Metabolic demands of a simulated smoke-diving drill.

The main goal of this study was to update the Finnish smoke-diving drill (FSDD) and to measure the physical strain of and recovery from the drill. Furthermore, the aim was to compare the physical strain of contract and professional firefighters and effect of floor materials. The associations between aerobic capacity and physical strain were also studied. The updates made included an added hose pull task and updating the equipment used. Heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (V̇O2), and blood lactate concentration ([La-]) of 32 professional and 5 contract firefighters were measured before, during, and 10 and 30 min after the updated drill. The mean HR during the drill was 78% and V̇O2 59% of maximum. HR and [La-] had not recovered to baseline levels after 30-minute recovery period. Physical strain was higher among contract firefighters and [La-] accumulation on rough floor surfaces. Better aerobic capacity was associated with reduced physical strain.

The purpose of this study was to update the Finnish smoke-diving drill. This paper describes the process of updating the drill, and the experimental measurements regarding the metabolic demands of the updated drill. The updates made included adding a hose pull task and updating the equipment used during the drill.

Estimating intensity of physical activity: a comparison of wearable accelerometer and gyro sensors and 3 sensor locations.

Automatic estimation of physical activity using wearable sensors can be used for promotion of a healthier lifestyle. In this study, accelerometers and gyroscopes attached to ankle, wrist and hip were used to estimate intensity of physical activity. The estimates are compared to metabolic equivalent (MET) obtained from a portable cardiopulmonary exercise testing system. Data from common everyday tasks and exercise were collected with 11 subjects. The tasks include, e.g., ironing, vacuuming, walking, running and cycling on exercise bicycle (ergometer). The strongest linear correlation with metabolic equivalent was obtained with the tri-axial accelerometer attached to the ankle (r=0.86).

Self-guided brisk walking training with or without poles: a randomized-controlled trial in middle-aged women.

Walking with poles (Nordic walking, NW) has become popular. We compared training responses of brisk walking (W) or NW on cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular fitness. We randomized 121 non-obese sedentary women (aged 50-60) to an NW or W group (NWG, WG), to train 40 min four times weekly for 13 weeks. Intensity was based on subjective perception of exertion. Cardiorespiratory performance was assessed in four levels corresponding to 50%, 65%, 80% and 100% of peak VO(2). Fifty-four NWG and 53 WG subjects completed the study. The mean intensity was about 50% of heart rate (HR) reserve. The baseline peak VO(2) was 25.8 (SD 3.9) mL/min/kg. Both groups improved peak VO(2) similarly (NWG 2.5 mL/min/kg, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9-3.3; WG 2.6, CI 1.9-3.3). In the submaximal stages while walking with or without poles, HR and lactate decreased after training in both groups, but the changes were not statistically significantly different between the groups. Of the neuromuscular tests after training, the only significant difference between the groups was in the leg strength in the one-leg squat, favoring WG. In conclusion, both training modes improved similarly health-enhancing physical fitness, and they were feasible and safe.

Use of heart rate to predict energy expenditure from low to high activity levels.

This study evaluated the ability to use the relationship between heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2 ) to estimate energy expenditure (EE) from low to high physical activity with different HR-based prediction equations. General prediction equations were established based on the individual relations between HR and EE. Possibilities to improve the EE estimation with using alternatives for respective HR were also assessed. The alternatives were % of HR reserve: 100 x [(activity HR - resting HR)/(maximal HR - resting HR)], (HRR), and the difference between activity HR and resting HR (activity HR - resting HR), (HRnet). Forty-two men (age mean 36.5 [sd 7.6] y, BMI 24.5 [2.4] kg x m(-2), VO2 max 45.2 [6.5]) kg x ml x min(-1) and 47 women (mean age 37.5 [9.5], BMI 23.3 [3.4], VO2 max 36.3 [5.4]) performed an exercise test consisting of physically low-activity tasks and a maximal treadmill uphill walking test. Respiratory gases were obtained from indirect calorimetry. HR was registered by electrocardiography and EE was calculated from (VO2 ) and carbon dioxide (VCO2 ) production. Generalised linear models with random effects were used for the prediction of EE. EE values of the tests (one value at each intensity level) were predicted in separate models by the respective HR, HRR or HRnet values. The other predictors used in all models were body weight, sex and the intensity of exercise. The standard error of estimate (SEE) was 1.41 kcal x min(-1) (5.89 kJ) in the model with HR variable as a predictor, 1.01 kcal x min(-1) (4.22 kJ) with HRR variable, and 1.08 (4.51 kJ) with HRnet variable. The results show that the prediction of EE is more accurate if HRR or HRnet are used in prediction equation instead of HR.

A controlled trial of the health benefits of regular walking on a golf course.

