The content analysis of exercise interventions in knee osteoarthritis demonstrated low scores for moderate- to high-quality trials. Improved standardized reporting is recommended to ensure knowledge transfer and replication of effective exercise programs for individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Rationale: Exercise programs for the management of fibromyalgia are well recognized as being effective. However, the incomplete descriptions of exercise programs make replication and implementation difficult. Also, existing reporting tools have not been validated in relation to pain relief as well as with each other. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the description of exercise programs in randomized control trials for the management of fibromyalgia using different assessment tools, and the correlations of each tool in relation to effectiveness of pain relief of fibromyalgia, and the correlations between each tool. Method/Results: Through a consensus made by two different pairs of reviewers and an arbitrator, the mean total scores for the exercise programs were reported: 10.61/19 for Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template; 4.17/12 for Template for Intervention Description and Replication; 7.05/12 for the Consensus on Therapeutic Exercise Training; and 2.50/4 (aerobic) and 2.36/5 (flexibility and resistance) for the 2016 American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. This demonstrates generally low reporting scores (less than 60% out of the total number of items were reported). Overall, low correlations (Cohen’s kappa value, ranging from −0.47 (poor) to 0.313 (fair)) were found between all tools and pain relief. Good to excellent correlations (0.680–0.908) among the reporting tools were shown. Conclusion: Incomplete descriptions of exercise programs were consistently shown among the randomized clinical trials assessed in this study. The overall weak correlations demonstrated that the reporting tools have the limited ability to determine whether exercise programs were or were not effective for pain relief among individuals with fibromyalgia.

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AimsThe main aim of this study was to determine sex differences in postural control changes with ankle muscle fatigue during a standing forward leaning (FL) task under different vision conditions. The secondary aim was to examine sex differences in the effect of fatigue on soleus (SOL) H-reflex amplitude, a measure of motoneuron excitability with activation of Ia afferents.MethodsFifteen healthy young adult males (mean age: 28.0 years) and 16 healthy young adult females (mean age: 26.1 years) were asked to perform four consecutive FL tasks [30 s; two with eyes open (EO) and two with eyes closed (EC)] before, and immediately following a fatiguing exercise consisting of alternating ankle plantarflexion (6 s) and dorsiflexion (2 s) maximal isometric contractions, and at 5 and 10 min of recovery. Center of pressure (COP) sway variables (mean position, standard deviation, ellipse area, average velocity, and frequency), an ankle co-contraction index, and a ratio of SOL H-reflex to the maximum amplitude of the compound muscle action potential (M-max) were obtained during the FL tasks. A rating of perceived fatigue (RPF) was also documented at the different time points.ResultsTime to task failure (reduction of 50% in maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque of ankle plantar flexors) and the increase in RPF value were not significantly different between males and females. Both sex groups showed similar and significant increases (p < 0.05) in mean COP sway velocity with no significant changes in co-contraction indices. No significant effects of fatigue and related interactions were found for SOL H/M-max ratio.DiscussionThe absence of a significant sex difference in postural control change (sway and co-contraction) with fatigue could be explained by similar perceived (RPF) and performance fatigability (exercise duration) between males and females in the present study. Fatigue did not lead to significant changes in SOL spinal motoneuron excitability with activation of Ia afferents.

The main aim of this study was to compare the effects of ankle plantar flexors fatigue on postural control between healthy young adult males and females. The secondary aim was to determine the effects of vision on the fatigue-induced postural changes. Ten healthy young males and nine females were asked to perform quiet standing (QS) and standing forward lean (FL) tasks with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC) before and immediately following exercise, and throughout a 15-min recovery period. A sustained isometric exercise of ankle plantar flexors was performed until participants were no longer able to maintain a target torque of 50% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Mean anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) positions of the center of pressure (COP), mean COP sway velocity, and 95% ellipse area of COP sway were measured. Ankle plantar flexors fatigue had significant effects on all dependent variables, except for sway area. A fatigue X sex interaction was found for sway velocity with the most challenging task condition (FL-EC), where males showed a significant increase in sway velocity up to 15 min following exercise, whereas females did not. Fatigue X vision interactions for AP position were also found, with the withdrawal of vision leading to a greater backward shift during recovery for both the QS (5 to 15 min) and FL (5 to 10 min) tasks. Our findings suggest the use of different postural control strategies with ankle fatigue between males and females, and also a contribution of vision to compensate for fatigue-induced instability that is not dependent on task difficulty.

The main aim of this study was to determine sex differences in central and peripheral fatigue produced by a sustained isometric exercise of ankle plantar flexors in healthy young adults. Ten males and fourteen females performed a sustained isometric ankle exercise until task failure. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque (plantarflexion), voluntary activation level (using the twitch interpolation technique), and twitch contractile properties (twitch peak torque, twitch half relaxation time, and low frequency fatigue index) were measured before, immediately after, and throughout a recovery period (1, 2, 5, and 10 min) following the exercise protocol in order to characterize neuromuscular fatigue. Fatigue had a significant effect (p £ 0.05) on all dependent variables. Other than for the maximal voluntary contraction torque, where males showed a greater fatigue-related decrease than females, males and females showed generally similar changes with fatigue. Altogether, our findings indicate no major differences in central or peripheral fatigue mechanisms between males and females to explain a somewhat greater fatigability in males.