The characteristics and effects of motivational music in exercise settings: the possible influence of gender, age, frequency of attendance, and time of attendance

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the characteristics and effects of motivational music in British gymnasia. The secondary purpose was to determine whether the characteristics and effects of motivational music were invariant in relation to gender, age, frequency of gymnasium attendance, and the time of day at which exercise participants attended gymnasia. METHODS: Participants (n=532) from 29 David Lloyd Leisure exercise facilities across Britain responded to a questionnaire that was designed to assess music preferences during exercise via 2 open-ended questions and 1 scaled-response item. RESULTS: A content analysis of the questionnaire data yielded 45 analytic properties that were grouped into the following categories: specific music factors, general music factors, music programme factors, delivery factors, televisual factors, personal factors, contextual factors, and psychophysical response factors. The relative incidence of these analytic properties across gender groups (male/female), age groups (16-26 y, 27-34 y, 35-45 y, 46+ y), frequency of attendance groups (low, medium, high), and time of attendance groups (morning, afternoon, evening) was tested by use of chi(2) analyses. Of the personal variables tested, age exerted the greatest influence on musical preference during exercise; older participants expressed a preference for quieter, slower, and generally less overtly stimulative music. CONCLUSION: Music programmes that are prescribed to accompany exercise should be varied in terms of musical idiom and date of release. Such programmes will account for the preferences of different groups of exercise participants that attend gymnasia at different times of the day. Further, the music chosen should be characterised by a strong rhythmical component.     

Cardiovascular changes with age and exercise

Various studies report a 0–22% per decade decline in circulatory function (VO_2max) with advancing age. Twelve exercising men (E) were followed for 28 years, mean age 43 and 71 years, initial to final measurement, while 12 dropouts (C) detrained for 21 years, with a mean age from first to last measurement of 48 and 69 years, respectively. VO₂ max in E changed from 45.9 to 39.4 ml · min⁻¹· kg⁻¹, 5% per decade, whereas C declined from 36.0 to 21.4 ml min⁻¹· kg⁻¹, 19% per decade. Resting blood pressure was unchanged in E, 119/75 mmHg, whereas C rose from 128/85 to 149/90 mmHg. The data suggest that regular aerobic exercise forestalls the usual loss of circulatory function with increasing age.     

Metabolic and vascular limb differences affected by exercise, gender, age, and disease

Unlike quadrupeds, human limbs are exposed to differing homeostatic challenges and uses. The arms are not exposed to a large hydrostatic pressure and contain a relatively small muscle mass that is not typically engaged in heavy work. In contrast, the legs have a large blood volume, experience significant hydrostatic pressures, and contain the majority of the body's muscle mass, which is used regularly to perform the significant work of locomotion. This raises the question of whether skeletal muscle blood flow and metabolism differ between limbs and whether these responses may be altered during exercise as a consequence of aging and disease. Initially, we examine the long standing question of how the body copes with the involvement of both sets of limbs and the large muscle mass that this entails, restrained by a finite cardiac output and a need to defend arterial blood pressure. We therefore evaluate the similarities and differences in exercising muscle blood-flow control in the upper and lower limbs, with respect to exercise onset kinetics, intrinsic vasoreactivity of the resistance vessels at rest and during exercise, and the role of gender and the aging process in limb-specific responses. It is concluded that blood flow and pressure when multiple limbs are simultaneously recruited is facilitated by sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction. Inherent limb differences, in terms of skeletal muscle metabolism and blood flow, do exist, and elucidating the mechanisms underlying limb-specific adaptations will be important for interpreting abnormal vascular function attributable to healthy aging and disease.     

Immunological changes after cancer treatment and participation in an exercise program

PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of undertaking peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBST) on T-cell number and function, and to determine the role of a mixed type, moderate intensity exercise program in facilitating the recovery of T-cell number and function. METHODS: Immunological measures of white blood cell, lymphocyte, CD3, CD4, and CD8 counts, and CD3 cell function were assessed pretransplant (PI), immediately posttransplant (PII), and 1 month (I1), 2 months (I2) and 3 months (PIII) posttransplant. After PII, 12 patients were divided equally into a control group (CG) or exercise intervention group (EG). RESULTS: Lower total T-cell, helper T-cell, and suppressor T-cell counts (P< 0.01), as well as lower T-cell function (P< 0.01), when compared with normative data, were found at PI. More specifically, 88% of the group had CD3, CD4, and CD8 counts that were more than 40%, 20%, and 50% below normal at PI, respectively. Undertaking a PBST caused further adverse changes to the total leukocyte, lymphocyte, CD3, CD4 and CD8 count, and the helper/suppressor ratio. Although CD8 counts had returned to normal by PIII, CD3, CD4, and the CD4 /CD8 ratio remained significantly lower than normative data (P< 0.01), with 66%, 100%, and 100% of the subject group reporting counts and ratios, respectively, below the normal range. CONCLUSION: The PBST patients were immunocompromised before undertaking the transplant, and the transplant procedure imposed further adverse changes to the leukocyte and lymphocyte counts. The leukocyte and CD8 counts returned to normal within 3 months posttransplant; however, the other immunological parameters assessed demonstrated a delayed recovery. Although participation in the exercise program did not facilitate a faster immune cell recovery, neither did the exercise program hinder or delay recovery.     

