Objective: To analyze the short-and long-term effects of microcurrent used with aerobic exercise on abdominal fat (visceral and subcutaneous).Methods: Forty-two female students from a university population were randomly assigned into five group: intervention group (IG) 1 (n=9), IG2 (n=9), IG3 (n=7), IG4 (n=8), and placebo group (PG) (n=9). An intervention program of 10 sessions encompassing microcurrent and aerobic exercise (performed with a cycloergometer) was applied in all groups, with slightly differences between them. In IG1 and IG2, microcurrent with transcutaneous electrodes was applied, with different frequency values; 30-minute exercise on the cycloergometer was subsequently performed. IG3 used the same protocol as IG1 but with different electrodes (percutaneous), while in IG4 the microcurrent was applied simultaneously with the cycloergometer exercise. Finally, the PG used the IG1 protocol but with the microcurrent device switched off. All groups were evaluated through ultrasound and abdominal perimeter measurement for visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat assessment; through calipers for skinfolds measurement; through bioimpedance to evaluate weight, fat mass percentage, and muscular mass; and through blood analyses to measure cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose levels.Results: After intervention sessions, visceral fat decreased significantly in IG1 compared with the PG. Subcutaneous fat was reduced significantly in all groups compared with the PG. After 4 weeks, almost all results were maintained. Conclusion:The addition of microcurrent to aerobic exercise may reduce fat more than does aerobic exercise alone.

Introduction: Increased abdominal fat and sedentary lifestyles contribute to cardiovascular disease risk. Low-intensity electrical current (microcurrent) on the abdominal region, associated with physical exercise, appears to be an innovative method to increase the lipolytic rate of abdominal adipocytes, in order to reduce abdominal fat. This study aimed to analyze the acute effects of microcurrent associated with an aerobic exercise program in healthy subjects in lipolysis. Method: A double-blinded, randomized controlled trial was developed and conducted in a higher education school. Eighty-three healthy subjects, aged between 18 and 30 years old and with a 18.5 to 29.9 kg/m 2 body mass index were randomly assigned either to an experimental or to a placebo group. Subjects received a trans-abdominal microcurrent stimulation for 40 min with (experimental group) or without (placebo group) electrical current, followed by a single aerobic exercise session (60 min at 45-55% VO2max intensity). Lipolytic activity (serum glycerol), abdominal fat (waist circumference, abdominal skinfold, ultrasonography), and serum lipid profile (serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were evaluated in all subjects. Physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and dietary intake (food-frequency questionnaire) questionnaires were applied. Results: After the intervention, lipolytic rate was significantly higher (p = 0.003) in the experimental group (mean = 0.15) than in the placebo group (mean = 0.09). Glycerol results showed a statistically significant increase between baseline and after the intervention for both experimental group (p = 0.001) and the placebo group (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Combined use of microcurrent and physical aerobic exercise had an acute effect enhancing lipolytic rate comparing to exercise alone, in young healthy subjects.

Both females and males VBD have lower BMD at impact and non-impact sites compared to control, whereas this is only the case at non-impact site in female PBD. Maturation seems to explain the lower BMD at impact sites in female VBD.

Elite and pre-elite dancers demonstrate high prevalence of low BMD, which is likely related to genetic variants at the Wnt/β-catenin and ER pathways and not to factors usually associated with BMD in athletes (body weight, menstrual disturbances, energy deficiency).

Weight management strategies during pregnancy reduce child cardiometabolic risk. However, since maternal weight has an overall positive correlation with offspring bone mass, pregnancy weight management could adversely affect child bone health. We aimed to estimate associations between gestational weight gain (GWG) and bone mineralization in the offspring at 7 years of age, and test early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) as an effect modifier. We analyzed prospective data from 2,167 mother-child pairs from the Generation XXI birth cohort who underwent whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at 7 years of age. GWG was analyzed as a continuous measure and using the Institute of Medicine categories. In the whole sample and for each early pregnancy BMI category (under/normal weight and overweight/obese), relationships between GWG and offspring bone measures (bone mineral content, BMC, bone areal density, aBMD, size-corrected BMC, scBMC, and height) at 7 years were fitted thought local polynomial regression and smoothing splines. The magnitude of associations was estimated through linear regression coefficients (95% CIs), crude and adjusted for maternal age, height, educational level, and child gestational age. In under/normal weight mothers, GWG was associated with slightly increased bone measures at 7 years [per 5 kg of GWG, BMC: 0.07SD (95% CI: 0.01, 0.12); aBMD: 0.10SD (0.05, 0.15), scBMC: 0.11SD (0.06, 0.16), height: 0.05 SD (0.00, 0.10)], while in overweight/obese mothers no effect of GWG on bone was observed [BMC: 0.02SD (-0.04, 0.09); aBMD: 0.02SD (-0.04, 0.08), scBMC: 0.01SD (-0.06, 0.08), height: 0.02SD (-0.04; 0.08)]]. Also, no advantageous effect of gaining weight above the Institute of Medicine recommendations was observed in either early pregnancy BMI group. Our results suggest that adherence to Institute of Medicine recommendations for pregnancy weight gain is unlikely to have a negative repercussion on offspring bone health, particularly in women with excess weight in early pregnancy.

Less is known on bone mass gains in dancers involved in vocational dance training. The present study found that, as young vocational dancers progress on their professional training, their bone health remains consistently lower compared to non-exercising controls. Endocrine mechanisms do not seem to explain these findings.

The best b-value pair was b=50, 2000s/mm2.

Purpose To determine whether risk factors normally associated with low bone mass in athletic populations (i.e. nutrition intake, energy expenditure and energy availability) are significant predictors of bone mass changes in vocational dance students. MethodsThe total of 101 vocational dancers (63 females, 12.8±2.2yrs; 38 males, 12.7±2.2yrs) and 118 age-matched controls (50 females, 13.0±2.1yrs; 68 males, 13.0±1.8yrs) were monitored for three consecutive years. Bone mass parameters were measured annually at impact sites (femoral neck -FN; lumber spine -LS) and nonimpact site (forearm) using DXA. Nutrition (3-day record), energy expenditure (accelerometer), energy availability and IGF-1 serum concentration (immunoradiometric assays) were also assessed. ResultsFemale and male vocational dancers had consistently reduced bone mass at all anatomical sites (p<0.001) than controls. IGF-1 did not differ between male vocational dancers and controls, but female dancers showed it higher than controls. At baseline, calcium intake was significantly greater in female vocational dancers than controls (p<0.05). Male vocational dancers' fat and carbohydrate intakes were significantly lower than matched controls (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively). Energy availability of both female and male vocational dancers was within the normal range.A significant group effect was found at the FN regarding energy intake (p<0.05) in female dancers. No significant predictors were found to explain bone mass differences in males. ConclusionOur 3-years study revealed that both female and male vocational dancers displayed lower bone mass compared to controls, at both impact and non-impact sites.The aetiology of these findings may be grounded on factors different than those usually considered in athletic populations.