Personal best marathon time and longest training run, not anthropometry, predict performance in recreational 24-hour ultrarunners

In recent studies, a relationship between both low body fat and low thicknesses of selected skinfolds has been demonstrated for running performance of distances from 100 m to the marathon but not in ultramarathon. We investigated the association of anthropometric and training characteristics with race performance in 63 male recreational ultrarunners in a 24-hour run using bi and multivariate analysis. The athletes achieved an average distance of 146.1 (43.1) km. In the bivariate analysis, body mass (r = -0.25), the sum of 9 skinfolds (r = -0.32), the sum of upper body skinfolds (r = -0.34), body fat percentage (r = -0.32), weekly kilometers ran (r = 0.31), longest training session before the 24-hour run (r = 0.56), and personal best marathon time (r = -0.58) were related to race performance. Stepwise multiple regression showed that both the longest training session before the 24-hour run (p = 0.0013) and the personal best marathon time (p = 0.0015) had the best correlation with race performance. Performance in these 24-hour runners may be predicted (r2 = 0.46) by the following equation: Performance in a 24-hour run, km) = 234.7 + 0.481 (longest training session before the 24-hour run, km) - 0.594 (personal best marathon time, minutes). For practical applications, training variables such as volume and intensity were associated with performance but not anthropometric variables. To achieve maximum kilometers in a 24-hour run, recreational ultrarunners should have a personal best marathon time of ～3 hours 20 minutes and complete a long training run of ～60 km before the race, whereas anthropometric characteristics such as low body fat or low skinfold thicknesses showed no association with performance.     

Smoking habits of men and women.

The smoking habits of 1501 cigarette smokers attending 28 general practitioners in five group practices in London were assessed. Prevalence of smoking, daily cigarette consumption, and the use of cigars, untipped cigarettes, and hand-rolled cigarettes were lower in the women. After controlling for consumption the proportions of men and women who smoked every day were similar. Women who smoked 20 or more a day were similar to men in their self-reported inhaling habits and use of low-nicotine cigarettes. The results suggest that women differ from men in those aspects of smoking that are determined predominantly by social factors but that their smoking habits become similar when pharmacological motivation takes over. This apparently occurs when consumption reaches about 20 cigarettes a day, when smoking almost inevitably becomes a regular event and the sex differences disappear.     

Rats’ use of geometric, featural and orientation cues to locate a hidden goal

Over the past 20 years, a great deal of research has examined how different animals can use the geometric properties of the environment to determine their heading. Less well studied is how rats use the geometric properties of an environment to navigate, or determine the location, when it is not necessary to establish heading. Specifically, it is unclear to what extent rats still rely on geometric cues when they are not disoriented. In the current study, rats were trained to find food in one corner of a rectangular environment under either oriented or disoriented conditions. Probe tests placed geometric, featural and orientation cues in conflict. Results showed that featural cues exerted little control over the rats’ search preferences. All rats, whether trained while oriented or trained while disoriented, used geometric cues when these were the only cues available. Rats trained in the disoriented condition preferred geometric cues to orientation cues, whereas rats trained in the oriented condition showed more equal preference for orientation and geometric cues.     

Socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle habits of pregnant women smokers

The aim of this study was to describe anthropometric, clinical, socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle habits of pregnant smokers in comparison to pregnant nonsmokers. During years 1999-2003, 1,435 pregnant smokers and 4,772 pregnant nonsmokers were interviewed after delivery with a questionnaire. They were recorded clinical, anthropometric and socio-demographic data, smoking status, labor outcome, maternal and fetal hemoglobin concentrations for each patient. The two groups were comparable in anthropometric and clinical characteristics, duration of pregnancy and mode of delivery, except for birth weights, which were significantly lower in newborns of smokers. Maternal hemoglobin concentrations were significantly lower in smokers, but fetal hemoglobin concentrations were significantly higher in babies of smokers. The proportion of pregnant women who smoked during pregnancy was higher among urban women, among women with lower educational level and among unemployed subjects in comparison with nonsmokers. The pregnant women who smoked during pregnancy were more often caffeine and alcohol consumers. To further reduce smoking during pregnancy it is important to continue to promote smoking cessation among teenagers.     

