Hypertension affects 25% of the world's population and is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and other diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the evidence regarding the acute effect of exercise on blood pressure (BP) using meta-analytic measures. Sixty-five studies were compared using effect sizes (ES), and heterogeneity and Z tests to determine whether the ES were different from zero. The mean corrected global ES for exercise conditions were -0.56 (-4.80 mmHg) for systolic BP (sBP) and -0.44 (-3.19 mmHg) for diastolic BP (dBP; z ≠ 0 for all; p < 0.05). The reduction in BP was significant regardless of the participant's initial BP level, gender, physical activity level, antihypertensive drug intake, type of BP measurement, time of day in which the BP was measured, type of exercise performed, and exercise training program (p < 0.05 for all). ANOVA tests revealed that BP reductions were greater if participants were males, not receiving antihypertensive medication, physically active, and if the exercise performed was jogging. A significant inverse correlation was found between age and BP ES, body mass index (BMI) and sBP ES, duration of the exercise's session and sBP ES, and between the number of sets performed in the resistance exercise program and sBP ES (p < 0.05). Regardless of the characteristics of the participants and exercise, there was a reduction in BP in the hours following an exercise session. However, the hypotensive effect was greater when the exercise was performed as a preventive strategy in those physically active and without antihypertensive medication.

Objective: To verify the validity of the body adiposity index (BAI) in a sample of Costa Rican students. Methods: Volunteers were 93 females (mean age 5 18.6 6 2.4 years) and 106 males (mean age 5 19.2 6 2.8 years). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used as the "gold standard" to determine body fat percentage (BF%). Pearson's correlation coefficient and paired samples t-test studied the association and mean differences between BAI and DXA BF%. Concordance between BAI and DXA BF% was determined by the Lin's concordance correlation coefficient and the Bland-Altman agreement analysis.Results: Significant correlations between BAI and DXA BF% were found for females (r 5 0.74) and males (r 5 0.53) (P < 0.001). Differences between methods were found for females (BAI 5 29.3 6 4.1% vs. DXA 5 36.5 6 7.9%) and males (BAI 5 24.8 6 3.7% vs. DXA 5 21.9 6 8.6%; P < 0.001). Concordance was poor in females and males. Bland-Altman plots showed BAI underestimating and overestimating BF% in relation to the "gold standard" in females and males, respectively.Conclusions: BAI presented low agreement with BF% measured by DXA; therefore, BAI is not recommended for BF% prediction in this Central American sample studied. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:394-397, 2016.

Propósito: Determinar el efecto del calentamiento activo con diferentes intervalos de recuperación en el rendimiento deportivo, en las pruebas de 50 y 200 metros libre. Metodología: Participaron 17 atletas (edad 13,5 ± 2,18 años), inscritos ante la Federación Costarricense de Deportes Acuáticos, con experiencia de entrenamiento y competición de 4,47 ± 1,28 años. Previo a la ejecución de las pruebas 50 y 200 metros libre, se realizaron 4 condiciones experimentales: Control (sin realizar calentamiento); Calentamiento (960 m) + descanso 20 min; Calentamiento (960 m) + descanso 10 min; Calentamiento (960 m) sin descanso. El orden de ejecución de las pruebas (50 y 200 metros libre) y la ejecución de las condiciones experimentales, fueron asignadas de forma aleatoria. El análisis estadístico se realizó mediante ANOVA de una vía de medidas repetidas, p <0,05. Resultados: No existió diferencia significativa en el rendimiento en una prueba de 50m libre (F=0,83, p= 0,48) ni en la prueba de 200m libre (F=0,88, p= 0,46), al realizar un calentamiento activo respecto a no realizarlo. No hubo influencia de los diferentes tiempos de recuperación en el rendimiento en ambas pruebas. Se observaron diferentes patrones de respuesta individual a las condiciones experimentales. Conclusión: De manera grupal, en nadadores jóvenes con poca experiencia, ejecutar un calentamiento activo previo a las pruebas de 50 y 200 metros libre, no mejora el rendimiento. Se recomienda que el entrenador ponga atención a la respuesta individualizada, para que elija el mejor protocolo (calentamiento o no) para mejorar el rendimiento deportivo de sus atletas.

To determine if the menstrual cycle phase (menstruation versus late follicular phase) influences in the response of blood pressure (BP) after the resistance training (RT), nineteen university students, young and healthy women (age: 18,6±1,47 years old; weight: 55,8±8,0 kg; height: 157,9±6,4 cm) participated in six RT sessions. Low intensity was for the first three sessions for the subjects to be familiarized with breathing, speed and exercise techniques. In the fourth session, one maximum repetition (1RM) was applied in each resistance exercise. Once this value was determined (RM), the participants applied the RT protocol by 60% intensity of 1RM, one session during menstruation and another one close to ovulation. The RT protocol included three repetitions per set in 10 exercises. Previous, immediately after and during 24-hours after the RT, the BP was monitored using the ambulatory BP to determine if the RT varied based on the menstrual cycle. The ANOVA demonstrated no significant differences in neither the systolic blood pressure (sBP), diastolic, nor media during 24-hour considering waking or sleeping periods, but the heart rate (HR) values were higher when participants were close to ovulation compared when they were in their period. The observation by hours after the RT demonstrated that: (1) no matter the menstrual cycle period, the systolic BP was higher while the diastolic was lower immediately after the RT, (2) at the beginning of the day; the BP values were lower during the late follicular phase. In conclusion, the hypotension post-RT was not affected by the menstrual cycle although the HR was higher during the late follicular phase.

