Article: A randomized trial of the effects of an aquatic exercise program on depression, anxiety levels, and functional capacity of people who suffered an ischemic stroke - The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2018 July-August;58(7-8):1171-7 - Minerva Medica - Journals

To reduce transmission of the coronavirus, the Brazilian government adopted containment measures to control the virus’ spread, including limitations to the practice of physical activity. It was aimed to analyze the effects of COVID-19 quarantine on physical activity levels, energy expenditure, quality of life, and level of stress in a sample of the Brazilian population. The sample included 426 participants (7 to 80 years). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Short form survey-36 (SF-36), and Stress Perception Scale, were used to assess the level of physical activity, quality of life and stress, respectively. The anthropometric data was used to the assessment of body mass index and basal metabolic rate. Body weight increased significantly in all sample (p < 0.05). During the pandemic, 84% of the sample indicated a low level of physical activity. Furthermore, weekly energy expenditure decreased significantly in all age groups during the pandemic (children p < 0.0001; adolescents: p < 0.0001; adults p < 0.001, and elderly p < 0.0001). All aspects of quality of life, significantly reduced in both sexes in all age groups (p < 0.05). With the exception of children, stress levels increased significantly during the pandemic (adolescents: male: p = 0.003, female: p < 0.05; adults: male: p = 0.003, female: p = 0.01, and elderly: male: p = 0.02, female: p = 0.03). Findings from the present study suggests that COVID-19 social isolation has negatively affected Brazilian’ physical activity and quality of life.

Background: Endocrine mechanisms can be a determining factor in the neuromuscular performance of young athletes. Objective: The objective of the present study was to relate maturational and hormonal markers to neuromuscular performance, as well as to verify whether young athletes with different testosterone levels show differences in muscle strength. Methods: The sample consisted of 37 young male Brazilian athletes (11.3 ± 0.94 years) who were members of a sports initiation project. Hormonal markers were analyzed biochemically by blood samples, and maturation markers by mathematical models based on anthropometry. Body composition was verified by tetrapolar bioimpedance. The performance of upper and lower limb strength and body speed were analyzed. Results: Hormonal and maturational markers were related to neuromuscular performance (p < 0.05). Young people with higher testosterone levels showed higher muscle strength (p < 0.05). Artificial neural networks showed that testosterone predicted the performance of upper limbs by 49%, and maturation by 60%. Maturation foreshadowed the performance of lower limbs by 30.3%. Conclusion: Biological maturation and hormonal levels can be related to neuromuscular performance, and young people with higher testosterone levels show superior muscle strength in relation to the others.

Background: The biological maturation (BM) analyzed by peak height velocity (PHV) and bone age (BA), and lean body mass has been associated with the strength and muscle power of young athletes. However, the ability of BM (PHV and BA) and LM markers to predict muscle strength and power in young athletes remains uncertain. Objective: The Aim was determine the predicting power of BM markers (PHV and BA) and LM in relation to muscle power of upper and lower limbs and muscle strength of upper limbs in adolescent athletes at puberty. Methods: Ninety-two adolescent athletes (both sexes; age 12.4 ± 1.02 years) were assessed for body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Power of upper limbs (ULP), force handgrip (HG), vertical jump (VJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ) were recorded. BM was predicted by mathematical models to estimate PHV and BA. Multilayer artificial neural network analyses (MLP’s) were used to determine the power of prediction of LM, PHV and BA on muscle power and strength of upper- and lower-limbs of the athletes. Results: LM, BA and PHV were associated with HG (r>0.74, p0.60, p0.55, p0.53, p0.60, p<0.05) with BA and with PHV (r<0.83, p 72% of probability to predict the muscle power of upper- and lower-limbs, and the strength of the upper limbs; whereas PHV provides > 43% and bone age >64% in both female and male adolescent athletes. Conclusion: We identified that, like PHV and BA, LM is a strong predictor of low cost of both upper limbs muscle strength and upper and lower limbs power in adolescent athletes.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of ingesting ibuprofen on post-workout recovery of muscle damage, body temperature and muscle power indicators in Paralympic powerlifting athletes. The study was carried out with eight Paralympic powerlifting athletes (aged 27.0 ± 5.3 years and 79.9 ± 25.5 kg of body mass) competing at the national level, with a minimum training experience of 12 months, who all submitted to two experimental conditions: Ibuprofen (2 × 00 mg) and control. The maximal isometric force of the upper limbs and rate of force development, thermography, and serum biochemical analyzes of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were measured before, after, 24 h after and 48 h after the intervention. Maximal isometric force only decreased in the placebo condition, which increased back to baseline levels, while no substantial decline in baseline force was seen in the ibuprofen condition, although no effect for exercise condition was detected. After the exercise, the rate of force development decreased significantly for both conditions and did not exceed baseline levels again after 48 h. Muscle temperature decreased significantly at 48-h post-exercise in the placebo condition, when compared with the previous day of measurement; and deltoid muscle temperature at 48-h post-exercise was higher with the ibuprofen condition. Although the results indicate some positive effects of ibuprofen use, they do not enable a clear statement regarding its positive effects on muscle function and muscle damage. Ibuprofen seems to have caused a delay in the anti-inflammatory response following exercise.

Background: In Paralympic powerlifting (PP), athletes with and without spinal cord injury (SCI) compete in the same category. Athletes with SCI may be at a disadvantage in relation to the production of muscle strength and the execution of motor techniques. Objective: To analyze the indicators force, dynamic and static, at different intensities, on performance in athletes with and without SCI. Methods: The sample was composed of two groups of PP athletes: SCI (30.57 ± 4.20 years) and other deficiencies (OD; 25.67 ± 4.52 years). Athletes performed a test of maximum isometric force (MIF), time to MIF (Time), rate of force development (RFD), impulse, variability and fatigue index (FI), dynamic tests Mean Propulsive Velocity (MPV), Maximum Velocity (Vmax) and Power. Results: There were differences in the SCI in relation to OD, 50% 1RM (p < 0.05), in relation to MPV and Vmax. There were no differences in the static force indicators. Regarding EMG, there were differences between the SCI triceps in relation to the previous deltoid (p = 0.012). Conclusion: We concluded that the static and dynamic strength indicators are similar in Paralympic powerlifting athletes with spinal cord injury and other disabilities.