The purpose of this study was to examine the circulatory-respiratory dynamics in elderly people during Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise. The subjects were females with an average age of 74 years who had been continuously practicing Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise for at least six months. The heart rate and blood pressure were measured before and after the subjects performed four different versions of Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise. The perceived exertion was evaluated using the Borg scale. The respiratory rate, oxygen uptake and respiratory quotient …

Background Previous studies have found more frequent increases in dietary intake and nonrestorative nocturnal sleep during the luteal phase than in the follicular phase, but few studies have investigated how increased energy intake at dinner influences sleep by considering the correlation between female hormone and cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. This study examined the effects of energy intake at dinner on ANS activity during nighttime sleep in order to evaluate restorative sleep in healthy women. We …

Purpose To investigate whether athletes who engage in different modes of sports training correspondingly exhibit different patterns of performance on general cognition tasks. Methods Sixty participants were recruited into an endurance, motorically complex, or control group, and were administered a series of physical tests and neuropsychological assessments. Results Athletes in the endurance group demonstrated the highest levels of cardiovascular fitness and those in the motorically complex group exhibited the highest …

Background and aims Chronic low-grade inflammation is involved in the development of metabolic disorders including atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic syndrome. Aerobic exercise has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and attenuate postprandial blood lipids, however, the effect of exercise on postprandial inflammation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of a single bout of aerobic exercise against postprandial lipemia and peripheral blood mononuclear cell …

Background: The majority of young people do not meet the recommendations on physical activity for health. New innovative ways to motivate young people to adopt a physically active lifestyle are needed. Objective: The study aimed to study the feasibility of an automated, gamified, tailored Web-based mobile service aimed at physical and social activation among young men. Methods: A population-based sample of 496 young men (mean age 17.8 years [standard deviation 0.6]) participated in a 6-month randomized …

This study analyzed the effect of regular Taekwondo training for 16 weeks on physical fitness and growth index depending on different IGF-1 gene polymorphisms. The subjects of the study were 44 male students who were 8 year years old. The IGF-1 gene showed the highest frequency of 18 CA repeat (190 bp) in 50% of subjects, and was found in the homozygote (n= 11), heterozygote (n= 22) and non-carriers (n= 11). The results of the physical fitness and growth index among the gene polymorphism groups indicated no …

Background: Overweight and obesity after retirement are likely to be caused by unhealthy eating habits and the energy intake exceeding the energy expenditure. Objectives: This study was designed to assess the effects of two 12-week interventions involving, respectively, either regular physical activity or a modified lower-calorie diet on the anthropometric parameters and blood lipid profiles in overweight and obese retired miners with lipid disorders. Design: The study participants (n= 30, aged 58.7±4.1 years, body height …

[Purpose] This study examined the effects of an integrated health care program in elementary school students.[Methods] The integrated program comprised exercises (3–4 times/week) and six sessions on nutritional and psychological education. Anthropometric measurements were recorded before the intervention. Additionally, physical fitness, dietary habits, nutrition knowledge, and psychological changes were assessed before and after the program.[Results] In total, 29% of the subjects were overweight and obese before the …

Playing video games, a form of sedentary behaviour, is associated with poor well-being and increased risk of morbidity due to chronic disease. However, the association between health behaviours and video gaming is poorly understood. The purpose of this population-based study was to reveal the differences in dietary habits and physical activity for adolescent men with high amount of video games on weekdays, as compared to their peers who play less often. Seven hundred ninety-six adolescent men (age: mean= 17.8, SD= 0.6) attended …

Decreased circulating tryptophan (Trp) levels are frequently observed in elderly patients with neurodegenerative disease including Alzheimer's disease. Trp may serve as a potential biomarker for monitoring disease risk in elderly people. We aimed to investigate the association between low plasma Trp levels and olfactory function, which is known to predict age-related diseases including dementia in elderly people. A total of 144 healthy elderly Japanese community (≥ 65 years old) dwellers from the Health, Aging and Nutritional …