Background and Objectives: Skeletal muscles are considered to be the main source of circulating irisin, both at rest and during physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the connection between irisin, body composition, and energy metabolism in humans. Materials and Methods: Serum irisin concentrations before and after acute aerobic exercise on a treadmill in 84 healthy adults were measured and their association with body composition and energy expenditure (EE) (obtained from indirect calorimetry) was determined. Results: The total pre-exercise irisin concentrations in males and females were similar, but higher in females when expressed per body mass kg (p < 0.001). There was an association between pre-exercise irisin per body mass kg, visceral fat rating (rho = −0.52, p = 0.001), and lean tissue % (rho = 0.41, p < 0.05) in males and lean body mass index (LBMI) (rho = −0.59, p < 0.001) in females. The pre-exercise irisin concentration correlated with the resting metabolic rate (RMR) in both sexes (rho = 0.44 in males, rho = 0.36 in females; p < 0.05), but with walking, running, and the EE difference from RMR in running (Δ running EE) in males only (rho = 0.32 to 0.37, p < 0.05). There was no significant change in irisin concentration after exercise in 58% of participants, while it decreased in 23%, and increased in 19%. In male subjects with no change in irisin concentration after exercise, running (p < 0.05) and Δ running EE per body mass kg (p < 0.05) were higher than in those with decreased irisin concentration. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the association of irisin concentration with body composition and EE parameters has sex-dependent differences, and acute exercise can lead to various changes in post-exercise irisin levels.

The most recent WHO recommendations about physical activity emphasise the importance of total exercise volume above the significance of the duration of each bout. This study examined whether acute aerobic exercise changes circulating levels of IL-8 and MCP-1 and if these changes are associated with body composition and energy metabolism. Healthy adult volunteers completed a 10 min walking–running exercise on a treadmill. Indirect calorimetry was used to determine their resting metabolic rate (RMR) and energy expenditure (EE) during the exercise. Pre-exercise levels of IL-8 and MCP-1 were similar in both sexes. There were positive correlations of pre-exercise IL-8 with body mass, waist circumference, and lean body mass in men and pre-exercise MCP-1 with RMR in women. The exercise led to an increase in IL-8 of 68% and a decrease in MCP-1 of 74% of participants. An increase in post-exercise IL-8 in men was associated with greater walking EE and a greater increase in walking EE. The increase in post-exercise MCP-1 was associated with a lower RMR and running EE in women. There are both sex and individual variations in changes in chemokine secretion in response to the same exercise situation and their associations with values of metabolic parameters.

It is important to integrate knowledge about the need for physical activities (PA) in the prevention and care of human health in nursing study programs so that nurses can promote PA among their patients. This study aims to evaluate the PA habits of Latvian nursing students. Participants were students of three universities in Latvia who were enrolled in a four-year bachelor study program, “Nursing”, with a total of 341 after the data cleaning (population size n = 1554). The questionnaire contained questions about sociodemographic variables derived from the survey of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia “Health Behaviour among Latvian Adult Population”, habits of PA, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. The data were collected between September and November 2021. Both descriptive and inferential statistics (difference between groups, correlation, and association tests) were calculated to analyse the data. Of the study population, 39% did not reach the minimum WHO-recommended PA. Increased PA level in the later study years is related to more frequent engagement in work and fewer table activities in the curriculum study process, but the higher intensity and total PA could be related to the specifics of nurse and nurse assistant work, which could be especially intense due to the overloaded health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a key health indicator, particularly for physiotherapy students who are expected to model healthy behaviors. Objectives. The objective of the study was to analyze CRF trends among physiotherapy students over the period from 2007 to 2023 and to assess variations in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) across gender and body mass index (BMI) categories. Materials and Methods. Secondary data from 2007–2009 and 2010–2012 were compared with primary data collected in 2022–2023. CRF was measured using a submaximal Monark Ergomedic 839E cycle ergometer test in 242 students (aged 18–25 years). Statistical analyses included t-tests, ANOVA, and non-parametric tests (p < 0.05). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for between-group comparisons and Spearman’s correlation — to assess trends over time. Results. Over half of male (52%) and female (63%) participants had CRF levels below the reference values. Female students showed a significant VO2 max decline in 2022–2023 compared to 2007–2009 (mean difference = 1.78 ml/min/kg, p < 0.05), while no trend was observed in males. Students with BMI > 25 kg/m² had significantly lower VO2 max than those with BMI ≤ 25 kg/m² (p < 0.05). Conclusions. These findings highlight the need for targeted fitness programs for female students and those with elevated BMI. Future research should explore lifestyle factors and intervention strategies to improve CRF in students. This study provides foundational data for future research on the relationship between CRF, clinical skills, and patient satisfaction among physiotherapy students.