Effects of age, available response time and gender on ability to stop suddenly when walking

Background: Injuries may occur during walking when a sudden stop to avoid a gait path obstacle is called for unexpectedly, but cannot be completed in the time available. Little is known about abilities, particularly those of older adults, to stop suddenly. Methods: Twenty young (mean age 23.4 years) and 20 older (72.6 years) healthy and physically active adults with equal numbers of females and males in each age group were studied. While walking straight ahead at approximately 1.3 m/s, they were cued by a light at one of five possible locations to stop as quickly as possible. Subjects were given available response times (ART), the times between the visual cue to stop and potential passage through a virtual wall that was outlined by the array of lights used to cue the subjects, ranging from 375 to 825 ms in 75-ms increments. The rate of success (RS) in completing the stops as prescribed was determined and the effects on RS of age, available response time and gender were examined. Regression analyses were used to interpolate the RS data. Results: At all ART, older female (OF) subjects had a significantly lower rate of success (RS) than either older male (OM) or young adult (YA) subjects. At an ART of 525 ms, for example, RS was 58% for YA and 51% for OM, but only 23% for OF. The regression analyses suggested that OM in the mean would have needed 10 ms longer and OF 70 ms longer than YA to achieve a 50% RS. No significant gender difference in RS were found among YA. Conclusions: The healthy and physically active older female subjects in this study needed longer available response times, and thus longer available stopping distances, than did the young adults or the older males to succeed as well in stopping suddenly while walking at their comfortable gait speed. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.     

Patellar tendinopathy in master track and field athletes: influence of impact profile, weight, height, age and gender

Purpose  

Patellar tendinopathy causes significant morbidity in professional and recreational athletes. Despite the relevance of the problem, its causative factors remain poorly understood. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the influence of age, gender, weight, height and impact profile on developing patellar tendinopathy in master track and field athletes.     

Progesterone-induced changes in exercise performance and ventilatory response

To further study the relationship between ventilatory response (VR) and exercise performance, and to investigate to what extent progesterone is responsible for ventilatory changes in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, we administered medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) to 10 normal males (20 mg three times a day for 5 doses) and compared results with those obtained in a similar study of females. With MPA, there was an increase in the resting VR to hypercapnia; the resting VR to hypoxia was not changed. There was a respiratory alkalosis at rest. During exercise, the PaCO2 remained lower but the pHa was not different because of a tendency toward lower bicarbonate concentration with MPA. Ventilation, when related to CO2 output, was increased at all exercise loads, indicating increased VR to endogenous CO2. However, ventilation was only minimally (3%) increased when related to oxygen uptake or workload. This apparent disparity is because of slightly lower CO2 output at a given oxygen uptake with MPA. As in females, maximal duration of exercise and maximal oxygen uptake were unchanged. Except for degree, MPA induced all the ventilatory changes seen in the menstrual cycle. Increased VR does not adversely affect exercise performance.     

Athletic injuries: comparison by age, sport, and gender

Injuries treated at the University of Rochester Section of Sports Medicine over a 7 year period were surveyed. Patients were drawn from professional, intercollegiate (Division III), high school, intramural, and unorganized athletics at the University and the surrounding community. Data on injury diagnosis was available for 4,551 cases, with data on age, gender, and sport of injury available for 3,431 of the cases. The average patient age was 21.6 years, with a peak in the 16 to 19 age group. Patients with fractures had an average age below the overall mean, while those with internal derangement of the knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and inflammatory injuries were significantly older than average. Males accounted for 80.3% of all injuries. For both sexes the most common areas injured were the knee and ankle, with sprains/strains the most common injuries. Injuries involving the patellofemoral articulation were significantly more frequent among females. The most common sport of injury was football, with greater than 12 times the number of injuries seen in the next most common sport.     

