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Η επίδραση της δοσολογίας της διαλειμματικής νευρομυϊκής προπόνησης υψηλής έντασης στην υγεία, απόδοση και ποιότητα ζωής υπέρβαρων και παχύσαρκων ατόμων
No full textIntroduction: The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity is a major public health challenge negatively affecting more than one in two adults worldwide and leading risk factors for early death due to its association with several chronic noncommunicable diseases. The role of regular exercise in obesity has been well documented, and therefore it is considered a fundamental component of a comprehensive strategy for preventing, managing and treating this particular chronic metabolic disease. Although the popularity of hybrid-type, interval neuromuscular training programs for the general population has been widely reported; however, this exercise type has not been sufficiently investigated in adults with overweight and obesity.Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the dose-response effects of a hybrid-type, interval neuromuscular exercise training program (DoIT) on body composition, cardiometabolic health, physical performance, and quality of life in physically inactive individuals with overweight and obesity during a 1-year supervised training intervention in a gym setting. Methods: Ninety-seven middle-aged (44.8±5.2 years) individuals with overweight and obesity (31.2±5.7 kg/m2) (66% female) were randomly assigned to the following groups: (i) no-intervention control (CON, n=29), (ii) DoIT performed once weekly (DoIT-1, n=24), (iii) DoIT performed twice weekly (DoIT-2, n=23) and (iv) DoIT performed thrice weekly (DoIT-3, n=21). DoIT was a time-efficient, intermittent-based, multicomponent exercise protocol using progressive loaded fundamental movement patterns with prescribed work-to-rest intervals (1:3 to 2:1) in a circuit format (2–3 rounds). Somatometric variables, body composition, bone health, physical fitness, cardiac morphology and function, exercise enjoyment, affective valence, and quality of life were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months following intervention.Results: CON increased all somatometric (+2%, p<0.001) and body composition variables (+2%, p<0.001). In somatometric measures, all DoIT groups reduced body mass (1.8%–5.2%), body mass index, waist circumference (3%–6.6%), waist-to-hip ratio (1.1%–6.6%) at post training compared to baseline (p<0.001). In body composition, all DoIT groups reduced body fat percentage (1.5%–4.5%), fat mass (5%–15%), and trunk fat (0.4%–1.8%) while increasing fat-free mass (1%–2.4%), whole-body and femur bone mineral density (+0.4%–2.2%, p<0.001) as well as bone mineral content (+0.1%–1.8%, p<0.001) at post-training. In physical fitness, all DoIT groups exhibited superior changes than CON in cardiovascular endurance (+18%–23%, p<0.001), muscular strength (+13%–38%, p<0.001), muscular endurance (+42%–159%, p<0.001), flexibility (+12%–42%, p<0.001), passive range of motion (+6%–50%, p=0.001–0.026), static balance (+61%–163%, p<0.001), and functional movement screening (+18%–39%, p<0.001) at post-training. In cardiac morphology, all DoIT groups showed beneficial changes in left ventricular mass (1.9%–8.7%, p<0.001), left ventricular posterior wall end diastole (1%–4.9%, p<0.001), interventricular septum end diastole (1.2%–4.9%, p<0.001), left ventricular internal diameter end diastole (1.2%–4.9%, p<0.001), and right ventricular diameter (1.1%–3%) in time. In cardiac function, all DoIT groups lowered resting heart rate (3%–10%), systolic blood pressure (1.3%–4.8%), diastolic blood pressure (0.8%–3.4%), mean arterial pressure (1%–4.5%), and pulmonary artery pressure (0.9%–1.9%) compared to CON (p=0.001-0.002) and pre-training levels (p<0.001). Additionally, left ventricular stroke volume (+2.5–6.9%, p<0.001) and ejection fraction (1.7%–9.3% p<0.001) increased in all DoIT groups. In psychological markers, exercise enjoyment and affective valence increased in all DoIT groups compared to pre-training levels (+20–50%, p<0.001). Physical and mental component of quality of life increased (+4%–10%, p<0.001) in all DoIT groups compared to CON at post-training. An overall dropout rate of 19.2% (CON: 3.3%, DoIT-1: 20%, DoIT-2: 23.3%, DoIT-3: 30%) and an exercise-related injury rate of 3.3% (DoIT-1: 3.3%, DoIT-2: 3.3%, DoIT-3: 3.3%) were reported. