Four-Week Exoskeleton Gait Training on Balance and Mobility in Minimally Impaired Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder affecting the central nervous system that significantly impairs postural control and functional abilities. Robotic-assisted gait training mitigates this functional deterioration. This preliminary study aims to investigate the effects of a four-week gait training with the ExoAtlet II exoskeleton on static balance control and functional mobility in five individuals with MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale ≤ 2.

Improving cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents with obesity: a comparison between in-person and virtual supervised training.

Objectives: Remote physical activity programs have emerged as a promising strategy to improve adherence to exercise guidelines, specifically among pediatric patients with obesity. This study investigated the effectiveness of in-person vs. virtual supervised training in improving cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents with obesity.

Exploring the link between metabolic syndrome risk and physical fitness in children with obesity: a cross-sectional study.

Unlabelled: Given the growing relevance of physical fitness for cardiometabolic health in children with obesity and the rising prevalence of MetS, this study aimed to explore the relationship between physical fitness and MetS. Specifically, the goal was to assess the relationship between physical fitness and the severity of MetS, as measured by the MetS risk score, and to evaluate the importance of each dimension as a potential indicator of metabolic health in the pediatric population. We consecutively recruited a total of 62 children and adolescents (aged 7-17 years) with obesity (BMI z-score > 2SD).

Strength in Decline? Strength Performance's Secular Trends of Italian Middle School Children.

Gatti, A, Giuriato, M, Pirazzi, A, Vandoni, M, Pellino, VC, and Lovecchio, N. Strength in decline? Strength performance's secular trends of Italian middle school children. J Strength Cond Res 39(6): e742-e748, 2025-It is well known that there is a concerning decline in overall physical fitness (PF) levels among youth.

Metabolic improvement after exercise training in children with obesity: Possible role of the six-minute walking test.

The aims of this study are to evaluate the effectiveness of an online supervised training program in modulating lipid and glucose metabolism in children with obesity and to investigate the possible role of the 6-minute walking test (6MWT) as a predictor of metabolic improvement. A total of 35 Caucasian children with obesity (aged 8-13) were enrolled in the study and tested before (T0) and after (T1) a 12-week online supervised exercise training protocol: cardiovascular fitness (by means of 6MWT), metabolic biochemical profile, lifestyle (with ad hoc questionnaires focusing on physical activity, nutrition, sedentariness, sleep hours and quality, health perception) and Cardiac Autonomic Regulation (CAR) were assessed. Spearman correlations between the variations in the studied outcomes were explored.

Visceral Adiposity, Anthropometric and Liver Function Indexes for Identifying Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) in Adolescents with Obesity: Which Performs Better?

Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is the accumulation of fat in the liver without excessive alcohol consumption or other known liver diseases. MASLD is the most common liver disease in adolescents with obesity. The aims of this study were as follows: (i) to determine which index (waist circumference BMI, WHtR, VAI, METS-IR, METS-VF, HSI, FLI, or MetS_zscore) best explains the prevalence of MASLD in adolescents with obesity; (ii) to determine whether there was a specific index that was most strongly associated with MASLD; (iii) to assess which liver function indexes were most strongly correlated with MASLD.

A Tele-Coaching Pilot Study: An Innovative Approach to Enhance Motor Skills in Adolescents With Down Syndrome.

Background: Limited knowledge exists regarding the effectiveness of training programmes for individuals with Down syndrome, particularly innovative approaches like tele-coaching. Our pilot study aimed to improve strength and balance using tele-coaching sessions in children with Down syndrome.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 18 children and adolescents (aged 9-17 years) with Down syndrome.

From Pregnancy to Breastfeeding: The Role of Maternal Exercise in Preventing Childhood Obesity.

Low adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy and lactation is strongly associated with a higher risk of childhood obesity. This narrative review aims to elucidate and summarize the pivotal role played by physical activity (PA) during pregnancy and breastfeeding, highlighting the potential mechanisms linking PA in these periods to the prevention of childhood obesity. Maternal exercise during pregnancy and breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of childhood obesity by enhancing fetal metabolism, supporting healthy maternal weight management, and promoting improved breastfeeding practices.

Effects of a Tele-Prehabilitation Program with Indirect Electrostimulation Compared to Home-Based Exercise in Patients Eligible for Lower Limb Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

: Hip and knee arthroplasty relieves pain, restores mobility, and improves function in severe joint damage, though pain and strength loss may persist post-surgery. Better pre-surgery function and activity predict improved arthroplasty outcomes. Prehabilitation programs enhance functional abilities, reducing hospitalization duration, and lowering peri-surgery complication risks.

Temporal Trends of Linear Speed and Change of Direction Performance in Italian Children.

Children tend to enjoy high-intensity activities that involve both linear speed (LS) and change of direction (COD), essential for sports performance. However, the results of trends in LS and COD have not been consistent over time. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the temporal trends in LS and COD performance among 11-13 year old Italian children/preadolescents over 25 years, while minimizing the effect of anthropometric characteristics.

Health-Related Field-Based Fitness Tests: Normative Values for Italian Primary School Children.

conducting fitness tests in educational settings can lead to advantages for both individuals and groups, beyond just enhancing fitness. With the aim of appropriately interpreting performance, this study was conducted to establish sex- and age-specific percentile normative data for a physical fitness (PF) protocol and to define a compound measure of physical performance. In this cross-sectional study, a short, feasible, and easy-to-administer test battery was performed for 5106 school children, aged 6-10 years.

