Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Physics”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,477 records · Page 82Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Physical activity enhances long-term quality of life in older adults: efficacy, esteem, and affective influences.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity has been effective in enhancing quality of life (QOL) of older adults over relatively short periods of time. However, little is known about the long-term effects of physical activity and even less about the possible mediators of this relationship. PURPOSE: We examined the mediating effects of psychological variables on the relationship between physical activity and global QOL (satisfaction with life) in older adults over a 4-year period. METHODS: Participants (N = 174, M age = 66.7 years) completed a battery of psychosocial measures at 1 and 5 years following enrollment in a 6-month randomized controlled exercise trial. RESULTS: Panel analysis conducted within a covariance modeling framework indicated that physical activity was related to self-efficacy, physical self-esteem, and positive affect at 1 year, and in turn, greater levels of self-efficacy and positive affect were associated with higher levels of QOL. Analyses indicated that changes in physical activity over the 4-year period were related to increases in physical self-esteem and positive affect, but only positive affect directly influenced improvements in QOL. CONCLUSIONS: The findings lend support to the position that physical activity effects on QOL are in part mediated by intermediate psychological outcomes and that physical activity can have long-term effects on well-being.

Affect↗
PubMed2006

Attitudes toward the physical examination: a comparison of U.S. and Dominican medical students.

BACKGROUND: Little information exists regarding whether medical students learning in relatively resource-scarce countries develop greater confidence in their physical examination skills or whether, compared to U.S. medical students, they have more positive attitudes regarding the utility of the physical examination. PURPOSE: To compare U.S. And Dominican medical students' attitudes toward the physical examination. METHODS: We surveyed final-year students at 1 medical school in the United States and 1 in the Dominican Republic regarding self-confidence in and perceived utility of the physical examination. Using 5-point Likert-type scales with response choices ranging from 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (very confident) and 1 (not at all useful) to 5 (very useful), respondents reported their attitudes toward the physical examination overall and toward 14 specific physical examination skills. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 117/164 (71%). Students at the Dominican school, compared to students at the U.S. school, reported significantly greater confidence in their overall physical examination skill (mean response 4.27 vs. 3.79, respectively, p < .001) and more positive views about the utility of the physical examination overall for providing diagnostically useful information (mean response 4.78 vs. 4.42, respectively, p < .001). Results for the specific skills also showed more positive attitudes in the students from the Dominican medical school. CONCLUSIONS: Students at a Dominican medical school reported more positive attitudes toward the physical examination than students at a U.S. medical school.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Age and temporal trends of total physical activity in Swedish men.

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Despite a large public health interest in physical activity and its role in obesity and other chronic diseases, only few reports to date have addressed total levels and trends of physical activity. We have studied in a cross-sectional setting with a retrospective recall of physical activity an association of levels of total physical activity and different types of activities with age and with calendar-time. METHODS: In a population-based study of 33,466 men aged 45-79 yr in central Sweden, information on physical activity and other lifestyle factors was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Level of total activity at ages 15, 30, and 50 yr was assessed quantitatively, based on six questions on different activities: work/occupation, housework, walking/bicycling, exercise, inactive leisure time, and sleeping. The physical activity levels were measured as metabolic equivalents, MET-hours per days. RESULTS: Total daily physical activity decreased at age 30 yr (-1.6%, 95% CI: -1.7, -1.4) and at age 50 yr (-3.9%, 95% CI: -4.0, -3.7) compared with age 15 yr. Total physical activity decreased over a period of 60 yr in all three separate age groups (-9.1% among 15-yr-olds, 95% CI: -9.8, -8.5; -2.3% among 30-yr-olds 95% CI: -3.0, -1.6; and -2.9% among 50-yr-olds, 95% CI: -3.4, -2.5). CONCLUSION: These negative trends in physical activity observed by age and with time might explain the trends in increasing prevalence of obesity.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

What goes well with physics? Measuring and altering the image of science.