PURPOSE: To study the effects of regular walking during a golf game on various health and fitness indicators in middle-aged men. METHODS: Study subjects were 55 healthy male golfers aged 48 to 64 years who had been sedentary during the 7 months before the study, and 55 age-matched, similarly sedentary controls. During the 20-week study, those in the intervention group were encouraged to play golf two to three times a week; the controls were not. Measurements of body composition, cardiorespiratory performance, motor and musculoskeletal fitness, blood pressure, and serum lipid, glucose, and insulin levels were obtained at baseline and after the 20-week study. RESULTS: Walking during a golf game was a practical and safe form of physical activity with high adherence. It significantly increased aerobic performance and trunk muscle endurance, with a net difference (pretraining to posttraining change between the golfers and controls) of 36 seconds (95% confidence interval [CI]: 19 to 53 seconds, P < 0.001) for treadmill walking time and 13 seconds (95% CI: 2 to 24 seconds, P = 0.02) for static back extension. In addition, regular walking favorably affected body composition, including reductions in weight of 1.4 kg (95% CI: 0.6 to 2.1 kg, P < 0.001), in waist circumference of 2.2 cm (95% CI: 1.0 to 3.3 cm, P < 0.001), and in abdominal skin fold thickness of 2.2 cm (95% CI: 0.9 to 3.4 cm, P = 0.001). Golfers also had significantly greater increases in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and in the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: Regular walking had many positive effects on the health and fitness of sedentary middle-aged men. Walking during a golf game is characterized by high adherence and low risk of injury and is therefore a good form of health-enhancing physical activity.

Factors affecting the relation between heart rate and energy expenditure during exercise.

This study evaluated the ability to use the relationship between heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (VO2) to estimate energy expenditure during physical activity (AEE). General prediction equations were established based on the individual relations between HR and AEE. Forty-two women, (mean age 38.1 [SD 9.8] years, BMI 23.9 [SD 4.4]), and 45 men (40.3 [SD 9.2] years, BMI 24.7 [SD 2.9]), carried out two incremental tests, one with a cycle ergometer and another on a treadmill. Subjects also performed a 10 minute steady-state exercise, cycling and walking. Respiratory gases were obtained from indirect calorimetry. AEE was calculated from VO2 and carbon dioxide production (VCO2). The predicted AEE was compared with the AEE measured during the steady-state exercise. Using the generalised linear model, two alternative models were found to predict AEE and HR. The first showed a three-way interaction between HR, body weight and gender (p = 0.022) and also between HR age and gender (p=0.083). The second produced a three-way interaction between HR, body weight and gender (p=0.057). For cycling and walking, respectively, the predicted AEE overestimated the actual AEE by 17.7 (SD 23.2)% and 6.2 (SD 19.3)% in the first model and by 17.9 (SD 22.7)% and 6.6 (SD 19.8)% in the second during the steady-state exercise. It was concluded that at least gender and body weight should be included when HR is used to predict AEE.

Bone mineral density in female athletes representing sports with different loading characteristics of the skeleton.

To address the hypothesis that osteogenic effect of physical loading increases with increasing strain rates and peak forces, we examined 59 competitive Finnish female athletes (representing three sports with different skeletal loading characteristics), physically active referents (they reported an average of five various types of exercise sessions per week), and sedentary referents (two sessions per week) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The measured anatomic sites were at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, distal femur, patella, proximal tibia, calcaneus, and distal radius. The athlete group consisted of aerobic dancers (N = 27), squash players (N = 18), and speed skaters (N = 14). The squash players had the highest values for weight-adjusted bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine (13.8% p < 0.001 as compared with the sedentary reference group), femoral neck (16.8%, p < 0.001), proximal tibia (12.6%, p < 0.001) and calcaneus (18.5%, p < 0.001). Aerobic dancers and speed skaters also had significantly higher BMD values at the loaded sites than the sedentary reference group, the difference ranging from 5.3% to 13.5%. The physically active referents' BMD values did not differ from those of the sedentary referents at any site. The results support the concept that training, including high strain rates in versatile movements and high peak forces, is more effective in bone formation than training with a large number of low-force repetitions.

Bone mineral density of female athletes in different sports.

Anthropometry, training history, cardiorespiratory and muscular performance capacity, and bone mineral density (BMD) were studied in female orienteers (n = 30), cross-country skiers (n = 28), cyclists (n = 29), weight lifters (n = 18) and in a reference group (n = 25). BMD was measured at lumbar spine, femoral neck, distal femur, patella, proximal tibia, calcaneus and distal radius by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The weight lifters had significantly higher weight adjusted BMD (P < 0.001) than the referents at all sites (9-26%) except in femoral neck and calcaneus. Of the endurance athletes, the orienteers were the only group which had significantly higher BMD (P < 0.05) than referents, only at distal femur (5%) and proximal tibia (5%). BMD did not differ significantly at any skeletal site between subjects with different calcium intake. Weight training seems to provide more effective osteogenic stimulus than endurance training. The differences in BMD at different sites between the groups were consistent with specificity of the stimulus to the training of the studied sports.