Paul E. Luebbers

The effects of a 7-week practical blood flow restriction program on well-trained collegiate athletes.

Abstract Luebbers, PE, Fry, AC, Kriley, LM, and Butler, MS. The effects of a seven-week practical blood flow restriction program on well-trained collegiate athletes. J Strength Cond Res 28(8): 2270–2280, 2014—The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 7-week practical blood flow restriction (BFR) protocol used in conjunction with a strength training program on measures of muscular strength and size in collegiate American football players. Sixty-two participants were divided into 4 groups. Three groups completed a traditional upper- and lower-body split strength program. Two of these groups also completed supplemental lifting sessions. Of these 2, 1 completed the additional lifts with BFR. The final group completed a modified training program, followed by the supplemental lifts, with BFR. The supplemental lifting protocol consisted of bench press and squat, using 20% 1 repetition maximum (1RM) for 4 sets with 30 repetitions performed in the first set and 20 repetitions performed in the following 3 sets. Each set was separated by 45 seconds of rest. The supplemental bench press was completed at the end of upper-body days and the squat at the end of lower-body days. Dependent measures were taken before the start of the program and again on conclusion the following dependent variables were measured: upper- and lower-body girths, 1RM bench, and squat. Results of a 4 × 2 mixed-model multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference for the interaction on the dependent variables. Follow-up univariate analysis of variances indicated a significant difference for 1RM squat. This suggests that a practical BFR program used in addition to a traditional strength training program can be effective at increasing 1RM squat performance. The use of elastic knee wraps makes BFR a feasible training option for coaches and athletes.

Glucose Uptake After Resistance Training of Different Intensities but of Equal Work Volume

Luebbers, PE, Potteiger, JA, Warren, BJ, Clore, JN, Jennings, C, and Bond, DS. Glucose uptake after resistance training of different intensities but of equal work volume. J Strength Cond Res 22: 1094-1100, 2008-High-intensity (HI) resistance exercise augments postexercise glucose uptake to a greater degree than low-intensity (LO) resistance exercise; however, few studies have equated the work volumes between intensity levels. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of acute HI and LO resistance exercise of equal work volume on glucose uptake in resistant-trained men. Fifteen healthy male (22.9 ± 3.8 years old), resistance-trained (6.7 ± 3.9 years) subjects completed three treatment sessions: CON (no-exercise control), HI (3 × 8, 85% 10-RM), and LO (3 × 15, 45% 10-RM). HI and LO sessions consisted of eight exercises. Glucose uptake was measured the following morning by using the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique. Glucose disposal was measured by analyzing the glucose infusion rate during the final 30 minutes of steady-state blood glucose concentrations. Insulin sensitivity was calculated by dividing the glucose infusion rate by the average insulin infusion. Results indicate that fasting blood glucose levels were not significantly different among treatment sessions (CON = 80.5 ± 5.3 versus HI = 77.0 ± 4.9 versus LO = 77.1 ± 6.0 mg·dL−1). Glucose uptake was not significantly different among treatment sessions (CON = 11.3 ± 3.0 versus HI = 11.7 ± 2.7 versus LO = 11.4 ± 2.8 mg·kg FFM−1·min−1). Insulin sensitivity did not change among treatment sessions (CON = 0.26 ± 0.09 versus HI = 0.28 ± 0.07 versus LO = 0.27 ± 0.06 (mg·kg FFM−1·min−1)/(uU·mL−1)). The data indicate that the resistance training sessions did not modify acute insulin sensitivity. This may have been because of the high levels of fitness of the subjects, which allowed for the cellular adaptations for enhanced insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake that are unaffected by this volume of acute exercise.

Effects of different macronutrient consumption following a resistance-training session on fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

The effect of consuming meals of different macronutrient content on substrate oxidation following resistance exercise was examined in 9 resistance-trained men (26.2 ±2.4 years). Subjects completed 3 resistance exercise bouts of 8 exercises and 1 warm-up set (50% of 10 repetition maximum [RM]), which were followed by 3 sets of 10 repetitions (72.7 ± 1.9% 10RM), with 60 seconds of rest between sets. Forty-five minutes after exercise, subjects consumed meals of high fat (HF, 37% carbohydrate, 18% protein, and 45% fat), high carbohydrate (HC, 79% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 1% fat), or water (CON). Fat and carbohydrate oxidation were determined at 15-minute periods after meal consumption for 165 minutes. Blood was collected at preexercise (pre), premeal (0 minutes), and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes postmeal and was analyzed for insulin, glucose, triacylglycerols, and glycerol. There were no significant differences among the meal conditions for fat and carbohydrate oxidation. Insulin and glucose concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) following HC at 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes compared to HF and CON. Triacyl-glycerol concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) following HF at 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes compared to HC and CON. Fat and carbohydrate oxidation were not affected by differences in macronutrient meal consumption after an acute bout of resistance training. Different macronutrient consumption does influence insulin, glucose, and triacylglycerol concentrations after resistance exercise.