BACKGROUND: In view of the shortage of students majoring in science, we examined the image of physics in terms of students' implicit, automatic associations with physics. AIMS: To describe the specific image of physics that might alienate students (difficulty, masculinity, heteronomy) and test an intervention for altering the image. SAMPLES: In Study 1 the sample consisted of 63 school students (11th grade) and in Study 2 the sample consisted of 71 undergraduates. METHODS: Study 1 measured participants' implicit associations between physics (relative to English) and the image dimensions of difficulty, masculinity and heteronomy, implicit attitudes towards and identification with physics using latency data (Implicit Association Test; IAT) and explicit attitudes using a questionnaire. Study 2 was an experimental treatment that required reading a text (treatment group) that emphasized the importance of discourse and creativity for science versus a school textbook for physics (control group). DEPENDENT VARIABLES: implicit attitudes (IAT). RESULTS: Students in Study 1 associated physics (relative to English) more easily with words referring to difficulty (than to ease), to males (than to females), to heteronomy (than to self-realization), to unpleasantness (relative to pleasant words) and to others (relative to words referring to self). The three image aspects of difficulty, masculinity and heteronomy predicted explicit attitudes. Participants in the treatment group in Study 2 showed a significant reduction of the IAT effects compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that students' negative explicit attitudes towards physics coincide with negative implicit associations about physics. An intervention addressing the alteration of implicit associations proved to be fruitful. Implications for science education are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Physical education for deaf students.

An ideal physical education program would be one that focuses on aspects leading to lifelong participation in and enjoyment of physical activity accompanied by appropriate fitness levels. Often, physical education classes are the only physical activity that many children receive throughout the day, and without them, an even greater number of children, including those who are deaf, would be prone to aspects associated with sedentary lifestyles. Schools need to involve their students in daily physical education classes. The emphasis of such a program should be placed on promoting physical fitness and developing skills that lead to a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity and healthy lifestyles. This paper reviews the literature on the state of physical fitness among deaf students and describes an exemplary physical education program that was implemented at a school for deaf children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Associations of physical activity and calcium intake with bone mass and size in healthy women at different ages.

Weight-bearing exercise and calcium intake are known to contribute to bone density. However, the relative significance of physical activity and calcium intake in the development of bone characteristics in functionally different weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing bone sites at different ages is poorly known. A total of 422 women in three age groups (25-30, 40-45, and 60-65 years) were screened from 1017 women and divided into four groups by their level of physical activity (high [PA+] and low [PA-]) and calcium intake (high [Ca+] and low [Ca-]). Total body bone mineral content (TBBMC), areal bone mineral density (BMD) of the femoral neck and distal radius, and selected dimensions and estimated strength variables (bone width, cortical wall thickness, cross-sectional moment of inertia, and section modulus of the femoral and radial shafts) were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Both high physical activity and high calcium intake were associated with a higher TBBMC when compared with low activity and calcium intake (1.8% and 4.6%, respectively). The BMD of the weight-bearing femoral neck was 5% higher in the PA+ groups than in the PA- groups, whereas calcium intake showed no such significant association. Neither physical activity nor calcium intake was associated with the BMD of the nonweight-bearing radius. However, both high physical activity and high calcium intake were related to larger and mechanically more competent bones in the femoral and radial shafts, the association for physical activity being stronger with increasing age. No significant interaction between physical activity and calcium intake was found with respect to any of the bone variables. These data from a cross-sectional study suggest that a moderate level of physical activity or a sufficient level of calcium intake, if maintained from childhood, can result in considerable long-term improvement in the mechanical competence of the skeleton. The clinical relevance of these findings is further emphasized by the fact that the observed patterns of physical activity and calcium intake pertain to customary lifestyle and are thus feasible targets for the primary prevention of osteoporosis.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2005

Adiposity of elderly women and its relationship with self-reported and observed physical performance.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a societal trend toward increasing obesity and a natural tendency for physical performance to decrease with age. Our purpose was to describe the adiposity of elderly women participating in a health screening and to determine the relationship between their adiposity and both observed and self-reported physical performance. METHODS: Subjects were 104 communitydwelling elderly women (74.9+/-7.5 years). Their adiposity was described using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio. Physical performance was characterized using timed sit-to-stand, unilateral standing, 25-foot walk and the Physical Functioning subscale of the SF-36. Habitual activity was summarized as the number of daily hours patients estimated they spent moving about on their feet. RESULTS: The majority of women had excessive adiposity. Greater adiposity was associated with worse physical performance. Both Pearson correlations and multiple regression revealed BMI to be significantly predictive of all physical performance measures. Age added to the explanation of walking time and unilateral stance time. Time moving about contributed to the explanation of self-reported physical functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity should be documented as part of the physical therapist examination of elderly women. It may be an appropriate target of intervention if physical performance is limited.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1982

Changes in the FDP (fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products) value under mental and physical stress. I. Changes in FDP and other indices of physio-biochemical effects of stress loaded on volleyball players during training.