Epibiont habitation patterns and their implications for life habits and orientation among trigoniid bivalves

The bivalve superfamily Trigoniacea has persisted from the Late Paleozoic to the Recent. Late Jurassic and terminal Cretaceous mass extinctions decimated this once-dominant group in shallow marine facies; only a single genus with seven species survives today in the Austral Province. Trigoniacea retain a vestigial byssus and primitive but efficient schizodont dentition. They have been widely considered as infaunal bivalves, burrowing with a very large foot to shallow depths, with inhalant and exhalant apertures at or slightly below the sediment-water interface (SWI). Yet the Trigoniacea are poorly adapted for this life habit. The mantle in living species is unfused and non-siphonate, and some fossil Trigoniacea have permanent shell gapes over these apertures, enhancing the probability of sediment fouling of feeding and respiratory structures. Some living Neotrigonia , e.g., N. margaritacea , solve this problem by having a semi-infaunal life habit, with the inhalant and exhalant apertures elevated above the SWI and the zone of active sediment transport. Semi-infaunal species commonly have epibionts cohabiting the exposed posterior-posteroventral portion of the shell. Numerous well-preserved species of South American Mesozoic Trigoniacea have phototropically and geotropically oriented epibionts on co-attached valves, strongly suggesting a semi-infaunal life mode for at least some members of these taxa. These shell symbionts allow orientation of extinct trigoniid shells relative to the SWI during life, as well as analysis of their depth of burial. Careful analyses of the kinds, size classes, orientation, and dispersion of various epibionts on fossil Trigoniacea thus yield important new information on their life habits, and demonstrate that semi-infaunal life modes were far more common than previously supposed.     

Prostaglandin metabolism in relation to the bowel habits of women

A relationship between the menstrual cycle, changes of bowel habits and concentrations of plasma prostaglandin (PG)E2, PGF2 alpha, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and thromboxane (TX)B2 in 3 groups of 8 women with different bowel habit were determined. The concentrations of PGE2, PGF2 alpha and TXB2 were significantly higher in the group who had bowel habits smoother than usual at menses compared to those who had experienced constipation throughout cycle or at menses. However, no differences between at mid-cycle and at menses were observed in the groups who had experienced constipation. These results suggest that constipation of young women is related to the inherited inability of patients to synthesize and secrete PGs in plasma and possibly in small intestine.     

Dietary habits and folate status in women of childbearing age in Croatia

Folic acid and folates have an important role in prevention of neural tube defect that appears in the first weeks of pregnancy, when women are still not aware of their pregnancy, especially when pregnancy is not planned. Since ensuring sufficient quantities of folates and folic acid in this period is essential, dietary habits of childbearing age women are very important. In line with that the intake of folates and folic acid in nutrition of women age group 20-30 years is examined, as well as the frequency of consumption of foodstuffs rich in vitamins and folic acid supplements. Values of folates in serum are presented, dependent on their nutritional habits. Obtained results indicate that in spite of inadequate intake of folates and folic acid from foodstuffs, clinical deficit is not recorded, which is the result of frequent consumption of dietary supplements. In accordance with these dietary habits, differences in the folates status of examinees were observed.     

A potential link between lateral semicircular canal orientation,head posture,and dietary habits in extant rhinos (Perissodactyla,Rhinocerotidae)

Extant rhinoceroses share the characteristic nasal horn, although the number and size of horns varies among the five species. Although all species are herbivores, their dietary preferences, occipital shapes, and common head postures vary. Traditionally, to predict the “usual” head posture (the most used head posture of animals during normal unstressed activities, i.e., standing) of rhinos, the occipital shape was used. While a backward inclined occiput implies a downward hanging head (often found in grazers), a forward inclined occiput is related to the horizontal head posture in browsing rhinos. In this study, the lateral semicircular canal (LSC) of the bony labyrinth was virtually reconstructed from µCT‐images in order to investigate a possible link between LSC orientation and head posture in extant rhinoceroses. The usual head posture was formerly reconstructed for several non‐rhinoceros taxa with the assumption that the LSC of the inner ear is held horizontal (parallel to the ground) during normal activity of the living animal. The current analysis of the LSC orientation resulted in a downward inclined usual head posture for the grazing white rhinoceros and a nearly horizontal head posture in the browsing Javan rhinoceros. The other three browsing or mixed feeding species show subhorizontal (closer to horizontal than a downgrade inclination) head postures. The results show that anatomical and behavioral aspects, like occipital shape, presence and size of horns/tusk‐like lower incisors, as well as feeding and feeding height preferences influence the usual head posture. Because quantitative behavioral data are lacking for the usual head postures of the extant rhinos, the here described relationship between the LSC orientation and the resulting head posture linked to feeding preferences gives new insights. The results show, that the inner ear provides additional information to interpret usual head postures linked to feeding preferences that can easily be adapted to fossil rhinoceroses.     

