The gripping coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has imposed dramatic changes to many areas of daily living in all sectors of society across the world. We examined the relationship between perceived stress and health behaviors among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey with measures of psychological stress, physical activity and exercise, and sleep and social connectedness was distributed in June and July of 2020. The survey was completed by 550 college students (mean age: 21.3 ± 3.8 years, 74.2% female, 94.4% Caucasian). Being female and unemployed and having a lower annual income were significantly associated with higher levels of stress. In addition, regression analysis found that reduced exercise and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly predicted the levels of stress of participants after controlling for gender, employment status, and annual income. University officials should aim to implement health-promotion strategies directed at preventing reductions in exercise and sleep duration, especially in those at greater risk of increased perceived stress such as females and economically disadvantaged students.

To determine if creatine (Cr) supplementation could influence cognitive performance and whether any changes were related to changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during such cognitive tasks, thirty (M = 11, F = 19) participants were evenly randomized to receive supplementation with Cr (CR10:10 g/day or CR20:20 g/day) or a placebo (PLA:10 g/day) for 6 weeks. Participants completed a cognitive test battery (processing speed, episodic memory, and attention) on two separate occasions prior to and following supplementation. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure PFC oxyhemoglobin (O₂Hb) during the cognitive evaluation. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine the differences between the groups and the timepoints for the cognitive performance scores and PFC O₂Hb. In addition, a one-way ANOVA of % change was used to determine pre- and post-differences between the groups. Creatine (independent of dosage) had no significant effect on the measures of cognitive performance. There was a trend for decreased relative PFC O₂Hb in the CR10 group versus the PLA group in the processing speed test (p = 0.06). Overall, six weeks of Cr supplementation at a moderate or high dose does not improve cognitive performance or change PFC activation in young adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted chaotic changes in the daily lives of K-12 teachers, resulting in increased stress and other mental health problems. Limited evidence regarding the relationship between physical activity, sleep, and perceived stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic exists. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity, sleep quality, and perceived psychological stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey measuring physical activity, sleep quality, and perceived psychological stress was distributed across 47 US states between September and October of 2020. Data provided by 635 teachers (mean age: 42 ± 18 years, 74.6% female) were included in the present analysis. Results suggested a negative association between physical activity and perceived psychological stress. Mediation analyses indicated that teachers engaging in high levels of physical activity were more likely to have good quality sleep and, in turn, were less likely to report high levels of perceived stress. Physical activity and sleep-related interventions could help curtail the rising levels of psychological distress amongst K-12 teachers during stressful times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers, especially those that self-report as female and/or young, report high levels of stress. These high levels of stress are a serious challenge for school districts in terms of attracting and retaining qualified teachers in K-12 classrooms.

Context: Chronic heat exposure promotes cardiovascular and cellular adaptations, improving an organism's ability to tolerate subsequent stressors. Heat exposure may also promote neural adaptations and alter the neural–hormonal stress response. Hot-temperature yoga (HY) combines mind–body exercise with heat exposure. The added heat component in HY may induce cardiovascular and cellular changes, along with neural benefits and modulation of stress hormones. Aims: The purpose of the present study is to compare the cardiovascular, cellular heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), neural, and hormonal adaptations of HY versus normal-temperature yoga (NY). Settings and Design: Twenty-two subjects (males = 11 and females = 11, 26 ± 6 years) completed 4 weeks of NY (n = 11) or HY (n = 11, 41°C, 40% humidity). Yoga sessions were performed 3 times/week following a modified Bikram protocol. Subjects and Methods: Pre- and posttesting included (1) hemodynamic measures during a heat tolerance test and maximal aerobic fitness test; (2) neural and hormonal adaptations using serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), along with a mental stress questionnaire; and (3) cellular adaptations (HSP70) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Statistical Analysis: Within- and between-group Student's t-test analyses were conducted to compare pre- and post-VO₂ max, perceived stress, BDNF, HSP70, and ACTH in HY and NY groups. Results: Maximal aerobic fitness increased in the HY group only. No evidence of heat acclimation or change in mental stress was observed. Serum BDNF significantly increased in yoga groups combined. Analysis of HSP70 suggested higher expression of HSP70 in the HY group only. Conclusions: Twelve sessions of HY promoted cardiovascular fitness and cellular thermotolerance adaptations. Serum BDNF increased in response to yoga (NY + HY) and appeared to not be temperature dependent.

Background/Objectives: The Q-Collar™, a device that mildly compresses the jugular veins to increase cranial fluid volume, has been investigated for potential protection against brain changes associated with concussive and subconcussive impacts during athletic events involving physical contact. However, physiological responses using this device as well as the physical and cognitive performance outcomes remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate hemodynamic, metabolic, prefrontal cortex oxygenation (PFC-O₂Hb), choice reaction time (CRT) via the Stroop test, and time-to-completion outcomes with and without Q-Collar™ use. Methods: Eleven male participants qualified for inclusion into the repeated-measures randomized crossover study following an incremental cycling cardiopulmonary exercise test. Upon qualification, participants visited the lab twice to complete a 5 km cycling time trial with and without Q-Collar™ use. Each visit was separated by at least 72 h. Results: No statistically significant differences in hemodynamic, blood lactate (BLa⁻), PFC-O₂Hb, or time-to-completion outcomes were found comparing Q-Collar™ use to a Control condition. However, improved CRT was found during, immediately following, and 10 min post the time trial relative to a resting CRT baseline. Conclusions: No statistically significant acute differences were detected between Q-Collar™ and Control for measured outcomes during a 5 km cycling time trial in this exploratory study. Smaller effects cannot be excluded, and because jugular compression was not verified during exercise, these findings reflect the effect of wearing a manufacturer-fitted Q-Collar™ rather than verified jugular compression. CRT was shorter during and after exercise relative to rest in both conditions, although repeated-testing effects cannot be excluded.