It has been known that CA change during physical exercises and associate with dynamic aspects of the coagulation fibrinolysis system of the blood. Therefore, we studied fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) under physical exercises together with LDH, CPK, LA, CRE, Na, K and P. 1) College students of Department of Education majoring in sciences of physical education significantly increased activities of CPK and LDH during the training for volleyball games compared with the pre-training values. This increment was remarkable for those who exercised hard, that is, who were loaded with large physical stress. 2) Changes in LA were included in the range of its normal values. Freshmen who had not been trained much and consequently whose adaptability for physical stress was insufficient increased the LA level significantly relative to the pre-training level. 3) Although changes in P were included in the range of its normal values, significant increase was observed by physical stress. Examinations by individual disclosed that a tendency of changes in P was similar to that in CPK and FDP. 4) The tendency of changes in FDP agreed with that in CPK and P and an increase was observed for those who were loaded with large physical stress. It was further observed that especially for those who were loaded with large mental stress together with physical stress the increase in FDP was evident. Therefore, it has been suggested that FDP can be used as an index of biotic effects of not only physical stress but also mental stress.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Physical fitness assessment: an update.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) gives the following definition of health-related physical fitness: Physical fitness is defined as a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical activity. It is also characterized by (1) an ability to perform daily activities with vigor, and (2) a demonstration of traits and capacities that are associated with a low risk of premature development of hypokinetic diseases (e.g., those associated with physical inactivity). Information from an individual's health and medical records can be combined with information from physical fitness assessment to meet the specific health goals and rehabilitative needs of that individual. Attaining adequate informed consent from participants prior to exercise testing is mandatory because of ethical and legal considerations.A physical fitness assessment includes measures of body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular fitness, and musculoskeletal flexibility. The three common techniques for assessing body composition are hydrostatic weighing, and skinfold measurements, and anthropometric measurements. Cardiorespiratory endurance is a crucial component of physical fitness assessment because of its strong correlation with health and health risks. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is the traditionally accepted criterion for measuring cardiorespiratory endurance. Although maximal-effort tests must be used to measure VO2max, submaximal exercise can be used to estimate this value. Muscular fitness has historically been used to describe an individual's integrated status of muscular strength and muscular endurance. An individual's muscular strength is specific to a particular muscle or muscle group and refers to the maximal force (N or kg) that the muscle or muscle group can generate. Dynamic strength can be assessed by measuring the movement of an individual's body against an external load. Isokinetic testing may be performed by assessing the muscle tension generated throughout a range of motion at a constant angular velocity. The ability of a muscle group to perform repeated contractions over a specific period of time that is sufficient to cause fatigue is termed muscular endurance. Musculoskeletal flexibility evaluations focus on the joints and associated structures, ligaments, and muscles that cross the joints. The sit-and-reach test and the behind-the-back reach test satisfy many of the criteria for physical assessment of musculoskeletal flexibility. A physical fitness assessment must be integrated into all activities of daily living, as well as the physician's examination, to assess and promote health.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2002

Factors affecting levels of physical activity in adults.

