Effects of Functional Fitness Enhancement through Taekwondo Training on Physical Characteristics and Risk Factors of Dementia in Elderly Women with Depression.

The purpose of this research is to identify the correlations between functional fitness enhancement through a long-term Taekwondo training program and the physical characteristics and risk factors of dementia among elderly women with depression. The study has found that conducting three 60-min Taekwondo training sessions a week for the duration of 12 weeks has enhanced a number of functional fitness indexes, including hand grip strength/weight (p < 0.01), 4-m gait speed (p < 0.001), 3-m timed up and go (p < 0.05), and figure-of-eight track (p < 0.05), and significantly improved general health condition indexes as well, including percent fat (p < 0.05), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (p < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.01), and diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the arteriosclerosis index and cognitive function have been found to be improved with an increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; which prevents dementia) and a significant decrease of ß-amyloid-a risk factor of dementia-as a result of enhancements in serum lipids and adiponectin, confirming the positive effects of functional fitness enhancement on fighting depression, promoting physical characteristics, and reducing the risk factors of dementia.

Effects of intermittent exercise on biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in night shift workers.

OBJECTIVE: Cathepsin L (CatL), cathepsin S (CatS), and arteriosclerosis adhesion molecules such as monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) are potent elastases implicated in human arterial wall remodeling. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of intermittent exercise on the plasma concentrations of these cathepsins and arteriosclerosis adhesion molecules in night shift workers. METHODS: Thirty male participants who were night shift workers (experimental group, n = 15; control group, n = 15) were included in this study. The experimental group performed an intermittent exercise at 10-min bouts (30 min per day), three days a week during 10 weeks. Body composition, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease risk factors were measured. RESULTS: After intermittent exercise, significant group time interactions for body weight (p < .01) and body fat percentage (p < .01) were found. With regard to cardiovascular disease risk factors, group time interactions for CatL (p < .01), CatS (p < .01), MCP-1 (p < .05), sE-selectin (p < .01), and sVCAM-1 (p < .01) were significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that intermittent exercise may represent an effective intervention strategy for preventing atherosclerosis, thus leading to improved cardiovascular health in night shift workers.

A 12-week after-school physical activity programme improves endothelial cell function in overweight and obese children: a randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction is associated with childhood obesity and is closely linked to the amount and function of endothelial progenitor cells. However, it remains unclear whether endothelial progenitor cells increase with after-school exercise in overweight and obese children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an after-school exercise programme on endothelial cell function in overweight and obese children. METHODS: A total of 29 overweight/obese children (12.2 ± 0.1 years) were randomly divided into control (i.e. no after-school exercise, n = 14) and after-school exercise (n = 15) groups. The 12-week after-school exercise intervention consisted of 3 days of combined aerobic and resistance exercise per week. Each 80-minute exercise programme included 10 minutes of warm-up and 10 minutes of cool-down after school. CD34(+) (a cell surface marker on hematopoietic stem cells), CD133(+) (a cell surface marker on hematopoietic progenitor cells) and CD34(+)/CD133(+) (considered as endothelial progenitor cells) were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Increased percentages of CD34(+), CD133(+) and CD34(+)/CD133(+) cells were observed in the after-school exercise group (p = 0.018; p = 0.001; p = 0.002, respectively) compared with the control group. Carotid intima-media thickness decreased after 12 weeks in the after-school exercise group (p = 0.020) compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence that a combined after-school exercise programme may represent an effective intervention strategy for improving vascular repair and endothelial cell function, leading to improved cardiovascular health in overweight and obese children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN19037201.

The effect of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on abdominal fat in obese middle-aged women.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of combined aerobic and resistance training on abdominal fat. Our participants in the study consisted of thirty obese women. They were separated into three groups: a control group (n=10), an aerobic training group (n=10) and a combined training group (n=10). The aerobic training group was composed of 60-70% HRmax (intensity), 60 minutes a day (duration) for 6 days a week (frequency). The combined training group was separated into resistance training (3 days a week, Mon, Wed, Fri) and the aerobic training (3 days a week, Tue, Thu, Sat). The levels for abdominal fat volume were measured by determining the subcutaneous fat volume (SFV), visceral fat volume (VFV), and VFV/SFV by CT (computed tomography). The VO(2max) was significantly (p<0.05) increased in both groups. The subcutaneous fat and visceral fat levels were decreased in the combined training group more than in the aerobics training group. Also, the lean body mass (LBM) was significantly increased only in the combined training group. In addition, the total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C were significantly (p<.05) decreased and the HDL-C was significantly (p<.05) increased in both groups. In conclusion, our results observed that combined training decreased abdominal subcutaneous fat and visceral fat more than aerobic training only.

The effect of long-term aerobic exercise on maximal oxygen consumption, left ventricular function and serum lipids in elderly women.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of maximal oxygen consumption, left ventricular function and serum lipids after 36 weeks of aerobic exercise in elderly women without the influence of drugs. Eight elderly women were studied by M-mode and Doppler echocardiography to assess left ventricular size, mass and function. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO(2)max) was determined for each subject by administering a treadmill exercise test. The training intensity was decided by heart rate reserve. Subjects performed exercise for 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week at 50-60% of the heart rate reserve during the 36 weeks. Exercise capacity was assessed by VO(2)max with a graded exercise test of the treadmill. Weight and % body fat decreased after training. Cardiorespiratory function improved because of the increase in VO(2)max and VO(2)max normalized for body weight after training. Systolic blood pressure significantly decreased. There are no significant difference in all left ventricular's parameters (end-diastolic dimension, end-systolic dimension, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction, fractional shortening) after 36 weeks. Exercise training did not induce left ventricular (LV) enlargement as evidence of an absence of increase in left ventricular end-diastolic volume. The total cholesterol level and triglyceride level decreased after training. High density lipoprotein-cholesterol significantly increased and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol significantly decreased, atherogenic index (AI) significantly decreased and apolipoprotein A-I increased and apolipoprotein B decreased after training. In conclusion, although there was no significant change in left ventricular function, aerobic training showed a positive influence on body composition, maximal oxygen consumption and serum lipids.

[Improvement of risk factors for hip fracture by exercise intervention in elderly women].

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a 36-week complex exercise program helps to improve the risk factors for fall and hip fracture. Participant group for this study was 47 women in the range of age 65-68. The exercise program was conducted three times per week for 36 weeks. This study proved that the complex exercise program with weight bearing exercise at a moderate intensity and the gait training were highly effective in offsetting the decline in BMD, hormone metabolic substrate in elderly women. In addition, this exercise program had a positive effect on their postural stability.