Consumption of soluble dietary fibre is recommended as part of a healthy diet. Evidence has shown that soluble dietary fibre slows gastric emptying, increases perceived satiety and plays a significant role in appetite regulation. This systematic review examined the effects of soluble dietary fibre using randomised-controlled trials (RCTs). Three different electronic databases were used, namely PubMed, Scopus^® and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Effect size (Cohen’s d) was calculated based on the intergroup mean difference and standard deviation (SD) followed by Cochran’s Q and I² determination. The effect size was statistically pooled in the meta-analyses and presented as a forest plot. The risk of bias was high for each study as assessed using the Jadad scale. Meta-analysis of statistically pooled data for guar gum showed a sizeable effect on post-meal energy intake, followed by β-glucan, alginate, polydextrose and pectin, with pooled effect sizes of −0.90, −0.44, −0.42, −0.36 and −0.26, respectively. Guar gum (5 g) effectively reduced energy intake when prepared in milk beverages compared with control milk (p < 0.001). Alginate, when prepared in liquid (5 g) or solid (9 g) meals, effectively reduced energy intake compared with control (p < 0.001). A high dose of polydextrose (25 g) prepared in liquid meal form significantly reduced energy intake (p = 0.01). This study suggests that soluble fibres are not all created equal. Further interventional studies are needed to determine whether combinations of these soluble fibres might have greater effects than individual fibres per se.

Purpose: The aim of this investigation was to determine the most significant cardiopulmonary parameters bound with high archery scores and to assess their relationship with successful performance in archery.Methods: The total of 32 archers with mean age of 17 ± 0.56 years were gathered from dissimilar archery programmes. Cardiopulmonary parameters were measured prior to shooting tests. Multivariate techniques of principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA), and discriminant analysis (DA) were used to analyse the data collected.Results: The initial PCA identified 4 parameters with a higher eigenvalue (> 1). However, PCA after varimax rotation indicated 4 varifactors with high positive loadings, containing 3 respiratory parameters: forced vital capacity (FVC; 0.83), maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV; 0.83), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR; 0.87); 2 pressure parameters: resting diastolic blood pressure (RDBP; 0.78) and resting systolic blood pressure (RSBP; 0.88); 1 volume parameter: inspiratory reserve volume (IRV; 0.86); and 1 rate parameter: resting respiratory rate (RRR; 0.87). HACA divided the archers into 2 categories on the basis of their performance on the most needed parameters; these were high-optimum pulmonary capacity archers (HOCA) and low-optimum pulmonary capacity archers (LOCA). Standard, backward stepwise, and forward stepwise DA discriminated the classes from the 7 parameters with remarkable accuracy (90.63%, 93.75%, and 96.88%, respectively) for each method, confirming the classification provided by HACA.Conclusions: It is obvious from the current outcomes that such cardiopulmonary parameters as good FVC, MVV, PEFR, IRV, RRR, and optimal RSBP and RDBP are necessary for better archery performance.

Low back pain is a serious threat to human health and the illness jeopardizes the human workforce and pressurizes the health system in the community. Low back pain might be related to piriformis syndrome (PS), which is a disorder presented as muscular spasm and hypertrophy that is strongly associated with piriformis thickness. Nevertheless, the relationship between piriformis thickness and morphological and functional changes of the gluteal muscles in PS remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the thickness, strength, and activation of piriformis and gluteus muscles (maximus and medius) among low back pain (LBP) patients with and without PS. This is a case-control study conducted at HSNZ and UiTM from 2019–2020. A total number of 91 participants (LBP + PS (n = 36), LBP − PS (n = 24), and healthy (n = 31)) were recruited in this study. Negative radiography, specific symptoms, and a positive PS test were applied for PS diagnoses. The thickness, strength, and activation of piriformis and gluteus muscles were measured using ultrasonography (USG) and a surface electromyogram, respectively. Resultantly, the one-way ANOVA test demonstrated no significant difference in piriformis thickness between LBP + PS and LBP − PS (p > 0.01). Piriformis thickness was inversely correlated with gluteus maximus strength (r = −0.4, p < 0.05) and positively correlated with gluteus medius activation (r = 0.48, p < 0.01) in LBP + PS. Stepwise linear regression for LBP + PS revealed a significant association between piriformis thickness and gluteus maximus strength (R = −0.34, accounted for 11% of the variance) and gluteus medius activation in prone lying with the hip in an externally rotated, abducted, and extended (ERABEX) position (R = 0.43, accounted for 23% of the variance). With the adjustment of age and gender, piriformis thickness, gluteus maximus strength, and gluteus medius activation in prone lying with hip ERABEX demonstrated a significant association, but no independent effect of age and gender was detected within the range. Meanwhile, a significant association between piriformis thickness and gluteus maximus thickness was observed (R = 0.44, accounted for 19% of the variance) in the LBP − PS group. These findings may assist to elucidate the actions and functions of piriformis and gluteus muscle in LBP with and without PS.

Falls are common within the aging population. The risk of falling will increase with age for several reasons, including overall muscle weakness, poor balancing, psychological issues, vision impairments, foot problems, adverse medication effects, and acute sickness. The older adults face problems of inability to control their balance during performing their daily activities. Balancing exercises have shown to enhance balance, cognition, and quality of life. The combination of different exercises and balance training could result in a better standard of living between older adults. Therapist and instructors can promote these exercises to the older adults for enhancing their muscle strength, balance, and cognition that produce a better quality of life. Thus, this review aims to discuss various exercises that are effective for reducing falls in older adults and its implications for practice.

Background: Monitoring training load in youth athletes is essential for optimizing performance and reducing injury risk, yet limited research has examined how anthropometric characteristics influence load tolerance in badminton. This study investigated the association between training load measures and anthropometric profiles in competitive youth players. Methods: Fifty male and female athletes participated, with external workload captured via accelerometer sensors and anthropometric assessments conducted following standardized protocols. Louvain clustering was applied to classify players into different load groups, while multinomial logistic regression (MLR) identified key predictors of load classification. Results: Louvain clustering revealed three distinct load groups i.e., High Load (HL), Moderate Load (ML), and Low Load (LL) groups, reflecting natural patterns in external workload distribution. The MLR analysis demonstrated that height, weight, and leg length were significant predictors of load classification. Taller and heavier players were more likely to belong to the HL group, while longer leg length was positively associated with ML classification, potentially linked to stride mechanics and movement economy. Other circumferential measures (waist, hip, MUAC) showed minimal impact, and years of playing experience did not significantly predict load tolerance. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the value of combining network-based clustering with multivariate modeling to capture complex athlete load interactions. Practically, the results suggest that specific anthropometric traits particularly stature, body mass, and limb length, play an important role in shaping athletes’ ability to sustain training loads. Integrating individualized anthropometric assessment into load monitoring can support evidence-based coaching strategies that enhance performance and mitigate injury risk in developing badminton players.