No abstract

El desempeño motor suele ser evaluado de dos formas; la primera se enfoca en cómo se realiza la destreza, mientras que la segunda registra el resultado obtenido después de la ejecución; ambas son ampliamente usadas, sin embargo, la relación entre ellas no está clara. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar la relación entre los resultados de las pruebas orientadas al proceso o al producto utilizadas para medir el desempeño motor real y examinar posibles variables moderadoras por medio de la técnica meta-analítica. Para resumir los resultados, se utilizó el modelo de efectos aleatorios (REML) y se calculó el tamaño de efecto (TE) de correlación. Un total de siete estudios cumplieron con los criterios de elegibilidad, se obtuvo un total de 37 TE. Se encontró que existe una relación significativa y positiva entre el desempeño evaluado por medio de proceso y producto (TE = 0.466; IC95% = 0.391,0.541; p < .001; n = 37; Q = 78.68; p < .001; I2 = 60.17%). Como posibles variables moderadoras se analizó la edad y el tipo de destreza. Los resultados sugieren que existe una relación entre el desempeño motor real evaluado por medio de pruebas orientadas al proceso y al producto, la edad y el tipo de destreza no influyen en dicha relación.

Introduction: Many football games are decided on penalties and usually in championship final games. When seeking to anticipate movements, differences in amplitude can harm players because the informational movement appears to be spread "globally" throughout the action and should be coded at several levels. Thus, it would be interesting to analyze the entire period of the kick, since the player begins his run to approach the ball to recognize the motor patterns used in the kick that identify his direction. Objective: The objective of this study is to identify patterns of behavior in penalty kicks that may indicate the direction of their action / kick and in my moment they appear. Methodology: The sample consisted of 21 subjects hitting a penalty kick, 18 males and 3 females with an average age of 22.18 ± 2.44 years and two goalkeepers with college football experience. The tests consisted of a battery of two penalty kicks for each subject in order to score. The kicks were recorded by a video camera with a front view of the goal goal and the back of the batter. The kick phases were divided into the starting leg position; first step leg; angle of the elbow in relation to the body seen from behind; angle of the elbow in relation to the displacement line seen from above; direction of the tip of the supporting foot and position on the goal where the kick was. Each kick was preceded by a start signal. The data were analyzed from the registration of each variable and the position of the goal in which the ball was kicked, considering it in three sectors: left, right and central. Results: The main results indicated that the variable “Leg of the first step” had 81% of the kicks associated with the direction of the goal; 52.4% of second kicks had repeated the pattern of behavior and 84.6% had repeated the pattern of behavior regardless of the goal position. The variable “Elbow angle in relation to the body seen from behind” had 81.8% repeated behavior pattern regardless of the goal position and the variable “Elbow angle in relation to the displacement line seen from above” had 81% association with the sector of the goal in which the ball was kicked; 52.4% of second kicks had repeated the pattern of behavior and 91.7% had repeated the pattern of behavior regardless of the goal position. Conclusions: The main conclusions indicate that it is possible to relate the kick location with the batter's body information; the start of the race seems to indicate that there is a prior intention of movement programs; the decision of where to hit the penalty appears to be made before contact with the ball and more closely to the placement of the support foot and with this relationship, the size of the goal to be defended by the goalkeeper could be reduced, increasing the possibility of defense.

Objetivo: Determinar el efecto del calentamiento activo sobre el rendimiento contrarreloj en nadadores por medio de una revisión sistemática y metaanálisis. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda de literatura en nueve bases de datos electrónicas. Se calculó el tamaño del efecto (TE) individual aplicando un diseño de comparación entre grupos y se resumieron los resultados utilizando el modelo de efectos aleatorios (REML), considerándose estadísticamente significativos los valores de p<0.05 y los intervalos de confianza del 95% no superpuestos (IC95%). Se calculó la heterogeneidad e inconsistencia mediante las pruebas Q de Cochran e I2, de forma respectiva. Para evaluar sesgo, se realizó el gráfico de embudo (funnel plot) y la prueba de Egger. Resultados: Un total de 11 artículos fueron incluidos en este análisis. El TE global fue trivial y no significativo (TE= -0.125; IC95%= -0.273, 0.022; p= 0.096; Q = 18.268, p = 0.690, I2= 0.00%), demostrándose que no existe efecto del calentamiento activo sobre el rendimiento deportivo en natación. Conclusión: El calentamiento activo no demuestra mejorar el rendimiento en natación, una vez que es comparado con una condición de control donde no se calienta. Sin embargo, se recomienda mantener el análisis de las respuestas individuales para obtener el mejor rendimiento de cada atleta.