Effects of active exergames on physical performance in older people: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

This overview assessed the available body of published peer-reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to the effects of active exergames compared with active/passive control on physical performance outcomes in older people. The methodological quality and certainty of evidence were assessed using PRISMA, AMSTAR 2, and GRADE. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD42023391694). The main outcomes indicate that 4,477 records, five systematic reviews, and 10 meta-analyses were included. The AMSTAR-2 reported six meta-analyses with high methodological quality, four moderate quality, two systematic reviews with low quality, and three very-low quality. Meta-analysis was performed on balance using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) tests, on cardiorespiratory fitness using the 6-min walk test, and on upper and lower limbs muscle strength using the handgrip strength, knee extension, and 30-s chair stand tests. Significant differences in favor of the active exergames groups concerning active/passive groups were reported in BBS (SMD = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.12-1.58; I2 = 96%; p = 0.02), TUG (SMD = 1.44; 95% CI = 0.71-2.16; I2 = 97%; p < 0.0001), and 30-s chair stand test (SMD = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.33-1.25; I2 = 88%; p = 0.0008). However, no significant differences were reported in favor of the active exergames groups in 6-min walk (SMD = 0.93; 95% CI = -0.64 to 2.50; I2 = 95%; p = 0.24), handgrip strength (SMD = 0.67; 95% CI = -0.04 to 1.38; I2 = 84%; p = 0.06), and knee extension tests (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI = -0.05 to 0.44; I2 = 95%; p = 0.12) compared to active/passive control. However, it was impossible to perform a meta-analysis for the variables of walking speed as a fall risk due to the diversity of instruments and the small number of systematic reviews with meta-analysis. In conclusion, interventions utilizing active exergames have shown significant improvements in the static and dynamic balance and lower limb muscle strength of apparently healthy older people, compared to control groups of active/inactive participants, as measured by BBS, TUG, and 30-s chair stand tests. However, no significant differences were found in the 6-min walk, HGS, and knee extension tests. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, CRD42023391694.

Physical activity habits associated with health variables in Chilean male school children / Hábitos de actividad física asociados a variables de salud en escolares chilenos varones

Introduction: Physical inactivity is a factor that con-tributes to increased cardiometabolic risk, such as overweightand obesity in schoolchildren.Aim: To associate physical activity habits with morphologi-cal variables (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference[WC], body fat, and fat-free mass), blood pressure, glycemia,handgrip strength (HGS), and countermovement jump (CMJ)in Chilean male schoolchildren. In addition, to compare phys-ically active (PA) schoolchildren to physically inactive (PI)schoolchildren on morphological variables, blood pressure,glycemia, HGS, and CMJ. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study analyzed160 schoolchildren with a mean age of 7.12 ± 4.5 years dis-tributed into PA schoolchildren (n=75) and PI schoolchildren(n=85). A logistic regression was performed to identify theassociation between physical activity habits with factors ofmorphological variables (BMI, WC, body fat, and fat-freemass), blood pressure, glycemia, HGS, and CMJ. In addition,to compare the differences in physical activity habits (physi-cally active vs. physically inactive), a student’s t-test was per-formed for independent samples. Results: Logistic regression showed that physical activityis protective factor against excess body fat of 46% (OR=0.46; 95%CI= 0.22 to 0.95; p= 0.03), hyperglycemia of 25%(OR= 0.25; 95%CI= 0.12 to 0.51; p< 0.0001), high bloodpressure of 31% (OR= 0.31; 95%CI= 0.15 to 0.67; p=0.002), and HGS dominant hand of 40% (OR= 0.40; 95%CI=0.19 to 0.83; p= 0.014). Conclusion: Physical activity protected against excessbody fat, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and decreased HGSin Chilean male schoolchildren. PA schoolchildren exhibitedlower body fat, reduced risk of hyperglycemia and hyper-tension, and improved HGS and CMJ compared to PI school-children.(AU)

