The aim of this study was to investigate the training-induced effect on cardiac parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity, assessed by resting heart rate variability (HRV) and post-exercise heart rate recovery (HRR), in sedentary healthy people. Electronic searches were carried out in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Random-effects models of between-group standardised mean difference (SMD) were estimated. Heterogeneity analyses were performed by means of the chi-square test and I² index. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were performed to investigate the influence of potential moderator variables on the training-induced effect. The results showed a small increase in RMSSD (SMD₊ = 0.57 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.23, 0.91]) and high frequency (HF) (SMD₊ = 0.21 [95% CI = 0.01, 0.42]) in favour of the intervention group. Heterogeneity tests reached statistical significance for RMSSD and HF (p ≤ 0.001), and the inconsistency was moderate (I² = 68% and 60%, respectively). We found higher training-induced effects on HF in studies that performed a shorter intervention or lower number of exercise sessions (p ≤ 0.001). Data were insufficient to investigate the effect of exercise training on HRR. Exercise training increases cardiac PNS modulation in sedentary people, while its effect on PNS tone requires future study.

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation may be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for improving endothelial function in coronary artery disease patients. Therefore, this systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to (a) estimate the training-induced effect on endothelial and vascular smooth muscle function, assessed by flow-mediated dilation and nitroglycerin-mediated dilation, respectively, in coronary artery disease patients; and to (b) study the influence of potential trial-level variables (i. e. study and intervention characteristics) on the training-induced effect on endothelial and vascular smooth muscle function. Electronic searches were performed in Pubmed, Scopus, and Embase up to February 2021. Random-effects models of standardised mean change were estimated. Heterogeneity analyses were performed by using the Chi ² test and I ² index. Our results showed that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation significantly enhanced flow-mediated dilation (1.04 [95% confidence interval=0.76 to 1.31]) but did not significantly change nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (0.05 [95% confidence interval=–0.03 to 0.13]). Heterogeneity testing reached statistical significance (p<.001) with high inconsistency for flow-mediated dilation (I ² =92%). Nevertheless, none of the analysed variables influenced the training-induced effect on flow-mediated dilation. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation seems to be an effective therapeutic strategy for improving endothelial-dependent dilation in coronary artery disease patients, which may aid in the prevention of cardiovascular events. Received: 16 July 2021 Accepted: 16 November 2021 Publication Date: 25 April 2022 (online) © 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

Heart rate variability (HRV) has allowed the implementation of a methodology for daily decision making called day-to-day training, which allows data to be recorded by anyone with a smartphone. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the validity and reliability of HRV measurements with a new mobile app (Selftraining UMH) in two resting conditions. Twenty healthy people (10 male and 10 female) were measured at rest in supine and seated positions with an electrocardiogram and an application for smartphones at the same time (Selftraining UMH) using recordings obtained through an already validated chest-worn heart rate monitor (Polar H10). The Selftraining UMH app showed no significant differences compared to an electrocardiogram, neither in supine nor in sitting position (p > 0.05) and they presented almost perfect correlation levels (r ≥ 0.99). Furthermore, no significant differences were found between ultra-short (1-min) and short (5-min) length measurements. The intraclass correlation coefficient showed excellent reliability (>0.90) and the standard error of measurement remained below 5%. The Selftraining UMH smartphone app connected via Bluetooth to the Polar H10 chest strap can be used to register daily HRV recordings in healthy sedentary people.

Background: Substance use disorders pose unique challenges, affecting individuals physiologically and socially. This study addresses the fundamental question of how adherence to exercise programs impacts those with substance use disorders, examining both in-person and online interventions. Methods: A 12-week analysis involving 26 participants assessed physical fitness, strength, and quality of life. Participants were categorized into in-person and online exercise groups, with their adherence tracked through attendance and a dedicated app. Results: The in-person group exhibited higher adherence rates and significant improvements, in contrast to the challenges encountered by the online groups, particularly in substance use disorder cohorts. Statistical analyses highlighted these differences, emphasizing the pivotal role of the exercise program delivery format. Conclusions: This research advocates for hybrid models, blending professional supervision with online flexibility, recognizing the distinct challenges of substance use disorders. Insights from this study will contribute to shaping more effective, personalized interventions in the complex landscape of substance use disorders, offering guidance for advancing treatment strategies.

INPLASY202620078 Physical Outcomes and Clinical Readiness during Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Return to Play in Football: A Study Protocol for a Systematic Review with Meta-analysis Keywords: …

The effectiveness of home‐based exercise programmes may vary depending on compliance to exercise training principles. Therefore, the aim of this review was to investigate the effect of unsupervised home‐based exercise programmes on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in healthy sedentary individuals and patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) taking into account the influence of exercise training principles. PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched up to July 2025. Controlled studies that performed a home‐based aerobic training or combined training, and directly measured peak oxygen uptake (VO ₂ peak) were included. The mean difference (MD) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as the effect size index. Random‐effects models were used to conduct pooled analyses. Heterogeneity analyses were performed using the chi‐square test and the I ² index. The results showed an improvement in the VO ₂ peak in the intervention group compared to the control group (MD = 2.70 mL·kg ⁻¹ ·min ⁻¹ [CI = 1.78, 3.62] p < 0.001), with no difference between healthy participants and patients with CVD. Heterogeneity tests reached statistical significance ( p < 0.001), and inconsistency was high ( I ² = 85%). We found a greater improvement in VO ₂ peak in favour of the intervention group in those studies that met the overload principle and in those which used the ventilatory threshold‐based method for determining aerobic training intensity in healthy sedentary people and patients with CVD. Overload and individualisation principles should be considered for increasing the effect of unsupervised home‐based exercise training on VO ₂ peak. Trial Registration: The study protocol was prospectively registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42024516257)