Brandon L. Alderman

Parental Social Support and the Physical Activity-Related Behaviors of Youth: A Review

Social support from parents serves as one of the primary influences of youth physical activity—related behaviors. A systematic review was conducted on the relationship of parental social support to the physical activity—related behaviors of youth. Four categories of social support were identified, falling under two distinct mechanisms—tangible and intangible. Tangible social support is divided into two categories: instrumental—purchasing equipment/payment of fees and transportation—and conditional—doing activity with and watching/supervision. Intangible social support is divided into the two categories of motivational— encouragement and praise—and informational—discussing benefits of. The majority of studies demonstrated positive associations among selected measures of parental tangible and intangible social support and youth activity. Overall, parental social support demonstrated positive effects. Many studies, however, combine social support categories and/or respondents into composite measures, making it difficult to disentangle the specific effects of parents and the type of support provided.

Factors related to rapid weight loss practices among international-style Wrestlers

PURPOSE The deaths of three intercollegiate wrestlers in 1997 prompted the NCAA and governing bodies that oversee high school sports to adopt new policies prohibiting unsafe weight loss practices. Similar policies have not yet been adopted for international style wrestling, a style that attracts thousands of youth once the regulated scholastic season is over. Therefore, this study examined the rapid weight loss practices in high school wrestlers participating in international style wrestling. To do this, rapid weight gain (RWG), an index that reflects the degree of rapid weight loss (RWL), was examined. METHODS Wrestlers (N = 2638) participating in the 1997 and 1998 National wrestling championships were randomly selected to be weighed at matside with electronic scales. The methods wrestlers used to accomplish weight loss were also assessed in a subsample of wrestlers. RESULTS Wrestlers gained an average of 3.4 kg, which represents a 4.81% gain of body weight. The range across weight classes and age groups was -2.68 kg (-2.1% loss of body weight) to +16.73 kg (13.4% gain of body weight). No differences in RWG existed as a function of the represented state teams. In addition, wrestlers who were older and more successful (i.e., placers) gained significantly more weight that their younger and less successful counterparts (P < 0.001). Excessive running, using saunas, and wearing vapor-impermeable suits were cited as the most common methods used to achieve RWL. CONCLUSION These results suggest that RWL still exists in international style wrestling, and similar policies to those recently instituted by the NCAA are warranted.

Microbes and mental health: A review

There is a growing emphasis on the relationship between the microorganisms inhabiting the gut (gastrointestinal microbiota) and human health. The emergence of a microbiota-gut-brain axis to describe the complex networks and relationship between the gastrointestinal microbiota and host reflects the major influence this environment may have in brain health and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Bidirectional communication between the microbiota and the CNS occurs through autonomic, neuroendocrine, enteric, and immune system pathways. Potential neurobiological mechanisms through which disruptions in this network may impact health and disease include hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activation, and altered activity of neurotransmitter and immune systems. Perturbations of the gut microbial community have already been implicated in multiple host diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and inflammation, while recent evidence suggests a potential role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Here, we review the current literature related to the influence of the gut microbial community on central nervous system function, with a specific focus on anxiety and depressive symptoms. The role of stress and stress-mediated changes in autonomic, neuroendocrine, immune, and neurotransmitter systems are examined, followed by a discussion of the role of the microbiota in novel gastrointestinal-based treatment options for the prevention and treatment of brain-based disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Seasonality in Children's Pedometer-Measured Physical Activity Levels.

(2008). Seasonality in Childrens Pedometer-Measured Physical Activity Levels. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 256-260.

Cognitive Function During Low-Intensity Walking: A Test of the Treadmill Workstation

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of walking at self-selected speed on an active workstation on cognitive performance. METHODS Sixty-six participants (n = 27 males, 39 females; mean age = 21.06 ± 1.6 years) completed a treadmill-desk walking and a seated control condition, separated by 48 hours. During each condition, participants completed computerized versions of the Stroop test, a modified flanker task, and a test of reading comprehension. RESULTS No significant differences in response speed or accuracy were found between walking and sitting conditions for any the cognitive tests. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal that performance on cognitive tasks, including executive control processes, are not impaired by walking on an active workstation. Implementing active workstations into offices and classrooms may help to decrease sedentariness without impairing task performance.

Enhancing Motivation in Physical Education

JOPERD • Volume 77 No. 2 • February 2006 I ncreasing physical activity among all individuals continues to be a national priority due to the positive physical and mental health benefi ts associated with maintaining an active lifestyle (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). In spite of the interest and concern to increase physical activity for all Americans, daily physical education among high school students dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 25 percent in 1995, and remained stable at that level until 2003 (Grunbaum et al., 2004). Of greater concern is that, when given the opportunity to participate in physical education as an elective course, fewer high school students are choosing to participate (Kolbe, Kann, & Brener, 2001). Experts stress that lifestyle physical-activity habits need to be developed early in life (Sallis & McKenzie, 1991) and that early, positive, physical activity experiences may increase the likelihood of maintaining a physically active lifestyle (Weiss, 2000). Thus, quality physical education programs and effective physical educators play a vital role in providing youngsters with early positive experiences of physical activity. Allied to this positive environment is the need to motivate individuals to initiate and maintain a physically active lifestyle. A major objective of a quality physical education program is to educate all children and empower them with the skills necessary to enjoy the benefi ts of regular physical activity for the rest of their lives (Pangrazi, 2001). Physical educators can meet this goal by providing youngsters a physical-activity environment that is structured to increase their motivation to become, and remain, physically active. Several recent reviews have outlined the use of different theoretical frameworks that may prove effective in creating motivationally enhancing physical-activity environments (Kilpatrick, Hebert, & Jacobsen, 2002; Mandigo & Holt, 2000; Valentini, Rudisill, & Goodway, 1999). The goal here is not to replicate the information from these previous reviews, but to integrate several motivational theories and extend their recommendations by including specifi c strategies that can be used to enhance motivation in a quality physical education program. Promoting intrinsic motivation, enhancing perceived physical competence, and creating a mastery-oriented physical-activity environment are three key areas that have been identifi ed as important components of physical activity motivation, and Enhancing Motivation in Physical Education

