Dementia population worldwide is considerable in elderly people. Exercise regulates the brain function, but the mechanism by which it does so is unknown. The effect of regular exercise on cognitive function and exercise capacity in senile dementia patients was investigated. Thirty female patients with senile dementia who participated in the study were divided into two groups: the exercise group (EG, n = 15) and the control group (CG, n = 15). The exercise group completed a regular exercise program, and their cognitive function, activities of daily living and exercise capacity levels were evaluated at baseline, 6 months and after 12 months. Subjects exercised 30 - 60 minutes per day, 2 - 3 times per week for 12 months. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) (pre: 14.53 ± 5.34, post: 17.47 ± 6.90) and ADL (pre: 14.40 ± 5.32, post: 17.53 ± 5.46) scores were significantly enhanced in the exercise group with senile dementia, compared to those in the control group. Exercise capacities such as cardiopulmonary function (pre: 128.47 ± 55.43, post: 184.40 ± 41.16), muscle strength (pre: 10.07 ± 3.61, post: 13.7 ± 3.90), muscular endurance (pre: 8.13 ± 4.45, post: 12.13 ± 5.14), flexibility (- 1.53 ± .30, post: 2.20 ± .70, balance (pre: 1.73 ± .28, post: 1.20 ± .77), and agility (pre: 21.80 ± 3.24, post: 10.87 ± 2.99) also increased in the exercise group. Our findings showed that regular exercise can enhance cognitive and functional activity scores in dementia patients, suggesting that senile dementia may improve by participating in a regular exercise program.

Exercise mediates an excessive free radical production leading to oxidative stress (OS). The body has natural antioxidant systems that help decrease OS, and these systems may be enhanced with exercise training. However, only a few studies have investigated the differences in resting OS and antioxidant capacity (AOC) between aerobically trained athletes (ET), anaerobically trained athletes (RT), and untrained individuals (UT). Therefore, this study sought to investigate the resting and postexercise OS and AOC in ET, RT, and UT. Sixty healthy young males (26.6±0.8 yr) participated in this study. Subjects were divided into three groups, ET, RT, and UT by distinct training background. Resting plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyls (PC) were not significantly different in ET, RT, and UT. However, MDA and PC were significantly increased following a graded exercise test (GXT) in UT but not in ET and RT. Resting total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels and TAC were not different in ET, RT, and UT. Interestingly, TAC levels significantly decreased after the GXT in all groups. Additionally, UT showed lower post-exercise TAC levels compared to ET and RT. These results showed that ET, RT, and UT have similar OS and AOC at rest. However, both ET and RT have greater AOC against exercise mediated OS compared to UT. These findings may explain, at least in part, why both aerobic and anaerobic types of exercise training improve redox balance. However, it appears there is no specific exercise type effect in terms of redox balance.

The purpose of this study is to assess the combined exercise programs (12 weeks' physical exercise training, resistance and aerobic) and 6 weeks' detraining on the correlation of metabolic syndrome (MS) markers and plasma adiponectin level in two groups. Participants were divided into two groups [physical exercise training group (EG, n = 8) and control group (CG, n = 7)]. The EG performed a 12-week training program (aerobic and resistance training twice/wk, more than 40 min/d). After 12 weeks' exercise training and 6 weeks' detraining, we also evaluated MS markers and plasma adiponectin at three time periods (baseline, EBP; 12 weeks' exercise program, 12 EP; 12 weeks' and 6 weeks' detraining, 12 + 6 EDP) in overweight and obese children. Compared with the CG, After the 12 weeks' exercise treatment, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist girth, percent body fat, lean body mass (LBM), percentage lean body, systolic blood pressure, and insulin and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) indices were lowered in the EG, and plasma adiponectin levels were not altered in the EG. After 6 weeks' detraining, insulin, insulin resistance, and plasma adiponectin levels were significantly increased in the EG. In the adiponectin level, there were positive correlations with LBM and percent lean body and negative correlations with percent body fat, insulin, and insulin resistance after 12 weeks' physical exercise intervention and 6 weeks' detraining. These findings suggest that combined physical training is a useful tool in the management of MS markers in the training periods. Moreover, there was an additive effect even after the 6-weeks detraining period.

Kim CW, et al. Nutr Res Pract. 2013 Oct;7(5):347-351. http://dx.doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2013.7.5.347

Children’s flourishing is likely to be associated with achieving a positive mental and physical quality of life, which is considered as an important factor for helping children to overcome psychological adversity during the critical stage of emotional development. This study examined the relationships between children’s flourishing and childhood depression. This was a cross-sectional study using the 2011–2012 National Children’s Health Survey in the U.S. The conceptual framework that guided this study was a modified ecological system theory model. Multiple regressions were performed to investigate the associations between flourishing and pediatric depression, controlling for demographics, physical activity-related behaviors, family and environmental conditions. A total of 45,309 children (representing 33,293,823 children at the population level) were identified in this study (mean age: 13.63 years; female: 48.7%). Children’s childhood depression was highly related to direct parenting functions, individual needs and environmental availabilities and accessibilities from a socioecological perspective. This study revealed multiple dimensions of how sociological factors influence children’s flourishing and mental health. Parents’ involvement in children’s physical activities and family and social support are crucial for children’s flourishing and mental health status. More attention needs to be paid to provide children with family and social support to help them to overcome and reduce childhood depression.

GRIT, which was conceptualized by the American psychologist Duckworth, was designed by grouping growth (G), resilience (R), intrinsic motivation (I), and tenacity (T), which means continuing to be patient and put in effort to achieve goals without being frustrated by adversity or failures experienced in the process of striving toward one’s goals. The purpose of this study was to determine GRIT changes caused by participation of students majoring in science and engineering in taekwondo class. Effects of taekwondo ability on GRIT and academic achievement were also examined to determine structural relationships among taekwondo ability, GRIT, and academic achievement. We selected a total of 305 students (204 participants and 101 non-participants) as research subjects and conducted a GRIT (preliminary) measurement. After one-year of taekwondo class, we collected and statistically processed the data of GRIT (post) measurement, taekwondo ability, and academic achievement of the participants. Reliability analysis, technical statistics, paired sample t-test, correlation analysis, and path analysis were performed. Changes in the GRIT values of the participants were found to be greater than those of non-participants. It was also found that taekwondo ability, GRIT, and academic achievement had significant correlations with each other. Finally, it was found that the higher the taekwondo ability, the higher the academic achievement and the higher the GRIT. Moreover, the higher the GRIT, the higher the academic achievement. Taekwondo training increased the GRIT values of participants. In addition, the taekwondo ability had positive effects on GRIT and academic achievement. GRIT also had a positive effect on academic achievement. Thus, there were structural relationships among taekwondo ability, GRIT, and academic achievement.