The purpose of the present study was to examine the changes in maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) in the contralateral untrained limb during unilateral resistance training and detraining, and to examine the factors inducing these changes by means of electrophysiological techniques. Nine healthy males trained their plantar flexor muscles unilaterally 4 day-s x week(-1) for 6 weeks using 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions at 70-75% of one-repetition maximum a day, and detrained for 6 weeks. Progressive unilateral resistance training significantly (P < 0.05) increased MVC, integrated electromyogram (iEMG), and voluntary activation in the trained and contralateral untrained limbs. The changes in MVC after training were significantly correlated with the changes in iEMG in both limbs. No significant changes occurred in MVC, voluntary activation, and iEMG in the contralateral limb after detraining. The changes in MVC after detraining did not correlate with the changes in voluntary activation or iEMG in either limb. Training and detraining did not alter twitch and tetanic peak torques in either limb. These results suggest that the mechanisms underlying cross education of muscular strength may be explained by central neural factors during training, but not solely so during detraining.

The purpose of this study was 1) to test the hypothesis that ventilation and arterial oxygen saturation (Sa(O2)) during acute hypoxia may increase during intermittent hypoxia and remain elevated for a week without hypoxic exposure and 2) to clarify whether the changes in ventilation and Sa(O2) during hypoxic exercise are correlated with the change in hypoxic chemosensitivity. Six subjects were exposed to a simulated altitude of 4,500 m altitude for 7 days (1 h/day). Oxygen uptake (VO2), expired minute ventilation (VE), and Sa(O2) were measured during maximal and submaximal exercise at 432 Torr before (Pre), after intermittent hypoxia (Post), and again after a week at sea level (De). Hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) was also determined. At both Post and De, significant increases from Pre were found in HVR at rest and in ventilatory equivalent for O2 (VE/VO2) and Sa(O2) during submaximal exercise. There were significant correlations among the changes in HVR at rest and in VE/VO2 and Sa(O2) during hypoxic exercise during intermittent hypoxia. We conclude that 1 wk of daily exposure to 1 h of hypoxia significantly improved oxygenation in exercise during subsequent acute hypoxic exposures up to 1 wk after the conditioning, presumably caused by the enhanced hypoxic ventilatory chemosensitivity.

The present study was performed to clarify the effects of intermittent exposure to an altitude of 4,500 m with endurance training and detraining on ventilatory chemosensitivity. Seven subjects (sea-level group) trained at sea level at 70% maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) for 30 min/day, 5 days/wk for 2 wk, whereas the other seven subjects (altitude group) trained at the same relative intensity (70% altitude VO2 max) in a hypobaric chamber. VO2 max, hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR), and hypercapnic ventilatory response, as an index of central hypercapnic chemosensitivity (HCVR) and as an index of peripheral chemosensitivity (HCVRSB), were measured. In both groups VO2 max increased significantly after training, and a significant loss of VO2 max occurred during 2 wk of detraining. HVR tended to increase in the altitude group but not significantly, whereas it decreased significantly in the sea-level group after training. HCVR and HCVRSB did not change in each group. After detraining, HVR returned to the pretraining level in both groups. These results suggest that ventilatory chemosensitivity to hypoxia is more variable by endurance training and detraining than that to hypercapnia.

This study aimed to determine if combined exercise intervention improves physical performance and gait joint-kinematics including the joint angle and dynamic range of motion (ROM) related to the risk of falling in communitydwelling elderly women. A 12-week combined exercise intervention program with extra emphasis on balance, muscle strength, and walking ability was designed to improve physical performance and gait. Twenty participants attended approximately two-hour exercise sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Participants underwent a physical performance battery, including static balance, sit and reach, whole body reaction time, 10 m obstacle walk, 10 m maximal walk, 30-second chair stand, to determine a physical performance score, and received quantitative gait kinematics measurements at baseline and in 12 weeks. Significant lower extremity strength improvement 13.5% (pϽ.001) was observed, which was accompanied by significant decreases in time of the 10 m obstacle walk (pϽ.05) and whole body reaction time (pϽ.001) in this study. However, no significant differences were seen for static balance and flexibility from baseline. For gait kinematics, in the midswing phase, knee and hip joint angle changed toward flexion (pϽ.01, pϽ.05, respectively). Ankle dynamic ROM significantly increased (pϽ.05) following exercise intervention. The plantar flexion angle of the ankle in the toeoff phase was increased significantly (pϽ.01). However, other gait parameters were not significantly different from baseline. These findings from the present investigation provide evidence of significant improvements in physical performance related to the risk factors of falling and safe gait strategy with a combined exercise intervention program in communitydwelling elderly women. The results suggest this exercise intervention could be an effective approach to ameliorate the risk factors for falls and to promote safer locomotion in elderly community-dwelling women.

