Catherine L. Jarrett

Physiological Responses to High-Intensity Interval Exercise Differing in Interval Duration.

Abstract Tucker, WJ, Sawyer, BJ, Jarrett, CL, Bhammar, DM, and Gaesser, GA. Physiological responses to high-intensity interval exercise differing in interval duration. J Strength Cond Res 29(12): 3326–3335, 2015—We determined the oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2), heart rate (HR), and blood lactate responses to 2 high-intensity interval exercise protocols differing in interval length. On separate days, 14 recreationally active males performed a 4 × 4 (four 4-minute intervals at 90–95% HRpeak, separated by 3-minute recovery at 50 W) and 16 × 1 (sixteen 1-minute intervals at 90–95% HRpeak, separated by 1-minute recovery at 50 W) protocol on a cycle ergometer. The 4 × 4 elicited a higher mean V[Combining Dot Above]O2 (2.44 ± 0.4 vs. 2.36 ± 0.4 L·min−1) and “peak” V[Combining Dot Above]O2 (90–99% vs. 76–85% V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak) and HR (95–98% HRpeak vs. 81–95% HRpeak) during the high-intensity intervals. Average power maintained was higher for the 16 × 1 (241 ± 45 vs. 204 ± 37 W), and recovery interval V[Combining Dot Above]O2 and HR were higher during the 16 × 1. No differences were observed for blood lactate concentrations at the midpoint (12.1 ± 2.2 vs. 10.8 ± 3.1 mmol·L−1) and end (10.6 ± 1.5 vs. 10.6 ± 2.4 mmol·L−1) of the protocols or ratings of perceived exertion (7.0 ± 1.6 vs. 7.0 ± 1.4) and Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale scores (91 ± 15 vs. 93 ± 12). Despite a 4-fold difference in interval duration that produced greater between-interval transitions in V[Combining Dot Above]O2 and HR and slightly higher mean V[Combining Dot Above]O2 during the 4 × 4, mean HR during each protocol was the same, and both protocols were rated similarly for perceived exertion and enjoyment. The major difference was that power output had to be reduced during the 4 × 4 protocol to maintain the desired HR.

Fitness versus Fatness: Which Influences Health and Mortality Risk the Most?

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a more powerful predictor of mortality than body mass index or adiposity, and improving CRF is more important than losing body fat for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Data on reduced morbidity and mortality associated with increased CRF are strong and consistent. By contrast, data on intentional weight loss and mortality are uncertain, and weight loss-induced risk factor modification may be largely transient. Because weight loss maintenance is poor and considering the health risks associated with chronic weight instability ( “yo-yo” dieting), we propose an alternative paradigm that focuses on improving CRF rather than reducing body weight. We contend that this is a safer alternative for management of obesity and the associated comorbidities. Exercise adherence may improve if clinicians emphasized to their patients the importance of CRF compared with weight loss in improving health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

The Walking Interventions Through Texting (WalkIT) Trial: Rationale, Design, and Protocol for a Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial of Adaptive Interventions for Overweight and Obese, Inactive Adults.

Background Walking is a widely accepted and frequently targeted health promotion approach to increase physical activity (PA). Interventions to increase PA have produced only small improvements. Stronger and more potent behavioral intervention components are needed to increase time spent in PA, improve cardiometabolic risk markers, and optimize health. Objective Our aim is to present the rationale and methods from the WalkIT Trial, a 4-month factorial randomized controlled trial (RCT) in inactive, overweight/obese adults. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate whether intensive adaptive components result in greater improvements to adults’ PA compared to the static intervention components. Methods Participants enrolled in a 2x2 factorial RCT and were assigned to one of four semi-automated, text message–based walking interventions. Experimental components included adaptive versus static steps/day goals, and immediate versus delayed reinforcement. Principles of percentile shaping and behavioral economics were used to operationalize experimental components. A Fitbit Zip measured the main outcome: participants’ daily physical activity (steps and cadence) over the 4-month duration of the study. Secondary outcomes included self-reported PA, psychosocial outcomes, aerobic fitness, and cardiorespiratory risk factors assessed pre/post in a laboratory setting. Participants were recruited through email listservs and websites affiliated with the university campus, community businesses and local government, social groups, and social media advertising. Results This study has completed data collection as of December 2014, but data cleaning and preliminary analyses are still in progress. We expect to complete analysis of the main outcomes in late 2015 to early 2016. Conclusions The Walking Interventions through Texting (WalkIT) Trial will further the understanding of theory-based intervention components to increase the PA of men and women who are healthy, insufficiently active and are overweight or obese. WalkIT is one of the first studies focusing on the individual components of combined goal setting and reward structures in a factorial design to increase walking. The trial is expected to produce results useful to future research interventions and perhaps industry initiatives, primarily focused on mHealth, goal setting, and those looking to promote behavior change through performance-based incentives. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02053259; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02053259 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6b65xLvmg).

High-intensity interval exercise attenuates but does not eliminate endothelial dysfunction after a fast food meal

