The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of regular exercise on maximum oxygen uptake capacity (VO2max), reaction time (RT), testosterone (T), growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in athletes compared to sedentary controls. VO2max, RT, T, GH, and IGF-I levels were 31.2 +/- 6.2 ml/min/kg, 106.7 +/- 23.2 s, 8.3 +/- 1.3 ng/mL, 1.6 +/- 0.7 ng/mL, 106.5 +/- 27.0 ng/mL in master athlete group and 18.8 +/- 5.1 ml/min/kg, 148.3 +/- 39.3 s, 5.4 +/- 1.7 ng/mL, 0.8 +/- 0.3 ng/mL, 90.2 +/- 23.8 ng/mL in sedentary control group, respectively. The differences between regularly exercising males and the control group of sedentary males were found to be statistically significant. The results showed that long-term exercise decreased RT and increased VO2max, T, and GH in elderly males; elevated serum T and GH levels may be advantageous for brain functions.
Paw preference assessed by a food-reaching test was studied in male and female cats. Of the total sample (N = 66), 34 (51.5%) were right-preferent, 24 (36.4%) left-preferent, and 8 (12.1%) ambilateral. In the total sample, there was evidence for an overall paw preference, general paw preference, right-, and left-paw preference. The distribution of the right- minus left-paw reaches was neither normal, nor U or J shaped. Of the males (N = 24), 10 (41.7%) were right-pawed, 12 (50.5%) left-pawed, and 2 (8.3%) ambilateral. In males, there was evidence for an overall, general, and right-, left-paw preference relative to no preference. The right- minus left-paw reaches fitted to guassian data with two prominent peaks due to the right- and left-preferents. In females (N = 42), 22 (52.4%) were right-preferent, 14 (33.3%) left-preferent, and 6 (14.3%) ambilateral. There was an overall, general, and right-preference but not a left-preference relative to no preference. The distribution of the right- minus left-paw reaches was neither normal nor U or J shaped. The female right-preferents showed a right-bias compared to males. The left-preferent males were more left-preferent than the right-preferent males are right preferent. The mean right- minus left- paw reaches for the female right-preferents were significantly higher than those for the male right-preferents. There was no significant difference between the right- minus left-paw reaches of the male and female left-preferents. The paw preferences exhibited consistency over time; no learning tendencies were established during testing periods for at least 10 days. Considering the mean right-paw reaches for each successive day (N = 10), the mean right-paw uses in the right-preferents was higher in females than males. The mean left-paw uses in left-preferents was about the same for males and females. In males, the mean left-paw uses for the left-pawed males were higher than the right-paw reaches for the male right-preferents. In females, there was no difference between the right paw reaches of the right-preferents and the left-paw reaches of the left-preferents. It was concluded that there is a right-bias in paw preference of cats, which is caused by the female right-preferents under the influence of a biological factor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The distribution of paw preference was studied in male and female cats. Paw preference was assessed by the food reaching test. Of the total sample (N = 109), 54 (49.5%) cats were found to be right-preferent, 44 (40.4%) left-preferent, and 11 (10.1%) ambidextrous. In females (N = 63), 34 cats (54.0%) were right-preferent, 23 (36.5%) left-preferent, and 6 (9.5%) ambidextrous. The proportion of the right-preferents was found to be significantly higher than that for the left-preferents in females as in humans. Of the male cats (N = 46), 20 (43.5%) were right-preferent, 21 (45.7%) left-preferent, and 5 (10.9%) ambidextrous. The proportion of the strongly right-preferent females (44%) was found to be significantly higher than that of the strongly right-preferent males (28%) as in humans. In the right-preferent animals, the incidence of the moderate left-paw use was found to be higher in males than females. There was no significant difference in the proportions of the strongly left-preferent males and females. It was concluded that the U-shaped distribution of paw preference in cats is largely shaped by females and a prominent left-paw use of males. The results provided evidence for a right-biased paw preference in females compared to males, indicating that females may be responsible for the emergence of cerebral lateralization and hand preference in animals and humans. It was tentatively suggested that a female right-shift factor may be required for the emergence of a right-bias in handedness. The absence of this factor would decrease the chance of being right-handed and increase the vulnerability of the developing brain to environmental influences.
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