm-up for sprinting activities greater than 40 m (i.e., 100 m) could potentially result in a decreased sprint time of nearly 1/10th of a second, which is worth future consideration.