We investigated whether two different bouts of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) could attenuate postprandial endothelial dysfunction. Thirteen young (27 ± 1 yr), nonexercise-trained men underwent three randomized conditions: 1) four 4-min intervals at 85-95% of maximum heart rate separated by 3 min of active recovery (HIIE 4 × 4), 2) 16 1-min intervals at 85-95% of maximum heart rate separated by 1 min of active recovery (HIIE 16 × 1), and 3) sedentary control. HIIE was performed in the afternoon, ~18 h before the morning fast food meal (1,250 kcal, 63g of fat). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was performed before HIIE ( baseline 1), during fasting before meal ingestion ( baseline 2), and 30 min, 2 h, and 4 h postprandial. Capillary glucose and triglycerides were assessed at fasting, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h (triglycerides only). Both HIIE protocols increased fasting FMD compared with control (HIIE 4 × 4: 6.1 ± 0.4%, HIIE 16 × 1: 6.3 ± 0.5%, and control: 5.1 ± 0.4%, P < 0.001). For both HIIE protocols, FMD was reduced only at 30 min postprandial but never fell below baseline 1 or FMD during control at any time point. In contrast, control FMD decreased at 2 h (3.8 ± 0.4%, P < 0.001) and remained significantly lower than HIIE 4 × 4 and 16 × 1 at 2 and 4 h. Postprandial glucose and triglycerides were unaffected by HIIE. In conclusion, HIIE performed ~18 h before a high-energy fast food meal can attenuate but not entirely eliminate postprandial decreases in FMD. This effect is not dependent on reductions in postprandial lipemia or glycemia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Two similar high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) protocols performed ∼18 h before ingestion of a high-energy fast food meal attenuated but did not entirely eliminate postprandial endothelial dysfunction in young men largely by improving fasting endothelial function. Both HIIE protocols produced essentially identical results, suggesting high reproducibility of HIIE effects.

The effect of exercise training on biventricular myocardial strain in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

High‐intensity interval training (HIIT) improves peak oxygen uptake and left ventricular diastology in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, its effects on myocardial strain in HFpEF remain unknown. We explored the effects of HIIT and moderate‐intensity aerobic continuous training (MI‐ACT) on left and right ventricular strain parameters in patients with HFpEF. Furthermore, we explored their relationship with peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak).

High glucose impairs acetylcholine-mediated vasodilation in isolated arteries from Mourning doves (Z. macroura).

Normal avian plasma glucose levels are 1.5-2 times greater than mammals of similar size. In mammals, hyperglycemia induces oxidative stress and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Prior work has shown that mourning doves have high levels of antioxidants and isolated vessels have low endogenous oxidative stress. Therefore, the hypothesis was that endothelium-dependent vasodilation of isolated avian arteries would not be impaired following acute exposure to high glucose. Isolated small resistance cranial tibial arteries (c. tibial) were cannulated and pressurized in a vessel chamber then incubated with either normal or high glucose (20mM vs. 30mM) for 1h at 41°C. Vessels were then pre-constricted to 50% of resting inner diameter with phenylephrine (PE) followed by increasing doses of acetylcholine (ACh; 10(-9) to 10(-5)M, 5min per step). Percent vasodilation was measured by tracking the inner diameter with edge-detection software. Contrary to our hypothesis, ACh-induced vasodilation was impaired with acute exposure to high glucose (p=0.013). The impairment was not related to increased osmolarity since vasodilation of arteries exposed to an equimolar combination of 20mM d-glucose and 10mM l-glucose was not different from controls (p=0.273). Rather, the impaired vasodilation was attributed to oxidative stress since superoxide levels were elevated 168±42% (p=0.02) and pre-exposure of arteries to the superoxide dismutase mimetic tiron (10mM) improved vasodilation (p<0.05). Therefore, isolated arteries from doves do not have endogenous mechanisms to prevent impaired vasodilation resulting from high glucose-mediated increases in oxidative stress.

Pathophysiological responses to a schistosome infection in a wild population of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura).

The blood trematode Gigantobilharzia huronensis typically infects passerine birds and has not been reported in other orders of wild birds. However, in the summer of 2011 in Tempe, Arizona, USA, mourning doves (Zenaida macroura; order: Columbiformes) were collected with infections of G. huronensis. This is the first report of a natural schistosome infection found in wild populations of doves. We sought to determine if G. huronensis infections alter the general body condition and physiology of doves, a seemingly unlikely host for this parasite. Specifically, we hypothesized that birds infected with schistosomes would exhibit reduced weight as well as increased markers of stress and immune system activation. Adult male mourning doves (n=14) were captured using walk-in style funnel traps. After weighing the birds, blood and mesenteric tissue samples were collected. We measured biomarkers of stress including circulating heat shock proteins (HSPs) 60 and 70, as well as oxidized lipoproteins in schistosome-infected and non-infected birds. Indices of immune system reactivity were assessed using agglutination and lysis assays in addition to determining the leukocyte to erythrocyte ratios and prevalence of hemoparasite infections from blood smears. Schistosome-infected mourning doves had significantly increased oxidative stress and evidence of HSP70 mobilization. There was no evidence for weight loss in schistosome-infected birds nor evidence of significant immune system activation associated with schistosome infection. This may be a reflection of the small sample size available for the study. These findings suggest that schistosome infections have pathological effects in doves, but the lack of mature worms suggests that infected birds in this sampling may not have been suitable hosts for parasite maturation.

Exercise and Diet Improve Cardiometabolic Risk in Overweight and Obese Individuals Without Weight Loss

Weight loss is routinely recommended for overweight and obese individuals for purposes of reducing morbidity and mortality risk, especially from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, sustained weight loss presents a daunting challenge, and most individuals who lose weight eventually regain most, if not all, of their lost weight. Repeated efforts to lose weight may not be benign, as weight fluctuation has been associated with a number of CVD risk markers. We propose a non-weight-loss-centered approach to treating “obesity-related” health problems. Increasing physical activity and improving quality of diet have multiple health benefits for overweight and obese men and women, including skeletal muscle adaptations that improve fat and glucose metabolism and insulin action, reductions in blood pressure and pro-inflammatory markers, improved endothelial function, and favorable changes in blood lipids and lipoproteins. A large body of evidence demonstrates that these lifestyle-induced adaptations occur independently of changes in body weight or body fat. Consequently, we suggest that overweight and obese men and women, who are at increased risk for CVD and T2D due to sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and excess body weight, should be encouraged to become more physically active and consume more nutrient-dense foods, even if the healthier lifestyle does not produce desired weight loss.