Sport-specific performance assessment with oxygen uptake measurements in time trials and critical power tests.

This study investigated the added value of peak oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]O) measurements during a 4-min time trial (4TT) or a 3-min all-out test (3MT) as compared to a ramp cycling test to enhance sport-specific performance assessment. Data from two cross-sectional studies were analysed. In study 1, 18 male and 13 female recreational cyclists performed two ramp tests and two 4TT on different days.

A single HIIT session does not alter blood sphingolipid levels in healthy young adults: The SphingoHIIT randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Sphingolipids and ceramides have been identified as critical drivers of cardiometabolic diseases. Ceramide-based scores were developed, predicting cardiometabolic risk independently of and beyond low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. To date, it remains largely unknown whether exercise can modulate sphingolipid levels.

Personalised, GIS-based counselling to promote habitual walking in mobility-limited and chronically ill older adults: protocol of the MOBITEC-Routes randomised controlled trial.

Background: Physical activity is a cornerstone of health for older adults. Recent evidence underscores that even regular light activity, such as routine walking, offers substantial health benefits. Traditional approaches to promoting walking often overlook the importance of the local neighbourhood environment and the wide range of abilities and preferences of older adults.

Reliability of hemodynamic parameters measured by bioimpedance cardiography at different intensities during incremental exercise testing.

Background: Bioimpedance cardiography offers a non-invasive and time-efficient method to measure hemodynamic parameters. Previous studies only investigated its reliability under steady-state conditions and at maximum load but not at ventilatory thresholds (VTs). This is the first study that assesses the reliability of measured hemodynamic parameters at different exercise stages during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) using prespecified strict criteria to assess reliability.

Relative and absolute intensity accelerometer metrics decipher the effects of age, sex, and occupation on physical activity.

Background: To investigate whether quantifying both the absolute and relative intensity of physical activity (PA) improves understanding of age, sex, and occupation-related differences in PA in healthy adults aged 20-89.

Methods: In the cross-sectional COmPLETE study, participants (N = 460, 48% women, age 55 [IQR 37, 71]) wore accelerometers for up to 14 days and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Average acceleration (AvAcc) and distribution of intensity (IG) of PA across the day were expressed in absolute terms (_) and relative (_) to the acceleration at the individual´s maximum intensity, predicted from cardiorespiratory fitness.

Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective.

Background: Patients recovering from COVID-19 often present with impaired health and persisting symptoms such as exercise intolerance ⩾3 months post-infection. Uncertainty remains about long-term recovery. We aimed to review studies examining cardiac function, macro- or microvascular function, blood biomarkers and physical activity in adult patients post-COVID-19 and highlight current knowledge gaps.

Determination of Ventilatory Thresholds Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Recreational Endurance and CrossFit Athletes.

To define training zones, ventilatory thresholds (VTs) are commonly established by cardiopulmonary gas-exchange analysis during incremental exercise tests. Portable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices have emerged as a potential tool for detecting these thresholds by monitoring muscle oxygenation. This study evaluated the accuracy of NIRS measurements to determine VTs or critical power (CP) based on muscle oxygen saturation and assesses the device's consistency across 2 constant-load tests.

VascuFit: Aerobic exercise improves endothelial function independent of cardiovascular risk: A randomized-controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Endothelial dysfunction predicts elevated cardiovascular (CV) risk in healthy individuals. Aerobic exercise reduces endothelial dysfunction in part by improving CV risk factors. Yet, this explains less than 50 % of the effect and a direct influence of exercise training on the endothelium is discussed as possible contributor.

Circulating amino acid signature features urea cycle alterations associated with coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a leading cause of death worldwide and imposes a substantial socioeconomic burden on healthcare. Improving risk stratification in clinical practice could help to combat this burden. As amino acids are biologically active metabolites whose involvement in CAD remains largely unknown, this study investigated associations between circulating amino acid levels and CAD phenotypes.

Intensity or volume: the role of physical activity in longevity.

Aims: To investigate how physical activity (PA) volume, intensity, duration, and fragmentation are associated with the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. To produce centile curves for PA volume and intensity representative of US adults.

Methods And Results: This study is based on the observational 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Subcutaneous advanced glycation end products, cardiovascular risk factors and vascular health during childhood development in a Swiss population.

Background: Skin-derived advanced glycation end products (sAGEs) have been associated with cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality in adults. We hypothesize that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), body mass index (BMI) and vascular health are associated with development of sAGEs during childhood.

Methods: In our prospective cohort study, 1171 children aged 6-8 years were screened for sAGEs, BMI, retinal arteriolar diameters (CRAE) and pulse wave velocity (PWV), using standardized procedures.

Effect of an eight-week high-intensity interval training programme on circulating sphingolipid levels in middle-aged adults at elevated cardiometabolic risk (SphingoFIT)-Protocol for a randomised controlled exercise trial.

