Objective: To test whether women with metabolic syndrome (MS) have impairments in the on- and off-transients during an incremental test and to study whether any of the MS components are independently associated with the observed responses.Research Design and Methods: Thirty-six women aged 35–55 years were divided into a group with MS (MSG, n = 19) and a control group (CG, n = 17). R-R intervals (RRi) and heart rate variability (HRV) were calculated on a beat-to-beat basis and the heart rate (HR) at the on- and off-transient were analyzed during an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET).Results: MSG showed lower aerobic capacity and lower parasympathetic cardiac modulation at rest compared with CG. HR values in on-transient phase were significantly lower in MSG compared with CG. The exponential amplitudes “amp” and the parameters “τ” [speed of heart rate recovery (HRR)] were lower in MSG. MSG exhibited higher HR values in comparison to CG during the off-transient indicating a slower HRR. In MSG, there was an inverse and significant correlation between fasting plasma vs. ΔF and glucose vs. exponential “τ” of HRR dynamics.Conclusion: MS is associated with poor heart rate kinetics. The altered HR kinetics seems to be related to alterations in cardiac parasympathetic modulation, and glucose metabolism seems to be the major determinant.

Hiking is a demanding form of exercise that may cause delayed responses of the postural muscles and a loss of somatosensory information, particularly when repeatedly performed for several days. These effects may negatively influence the postural control of hikers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a four-day hike on postural control. Twenty-six adults of both sexes travelled 262 kilometers, stopping for lunch and resting in the early evening each day. Force platforms were used to collect center of pressure (COP) data at 100 Hz for 70 seconds before hiking started and immediately after arriving at the rest station each day. The COP time course data were analyzed according to global stabilometric descriptors, spectral analysis and structural descriptors using sway density curve (SDC) and stabilometric diffusion analysis (SDA). Significant increases were found for global variables in both the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions (COP sway area, COP total sway path, COP mean velocity, COP root mean square value and COP range). In the spectral analysis, only the 80% power frequency (F80) in the anterior-posterior direction showed a significant increase, reflecting the increase of the sway frequencies. The SDC revealed a significant increase in the mean distance between peaks (MD) and a significant decrease in the mean peak amplitudes (MP), suggesting that a larger torque amplitude is required for stabilization and that the postural stability is reduced. The SDA revealed a decrease in the long-term slope (Hl) and increases in the short-term (Ks) and the long-term (Kl) intercepts. We considered the likelihood that the presence of local and general fatigue, pain and related neuromuscular adaptations and somatosensory deficits may have contributed to these postural responses. Together, these results demonstrated that four days of hiking increased sway frequencies and deteriorated postural control in the standing position.

This is a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study, grounded on the everyday life and interpretative sociology. The aim of the study was to understand the everyday life of pregnant women and their families, based on prenatal care. The study was conducted in a health center in southern Brazil, and it involved ten pregnant women. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews, using the intrafamilial genogram and ecomap, between March and May of 2011. Data analysis involved: preliminary analysis, ordering, key links, coding and categorization. The results show that the everyday life of pregnant women involves biological changes and emotional experiences that generate a need for changing their pace of life, whose implementation depends on social changes, requiring a support network that may contribute to promote health during pregnancy.

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Objective: To evaluate the hydration of obese and non-obese adolescents by vectorial bioimpedance analysis, in addition to verifying the associations between obesity and bioelectrical impedance vectorial analysis (BIVA) parameters. Methods: A cross-sectional study with adolescents between 14 and 18 years old (n=489, 300 boys and 189 girls). Electric bioimpedance (BIA; Quantum_II, RJL system, Rome, Italy) provided resistance and reactance parameters to calculate phase angle (PA), fat-free mass (FFM) and body fat (%BF). The confidence ellipses were compared, and the construction of the tolerance ellipses allowed individual and qualitative evaluation of the vectors and classification in dehydrated, normohydrated and hyperhydrated. Results: 78 obese and 411 eutrophic adolescents participated. Resistance (p<0.001) and reactance (p<0.001) and their normalization by stature (p<0.001) were reduced in the obese, whereas the PA was higher (p=0.003). %BF was 11.3% higher in obese adolescents. The main vector of the obese, both male (D=1.38; p<0.001) and female (D=1.49; p<0.001), indicated greater hydration. The ellipse of tolerance of the total sample showed that 25 (32.1%) were hyperhydrated and 02 (2.6%) vectors positioned in the sense of dehydration. A total of 17 (53.2%) girls and 16 (34.8%) boys were hyperhydrated. Logistic regression showed an inverse relation of BMI with resistance (p<0.001), reactance (p<0.001) and both normalized by stature. Adolescents with increased PA (p<0.001) were twice as likely to present obesity. Conclusions: Obese adolescents were hyperhydrated and there was an inverse relationship of BMI with resistance and direct with PA.