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a high-intensity interval neuromuscular training program incorporating bodyweight drills and resistance-based alternative modes performed under real-world conditions may improve several physiological and psychological indicators, but not widely in a dose-dependent manner in physically inactive, middle-aged adults with overweight/obesity. The results of this study will enable physicians and exercise professionals to follow more efficient exercise prescription guidelines for this popular and effective exercise modality.Εισαγωγή: Ο αυξανόμενος επιπολασμός των υπέρβαρων και παχύσαρκων ατόμων είναι μια σημαντική πρόκληση για τη δημόσια υγεία που επηρεάζει αρνητικά περισσότερους από έναν στους δύο ενήλικες παγκοσμίως και οδηγεί σε παράγοντες κινδύνου για πρόωρο θάνατο λόγω της συσχέτισής του με πολλές χρόνιες μη μεταδιδόμενες ασθένειες. Ο ρόλος της τακτικής άσκησης στην παχυσαρκία έχει τεκμηριωθεί καλά και ως εκ τούτου θεωρείται θεμελιώδες συστατικό μιας ολοκληρωμένης στρατηγικής για την πρόληψη, τη διαχείριση και τη θεραπεία αυτής της συγκεκριμένης χρόνιας μεταβολικής νόσου. Αν και η δημοτικότητα των προγραμμάτων διαλειμματικής νευρομυϊκής προπόνησης υβριδικού τύπου για τον γενικό πληθυσμό έχει αναφερθεί ευρέως, ωστόσο, αυτός ο τύπος άσκησης δεν έχει διερευνηθεί επαρκώς σε υπέρβαρους και παχύσαρκους ενήλικες.Σκοπός: Ο στόχος της παρούσας μελέτης ήταν να προσδιοριστούν οι επιδράσεις δόσης-απόκρισης ενός τέτοιου πρωτοκόλλου άσκησης (DoIT) στη σύσταση του σώματος, την καρδιομεταβολική υγεία, τη σωματική απόδοση και την ποιότητα ζωής σε σωματικά αδρανή υπέρβαρα και παχύσαρκα άτομα κατά τη διάρκεια μιας ετήσιας επιβλεπόμενης προπονητικής παρέμβασης σε περιβάλλον γυμναστηρίου.Μεθοδολογία: Ενενήντα επτά (66% γυναίκες) υπέρβαρα και παχύσαρκα άτομα (31,2±5,7 kg/m2) μέσης ηλικίας (44,8±5,2 ετών) χωρίστηκαν τυχαία στις ακόλουθες ομάδες: (i) ελέγχου χωρίς παρέμβαση (CON, n=29), (ii) παρέμβασης όπου το DoIT εκτελείται μία φορά την εβδομάδα (DoIT-1, n=24), (iii) παρέμβασης όπου το DoIT εκτελείται δύο φορές την εβδομάδα (DoIT-2, n=23) και (iv) παρέμβασης όπου το DoIT εκτελείται τρεις φορές την εβδομάδα (DoIT-3, n =21). Το DoIT ήταν ένα αποδοτικό στον χρόνο πρωτόκολλο διαλειμματικής άσκησης υβριδικού τύπου, που χρησιμοποιούσε προοδευτικά φορτισμένα βασικά κινητικά μοτίβα με προκαθορισμένα διαστήματα έργου και ανάπαυσης (1:3 έως 2:1) σε κυκλική μορφή (2–3 γύροι). Η σωματομετρία, η σύσταση του σώματος, η φυσική κατάσταση, η καρδιομεταβολική υγεία, η απόλαυση στην άσκηση, το συναισθηματικό σθένος και η ποιότητα ζωής αξιολογήθηκαν κατά την έναρξη, 6 μήνες και 12 μήνες μετά την παρέμβαση.Αποτελέσματα: Όλες οι μεταβλητές σωματομετρίας (+2%, p<0.001) και σύστασης σώματος (+2%, p<0.001) αυξήθηκαν στην CON. Στις μετρήσεις σωματομετρίας, όλες οι ομάδες DoIT μείωσαν το σωματικό βάρος (1.8%–5.2%), το δείκτης μάζας σώματος, την περιφέρεια μέσης (3%–6.6%), το λόγο της περιφέρειας της μέσης και των ισχίων (1.1%–6.6%) μετά τη 12μηνη παρέμβαση συγκριτικά με τις αρχικές μετρήσεις (p<0.001). Στη σωματική σύσταση, όλες οι ομάδες DoIT μείωσαν το ποσοστό σωματικού λίπους (1.5%–4.5%), τη λιπώδη μάζα (5%–15%) και το λίπος στην περιοχή του κορμού (0.4%–1.8%), ενώ αυξήσαν την άλιπη σωματική μάζα (1%–2.4%), την ολόσωμη και την τοπική (ισχίο) οστική πυκνότητα (+0.4%–2.2%, p<0.001) καθώς και την οστική μάζα (+0.1%–1.8%, p<0.001) μετά από 12 μήνες παρέμβασης. Στη φυσική κατάσταση, όλες οι ομάδες DoIT παρουσίασαν ανώτερες αλλαγές σε σχέση με την CON στην καρδιοαναπνευστική αντοχή (+18%–23%, p<0.001), τη μυϊκή δύναμη (+13%–38%, p<0.001), τη μυϊκή αντοχή (+42%–159%, p<0.001), την ευλυγισία (+12%–42%, p<0.001), το παθητικό εύρος κίνησης (+6%–50%, p=0.001–0.026), τη στατική ισορροπία (+61%–163%, p<0.001) και στα