Introducción: La inactividad física es un factor que contribuye al aumento del riesgo cardiometabólico, como el sobrepeso y la obesidad en escolares.Objetivo: Asociar los hábitos de actividad física con variables morfológicas (índice de masa corporal [IMC], circunferencia de cintura [CC], grasa corporal y masa libre de grasa), presión arterial, glucemia, fuerza de prensión manual (FPM) y salto con contramovimiento (CMJ) en escolares hombres chilenos. Además, comparar escolares físicamente activos (FA) con escolares físicamente inactivos (FI) en variables morfológicas, presión arterial, glucemia, FPM y CMJ.Material y métodos: Estudio transversal que analizó 160 escolares con una edad media de 7,12 ± 4,5 años distribuidos en escolares FA (n= 75) y escolares FI (n= 85). Se realizó una regresión logística para identificar la asociación entre los hábitos de actividad física con factores de las variables morfológicas (IMC, CC, grasa corporal y masa libre de grasa), presión arterial, glucemia, FPM y CMJ. Además, para comparar las diferencias en los hábitos de actividad física (físicamente activos vs. físicamente inactivos), se realizó la prueba t de Student para muestras independientes.Resultados: La regresión logística mostró que la actividad física es un factor protector contra el exceso de grasa corporal en un 46% (OR= 0,46; IC95%= 0,22 a 0,95; p= 0,03), hiperglucemia en un 25% (OR= 0,25; IC95%= 0,12 a 0,51; p< 0,0001), hipertensión arterial del 31% (OR= 0,31; IC95%= 0,15 a 0,67; p= 0,002), y FPM en mano dominante del 40% (OR= 0,40; IC95%= 0,19 a 0,83; p= 0,014).Conclusión: La actividad física protegió contra el exceso de grasa corporal, la hiperglucemia, la hipertensión arterial y la disminución de FPM en escolares hombres chilenos. Los escolares FA exhibieron menos grasa corporal, menor riesgo de hiperglucemia e hipertensión, y FPM, además de CMJ mejorados en comparación con los escolares FI.(AU)

Corrigendum: Warm-up stretching exercises and physical performance of youth soccer players.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1127669.].

Warm-up stretching exercises and physical performance of youth soccer players.

This study aims to compare the effects of standard warm-up versus warm-up using stretching exercises on the physical performance of male youth soccer players. Eighty-five male soccer players (age: 10.3 ± 4.3 years; body mass index: 19.8 ± 4.3 kg/m2) were assessed for countermovement jump height (CMJ, cm), 10 m, 20 m and 30 m running sprint speed (s) and ball kicking speed (km/h) for the dominant and non-dominant leg under five (randomized) warm-up conditions. Using 72 h of recovery between conditions, the participants completed a control condition (CC) and four experimental conditions, including static stretching (SSC), dynamic stretching (DSC), ballistic stretching (BSC), and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNFC) exercises. All warm-up conditions had a duration of 10 minutes. The main results indicate that no significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between warm-up conditions compared to CC in CMJ (CC = 28.1 ± 4.9; SSC = 28.4 ± 4.9; DSC = 30.9 ± 4.8; BSC = 30.9 ± 5.2; PNFC = 28.4 ± 5.0), 10 m sprint (CC = 2.42 ± 0.4; SSC = 2.50 ± 0.4; DSC = 2.30 ± 0.3; BSC = 2.27 ± 0.3; PNFC = 2.53 ± 0.4), 20 m sprint (CC = 5.42 ± 0.9; SSC = 5.59 ± 0.9; DSC = 5.37 ± 0.9; BSC = 5.40 ± 0.9; PNFC = 5.44 ± 0.9), 30 m sprint (CC = 8.05 ± 1.3; SSC = 8.27 ± 1.3; DSC = 8.01 ± 1.3; BSC = 8.00 ± 1.3; PNFC = 8.12 ± 1.3), ball kicking speed for dominant (CC = 56.2 ± 4.9; SSC = 55.3 ± 5.2; DSC = 56.9 ± 5.8; BSC = 57.3 ± 5.8; PNFC = 55.7 ± 5.2) and non-dominant leg (CC = 52.8 ± 3.4; SSC = 51.8 ± 4.6; DSC = 53.5 ± 5.4; BSC = 53.6 ± 4.9; PNFC = 52.5 ± 4.0). In conclusion, compared to standard warm-up, stretching-based warm-up exerts no effect on male youth soccer players jump height, sprint speed and ball kicking speed.

Warm-Up and Handgrip Strength in Physically Inactive Chilean Older Females According to Baseline Nutritional Status.

This study aims to analyze the effect of different types of warm-ups on handgrip strength (HGS) in physically inactive older females. Secondarily, it aims to compare HGS according to their baseline nutritional status. A randomized crossover trial study was conducted with 44 physically inactive older females distributed into normal weight (n = 12, BMI = 23.9 ± 3.2 kg/m2), overweight (n =16, BMI = 27 ± 4.7 kg/m2) and obese (n = 16, BMI = 31.6 ± 5.3 kg/m2), who participated in three warm-up conditions (static stretching condition, SSC; elastic band condition, EBC; and therapeutic compression ball condition, TCBC) and one control condition (CC, no warm-up). All participants performed the four randomized conditions with recovery within 72 h. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in HGS for the dominant and non-dominant hands was observed when comparing SSC vs. CC. In contrast, comparing the warm-up conditions according to the baseline nutritional status, statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were only reported in the obese group in the dominant and non-dominant hand in favor of CC concerning SSC. In conclusion, warm-up with static flexibility led to a decrease in HGS in physically inactive older females. Only the obese group exhibited this result when analyzed by nutritional status.