How Can Promoting Skeletal Muscle Health and Exercise in Children and Adolescents Prevent Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes?

Skeletal muscle secretome, through its paracrine and endocrine functions, contributes to the maintenance and regulation of overall physiological health. We conducted a narrative review on the role of skeletal muscle and exercise in maintaining glucose homeostasis, driving insulin resistance (IR), and preventing type 2 diabetes in pediatric populations, especially in the context of overweight and obesity. Myokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-15, as well as irisin, myonectin, and myostatin, appear to play a crucial role in IR.

Menstrual Dysfunction in Adolescent Female Athletes.

Despite the benefits of exercise on mental and physical health, excessive training loads can lead to health problems in the long term, including a wide spectrum of menstrual dysfunction (MD). This narrative review aims to analyze the relationship between physical exercise and MD in adolescent female athletes to support regular menstrual health monitoring and promote educational programs on reproductive risks. When dealing with MD in young athletes, several factors entangled with maturation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis should be considered.

Are incremental exercise relationships between rating of perceived exertion and oxygen uptake or heart rate reserve valid during steady-state exercises?

Background: Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is considered a valid method for prescribing prolonged aerobic steady-state exercise (SSE) intensity due to its association with physiological indicators of exercise intensity, such as oxygen uptake (V̇O) or heart rate (HR). However, these associations between psychological and physiological indicators of exercise intensity were found during graded exercise tests (GXT) but are currently used to prescribe SSE intensity even though the transferability and validity of the relationships found during GXT to SSE were not investigated. The present study aims to verify whether (a) RPE-HR or RPE-V̇O relations found during GXTs are valid during SSEs, and (b) the duration and intensity of SSE affect these relations.

Poor Motor Competence Affects Functional Capacities and Healthcare in Children and Adolescents with Obesity.

Background: From a young age, children learn different motor skills known as fundamental motor skills. The acquisition of these skills is crucial for the future development of context-tailored actions that could improve adherence to physical activity (PA) practice. Motor competence and function deficits have been associated with pediatric obesity.

Is change of direction influenced by motor competencies? A possible response from a MOBAK-based study in Italian schoolchildren.

Background: Change of direction (COD) ability requires higher motor control capacity and helps children improve individual motor skills. Likewise, basic motor competencies (BMC) are relevant during child maturation and may interleave with COD ability. This study aimed to investigate the possible individual determinants between the COD ability and the BMC, cognitive skills, and anthropometrics characteristics in Italian primary school children aged 6 to 11.

Motor Skills and Executive Functions in Pediatric Patients with Down Syndrome: A Challenge for Tailoring Physical Activity Interventions.

Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common chromosomal disorders. In addition to this variety of dysmorphic features. DS is also associated with a wide range of diseases and related comorbidities affecting different organs and systems.

Do maturation, anthropometrics and leg muscle qualities influence repeated change of direction performance in adolescent boys and girls?

The ability to change direction rapidly is a key fitness quality especially in invasive sports where young players perform approximately 300 changes of direction in a game. There is currently limited understanding of how anthropometric characteristics and maturation status influence change of direction ability in adolescent. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to assess the influence of anthropometrics and maturation status on change of direction ability in young people.

Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey and Evaluation for Public Health.

Regular physical activity (PA) and healthy nutrition are effective strategies to improve crucial modifiable lifestyle factors that affect health status, both in healthy people and in special populations suffering from metabolic disorders [...

Unraveling Barriers to a Healthy Lifestyle: Understanding Barriers to Diet and Physical Activity in Patients with Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases.

Although the important contribution of nutrition and physical activity to people's health is known, it is equally well known that there are many barriers to adherence to healthy habits (i.e., of an organizational, economic, and/or psychological nature) experienced by the general population, as well as by people with non-communicable diseases.

International fitness scale (IFIS): association with motor performance in children with obesity.

Background: Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health; and compared with their normal-weight peers, these individuals tend to have a lower level of self-confidence, and consequently lower physical activity adherence. Due to these self-perceived barriers, the aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of an online training program on self-reported physical fitness (SRPF) in children with obesity (OB).

Methods: A total of 32 children with OB carried out physical fitness (PF) tests and were asked to complete the International Fitness Enjoyment Scale (IFIS) questionnaire.

Pneumatic Compression Combined with Standard Treatment after Total Hip Arthroplasty and Its Effects on Edema of the Operated Limb and on Physical Outcomes: A Pilot Clinical Randomized Controlled Study.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful orthopedic procedures and is highly effective at improving function and quality of life. However, patients commonly experience edema immediately after hospitalization and also after discharge, which can lead to health consequences and a lower quality of life. For these reasons, the aim of this study (NCT05312060) was to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific intermittent leg pneumatic compression on lower limb edema and physical outcomes in patients after total hip arthroplasty, compared to standard conservative treatment.

Exergames to Limit Weight Gain and to Fight Sedentarism in Children and Adolescents with Obesity.

Exergames are defined as digital games that require bodily movements to play, stimulating an active gaming experience to function as a form of physical activity (PA). The players interact with the game through whole-body movements improving energy expenditure. Exergames may be effective in improving physical and psychological aspects of children and adolescents with obesity.