λειτουργικά μοτίβα κίνησης (+18%–39%, p<0.001) στο τέλος της παρέμβασης. Στην καρδιακή μορφολογία, όλες οι ομάδες DoIT έδειξαν ευεργετικές αλλαγές στη μάζα της αριστερής κοιλίας (1.9%–8.7%, p<0.001), στο πάχος του οπίσθιου τοιχώματος της αριστερής κοιλίας (1%–4.9%, p<0.001), στην τελική διαστολική διάμετρο της αριστερής κοιλίας (1.2%–4.9%, p<0.001), στο πάχος του μεσοκοιλιακού διαφράγματος (1.2%–4.9%, p<0.001) και στη διάμετρο της δεξιάς κοιλίας (1.1%–3%, p<0.001). Στην καρδιακή λειτουργία, όλες οι ομάδες DoIT μείωσαν την καρδιακή συχνότητα ηρεμίας (3%–10%), τη συστολική αρτηριακή πίεση (1.3%–4.8%), τη διαστολική αρτηριακή πίεση (0.8%–3.4%), τη μέση αρτηριακή πίεση (1%–4.5%) και την πίεση πνευμονικής αρτηρίας (0.9%–1.9%) συγκριτικά τόσο με την CON (p=0.001–0.002) όσο και με τα επίπεδα των αρχικών μετρήσεων (p<0.001). Επιπρόσθετα, ο όγκος παλμού της αριστερής κοιλίας (+2.5–6.9%, p<0.001) και το κλάσμα εξώθησης (1.7%–9.3% p<0.001) αυξήθηκαν σε όλες τις ομάδες DoIT. Στους ψυχολογικούς δείκτες, η απόλαυση στην άσκηση και το συναισθηματική σθένος αυξήθηκαν σε όλες τις ομάδες DoIT σε σύγκριση με αρχικά επίπεδα (+20–50%, p<0.001). Η σωματική και η ψυχική συνιστώσα της ποιότητας ζωής αυξήθηκαν (+4%–10%, p<0.001) σε όλες τις ομάδες DoIT συγκριτικά με την CON στο τέλος της παρέμβασης Τα ποσοστά συμμετοχής για τα DoIT-1, DoIT-2 και DoIT-3 ήταν 87,8%, 86,3% και 85,0%, αντίστοιχα. Αναφέρθηκε ένα συνολικό ποσοστό εγκατάλειψης 19,2% (CON: 3.3%, DoIT-1: 20%, DoIT-2: 23,3%, DoIT-3: 30%) και ένα ποσοστό τραυματισμών 3,3% (DoIT-1: 3,3%, DoIT-2: 3,3%, DoIT-3: 3,3%) που σχετίζεται με την άσκηση.Συμπεράσματα: Αυτά τα ευρήματα υποδηλώνουν ότι ένα πρόγραμμα διαλειμματικής νευρομυϊκής προπόνησης υψηλής έντασης που ενσωματώνει ασκήσεις σωματικού βάρους και εναλλακτικούς τρόπους προπόνησης αντιστάσεων που εκτελούνται σε πραγματικές συνθήκες μπορεί να βελτιώσει αρκετούς φυσιολογικούς και ψυχολογικούς δείκτες, αλλά όχι ευρέως με δοσοεξαρτώμενο τρόπο σε σωματικά αδρανείς υπέρβαρους και παχύσαρκους μεσήλικες. Τα αποτελέσματα αυτής της μελέτης θα επιτρέψουν στους ιατρούς και τους επαγγελματίες της άσκησης να ακολουθήσουν πιο αποτελεσματικές οδηγίες συνταγογράφησης της άσκησης για αυτή τη δημοφιλή και αποτελεσματική μέθοδο άσκησης
Psychophysiological Adaptations to Yoga Practice in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Topical Review
No full textPhysical activity has been documented as a foundational approach for weight management and obesity, improving several cardiometabolic and mental health indices. However, it is not clear whether yoga practice can induce beneficial improvements in anthropometric and body composition parameters, performance, metabolic health, and well-being among overweight/obese people. The aim of this topical review was to catalog training studies examining the psychophysiological responses to yoga interventions in order to detect which outcomes have been investigated, the research methods applied, and the conclusions. The inclusion/exclusion criteria were met by 22 published articles involving 1178 (56% female) overweight/obese participants. This brief review on yoga-induced adaptations demonstrates that this widely used meditative movement activity can meaningfully improve the vast majority of the selected markers. These beneficial alterations are focused mostly on various anthropometric and body composition variables, cardiovascular disease risk factors, physical fitness parameters, quality of life, and stress in previously inactive overweight/obese individuals. Instead, yoga-based physical exercise interventions investigating anxiety, depression, mood state, exercise enjoyment, affect valence, and adherence were limited. Further research should focus on the yoga intervention configuration and potential mechanisms behind favorable changes in various psychophysiological indices through large-scale, rigorously designed randomized controlled trials implementing long-term interventions in overweight/obese individuals
Investigating the marketing strategies of the health and fitness sector in Greece; the managers' perspective.
