Efforts to better understand cardiorespiratory health are relevant for the future development of optimized physical activity programs. We aimed to explore the impact of the signal quality on the expected associations between the ability of the aerobic system in supplying energy as fast as possible during moderate exercise transitions with its maximum capacity to supply energy during maximal exertion. It was hypothesized that a slower aerobic system response during moderate exercise transitions is associated with a lower maximal aerobic power; however, this relationship relies on the quality of the oxygen uptake dataset. Forty-three apparently healthy participants performed a moderate constant work rate (CWR) followed by a pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) exercise protocol on a cycle ergometer. Participants also performed a maximum incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). The maximal aerobic power was evaluated by the peak oxygen uptake during the CPET and the aerobic fitness was estimated from different approaches for oxygen uptake dynamics analysis during the CWR and PRBS protocols at different levels of signal-to-noise ratio. The product moment correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation level between variables. Aerobic fitness was correlated with maximum aerobic power, but this correlation increased as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio. Aerobic fitness is related to maximal aerobic power; however, this association appeared to be highly dependent on the data quality and analysis for aerobic fitness evaluation. Our results show that simpler moderate exercise protocols might be as good as maximal exertion exercise protocols to obtain indexes related to cardiorespiratory health.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports in the literature supporting the understanding of the physiological mechanisms of intolerance in patients with COPD to perform unsupported upper limb activities. The aims of this study were to quantify the electrical activity and oxygenation of inspiratory and upper limb muscles, and to investigate whether electromyographic manifestations of muscle fatigue are related to upper limb function as assessed by the 6-min pegboard and ring test (6PBRT) in subjects with COPD and in healthy subjects. METHODS: Thirty subjects with COPD (FEV 1 42.1 ؎ 16.4% predicted; 68.0 ؎ 7.6 y old) comprised the COPD group, and 34 healthy subjects (66.8 ؎ 8.0 y old) comprised the control group. Both groups were assessed for body composition with dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry and spirometry. The 6PBRT was performed with simultaneous assessment of electromyography, near-infrared spectroscopy, and gas analyses (expiratory minute volume). RESULTS: Differences were observed between groups for performance (number of rings) in the 6PBRT, with the COPD group achieving lower values than the control group (P < .001). The ventilatory demand (expiratory minute volume/maximum voluntary ventilation) and root mean square amplitude of the sternocleidomastoid muscle were higher in the COPD group than in the control group (P < .04). Lower values for oxyhemoglobin and total hemoglobin were found in intercostal muscles of the COPD group compared to the control group. The root mean square amplitude of the intercostal muscles was lower in the COPD group, while it was similar between groups for anterior deltoid and trapezius muscles. Median frequency of anterior deltoid muscles presented a decreased in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the 6PBRT was performed at a higher electrical activity in the accessory inspiratory muscles, such as the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and a lower oxygenation profile in the intercostal muscles in subjects with COPD compared with healthy controls, but without muscle fatigue signs. These findings suggest that the higher ventilatory demand presented in subjects with COPD could have contributed to the worse performance in this group without signals of peripheral muscle limitation.

RESUMO O objetivo do estudo é descrever o perfil de três grupos de mulheres: aparentemente saudáveis (não doentes-ND); com doenças cardiovasculares (DC); e com doenças respiratórias (DR) crônicas. A pesquisa comparou esses grupos conforme variáveis sociodemográficas (faixa etária, escolaridade, etnia e renda familiar) e dados sobre qualidade de vida (QV), segundo domínios: físico, psicológico, relações sociais e meio ambiente. Este estudo é caracterizado como quantitativo, analítico, observacional e transversal de base populacional, com informações extraídas do Inquérito de Saúde da Mulher, realizado na cidade de Uberaba-MG. Foram entrevistadas 1.387 mulheres, com o objetivo de coletar informações sobre DC, DR, idade, escolaridade, etnia e renda familiar. A QV foi estudada por meio do WHOQOL - Bref, segundo os quatro domínios. Foi realizado levantamento estatístico, descritivo e inferencial. Identificou-se que o grupo com DC é formado por mulheres com idade a partir de 50 anos e baixa escolaridade, em oposição ao grupo de mulheres com DR, que são mais jovens e possuem escolaridade superior. Quanto à QV, as mulheres com DC (31,65%) apresentaram níveis inferiores em relação às mulheres com DR (19,10%), nos domínios: físico (50,6;54,0;<0,0001), psicológico (55,1;58,7;<0,0001), relações sociais (75,8;77,2;0,0055) e meio ambiente (41,7;43,0;0,0173), valores em média. Portanto, o domínio de QV que obteve menor pontuação para todos os grupos foi o meio ambiente e as mulheres com DC apresentaram valores mais baixos, estatisticamente significativos, para todas as categorias.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1984686X13720Nesse estudo avaliamos o equilíbrio em deficientes de baixa visão antes e após 16 sessões de gameterapia. Aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética de Pesquisa com o protocolo 2349 /2012. Desenvolvido no Instituto dos Cegos do Brasil Central em Uberaba, Minas Gerais. Amostra foi de 10 indivíduos com baixa visão na faixa etária de 12 a 23 anos. Inicialmente os participantes foram avaliados com a Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg, submetidos a uma única sessão de gameterapia e reavaliados novamente. Depois foram selecionados 4 dos 10 participantes para realizarem 16 sessões de gameterapia durante 2 meses. E no final,  reavaliamos o equilíbrio. Os resultados mostraram melhora significativa de equilíbrio. A reabilitação virtual está presente em diferentes tipos de tratamento, aprimora função motora e  melhora o equilíbrio. Concluímos que a gameterapia interferiu na melhora de equilíbrio dos deficientes visuais de baixa visão.