A large proportion of adults in Western cultures are physically inactive, despite several decades of warnings about the potentially negative health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. Efforts to promote physical activity have focused on identifying its determinants and designing interventions that might effectively promote regular physical activity. The multitude of factors that induce adults to initiate and maintain programmes of physical activity have been divided into those that are invariable (age, gender, race, ethnicity) and those that are presumed to be modifiable (behavioural and personality characteristics, environmental circumstances and community settings). The lack of consistency in the design, analysis and reporting of interventions in the lives of inactive or sedentary individuals has produced equivocal results. However, several social and environmental factors have systematically emerged as determinants of physical activity in adults. In ethnic minorities, the removal of barriers such as unaffordable facilities and unavailable childcare, high crime rates, fear for personal safety and culturally inappropriate activities are of primary importance. Social support from family, peers, communities and healthcare providers has resulted in modest improvements across cultures, ages and genders in selected settings, but the definition of specific interventions and their outcomes deserve additional attention. Longitudinal studies indicate that components of physical fitness are relatively transitory, with low to modest correlations between physical activity and measures of physical fitness in childhood and adolescence and in adulthood. Attempts to explain the activity behaviour of adults by applying various theories in programmes of intervention have also produced mixed results. Successful interventions tailor programmes to individual needs, account for personal levels of fitness, allow for personal control of the activity and its outcomes, and provide for social support by family, peers and communities. The initiation and maintenance of regular physical activity in adults depends on a multitude of biological and sociocultural variables that demand attention across the lifespan.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The validity of nursery teachers' report on the physical activity of young children.

This study examined the validity of nursery teachers' report on the physical activity of young children. Subjects were twenty-one children aged 3 to 4 years (12 boys and 9 girls) at a nursery in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Children were equipped with the Actiwatch (Mini-mitter Company Inc.) activity monitor and the Caloriecounter Select II (Kenz, Co, Ltd) for three consecutive weekdays to assess their daily physical activity levels. Nursery teachers completed a questionnaire containing questions on children's activity level during the measurement periods at the nursery. The results showed that subjects with a high frequency of physical activity were significantly associated with an increasing trend in total energy expenditure and activity counts per day. Children whose physical activity was rated as "very often" had a significantly higher activity level per day from the Actiwatch instrument, compared with peers whose physical activity was rated as "not often" (570.5 +/- 192.8 counts vs. 334.9 +/- 123.4 counts, p < 0.05). Regarding energy expenditure originating from physical activity and steps per day from the Caloriecounter, a significant difference was found between "very active" children and "inactive" children as rated by the nursery teachers (140.7 +/- 17.5 kcal vs. 78.2 +/- 17.4 kcal, p < 0.05; 16103 +/- 1896 steps vs. 10038 +/- 32 steps, p < 0.05). This study indicates that children's physical activity level as reported by their teachers in nursery surroundings is in accordance with the objective data from the Actiwatch and the Caloriecounter. The results suggest that nursery teachers' respondent for children in physical activity may be used as a valid measure to evaluate young children's physical activity levels, especially in nursery setting.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed2006

Identification of intervention categories for physical therapy, based on the international classification of functioning, disability and health: a Delphi exercise.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Disability or limitations in human functioning are universal experiences that concern all people. Physical therapists aim to improve functioning and prevent disability. With the approval of the new International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), we can now rely on a globally recognized framework and classification to be used in different health care situations by all health care professionals in multidisciplinary teams. The objective of this study was to identify ICF categories that describe the most relevant and common patient problems managed by physical therapists in acute, rehabilitation, and community health care situations taking into account 3 major groups of health conditions: musculoskeletal, neurological, and internal. SUBJECTS: The subjects were physical therapists who were identified as possible participants by the heads of physical therapy departments who were members of the Swiss Association of Physical Therapy Department Heads or who were recruited from the membership of the Swiss Association of Physiotherapy. METHODS: A consensus-building, 3-round, electronic-mail survey with 9 groups of physical therapists was conducted using the Delphi technique. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-three physical therapists participated in at least one round of the Delphi exercise. They had consensus levels of 80% or higher for categories in all ICF components (Body Functions, Body Structures, Activities and Participation, and Environmental Factors 1 and 2). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study is a first step toward identifying a list of intervention categories relevant for physical therapy according to the ICF. The ICF, designed as a common language for multidisciplinary use, is also a very helpful framework for defining the core competence for the physical therapy profession.