Resistance Exercise and Postprandial Lipemia: The Dose Effect of Differing Volumes of Acute Resistance Exercise

INTRODUCTION Resistance exercise has been shown to reduce postprandial lipemia, but no dose-response effect has been established. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine whether prior resistance exercise exhibited a dose-response effect on postprandial lipemia, while controlling for energy balance. METHODS Subjects were healthy resistance-trained men (n = 4) and women (n = 6) aged 23.4 +/- 2.5 years. Subjects participated in 4 different treatment conditions consisting of control (no exercise), 1 set, 3 sets, and 5 sets of 8 resistance exercises in a repeated-measures design. On day 1, each exercise was performed at 75% of the subjects 1-repetition maximum for 10 repetitions. This was followed by consumption of a postexercise meal equal in caloric volume designed to maintain energy balance. On day 2, after a 12-hour overnight fast (approximately 13 hours postexercise) in the General Clinical Research Center, subjects consumed a high-fat meal consisting of 1.7 g fat, 1.65 g carbohydrate, 0.25 g-protein per kilogram of fat-free mass and equal to 95 kJ of energy per kilogram of fat-free mass. Blood collections occurred before meal, and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours after meal consumption and were analyzed for triacylglycerol (TAG), glucose, and insulin concentrations. The lipemic response was evaluated as the area under curve (AUC) for TAG versus time. Glucose and insulin AUCs were also calculated. RESULTS No significant differences were observed among treatments for postprandial lipemia (mmol/L per 6 hours) as measured by the TAG AUC (control 2.96 +/- 0.79, 1 set 2.52 +/- 0.60, 3 sets 2.61 +/- 0.59, 5 sets 2.45 +/- 0.58). Similarly, no differences were observed for insulin or glucose AUC or for insulin sensitivity between treatments. There was a sex effect with TAG AUC significantly lower in women for control, 1 set, and 3 sets. Conclusion The results of this investigation suggest no dose-response attenuation of the postprandial lipemic response to a high-fat meal after previous resistance exercise.

The Kansas Squat Test Modality Comparison: Free Weights vs. Smith Machine

Abstract Luebbers, PE and Fry, AC. The Kansas squat test modality comparison: free weights vs. smith machine. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2186–2193, 2016—Standardized methods of testing power are instrumental in planning and implementing training regimens for many athletes, and also in tracking training adaptations. Previous work has demonstrated that the Kansas squat test (KST) is a valid test for measuring indices of mean and peak power when compared with the Wingate anaerobic cycle test. Although the KST was designed for use with a Smith machine (SM), many power athletes use free weights for training. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using free weights (FW) for the KST by comparing it with the SM modality. Twenty-three track and field athletes participated (mean ± SD; weight, 69.7 ± 10.6 kg; age, 20.1 ± 1.1 years) in this study. Each completed familiarization sessions with the FW and SM modalities before data collection. A 1-repetition maximum squat was also determined for both the FW and SM. Correlation coefficients indicated significant relationships between the FW KST and SM KST on measures of peak test power (r = 0.955; p < 0.01) and mean test power (r = 0.959; p < 0.01) but not for relative fatigue (r = −0.198; p > 0.05) or posttest lactate (r = 0.109; p > 0.05). Paired samples t-tests indicated that the FW KST resulted in significantly higher measures of peak power and mean power (p ⩽ 0.01), although no differences were observed for relative fatigue or lactate (p > 0.05). These data indicate that the FW KST is a valid and feasible alternative to the SM KST in measuring peak and mean power.

The Kansas Squat Test: A Valid and Practical Measure of Anaerobic Power for Track and Field Power Athletes.

Abstract Luebbers, PE and Fry, AC. The Kansas squat test: A valid and practical measure of anaerobic power for track and field power athletes. J Strength Cond Res 29(10): 2716–2722, 2015—The Kansas squat test (KST) is a repetitive lifting test designed to measure relatively similar indices of lower-body power as the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT). The purposes of this study were twofold: determine concurrent validity of the KST using the WAnT as the criterion measure and also demonstrate the KST as a practical test of anaerobic power for track and field athletes. Twenty-three track and field athletes participated (mean ± SD; 77.2 ± 16.8 kg, 175.6 ± 8.7 cm). Each completed the KST, and on a separate occasion, the WAnT for comparison. Correlation coefficients indicated significant relationships between the KST and the WAnT on measures of maximum test power (r = 0.920, p < 0.01) and mean test power (r = 0.929, p < 0.01), but not for relative fatigue (r = 0.030, p > 0.05). The posttest lactate response also lacked a significant relationship (r = −0.062, p > 0.05). These relationships were also present when athletes were examined in subgroups based on gender and event. Paired-samples t-tests indicated that while peak power and mean power were significantly higher for the KST (p ⩽ 0.01), relative fatigue and lactate were both significantly higher for the WAnT (p ⩽ 0.01). These significant differences were similar in the subsequent subgroupings of the athletes. These data support that the KST is a concurrently valid assessment of lower-body anaerobic power. This study further illustrates a practical lower-body power testing method that is lift specific, which may aid in improving training specificity for track and field power athletes.

