Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease that can affect almost any joint, mainly resulting in joint dysfunction and pain. Worldwide, OA affects more than 240 million people and is one of the leading causes of activity limitation in adults. However, the pathogenesis of OA remains elusive, resulting in the lack of well-established clinical treatment strategies. Recently, energy metabolism alterations have provided new insights into the pathogenesis of OA. Accumulating evidence indicates that glucose metabolism plays a key role in maintaining cartilage homeostasis. Disorders of glucose metabolism can lead to chondrocyte hypertrophy and extracellular matrix degradation, and promote the occurrence and development of OA. This article systematically summarizes the regulatory effects of different enzymes and factors related to glucose metabolism in OA, as well as the mechanism and potential of various substances in the treatment of OA by affecting glucose metabolism. This provides a theoretical basis for a better understanding of the mechanism of OA progression and the development of optimal prevention and treatment strategies.

The cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of college students is showing a downward trend, this study aimed to explore the effects of three exercise programs on CRF and body composition indicators in college students. A total of 50 non-smoking, healthy and physically inactive students were recruited from campus in Beijing, China, and randomly assigned to 4 groups: low-intensity continuous training with blood flow restriction (LICT-BFR, n = 13), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT, n = 13), high-intensity interval training (HIIT, n = 12), and no exercise control (n = 12), the intervention continued for 8 weeks. Body composition and aerobic capacity were measured before and after the intervention. Exercise groups reached significant improvements in maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max, p < 0.01) and a decrease in body fat percentage (p < 0.05) comparing to the control group. The fat mass and visceral fat area reduced significantly (p < 0.05) with a muscle mass growth (p < 0.05) in the LICT-BFR and MICT groups comparing to the control group. Changes of fat and muscle mass were trivial in the HIIT group (p = 0.842, p = 0.247). All three exercise programs can improve the CRF of college students, with LICT-BFR has the most profound effects, and MICT is more beneficial for body composition improvement than other programs. From an overall perspective, LICT-BFR should be the ideal choice, however, due to limited equipment, college students can choose MICT or HIIT according to their situations.

Background: High-intensity resistance training is known to be the most effective method for enhancing muscle strength and thickness, but it carries potential injury risks. Blood flow restriction (BFR) combined with resistance training has been proposed as a safer alternative method for improving muscle strength and thickness.Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted, including 20 studies from five databases that met the inclusion criteria, to assess the efficacy of BFR combined with resistance training compared to traditional resistance training (NOBFR). The analysis focused on changes in muscle strength and thickness. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to explore the effects of tourniquet width and pressure.Results: The findings showed that BFR combined with resistance training is comparable to traditional resistance training in enhancing muscle strength [0.11, 95%CI: (−0.08 to 0.29), I² = 0%] and muscle thickness [−0.07, 95% CI: (−0.25 to 0.12), I² = 0%]. Subgroup analysis indicated no significant differences in muscle strength (P = 0.66) and thickness (P = 0.87) between low-intensity BFR training and other intensity levels. Meta-regression suggested that tourniquet width and pressure might affect intervention outcomes, although the effects were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).Conclusion: BFR combined with resistance training offers a viable alternative to high-intensity resistance training with reduced injury risks. We recommend interventions of 2-3 sessions per week at 20%–40% of 1 RM, using a wider cuff and applying an arterial occlusion pressure of 50%–80% to potentially enhance muscle strength and thickness. It is also recommended to release tourniquet pressure during rest intervals to alleviate discomfort. This protocol effectively improves muscle strength with minimal cardiac workload and reduced risk of adverse events.Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023495465], identifier [CRD42023495465].

Introduction: This study aims to establish normal reference values of peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak) for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in Chinese adults using cardiorespiratory exercise testing (CPET). Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in four communities, two in the North (Beijing) and two in the South (Hezhou, Guangxi) of China from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2018, with one urban and one rural in each region. Out of 1642 participants screened, 1114 were eligible and completed CPET using a cycle ergometer (Ergosana320F) without abnormal ECG and were included in the analysis. The 2nd and 98th percentiles of $\stackrel{·}{\mathrm{V}}$O_2peak were used as the lower and upper limits of the normal reference values. Results: Significant difference in mean $\stackrel{·}{\mathrm{V}}$O_2peak was shown between men (27.0 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹) and women (23.7 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹). The mean $\stackrel{·}{\mathrm{V}}$O_2peak decreased with age in both sexes, from 35.8 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹ in age 20–29 years to 20.5 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹ in 70–79 years in men and from 29.2 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹ to 17.0 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹ in women. Thus, the age- and sex-specific normal reference values of $\stackrel{·}{\mathrm{V}}$O_2peak were presented for each 10-year age group by men and women separately. Conclusions: This first community-based study in China provides age- and sex-specific normal references of $\stackrel{·}{\mathrm{V}}$O_2peak as a measure of CRF in Chinese adults, which differed significantly from those established in Western populations. Future studies with national representative samples should be warranted.

Human attentional mechanisms comprise three distinct networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control. Studies assessing the acute effects of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on these networks have yielded inconsistent results. Similarly, the acute effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on these networks remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of HIIT and MICT on the functioning of attentional networks and explored the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and these networks in healthy young adults. Thirty-six healthy college students completed HIIT, MICT, and a resting (CON) session in a randomized cross-over design. The HIIT protocol comprised 10 × 1-min bouts at 100 % peak power output (Wpeak) with 1 min of active recovery at 20 % Wpeak. The MICT protocol was applied at 40 % Wpeak for 30 min. Functioning of the attentional networks was assessed post-intervention using the Attention Network Test for Interactions (ANT-I). HRV was recorded pre- and post-exercise/rest and during the ANT-I. HIIT significantly reduced the alerting function compared to CON (p = 0.017) but enhanced executive control compared to CON (p = 0.001) and MICT (p = 0.002). Following HIIT, immediate reductions in the log-transformed root mean square of successive differences (LnRMSSD) were significantly correlated with alerting (r = 0.554, p = 0.001) and executive control functions (r = 0.412, p = 0.016). Task-related LnRMSSD reductions also correlated with alerting (r = 0.424, p = 0.013) and executive control functions (r = 0.356, p = 0.039). A single session of HIIT selectively modulated the functioning of attentional networks, decreasing alerting function while enhancing executive control. These effects were partly mediated by increased arousal resulting from parasympathetic withdrawal.