The present study analyzes individual and group heart rate responses in exercising adult women. The specific aim was to compare responses during routine workout sessions within a community exercise program with responses during a purpose-designed workout session targeting diverse motor skills. Sixty-seven adult women with a mean ± SD age of 65.1 ± 11.7 years participated in the study. Two representative sessions were analyzed: a standard workout session the women took at the local community center and an ad hoc session designed to build on a variety of motor skills and capabilities. Observational methodology was used to collect categorical data on motor skill performance during each session using the OSMOS-in context observation instrument. Continuous heart rate data were recorded for all participants during each session. A combined analysis of categorical and continuous data was undertaken using Hidden Markov Models. The results show that the session targeting a greater diversity of motor skills not only met the cardiovascular fitness recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine, but resulted in greater individual variability and greater synchrony between participants than the routine session.

Trail running involves constant changes in terrain and slope, complicating the accurate assessment of energy expenditure during performance. This study aimed to examine the relationship between running power output (RPO), oxygen consumption (VO₂), carbon dioxide production (VCO₂), and energy expenditure per minute (EE_min) across positive and negative slopes in trained trail runners under standardized laboratory conditions. Fifteen male trail runners performed five randomized 5 min treadmill runs at 70% of VO₂ maximal speed on −7%, −5%, 0%, +5%, and +7% slopes. VO₂, VCO₂, EE_min, respiratory exchange ratio (RQ), heart rate (HR), and RPO were recorded. Statistical analysis included Shapiro–Wilk tests for normality, repeated-measures ANOVA to compare variables across slopes, and Spearman or Pearson correlations between RPO and physiological variables. Moderate to strong positive correlations were found between RPO and VO₂ (Rho = 0.80–0.84, p < 0.001) and between RPO and EE_min (Rho= 0.74–0.87, p < 0.01) across all conditions. These findings suggest that RPO measured via a wearable device may reflect changes in energy expenditure and supports the integration of wearable power metrics into training and nutritional strategies for trail running. However, further studies in female athletes, outdoor settings, extreme slopes, and altitude conditions are needed to confirm the generalizability of these results.

Background: This study investigated the relationships between hematological and bone metabolism variables in 35 elite female trail runners, focusing on identifying key hematological correlates of bone health. Methods: Forty-four hematological variables, including biochemical, hormonal, metabolic, liver enzyme, and iron profiles, as well as complete blood count and platelet indices, were analyzed. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were assessed at multiple skeletal regions via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression to analyze the associations between hematological markers and BMC and BMD. Results: Significant but moderate associations were identified: magnesium consistently emerged as a negatively associated factor, particularly associated with BMC and BMD in the lumbar spine (L1–L4) and whole-body, potentially reflecting hypothesized mineral mobilization during chronic physical stress. Follicle-stimulating hormone showed positive associations with BMD, suggesting a potential protective association in bone turnover regulation. Additionally, calcium and thyroid hormones were linked to regional bone properties, highlighting site-specific skeletal vulnerabilities. Conclusions: These findings suggest a complex interplay between mineral homeostasis and hormonal balance that may be related to skeletal integrity in elite female trail runners. This work provides a foundation for developing evidence-based guidelines to support the health and performance of female endurance athletes. Further research is warranted to confirm these results through longitudinal evaluations.

Background: This study examined nutritional intake, body composition, menstrual health, and performance in elite female trail runners. Methods: A cross-sectional multivariate analysis was conducted on 35 athletes (14 eumenorrheic, 21 amenorrheic/oligomenorrheic). Nutritional intake was assessed through 7-day and 24 h food records; anthropometry followed ISAK standards; performance was evaluated via ITRA and UTMB rankings. Statistical analyses included t-tests, MANCOVA, regression models, and Random Forest, adjusting for body composition and covariates. Results: Although energy availability (EA) did not differ significantly between groups, 94.3% of athletes had clinically low EA (<30 kcal/kg FFM/day). Amenorrheic athletes consumed more simple carbohydrates (21.8 ± 5.7% vs. 17.2 ± 3.1%), protein (2.5 ± 0.6 vs. 1.7 ± 0.2 g/kg/day), fiber, and lipids, while eumenorrheic athletes consumed more complex carbohydrates (129.7 ± 27.0 vs. 82.5 ± 33.3 g/day) and most vitamins. Both groups had inadequate calcium and iron intake. Low EA was moderately associated with an ectomorphic somatotype (r = 0.418). Performance negatively correlated with simple carbohydrates (r = −0.624) and positively with complex carbohydrates, total energy, protein, polyunsaturated fats, and zinc (r = 0.300–0.580). No significant performance differences were found between menstrual status groups. Conclusions: Menstrual irregularities did not affect performance, but nutritional patterns strongly influenced both performance and energy availability. Personalized nutrition strategies are essential for optimizing performance and safeguarding health in elite female trail runners.

Trail running involves constant changes in terrain and slope, complicating the accu-rate assessment of energy expenditure during performance. This study aimed to ex-amine the relationship between running power output (RPO), oxygen consumption (VO₂), carbon dioxide production (VCO₂) and energy expenditure per minute (EEmin) across positive and negative slopes in trained trail runners under standardized labor-atory conditions. Fifteen male trail runners performed five randomized 5-minute treadmill runs at 70% of VO₂ maximal speed on −7%, −5%, 0%, +5%, and +7% slopes. VO₂, VCO₂, EEmin, respiratory exchange ratio (RQ), heart rate (HR), and RPO were rec-orded. Statistical analysis included Shapiro-Wilk tests for normality, repeat-ed-measures ANOVA to compare variables across slopes and Spearman or Pearson correlations between RPO and physiological variables. Moderate to strong positive correlations were found between RPO and VO₂ (Rho = 0.67–0.75, p < 0.01) and between RPO and EEmin (Rho= 0.69–0.84, p < 0.001) across all conditions. These findings suggest that RPO measured via a wearable device may reflect changes in energy expenditure and supports the integration of wearable power metrics into training and nutritional strategies for trail running. However, further studies in female athletes, outdoor set-tings, extreme slopes and altitude conditions are needed to confirm the generalizability of these results.