Increasing Student Physical Activity during the School Day: Opportunities for the Physical Educator.

January/February 2009 america is facing an obesity epidemic – one that is difficult to ignore. Current obesity statistics for the United States are startling. Unfortunately, these numbers continue to rise, with the most dramatic increases seen in our youth. recent data indicate the prevalence of obesity in children aged 6-11 doubled over the past two decades, increasing from 7% in 1980 to over 18% in 2004 (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2006). research has shown that youths who are overweight and obese are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults compared to those who maintain a healthy weight (Harper, 2006; Jacobs, 2005). Being overweight or obese can put an individual at greater risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers and high blood pressure, as well as other health problems (CDC, 2006). Society must become proactive in order to reverse the current overweight and obesity trends in the United States and reduce the risk of today’s children suffering from premature chronic disease and disability. as such, the purpose of this article is to describe these current youth physical activity trends and offer strategies for physical educators to raise the level of student participation in physical activity and help lower our nation’s obesity epidemic. there have been several factors identified as possible contributors to the obesity epidemic among children. among others, they include: genetics, low socio-economic status, unsafe neighborhoods, larger portion sizes, increased caloric consumption, excessive television viewing, increased interaction with video games, and a decline in physical activity (Harper, 2006; Jacobs, 2005). While addressing these factors requires a multifaceted approach, the one aspect that physical educators have the potential to directly influence is physical activity. globally, physical inactivity is one of the leading underlying causes of death – 60-85% of the world’s population does not participate in enough physical activity to promote good health. this can account for more than two million deaths each year worldwide (WHO, 2002). it is estimated that 10-16% of diabetes, colon cancers and breast cancers, as well as 22% of ischemic heart disease, can be attributed to physical inactivity (WHO, 2006b). to help combat the obesity epidemic, schools in the United States (and throughout the world) have been called upon to somehow play a role in reversing the current trends. in some cases, state mandates are requiring schools to become accountable for issues related to improving nutrition and increasing students’ physical activity during the school day. this is an opportune time for physical educators across the country to take the initiative in planning programs and activities within their individual schools and districts to increase the physical activity levels of students. it is imperative that physical educators take it upon themselves to be seen as the leaders of these efforts. Doing so will not only assist in advocating for the improved health and wellness of students but may also aid in supporting the need for quality physical education programs.

EFFECTS OF PLYOMETRIC TRAINING AND RECOVERY ON VERTICAL JUMP PERFORMANCE AND ANAEROBIC POWER

We examined the effects of 2 plyometric training programs, equalized for training volume, followed by a 4-week recovery period of no plyometric training on anaerobic power and vertical jump performance. Physically active, college-aged men were randomly assigned to either a 4-week (n = 19, weight = 73.4 ± 7.5 kg) or a 7-week (n = 19, weight = 80.1 ± 12.5 kg) program. Vertical jump height, vertical jump power, and anaerobic power via the Margaria staircase test were measured pretraining (PRE), immediately posttraining (POST), and 4 weeks posttraining (POST-4). Vertical jump height decreased in the 4-week group PRE (67.8 ± 7.9 cm) to POST (65.4 ± 7.8 cm). Vertical jump height increased from PRE to POST-4 in 4-week (67.8 ± 7.9 to 69.7 ± 7.6 cm) and 7-week (64.6 ± 6.2 to 67.2 ± 7.6 cm) training programs. Vertical jump power decreased in the 4-week group from PRE (8,660.0 ± 546.5 W) to POST (8,541.6 ± 557.4 W) with no change in the 7-week group. Vertical jump power increased PRE to POST-4 in 4-week (8,660.0 ± 546.5 W to 8,793.6 ± 541.4 W) and 7-week (8,702.8 ± 527.4 W to 8,931.5 ± 537.6 W) training programs. Anaerobic power improved in the 7-week group from PRE (1,121.9 ± 174.7 W) to POST (1,192.2 ± 189.1 W) but not the 4-week group. Anaerobic power significantly improved PRE to POST-4 in both groups. There were no significant differences between the 2 training groups. Four-week and 7-week plyometric programs are equally effective for improving vertical jump height, vertical jump power, and anaerobic power when followed by a 4-week recovery period. However, a 4-week program may not be as effective as a 7-week program if the recovery period is not employed.

The Smoking Milkshake.

Abstract Objectives: This teaching idea is designed for students to learn about the ingredients in cigarettes and the potential short-term health consequences of these ingredients, as well as to learn about the general effects of smoking. Students will complete an activity to use this information in a hypothetical, but potentially, real-world situation. Target Audience: Middle school students.