Introduction: Evidence indicates that sphingolipid accumulation drives complex molecular alterations promoting cardiometabolic diseases. Clinically, it was shown that sphingolipids predict cardiometabolic risk independently of and beyond traditional biomarkers such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. To date, little is known about therapeutic modalities to lower sphingolipid levels.

Accelerometer Metrics: Healthy Adult Reference Values, Associations with Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Clinical Implications.

Purpose: Accelerometer-assessed physical activity (PA) can be summarized using cut-point-free or population-specific cut-point-based outcomes. We aimed to 1) examine the interrelationship between cut-point-free (intensity gradient (IG) and average acceleration (AvAcc)) and cut-point-based accelerometer metrics, 2) compare the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and cut-point-free metrics to that with cut-point-based metrics in healthy adults aged 20 to 89 yr and patients with heart failure, and 3) provide age-, sex-, and CRF-related reference values for healthy adults.

Methods: In the COmPLETE study, 463 healthy adults and 67 patients with heart failure wore GENEActiv accelerometers on their nondominant wrist and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

Cardiorespiratory fitness and development of childhood cardiovascular risk: The EXAMIN YOUTH follow-up study.

Obesity- and hypertension-related cardiovascular (CV) risk has been shown to originate in childhood. Higher body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) have been associated with increased large artery stiffness and a lower microvascular arteriolar-to-venular diameter ratio (AVR) in children. This study aimed to investigate the association of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with development of BMI, BP and vascular health during childhood.

Bivariate relation of vascular health and blood pressure progression during childhood.

Background And Aims: Hypertension is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adulthood. High blood pressure (BP) is associated with subclinical vascular impairments as early as childhood. We aimed to assess the association of retinal microvascular diameters and large artery pulse wave velocity (PWV) with progression of childhood BP.

Investigating the circulating sphingolipidome response to a single high-intensity interval training session within healthy females and males in their twenties (SphingoHIIT): Protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Growing scientific evidence indicates that sphingolipids predict cardiometabolic risk, independently of and beyond traditional biomarkers such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. To date, it remains largely unknown if and how exercise, a simple, low-cost, and patient-empowering modality to optimise cardiometabolic health, influences sphingolipid levels. The SphingoHIIT study aims to assess the response of circulating sphingolipid species to a single session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Prospective associations of physical fitness with spinal flexibility in childhood: implications for primary prevention of non-specific back pain.

Objectives: Early predictors for back pain need to be identified for the development of prevention strategies starting as early as childhood. For this purpose, the relationship between physical fitness and spinal flexibility at the age of six years and its prediction for the development of non-specific back pain (BP) during childhood were analyzed.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study with 4-year follow-up, school children from the Swiss Canton Basel-Stadt, aged 6-8 (2014) at baseline and 10-12 years (2018) at follow-up, were recruited from 26 primary schools ( = 238) within a mandatory evaluation of motor skills.

Self-reported life-space mobility in the first year after ischemic stroke: longitudinal findings from the MOBITEC-Stroke project.

Background: Life-space mobility is defined as the size of the area in which a person moves about within a specified period of time. Our study aimed to characterize life-space mobility, identify factors associated with its course, and detect typical trajectories in the first year after ischemic stroke.

Methods: MOBITEC-Stroke (ISRCTN85999967; 13/08/2020) was a cohort study with assessments performed 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after stroke onset.

Effect of lifestyle interventions on carotid arterial structure - The DR's EXTRA study.

No lifestyle-based interventions with medium-term duration on carotid atherosclerotic have been performed so far. We aimed to investigate whether guideline-based dietary and physical activity interventions slow the progression of atherosclerotic changes in the general elderly population. 1410 Finnish men and women from a representative population sample were randomly assigned to one of six groups in the four-year intervention study: 1) reference, 2) aerobic training, 3) resistance training, 4) Nordic Diet, 5) aerobic training + Nordic Diet, 6) resistance training + Nordic Diet.

VascuFit: vascular effects of non-linear periodized exercise training in sedentary adults with elevated cardiovascular risk - protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Early vascular aging (EVA) is increasingly prevalent in the general population. Exercise is important for primary cardiovascular prevention, but often insufficient due to ineffective training methods and a lack of biomarkers suitable to monitor its vascular effects. VascuFit will assess the effectiveness of non-linear periodized aerobic exercise (NLPE) in a non-athletic sedentary population to improve both established and promising biomarkers of EVA.

Adherence to Life's simple 7 is associated with better carotid properties.

Background And Aims: Cardiovascular health scores have emerged as a simple way to assess the risk to suffer from a cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 constitutes of modifiable lifestyle factors to reduce cardiovascular risk. Its association with carotid properties is yet inconclusive.

Ideal Life's Simple 7 Score Relates to Macrovascular Structure and Function in the Healthy Population.

Background: Cardiovascular health scores, such as Life's Simple 7 from the American Heart Association, and the assessment of arterial properties are independently used to determine cardiovascular risk. However, evidence of their association remains scarce, especially in healthy, middle-aged to older populations.

Methods: A healthy sample of the Swiss population aged 50-91 years as part of the COmPLETE cohort study was included.