Despite the well-known health benefits of physical activity (PA), most midlife and older adults lead sedentary lifestyles. Anglo American women and Mexican Americans of both genders are two of the least physically active groups. We conducted three focus groups to identify attitudes and beliefs about PA among Mexican American and Anglo American midlife women. Our long-term goal was to identify culture-specific interventions that promote long-term PA continuation. Significant differences were found between the two groups. While Anglo American women valued individual outcomes, and spoke of personal factors promoting or preventing exercise, Mexican American women viewed PA as prescriptive, important for restoring health, and cited family responsibilities and family attitudes as factors that promoted or prevented them from exercising. We found that in order for PA interventions to be successful in each group, they must be tailored to the values of each cultural group.

High-volume rope jumping increases the OCSI more than the control condition in postpubescent girls. Furthermore, the OCSI measured by QUS is moderately related to proximal femur and lumbar spine BMC measured by DXA.

Much of our understanding of the effects of diabetes on the peripheral nervous system is derived from models induced by streptozotocin in which hyperglycemia is rapidly caused by pancreatic beta-cell destruction. Here, we have quantified sensory impairments over time in leptin receptor (lepr)-null mutant -/- mice, a type 2 model of diabetes in which the absence of leptin receptor signaling leads to obesity and chronic hyperglycemia by 4 weeks of age. To assess these mice as a model for peripheral neuropathy, we quantified the responsiveness of lepr -/- mice to mechanical, thermal, and chemogenic stimuli, as well as epidermal and dermal innervation of the hind paw. Compared with wild-type +/+ and heterozygous +/- mice, lepr -/- mice displayed reduced sensitivity to mechanical stimuli by 6 weeks of age, and however, responses to noxious heat were normal. Lepr -/- mice also devoted less activity to their injected paw during the second phase following formalin administration. However, epidermal and dermal innervation of lepr -/- mice was not different from that of lepr +/+ and +/- mice even after 10 weeks of hyperglycemia, suggesting that cutaneous innervation is resistant to chronic hyperglycemia in these mice. These results suggest that certain rodent nocifensive behaviors may be linked to the abundance of cutaneous innervation, while others are not. Finally, these results reveal that the lepr -/- mice may not be useful to study neuropathy associated with distal axonal degeneration but may be better suited for studies of hyperglycemia-induced sensory neuron dysfunction without distal nerve loss.

The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of time middle school girls spend performing moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during small-sided, game-based lessons and to assess whether the lessons were consistent in providing the recommended amount of MVPA to achieve cardiovascular fitness. Sixty 8th-grade girls participated in 2 small-sided, game-based modules (24 lessons). A TriTrac R3D  activity monitor was used to measure the intensity and frequency of physical activity of each girl during small sided games. Results revealed that, during small-sided, game-based lessons, middle school girls of low, intermediate, and high ability levels performed MVPA for greater than 56% (7.7) of lesson time, which was enough to elicit cardiovascular fitness gains. Furthermore, an intraclass correlation coefficient revealed consistent results between the 2 teaching modules (soccer and floor hockey, R = .84) and across lessons within each module (soccer, R = .87; hockey, R = .85).

The objective was to determine whether serum creatine kinase (CK) and serum CK MB activity following exercise-induced muscle damage activity differs among females of varying menarchial status and to determine whether there is a relationship between serum estradiol (E2) concentration, CK, and CK MB activity. Fifteen menarchial (M), 15 premenarchial (P), and 10 postmenopausal (PM) females participated in the study. Exercise consisted of eccentric hamstring contractions. Estradiol concentrations were significantly higher in M women (p =.0001; M, 125.0 +/- 20.8 pg/mL, P, 54.6 +/- 38.6 pg/mL, PM, 46.2 +/- 34.6 pg/mL). Menarchial women had lower resting CK and CK MB activity and responded with a higher efflux of CK and CK MB post exercise (p =.0001). An inverse relationship was found between E2 concentration and baseline CK (p =.02) and CK MB activity (p =. 006). No relationship existed between post exercise efflux of CK and CK MB and E2 concentration. At rest, E2 influenced CK and CK MB activity across menarchial levels. However, E2 did not significantly reduce the level of CK and CK MB activity following this intense bout of eccentric exercise.

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Previous studies have suggested a diurnal variation in the performance of physical tasks. The theoretical basis for the effect of time-of-day on performance centers on the circadian rhythms of many physiological variables and especially the body temperature curve. This investigation had two purposes: (a) to determine if increasing the volume of the warm-up could eliminate diurnal variation in body temperature and swim performance, and (b) to determine if reduction of the warm-up volume in the late afternoon would affect body temperature and swim performance. Participants for this investigation included 6 male and 4 female competitive swimmers (mean age = 15 +/- 1 years). Before the swim performance trials in the morning, participants warmed up with either standard volume (2,011.68 m) or 200% of that volume. Before the afternoon swim performance trials, warm-up volumes were either 33% or 100% of the standard warm-up volume. Before entering the water and immediately after the warm-up, temperature was taken from the ear. After the swim performance, participants were asked to rate their perceived exertion on the basis of Borg's CR-10 rating scale. The order of test administration for time of day and warm-up condition was balanced and with tests carried out over 4 days. Each swimmer completed 1 test condition (warm-up) per day. Results indicated that increased morning warm-up time eliminated diurnal variation in body temperature; however, evening superiority in swimming performance was not eliminated. The results also indicated that reducing the volume of the afternoon warm-up to 33% of the standard warm-up had no effect on body temperature or swim performance.