Delphi Technique↗
PubMed1999

The effect of physical activity and fitness on specific antibody production in college students.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of moderate physical activity/fitness on the immune response to a defined antigen, in particular, the hemagglutinin-inhibition response to the H1 (A/Texas/36/91) and H3 (A/Johannesburg/33/94) components of the 1995-96 Influenza virus vaccine. METHODS: Sixty-seven volunteers 18-30 years of age (mean 21.1 + 2.3) participated in the study. Physical activity was assessed using the Stanford 7-Day Recall Questionnaire, physical fitness (VO2max) was predicted based on graded submaximal cycle ergometry. Participants were divided into six groups (lower-active/fit, moderate active/fit, and higher active/fit), based on their scores on the 7-Day Recall Questionnaire or predicted VO2max, respectively. Plasma samples were collected prior to, one, two, four, and six weeks post vaccination. A total of four separate repeated measures ANOVA were utilized to evaluate the effect of physical fitness and physical activity on the immune response to the H1 and H3 components of the vaccine. RESULTS: As expected, for both antigens, titers significantly increased after vaccination, with the highest titers found on week four (H1) and week six (H3), respectively. However, for both antigens, there was no difference between groups and no significant interaction. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed no significant effect of physical fitness or physical activity on the production of specific antibody in the range of physical fitness and physical activity found within this group of college students.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Physical therapy for a patient in acute respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The main indications for physical therapy for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are excessive pulmonary secretions or atelectasis. Timely physical therapy interventions may improve gas exchange and reverse pathological progression, thereby curtailing or avoiding artificial ventilation. The purpose of this case report is to illustrate 24-hour availability of physical therapy for a patient with acute respiratory failure. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient was a 66-year-old man who was admitted to an ICU for acute respiratory failure. Intensive physical therapy, based on Dean's physiologic treatment hierarchy for treatment of patients with impaired oxygen transport, consisted of upright body positioning, mobilization and exercise, and active cycles of breathing techniques every 2 hours for the first 12 hours he was in the ICU. OUTCOMES: In total, the patient received 11 physical therapy sessions over his 48-hour stay in the ICU (6 sessions on day 1 and 5 sessions on day 2). Arterial oxygenation improved markedly with radiographic resolution of infiltrates, and planned endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation were avoided. DISCUSSION: This patient with acute respiratory failure received physical therapy in a timely manner afforded by 24-hour access to physical therapy. The intensive physical therapy might be more cost-effective than if the patient had been managed with intubation and mechanical ventilation. Patients in ICUs who have excessive pulmonary secretions or atelectasis may benefit from access to physical therapy 24 hours a day.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

The economic burden of physical inactivity in Canada.

BACKGROUND: About two-thirds of Canadians are physically inactive. As a risk factor for several chronic diseases, physical inactivity can potentially be a substantial public health burden. We estimated the direct health care costs attributable to physical inactivity in Canada, the number of lives lost prematurely each year that are attributable to a sedentary lifestyle and the effect that a reduction of 10% in inactivity levels (a Canadian objective for 2003) could have on reducing direct health care costs. METHODS: We calculated summary relative risk (RR) estimates from prospective longitudinal studies of the effects of physical inactivity on coronary artery disease, stroke, colon cancer, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis. We then computed the population-attributable fraction (PAF) for each illness from the summary RR and the prevalence of physical inactivity (i.e., 62%) and applied the PAF to the total direct health care expenditures for 1999 and to the number of deaths in 1995 associated with each disease to determine the health care costs and lives lost prematurely that were directly attributable to physical inactivity. RESULTS: About $2.1 billion, or 2.5% of the total direct health care costs in Canada, were attributable to physical inactivity in 1999. A sensitivity analysis (simultaneously varying each of the health care costs and PAF by +/- 20%) indicated that the costs could be as low as $1.4 billion and as high as $3.1 billion. About 21,000 lives were lost prematurely in 1995 because of inactivity. A 10% reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity has the potential to reduce direct health care expenditures by $150 million a year. INTERPRETATION: Physical inactivity represents an important public health burden in Canada. Even modest reductions in inactivity levels could result in substantial cost savings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Evaluating physical therapists' perception of empowerment using Kanter's theory of structural power in organizations.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Little is known about physical therapists' perceptions of empowerment. In this study, Kanter's theory of structural power in organizations was used to examine physical therapists' perceptions of empowerment in a large Canadian urban teaching hospital. Kanter's theory, which has been studied extensively in the nursing profession, proposes that power in organizations is derived from access to information, support, resources, opportunity, and proportions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of physical therapists who had been working in the hospital longer than 3 months was used to determine the scores for the physical therapists' ratings of empowerment using the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire. RESULTS: Physical therapists' scores were similar to reported staff nurses' scores for access to support, information, resources, and opportunity (mean=2.89, 2.91, 2.62, 3.25, respectively). Physical therapists' scores were higher than the majority of reported staff nurses' and nurse managers' scores for access to sources of informal and formal power structures (mean=2.81 and 3.29, respectively). There was a relationship between the empowerment score and the physical therapists' global rating of empowerment. Unlike studies of nurses, there were no relationships when demographic attributes and empowerment scores were examined. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Evidence for the validity of Kanter's theory of empowerment was found. Kanter's theory can provide physical therapists and their managers with a useful framework for examining critical organizational factors (access to information, support, opportunity, and resources) that contribute to employees' perceptions of empowerment. A baseline measure for comparing future empowerment scores of this sample is available. Further work to examine the application of Kanter's theory to other samples of physical therapists appears to be warranted.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2001