MAP training: combining meditation and aerobic exercise reduces depression and rumination while enhancing synchronized brain activity

Mental and physical (MAP) training is a novel clinical intervention that combines mental training through meditation and physical training through aerobic exercise. The intervention was translated from neuroscientific studies indicating that MAP training increases neurogenesis in the adult brain. Each session consisted of 30 min of focused-attention (FA) meditation and 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Fifty-two participants completed the 8-week intervention, which consisted of two sessions per week. Following the intervention, individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD; n=22) reported significantly less depressive symptoms and ruminative thoughts. Typical healthy individuals (n=30) also reported less depressive symptoms at follow-up. Behavioral and event-related potential indices of cognitive control were collected at baseline and follow-up during a modified flanker task. Following MAP training, N2 and P3 component amplitudes increased relative to baseline, especially among individuals with MDD. These data indicate enhanced neural responses during the detection and resolution of conflicting stimuli. Although previous research has supported the individual beneficial effects of aerobic exercise and meditation for depression, these findings indicate that a combination of the two may be particularly effective in increasing cognitive control processes and decreasing ruminative thought patterns.

Determinants of resting lipid oxidation in response to a prior bout of endurance exercise

A single bout of exercise can alter subsequent resting metabolism for many hours and into the next day. However, differences between men and women, effects of nutritional state, and relative effects of resting metabolic rate (RMR) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) in controlling the increase in lipid oxidation (Lox) after exercise are not yet clear. Effects of aerobic capacity (Vo2 peak) and exercise bout parameters (intensity and volume) also remain to be clearly elucidated as does the time course of changes after exercise. We performed a meta-analysis to assess these potential moderators of the impact of endurance exercise [effect sizes (ESs)] on subsequent Lox at rest (ES = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.69-1.12), on the day of exercise (ES = 1.22; 95% CI: 0.89-1.55), and on the following day (ES = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.35-0.85). ES for the exercise-related increase in resting Lox was significantly greater in men than women in the postabsorptive state but similar in the postprandial state. The ES for depression of RER after exercise was similar between men and women, while the ES for RMR in the postabsorptive state tended to be higher in men than women. Finally, Vo2 peak and exercise energy expenditure (EEE), but not intensity, were predictive of postexercise Lox. The findings indicate importance of EEE and fitness for ability to achieve robust enhancement of Lox after exercise. The results additionally indicate a gender difference in postexercise Lox that is dependent on nutritional state, as the ES for Lox was lower in women only in the postabsorptive state.

Rumination in major depressive disorder is associated with impaired neural activation during conflict monitoring

Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) often ruminate about past experiences, especially those with negative content. These repetitive thoughts may interfere with cognitive processes related to attention and conflict monitoring. However, the temporal nature of these processes as reflected in event-related potentials (ERPs) has not been well-described. We examined behavioral and ERP indices of conflict monitoring during a modified flanker task and the allocation of attention during an attentional blink (AB) task in 33 individuals with MDD and 36 healthy controls, and whether their behavioral performance and ERPs varied with level of rumination. N2 amplitude elicited by the flanker task was significantly reduced in participants with MDD compared to healthy controls. Level of self-reported rumination was also correlated with N2 amplitude. In contrast, P3 amplitude during the AB task was not significantly different between groups, nor was it correlated with rumination. No significant differences were found in behavioral task performance measures between groups or by rumination levels. These findings suggest that rumination in MDD is associated with select deficits in cognitive control, particularly related to conflict monitoring.

Neurophysiological and behavioral correlates of cognitive control during low and moderate intensity exercise

The aim of this study was to examine neurophysiological and behavioral correlates of cognitive control elicited by a modified flanker task while exercising at low and moderate intensities. A secondary aim was to examine cognitive control processes at several time points during an acute bout of exercise to determine whether cognition is selectively influenced by the duration of exercise. Twenty-seven healthy participants completed a modified version of the Eriksen flanker task while exercising on a cycle ergometer at 40% and 60% VO2 peak and during a no-exercise seated control across three separate days. During task performance, continuous EEG was collected to assess neurocognitive function using the N2 and P3 event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Neurocognitive performance was assessed at 5, 15, and 25min time points during steady-state exercise. Regardless of intensity, behavioral findings revealed impaired accuracy during both exercise conditions for the flanker task trials that require greater cognitive control. However, faster reaction times were found during moderate-intensity exercise. Neuroelectric measures revealed increased N2 and P3 amplitudes during both exercise conditions relative to rest. Together, these findings suggest divergent effects of exercise on behavioral performance measures accompanied by an upregulation of cognitive control during aerobic exercise. These impairments are discussed in terms of dual-task paradigms and the transient hypofrontality theory.