Creatine supplementation has an ergogenic effect in an acute complex training bout, but the benefits of chronic creatine supplementation during long-term complex training remain unknown. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of 4-week complex training combined with creatine supplementation on sport performances and muscle damage biomarkers. Thirty explosive athletes were assigned to the creatine or placebo group, which consumed 20 g of creatine or carboxymethyl cellulose, respectively, per day for 6 days followed by 2 g of the supplements until the end of the study. After 6 days of supplementation, subjects performed tests of one repetition maximum (1-RM) strength of half squat and complex training bouts to determine the optimal individual post-activation potentiation time. Thereafter, all subjects performed a complex training programme consisting of six sets of 5-RM half squats and plyometric jumps 3 times per week for 4 weeks. Body composition, 30-m sprint and jump performances were assessed before and after the training period. Moreover, blood creatine kinase (CK) activity was analysed at the first and the last training bout. After the training, the 1-RM strength in the creatine group was significantly greater than in the placebo group (p < 0.05). CK activity after the complex training bout in the creatine group was significantly reduced compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05). No differences were noted for other variables. This study concluded that creatine supplementation combined with complex training improved maximal muscular strength and reduced muscle damage during training.

Exercise has shown promise in aiding patients with schizophrenia, potentially improving symptoms, quality of life, mood, and cognition. This review evaluates the effectiveness of different physical activities in this context, aiming to guide treatment and research towards the most beneficial exercise interventions for schizophrenia management. This systematic review and network meta-analysis searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and CNKI up to March 30, 2024. We utilized the "gemtc," "MBNMAdose," "metafor," and "ggplot2" packages for data analysis in R. Additionally, our results were reported as standardized mean differences with 95 % confidence intervals. To assess the risk of bias in the included studies, we used ROB2 and CINeMA tools. In the results section of our systematic review and network meta-analysis, we analyzed data from 47 studies involving 4031 participants. Our findings indicate that among the various exercise interventions examined for schizophrenia patients, yoga emerged as the most effective in improving Total symptoms, positive and negative symptoms. RT+AE (Resistance Training + Aerobic Exercise) showed the greatest improvement in general symptoms, whereas Tai Chi (TC) was the least effective. In terms of improvement of cognitive functions and depression, AE proved the most beneficial, while TC was found to be the least effective. EX+PT (Physical Exercise + Psychological Nursing) was identified as the most effective approach for improved quality of life, with TC again showing the least efficacy. The optimal total exercise dose to improve the patient's total symptoms was estimated to be 1200 METs-min/week. (SMD: -0.956, 95 %Crl: -1.376 to -0.536). Yoga, RT+AE, EX+PT, and Baduanjin have demonstrated enhanced efficacy in alleviating clinical symptoms, quality of life, depressive states, and cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia. We identified optimal overall exercise doses and provided exercise guidance recommendations for healthcare professionals.

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become a popular exercise strategy in modern society, with the Tabata training method being the most popular. In the past, these training methods were mostly done without equipment, but incorporating exergaming into the training may provide a new option for muscle training. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the differences in upper limb muscle activation using an HIIT program combined with exergaming. Methods: A total of 15 healthy male participants were recruited for the study, and the differences in muscle activation were compared between push-ups and exergaming (Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure with the Ring-Con accessory) during HIIT. Prior to the tests, participants underwent pretests, including maximal voluntary contractions of various muscle groups, maximal push-up tests, and maximal movement tests using the exergaming device. The push-up and exergaming tests were conducted on separate days to avoid interference, with a warm-up period of 5 minutes on a treadmill before testing. Muscle activation in the lateral and anterior portions of the deltoid muscle, the sternal and clavicular heads of the pectoralis major muscle, and the latissimus dorsi muscle were measured during the maximal voluntary contractions and single-round tests for each exercise mode. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess the variations in muscle activation observed across the 2 distinct modes of exercise, specifically push-ups and exergaming. Results: In exergaming, the number of repetitions for push-ups was significantly fewer than for single-site exercises across both exhaustive (mean 23.13, SD 6.36 vs mean 55.67, SD 17.83; P=.001; effect size [ES]: 2.43) and single-round (mean 21.93, SD 7.67 vs mean 92.40, SD 20.47; P=.001; ES: 4.56) training. Heart rate differences were not significant (all P>.05), yet exergaming led to better muscle activation in specific muscle groups, particularly the right anterior deltoid (mean 48.00%, SD 7.66% vs mean 32.84%, SD 10.27%; P=.001; ES: 1.67) and right pectoralis major (sternal head: mean 38.99%, SD 9.98% vs mean 26.90%, SD 12.97%; P=.001; ES: 1.04; clavicular head: mean 43.54%, SD 9.59% vs mean 30.09%, SD 11.59%; P=.002; ES: 1.26) during exhaustive training. In single-round training, similar patterns were observed with the anterior deltoid (mean 51.37%, SD 11.76% vs mean 35.47%, SD 12.72%; P=.002; ES: 1.30) and pectoralis major (sternal head: mean 53.27%, SD 10.79% vs mean 31.56%, SD 16.92%; P=.001; ES: 1.53; clavicular head: mean 53.75%, SD 13.01% vs mean 37.95%, SD 14.67%; P=.006; ES: 1.14). These results suggest that exergaming may be more effective for targeted muscle activation. Conclusions: In conclusion, HIIT can increase muscle activation in the upper extremities and can be incorporated into exergaming strategies to provide a fun and engaging way to exercise.