[Physical activity and health--recommendations].

BACKGROUND: The health consequences of physical inactivity and the health gains of regular physical activity are briefly summarized. We present physical activity recommendations based on a review of the literature for the general adult population. METHODS: This report employs recognised international standards for establishing causal relationships between physical activity and disease, distinguishing between four different levels: Convincing, probable, possible and insufficient evidence. Convincing or probable evidence have provided the basis for the recommendations given. RESULTS: The total amount of physical activity (a combination of intensity, duration and frequency) is related to a number of health variables in a dose-response relationship. The preventive effect (the health gain) increases with increasing activity level, but the relationship is not linear. The greatest health gains are attained by those who are least physically fit. This applies even in old age. The health gain seems primarily to be dependent on the total energy expenditure, and less on the intensity. The dose-response relationship between physical activity levels and health gains is a continuum that does not seem to have a lower limit. Thus, any activity can be said to be better than none. INTERPRETATION: We conclude that a minimum "target dose" that will yield substantial health gains for those who have been physically inactive for a long time, is activity of moderate intensity which corresponds to an energy expenditure of approximately 150 kcal (630 kJ) per day (or slightly more than 1,000 kcal (4.2 MJ) per week). This is equivalent to a daily walk of about 30 minutes. The activity can be divided into shorter intervals of physical activity during the course of the day, for instance intervals lasting 5-10 minutes. An increase in activity beyond this level will yield further health gains. The effect of exercise is just as good for older people as for younger people, and the same recommendations apply as to other adults.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Effect of a program of moderate physical activity on mental stress-induced increase in energy expenditure in obese women.

BACKGROUND: Energy restriction and physical activity are major components of weight reduction programs. Energy restriction is known to affect the sympathetic nervous system activity and to reduce several components of energy expenditure, including the stimulation of energy expenditure elicited by mental stress. The effect of physical activity on this parameter remains unknown. METHODS: This study was designed to assess the effect of physical training on the stimulation of energy expenditure during mental stress. Seven obese women (age 33 +/- 3 years, BMI 34.9 +/- 1.4 kg/m(2)) were studied before and after a 6 week program of aquagym (2 sessions of 50 min/week). Energy expenditure was measured by means of indirect calorimetry under hyperinsulinemic conditions before and during a 30 min mental stress. O(2) max was measured before and after physical training by means of the test of Balke. RESULTS: O(2) max was 23.4 ml/kg/min before physical training, and increased to 26.1 ml/kg/min at the completion of the training program (p<0.05). Body weight, resting energy expenditure and insulin-mediated glucose disposal [oxidative and non oxidative] were not modified after training. Mental stress increased energy expenditure by 12.3% before physical training (p<0.002 vs resting conditions) and by 12.6% after physical training (p<0.003 vs resting conditions, NS vs before physical training). CONCLUSION: Physical training per se does not alter the stimulation of energy expenditure induced by mental stress.

Adult↗