The aim of the present study was to elucidate (1) the cardiovascular adaptations and response to hypoxic stimuli during short-term intermittent hypoxia and (2) whether the change in cardiovascular response to hypoxia is correlated to the change in hypoxic ventilatory chemosensitivity. Fourteen subjects were decompressed in a chamber to 432 torr, simulating an altitude of 4500 m, over a period of 30 min and were maintained at that pressure for 1 h daily for 7 days. Ventilatory (DeltaV(I)/DeltaSa(O2); Sa(O2) is arterial oxygen saturation), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DeltaSBP/DeltaSa(O2) and DeltaDBP/DeltaSa(O2)), and heart rate (DeltaHR/DeltaSa(O2)) responses to progressive isocapnic hypoxia were measured before and after intermittent hypoxia. Resting ventilation, SBP, DBP, and HR did not change after intermittent hypoxia. DeltaSBP/DeltaSa(O2) and DeltaDBP/DeltaSa(O2) increased significantly after intermittent hypoxia accompanied by an enhanced DeltaV(I)/DeltaSa(C2), but there was no change in DeltaHR/DeltaSa(C2). There were significant correlations between the change in DeltaV(I)/DeltaSa(O2) and both the changes in DeltaSBP/DeltaSa(O2) and DeltaDBP/DeltaSa(O2) following intermittent hypoxic exposure. These results suggest that short-term intermittent hypoxia leads to the enhanced arterial BP response to hypoxic stimuli in humans, and that the enhanced peripheral chemosensitivity to hypoxia after intermittent hypoxia may play an important role in the increased arterial BP response.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of ankle taping and bracing based on the peroneal reflex in the hypermobile and normal ankle joints with and without history of ankle injury. Thirty-six ankle joints of 18 collegiate American football athletes with and without previous history of injury were studied. The angle of talar tilt (TT) was measured by stress radiograph for classifying normal (TT5 degrees ) ankles. They were tested with taping, bracing, and without any supports as a control. The latency of peroneus longus muscle was measured by a sudden inversion of 25 degrees using surface EMG signals. The results of the present study show no significant three-way Group (hypermobile or normal ankles) by History (previously injured or uninjured ankles) by Condition (control, taping, or bracing) interaction, while Condition main effect was significant (p<0.05). There were significant differences between control (80.8 ms) and taping (83.8 ms, p<0.01), between control and bracing (83.0 ms, p<0.05), but not between taping and bracing (p>0.05). In conclusion, ankle taping and bracing delayed the peroneal reflex latency not only for hypermobile ankles and/or injured ankle joints but also for intact ankle joints.

Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is closely related to breathing behavior during lifting. Abdominal muscles contribute to both IAP development and respiratory function. The purpose of this study was to examine whether spontaneous breath volume and IAP altered with increased isometric lifting effort, and to compare the effect of different abdominal muscle strengths on these parameters. Maximal IAP during the Valsalva maneuver (maxIAP) and maximal isometric trunk flexor strength were measured in 10 highly trained judo athletes (trained) and 11 healthy men (controls). They performed isometric lifting with 0 (rest), 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, and 100% of maximal lifting effort (MLE). Natural inspiratory and expiratory volumes were calculated from air-flow data immediately before and after the start of lifting. IAP, measured using an intra-rectal pressure transducer during lifting, was normalized by maxIAP (%maxIAP). Trained athletes had higher maxIAP and stronger trunk flexor muscles than controls. A significant main effect of lifting effort was found on %maxIAP and respiratory volume. An interaction (lifting effort by group) was found only for %maxIAP. No significant group main effect or interaction was found for respiratory volume. Inspiratory volume increased significantly from tidal volume to above 60 and 45% of MLE in trained athletes and controls, respectively. Expiratory volume decreased significantly from tidal volume at above 30% of MLE in both the groups. These results suggest that spontaneous breath volume and IAP development are coupled with increased lifting effort, and strong abdominal muscles can modify IAP development and inspiratory behavior during lifting.

The results suggest that circulatory and metabolic conditions of a working muscle can be easily affected during pedaling exercise by work intensity. The present method, reordering of NIRS parameters against crank angle, serves as a useful measure in providing additional findings of circulatory dynamics and metabolic changes in a working muscle during pedaling exercise.