The goal of this study was to identify and compare body composition (BC) variables in elite female athletes (age ± years): volleyball (27.4 ± 4.1), softball (23.6 ± 4.9), basketball (25.9 ± 4.2), soccer (23.2 ± 4.2) and handball (24.0 ± 3.5) players. Fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass, percentage of fat mass (FMP), body cell mass (BCM), extracellular mass (ECM), their ratio, the percentage of BCM in FFM, the phase angle (α), and total body water, with a distinction between extracellular (ECW) and intracellular water, were measured using bioimpedance analysis. MANOVA showed significant differences in BC variables for athletes in different sports (F60.256 = 2.93, p < 0.01, η2 = 0.407). The results did not indicate any significant differences in FMP or α among the tested groups (p > 0.05). Significant changes in other BC variables were found in analyses when sport was used as an independent variable. Soccer players exhibited the most distinct BC, differing from players of other sports in 8 out of 10 variables. In contrast, the athletes with the most similar BC were volleyball and basketball players, who did not differ in any of the compared variables. Discriminant analysis revealed two significant functions (p < 0.01). The first discriminant function primarily represented differences based on the FFM proportion (volleyball, basketball vs. softball, soccer). The second discriminant function represented differences based on the ECW proportion (softball vs. soccer). Although all of the members of the studied groups competed at elite professional levels, significant differences in the selected BC variables were found. The results of the present study may serve as normative values for comparison or target values for training purposes.

In order to describe the kinetics of the reaction of the heart rate (HR) to the onset of exercise of constant intensity, the half‐time (t _1/2) of HR can be used. First in a study of exercise of intensity corresponding to 2 W kg^‐1 on a cycle ergometer, the t _1/2 in 15 trained male rowers and 11 untrained male students was determined. In the trained subjects t _1/2 was smaller than in untrained students, mean (±s.d.) values being 24.10 (±3.36) s and 47.12 (±4.08) s respectively. In both groups t _1/2 was positively correlated with resting HR, r=0.774 and 0.846 and negatively correlated with maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), r= ‐0.728 and ‐0.871 respectively (P<0.01). The regulation of HR in the transition range was concluded to be very similar to the regulation of VO₂ and energy requirements. The second part of this work was concerned with responses to graded exercise. The linearity of the HR‐exercise intensity relationship is maintained up to a submaximal exercise intensity beyond which the increase in exercise intensity exceeds the increase in HR. It was hypothesized that the point where HR departs from linearity in an incremental exercise test may be employed as a predictor of the ventilatory threshold (Tvent). To examine this, 28 trained male long‐distance runners were tested on a treadmill and 17 untrained young male subjects were tested on a cycle ergometer using a continuous incremental protocol. The Tvent was determined from the dependence of V _E on VO₂ and/or VCO₂. The VO₂, HR and exercise intensity at Tvent were compared with the same parameters determined from the dependence of HR on exercise intensity. No significant differences were found between Tvent and HR break point levels. It was concluded from this second study that the HR break point level coincides with Tvent.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is pivotal in managing heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and walking integrated into daily life is an especially suitable form of physical activity. This study aimed to determine whether a 6-month lifestyle walking intervention combining self-monitoring and regular telephone counseling improves functional capacity assessed by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with stable heart failure with reduced ejection fraction compared with usual care. METHODS: The WATCHFUL trial (Pedometer-Based Walking Intervention in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction) was a 6-month multicenter, parallel-group randomized controlled trial recruiting patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction from 6 cardiovascular centers in the Czech Republic. Eligible participants were ≥18 years of age, had left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, and had New York Heart Association class II or III symptoms on guidelines-recommended medication. Individuals exceeding 450 meters on the baseline 6MWT were excluded. Patients in the intervention group were equipped with a Garmin vívofit activity tracker and received monthly telephone counseling from research nurses who encouraged them to use behavior change techniques such as self-monitoring, goal-setting, and action planning to increase their daily step count. The patients in the control group continued usual care. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in the distance walked during the 6MWT at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included daily step count and minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity as measured by the hip-worn Actigraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer, NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein biomarkers, ejection fraction, anthropometric measures, depression score, self-efficacy, quality of life, and survival risk score. The primary analysis was conducted by intention to treat. RESULTS: Of 218 screened patients, 202 were randomized (mean age, 65 years; 22.8% female; 90.6% New York Heart Association class II; median left ventricular ejection fraction, 32.5%; median 6MWT, 385 meters; average 5071 steps/day; average 10.9 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day). At 6 months, no between-group differences were detected in the 6MWT (mean 7.4 meters [95% CI, −8.0 to 22.7]; P =0.345, n=186). The intervention group increased their average daily step count by 1420 (95% CI, 749 to 2091) and daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity by 8.2 (95% CI, 3.0 to 13.3) over the control group. No between-group differences were detected for any other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas the lifestyle intervention in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction improved daily steps by about 25%, it failed to demonstrate a corresponding improvement in functional capacity. Further research is needed to understand the lack of association between increased physical activity and functional outcomes. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT03041610.

The ventilatory threshold (VT) was determined on a treadmill in highly trained male marathon, male and female long-distance, young male long-distance, adult male and female and young female middle-distance runners, modern pent-athlonists, adult canoeists of both sexes, young male canoeists and football players, and on a bicycle ergometer in table tennis players, water slalom paddlers, young female canoeists, rowers, and ice hockey players. Young female canoeists were also examined on the paddling ergometer and rowers on the rowing ergometer. VT expressed in %V̇O₂ max was higher the longer the duration of racing performance (in marathoners 86.7%). %V̇O₂ max at the VT level depends on the type of load and is higher the better the organism is adapted to a load. In young female canoeists and rowers examined on the bicycle ergometer, we found the VT level at 74.2% and 74.6% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively. In the case of specific loading, we recorded 84.8% and 85.0% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively, in the same athletes. In the case of nonspecific loading highly trained individuals may have low VT values close to the level characteristic for normal subjects. In relatively equally trained young and adult athletes, we did not find significant differences in %V̇O₂ max at the VT level (for long-distance runners, 85.2% and 85.3%, respectively, in female middle-distance runners, 82.8% and 82.7%, respectively, and in canoeists 81.3% and 78.9% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively). Similarly, there were no significant differences in %V̇O₂ max at the VT level in relatively equally trained males and females (in long-distance runners, 85.2% and 84.9%, respectively, in middle-distance runners, 82.8% and 82.7%, respectively, and in canoeists 81.3% and 82.7% of %V̇O₂ max, respectively). By the determination of the VT and especially by an interpretation we must take into account, besides the protocol and methods of determination of VT, the duration of the competition and thus also, the type of training process and the specificity of load used.