No full textThe health and fitness sector is systematically growing worldwide and is considered a vibrant business area shaped by many innovations while showing great potential for professional development and marketing strategies. In Greece, low-cost and budget gyms as well as boutique fitness studios emerged as a popular business model among health club operators demonstrating a remarkable increase nationwide following the global fitness industry trends. However, previous research focusing on implementing marketing strategies to attract and retain customers in the Greek fitness industry is scarce. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate: i) which are the marketing strategies implemented in order to attract and retain customers, ii) whether these marketing actions are differentiated depending on whether: a) the fitness companies are multipurpose gyms, boutique/personal training studios or CrossFit-like clubs and b) they operate in metropolitan areas (e.g., Athens and Thessaloniki) or in the province of Greece. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between May 15 and June 5, 2020. The questionnaire used a 4-point Likert scale and was validated internally as required. A total of 631 questionnaires were collected corresponding approximately to 25% of all companies operating in the fitness sector nationwide. Results showed that promotion through social media was the primary customer attraction action. Attractive prices as well as frequent equipment renewal and facilities’ renovation/maintenance were the most popular members’ retention strategies. Top marketing attraction and retention strategies were mediated by the different fitness centers’ business type and location. Much needs to be done in order for the fitness industry in Greece to grow in terms of marketing.El fitness sector está creciendo sistemáticamente en todo el mundo y se considera un área comercial vibrante formada por muchas innovaciones, al tiempo que muestra un gran potencial para el desarrollo profesional y las estrategias de marketing. En Grecia, los gimnasios económicos, así como los estudios de boutique fitness, emergen recientemente como un modelo comercial popular entre los operadores de fitness clubes, lo que demuestra un aumento notable en todo el país siguiendo las tendencias mundiales de la industria del fitness. Sin embargo, la investigación previa centrada en las estrategias de marketing para atraer y retener clientes en la industria griega del fitness es escasa. El objetivo principal del presente estudio fue investigar si las estrategias de marketing implementadas se diferencian en función de si: a) las empresas de fitness son gimnasios polivalentes, estudios boutique/de entrenamiento personal o clubes tipo CrossFit y b) operan en áreas metropolitanas (Atenas y Salónica) o en la provincia de Grecia. Se realizó una encuesta transversal en línea entre el 15 de mayo y el 5 de junio de 2020. El cuestionario utilizó una escala Likert de 4 puntos y se validó internamente según se requirió. Se recogieron un total de 631 cuestionarios correspondientes aproximadamente al 25% de todas las empresas que operan en el sector del fitness a nivel nacional. Los resultados mostraron que la promoción a través de las redes sociales fue la principal acción de atracción de clientes. Los precios atractivos, así como la renovación frecuente de equipos y la renovación /mantenimiento de las instalaciones fueron las estrategias de retención de miembros más populares. Las principales estrategias de atracción y retención de marketing fueron mediadas por el tipo de negocio y la ubicación de los diferentes centros de fitness Queda mucho por hacer para que la industria del fitness en Grecia crezca en términos de marketing
Psychophysiological Adaptations to Pilates Training in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Topical Review
No full textThe prevalence of overweightness and obesity has been documented as a major public health issue since it has increased at an alarming rate worldwide. Structured physical exercise programs have been reported as an essential strategy for preventing, managing, and treating obesity, inducing critical improvements in various physiological and psychological markers. However, it is unclear whether Pilates training can elicit positive changes in body composition, physical fitness, cardiometabolic health, and well-being among overweight and obese populations. The purpose of this topical review was to catalog studies investigating the physiological and psychological adaptations to Pilates training in order to identify what outcomes have been assessed, the research methods used, and the results. The inclusion/exclusion criteria were met by 14 published articles involving 582 participants (83% female) who were overweight or obese. The present topical review on Pilates training-induced adaptations shows that this widely used exercise type can significantly improve the majority of the selected indicators. These beneficial changes are frequently focused on anthropometric parameters, body composition, glucose, and lipid metabolism, as well as blood pressure in sedentary overweight or obese women. Specialized equipment-based Pilates interventions and trials investigating various mental health indices were limited. Further research is warranted in this area, emphasizing the Pilates training configuration and potential mechanisms behind positive alterations in several psychophysiological markers through large-scale randomized controlled trials with superior methodological quality, implementing long-term interventions in various populations that are overweight and obese
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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