(1) Background: Depression is one of the overwhelming public health problems. Alleviating hippocampus injury may prevent depression development. Herein, we established the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model and aimed to investigate whether aerobic exercise (AE) could alleviate CUMS induced depression-like behaviors and hippocampus injury. (2) Methods: Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats (200 ± 20 g) were randomly divided into 4 groups (control, CUMS, CUMS + 7 days AE, CUMS + 14 days AE). Rats with AE treatments were subjected to 45 min treadmill per day. (3) Results: AE intervention significantly improved CUMS-induced depressive behaviors, e.g., running square numbers and immobility time assessed by the open field and forced swimming test, suppressed hippocampal neuron apoptosis, reduced levels of phosphorylation of NMDA receptor and homocysteine in hippocampus, as well as serum glucocorticoids, compared to the CUMS rats. In contrast, AE upregulated phosphorylation of AMPAR receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) hippocampus in CUMS depression rats. The 14 day-AE treatment exhibited better performance than 7 day-AE on the improvement of the hippocampal function. (4) Conclusion: AE might be an efficient strategy for prevention of CUMS-induced depression via ameliorating hippocampus functions. Underlying mechanisms may be related with glutamatergic system, the neurotoxic effects of homocysteine, and/or influences in glucocorticoids-BDNF expression interaction.

Lower limb fatigue reduces muscle strength, alters joint biomechanics, affects gait, and increases injury risk. In addition, it is of great clinical significance to explore local muscle fatigue or weakness caused by fatigue to understand its compensatory effect on the ipsilateral or contralateral joints. We systematically searched multiple databases, including five databases, using key terms such as “Muscle Fatigue” and “Gait”. Only studies that experimentally induced fatigue through sustained muscle activities in healthy adults were included. This review examined 11 studies exploring the effects of lower limb muscle fatigue on gait and lower limb biomechanics. The findings indicated that muscle fatigue significantly influenced spatiotemporal parameters, joint angles, and moments. Most studies that were reviewed reported an increase in step width and a decrease in knee joint moments following fatigue. Additionally, muscle activation levels tended to decline. In summary, compensatory mechanisms can lead to new walking strategies, such as increasing step width or enhancing the strength of muscles in adjacent joints. These adjustments impact dynamic balance differently: wider steps may enhance medial–lateral stability, while reduced muscle strength could lead to higher heel contact velocity and longer slip distances. Although these changes might influence dynamic balance, compensatory strategies may help mitigate the overall effect of fall risk. Future studies should use appropriate protocols, such as moderate or severe fatigue interventions with isokinetic dynamometry.

Background: Higher blood pressure (BP) in childhood is an important predictor of cardiovascular disease later in life, and adiposity is an important modifiable factor associated with BP. However, updated national evidence on the associations of general and central adiposity indicators with BP outcomes among Chinese children and adolescents remains limited. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on physical health data collected from 146,399 children and adolescents across 30 provinces in China between October and November 2019. Height, weight, waist circumference, and BP were measured using standardized procedures, and adiposity was assessed using body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate associations of BMI and WHtR with continuous BP outcomes, and generalized linear mixed-effects models were used for screening-defined hypertension (SDH), adjusting for sociodemographic, dietary, and physical activity variables. Results: Mean systolic BP and diastolic BP were 107.40 (SD 12.65) mmHg and 67.78 (SD 9.66) mmHg, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, each 1-unit increase in BMI was associated with increased odds of SDH (OR = 1.131, 95% CI: 1.123, 1.139), and each 0.1-unit increase in WHtR was associated with increased odds of SDH (OR = 1.798, 95% CI: 1.732, 1.866). Conclusions: Higher BMI and WHtR were associated with higher BP levels and greater odds of SDH among Chinese children and adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of early identification and prevention of adiposity-related BP abnormalities in youth.