Obesity prevalence and nutritional habits among Indian women: a comparison between Punjabi women living in India and Punjabi migrants in Vienna, Austria

The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Indian women living in Punjab, India and in Vienna, Austria. A series of 115 women ageing between 17 and 80 years (x = 38.7 yrs; +/- 14.5) was enrolled in the present study. 65 women lived in the district of Jalandhar in Punjab, 50 Punjabi women lived in as migrants in Vienna Austria. Data collection comprised an anthropometric analysis including stature height, body weight and the body mass index (BMI). For classification of the weight status the Indian BMI cutoffs defined by the WHO for Asian Indians were used. Data concerning dietary patterns and lifestyle parameters were collected by structured interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Among both subgroups overweight and obesity were highly prevalent. Underweight (18.5%) was significantly more prevalent in Punjab than in Vienna (6.0 %), while overweight and obesity were more frequently found among Punjabi women in Vienna (26.0%; 54.0%) than among Punjabi women in India (9.2%; 24.6 %). Analysing lifestyle and dietary patterns it turned out that energy dense meals were preferred and fat and sugar were used frequently among both subsamples. A statistically significant relationship between dietary habits and weight status could not be proved.     

Critical determinants of endurance performance in middle-aged and elderly endurance runners with heterogeneous training habits

The current investigation was designed to determine which factor or what combination of factors would best account for distance running performance in middle-aged and elderly runners (mean age 57.5 years SD +/- 9.7) with heterogeneous training habits. Among 35 independent variables which were arbitrarily selected as possible prerequisites in the distance running performance of these runners, oxygen uptake (VO2) at lactate threshold (LT) (r = 0.781-0.889), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) (r = 0.751 approximately 0.886), and chronological age (r = -0.736-(-)0.886) were found to be the 3 predictor variables showing the highest correlations with the mean running velocity at 5 km (V5km), 10 km (V10km), and marathon (VM). When all independent variables were used in a multiple regression analysis, any 3 or 4 variables selected from among VO2 at LT, chronological age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), atherogenic index (AI), and Katsura index (KI) were found to give the best explanation of V5km, V10km, or VM in a combined linear model. Linear multiple regression equations constructed for predicting the running performances were: V5km = 0.046X1-0.026X2-0.0056X3+5.17, V10km = 0.028X1-0.028X2-0.190X4-1.34X5+6.45, and VM = -0.0400X2-0.324X4-1.16X5+7.36, where X1 = VO2 at LT (ml.min-1.kg-1), X2 = chronological age, X3 = SBP, X4 = AI, and X5 = KI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Physical training in obese women. Effects of muscle morphology, biochemistry and function

Peripheral adaptations to 3 months of physical endurance training without food restrictions were studied in skeletal muscles of 14, middle-aged, physically untrained, obese women. In comparison to aged-matched controls of normal weight, the obese group showed significantly lower isometric endurance. In the obese group, physical training resulted in a significant increase of maximal isometric and isokinetic strength. Isokinetic but not isometric endurance also increased after training. The isometric strength of obese women showed a positive correlation with the percentage of FTb fibres. The training (50 min/day, 3 days/w) did not result in any change in body weight, body fat, and the number and weight of fat cells. The 20% increase of VO2 max after training was found to be significantly correlated with the increase in the number of capillaries around muscle fibres. The relative percentage of FTa fibres, the number of capillaries per fibre as well as the activities of citrate synthase, 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase, and hexokinase showed a significant increase after training. The concentrations of glucose during OGTT showed a trend to decrease with a significant decrease at the end glucose curve (120-min value). The concentration of insulin and C peptide and the insulin removal did not change after training. The changes in the concentration of glucose during OGTT was significantly correlated with the increase in muscle capillarization and of dynamic endurance.     

High-volume, heavy-resistance strength training and muscle damage in young and older women.

To determine possible age differences in muscle damage response to strength training, ultrastructural muscle damage was assessed in seven 20- to 30-yr-old and six 65- to 75-yr-old previously sedentary women after heavy-resistance strength training (HRST). Subjects performed unilateral knee-extension exercise 3 days/wk for 9 wk. Bilateral muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis were assessed for muscle damage via electron microscopy. HRST resulted in a 38 and 25% increase in strength in the young and older women, respectively (P < 0.05), but there were no between-group differences. In the young women, 2-4% of muscle fibers exhibited damage before and after training in both the trained and untrained legs (P = not significant). In contrast, muscle damage increased significantly after HRST, from 5 to 17% of fibers damaged (P < 0.01), in the older women in the trained leg compared with only 2 and 5% of fibers damaged in the untrained leg before and after training, respectively. The present results indicate that older women exhibit higher levels of muscle damage after chronic HRST than do young women.     