Background Interleukin 6 (IL-6) has an inflammatory effect, and its concentration in serum increases during exercise. However, no studies have assessed acute changes in IL-6 concentration after consecutive days of extreme and long-term exercise. Objective This study aimed to assess acute changes in serum IL-6 concentration during four days of long-distance walking. Methods This prospective observational study assessed 25 athletes (aged 44.8 ± 9.1 years), who covered a total of 251 km in four days. Blood samples were collected daily to assess serum IL-6 concentrations. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (with Bonferroni’s post hoc test) and the Kruskal–Wallis H -test (with Dunn’s post hoc test) were used to investigate the differences between the measures. Results The serum IL-6 concentrations were higher on the four days of walking (1st day: 26.8 ± 14.8; 2nd day: 14 ± 7.4; 3rd day: 9.4 ± 10.8; 4th day: 4.5 ± 0.2 pg/mL) when compared to pre-walk values (pre-walk: 2.2 ± 2.1 pg/mL; p < 0.001). On the first day, there was a tenfold increase compared to the pre-walk value. Conclusion The inflammatory response increased the serum concentration of IL-6 after four days of exercise. With the passing of days, there were reductions but not to baseline values.

Exceto onde especificado diferentemente, a matéria publicada neste periódico é licenciada sob forma de uma licença Creative Commons -Atribuição 4. RESUMOObjetivo: verificar a resposta da pressão arterial (no decorrer de 24h) após uma sessão de HIIT com o protocolo Tabata, bem como o comportamento da frequência cardíaca nesse período. Método: foram avaliados 17 indivíduos de ambos os sexos (seis homens e 11 mulheres) com idades entre 16 e 37 anos, que realizaram o protocolo de HIIT Tabata em cicloergômetro, sendo mensurada a pressão arterial e a frequência cardíaca dos mesmos, em repouso, após o aquecimento, logo após a realização do protocolo, após cinco, dez, 20, 30, 40, 50 e 60 minutos e 24 horas. Os dados obtidos foram comparados através da ANOVA para medidas repetidas, e para determinar e avaliar as diferenças foi utilizado o post hoc de Bonferroni, adotando uma significância de p ≤0,05. Resultados: foi identificado que há uma resposta hipotensora da pressão arterial sistólica a partir de 40 minutos, porém sem diferenças em 24 horas, sem diferenças significantes para diastólica, com o comportamento da frequência cardíaca dentro do esperado no período pós-HIIT. Considerações finais: no presente estudo, o HIIT gerou resposta hipotensora a partir de 40 minutos, após o término de sua execução e essa se mantem constante até o período de 60 minutos na pressão arterial sistólica. Este comportamento não foi encontrado na pressão arterial diastólica e, a frequência cardíaca, apresentou o comportamento de acordo com o esperado para outros protocolos de esforço físico moderado a intenso. INTRODUÇÃOPressão sanguínea corresponde à força que o sangue exerce contra qualquer parede de vasos, gerando uma pressão ou tensão nos mesmos.1 A Pressão Arterial possui um comportamento inconstante, durante o dia e varia de acordo a necessidade de maior ou menor tensão nos vasos, que relacionado ao comportamento físico, como parado, andando, correndo e emocional.

OBJECTIVE: to compare the body composition of patients undergoing hemodialysis with that of healthy individuals using different methods. METHOD: cross-sectional study assessing male individuals using anthropometric markers, electrical bioimpedance and vector analysis. RESULTS: the healthy individuals presented larger triceps skinfold and arm circumference (p<0.001). The bioimpedance variables also presented significant higher values in this group. Significant difference was found in the confidence interval of the vector analysis performed for both the patients and healthy individuals (p<0.0001). The tolerance intervals showed that 55.20% of the patients were dehydrated, 10.30% presented visible edema, and 34.50% were within normal levels of hydration. Bioimpedance and vector analysis revealed that 52% of the patients presented decreased cell mass while 14.00% presented increased cell mass. CONCLUSIONS: the differences in the body composition of patients and healthy individuals were revealed through bioimpedance and vector analysis but not through their measures of arm circumference and arm muscle area.