Effects of Swiss-ball core strength training on strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance in sedentary women

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Swiss-ball core strength training on trunk extensor (abdominal)/flexor (lower back) and lower limb extensor (quadriceps)/flexor (hamstring) muscular strength, abdominal, lower back and leg endurance, flexibility and dynamic balance in sedentary women (n = 21; age = 34 ± 8.09; height = 1.63 ± 6.91 cm; weight = 64 ± 8.69 kg) trained for 45 minutes, 3 d·wk-1 for 12 weeks. Results of multivariate analysis revealed significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between pre and postmeasures of 60 and 90° s trunk flexion/extension, 60 and 240° s-1 lower limb flexion/extension (Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer), abdominal endurance (curl-up test), lower back muscular endurance (modified Sorensen test), lower limb endurance (repetitive squat test), lower back flexibility (sit and reach test), and dynamic balance (functional reach test). The results support the fact that Swiss-ball core strength training exercises can be used to provide improvement in the aforementioned measures in sedentary women. In conclusion, this study provides practical implications for sedentary individuals, physiotherapists, strength and conditioning specialists who can benefit from core strength training with Swiss balls.     

Food habits, energetics, and the reproduction of marsupials

Basal rate of metabolism in marsupials and in eutherian mammals is principally correlated with body mass, food habits and activity. Feeding on fruit, the leaves of woody plants, or invertebrates is associated with low basal rates, especially at large masses, in both groups of mammals. These foods lead to low basal rates because they are seasonally unavailable, are indigestible, or need to be detoxified. The depression in basal rate associated with frugivory and folivory is increased when coupled with sedentary, arboreal habits in both marsupials and eutherians. In contrast, eutherians that feed on vertebrates or herbs generally have high basal rates, while marsupials that eat these foods do not have high basal rates. These foods permit high basal rates, which are exploited by eutherians because high basal rates in these mammals lead to high rates of reproduction. Marsupials have, at best, a limited correlation of reproduction with rate of metabolism, so that feeding on vertebrates or herbs does not lead to high basal rates in these mammals. This difference between marsupials and eutherians in the coupling of reproduction to energetics has at least two ecological consequences. 1) Marsupials generally do not tolerate cold-temperate environments because they do not accelerate growth and development to complete reproduction within a short spring and summer. 2) Marsupials coexist with ecologically similar eutherians as long as marsupials have food habits that are correlated with low rates of metabolism in eutherians (i.e. they feed on fruit, the leaves of woody plants, or invertebrates), but they tend to be displaced by eutherians when marsupials have food habits that are associated with high rates of metabolism in eutherians (i.e. when they feed on vertebrates and, probably, herbs).     

Iron supplementation improves endurance after training in iron-depleted, nonanemic women.

Our objective was to investigate the effects of iron depletion on adaptation to aerobic exercise, assessed by time to complete a 15-km cycle ergometer test. Forty-two iron-depleted (serum ferritin <16 microg/l), nonanemic (Hb >12 g/dl) women (18-33 yr old) received 100 mg of ferrous sulfate (S) or placebo (P) per day for 6 wk in a randomized, double-blind trial. Subjects trained for 30 min/day, 5 days/wk at 75-85% of maximum heart rate for the final 4 wk of the study. There were no group differences in baseline iron status or in 15-km time. Iron supplementation increased serum ferritin and decreased transferrin receptors in the S compared with the P group. The S and P groups decreased 15-km time and respiratory exchange ratio and increased work rate during the 15-km time trial after training. The decrease in 15-km time was greater in the S than in the P group (P = 0.04) and could be partially attributed to increases in serum ferritin and Hb. These results indicate that iron deficiency without anemia impairs favorable adaptation to aerobic exercise.     

A comparison of high-speed power training and traditional slow-speed resistance training in older men and women

Muscle power, the product of force × velocity, is a critical determinant of function in older adults. Resistance training (RT) at high speed has been shown to improve peak muscle power in this population; however, different functional tasks may benefit from the improvement of power at values other than "peak" values, for example, tasks that require a greater velocity component or a greater force component. This study compared the effect of high-speed RT on muscle performance (peak power [PP] and its components [PP force and PP velocity] and overall peak velocity [VEL]) across a broad range of external resistances. Thirty-eight older men and women were randomized to high-speed power training at 40% of the 1-repetition maximum (1RM) (n = 13 [74.1 ± 6.4 years]); traditional RT at 80% 1RM (n = 13 [70.1 ± 7.0 years]); or control (n = 12 [72.8 ± 4.1 years]). Measures of muscle performance were obtained at baseline and after the 12-week training intervention. Muscle power and 1RM strength improved similarly with both high-speed and traditional slow-speed RT. However, speed-related muscle performance characteristics, PP velocity and overall VEL, were most positively impacted by high-speed power training, especially at lower external resistances. Because gains in speed-related measures with high-speed training compared to traditional RT do not come at the expense of other muscle performance outcomes, we recommend using an RT protocol in older adults that emphasizes high-speed movements at low external resistances.