Early advancing age alters plasma glucose and glucoregulatory hormones in response to supramaximal exercise

After the age of 60, the decrease in physical activity and the increase in fat mass (FM) are two essential factors contributing to the alteration of glucose, insulin, and catecholamines responses induced by exercise. To discard these two factors, we compared the glucoregulatory responses in three different groups of men between the ages 21 and 34, and matched pairs: trained groups (T34 and T21) were matched for training level; T21 and U21 (U for untrained) were matched for age; T34 and U21 were matched for FM. The glucoregulatory responses were determined by venous plasma concentrations of glucose ([GLU]), insulin ([INS]), and catecholamines (adrenaline: [A], noradrenaline: [NA]) before and after a Wingate test. [GLU], [INS], and [A] did not differ between T21 and U21, indicating that high-level training had no effects on these parameters. On the other hand, T34 compared to T21 and U21, had higher GLU associated with lower INS post-exercise concentrations. Moreover, [A_max] was significantly lower in this group. Consequently, T34 only exhibited a significant alteration in glucose and glucoregulatory responses after a Wingate test, which could not be explained by the usual decrease in physical activity and/or the increase in FM. Therefore, aging alone seems to be one main factor of this deterioration.     

Age does not influence the bone response to treadmill exercise in female rats

PURPOSE: Because it is believed that bone may respond to exercise differently at different ages, we compared bone responses in immature and mature rats after 12 wk of treadmill running. METHODS: Twenty-two immature (5-wk-old) and 21 mature (17-wk-old) female Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into a running (trained, P = 10 immature, 9 mature) or a control group (controls, P = 12 immature, 12 mature) before sacrifice 12 wk later. Rats ran on a treadmill five times per week for 60-70 min at speeds up to 26 m.min. Both at baseline and after intervention, we measured total body, lumbar spine, and proximal femoral bone mineral, as well as total body soft tissue composition using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). After sacrificing the animals, we measured dynamic and static histomorphometry and three-point bending strength of the tibia. RESULTS: Running training was associated with greater differences in tibial subperiosteal area, cortical cross-sectional area, peak load, stiffness, and moment of inertia in immature and mature rats (P < 0.05). The trained rats had greater periosteal bone formation rates (P < 0.01) than controls, but there was no difference in tibial trabecular bone histomorphometry. Similar running-related gains were seen in DXA lumbar spine area (P = 0.04) and bone mineral content (BMC; P = 0.03) at both ages. For total body bone area and BMC, the immature trained group increased significantly compared with controls (P < 0.05), whereas the mature trained group gained less than did controls (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In this model, where a similar physical training program was performed by immature and mature female rats, we demonstrated that both age groups were sensitive to loading and that bone strength gains appeared to result more from changes in bone geometry than from improved material properties.     

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age,gender, and laterality

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20–89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean±standard deviation 2.3±1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. Electronic Publication     

Renal responses to bicycle exercise in trained athletes: influence of exercise intensity

The effects of exercise on renal function were studied in 11 male bicyclists, using a bicycle ergometer. At a work intensity of 100/150 W, bicycle exercise for 1 h was associated with a significant increase in urine volume, endogenous creatinine clearance, and renal sodium and potassium excretion. In contrast, exercise of the same duration at a work intensity of 150/200 W produced no significant changes in the above variables. Exercise intensity seems to influence renal responses, presumably through a differential effect on renal blood flow.     

Catecholamines and the effects of exercise, training and gender

Stress hormones, adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine), are responsible for many adaptations both at rest and during exercise. Since their discovery, thousands of studies have focused on these two catecholamines and their importance in many adaptive processes to different stressors such as exercise, hypoglycaemia, hypoxia and heat exposure, and these studies are now well acknowledged. In fact, since adrenaline and noradrenaline are the main hormones whose concentrations increase markedly during exercise, many researchers have worked on the effect of exercise on these amines and reported 1.5 to >20 times basal concentrations depending on exercise characteristics (e.g. duration and intensity). Similarly, several studies have shown that adrenaline and noradrenaline are involved in cardiovascular and respiratory adjustments and in substrate mobilization and utilization. Thus, many studies have focused on physical training and gender effects on catecholamine response to exercise in an effort to verify if significant differences in catecholamine responses to exercise could be partly responsible for the different performances observed between trained and untrained subjects and/or men and women. In fact, previous studies conducted in men have used different types of exercise to compare trained and untrained subjects in response to exercise at the same absolute or relative intensity. Their results were conflicting for a while. As research progressed, parameters such as age, nutritional and emotional state have been found to influence catecholamine concentrations. As a result, most of the recent studies have taken into account all these parameters. Those studies also used very well trained subjects and/or more intense exercise, which is known to have a greater effect on catecholamine response so that differences between trained and untrained subjects are more likely to appear. Most findings then reported a higher adrenaline response to exercise in endurance-trained compared with untrained subjects in response to intense exercise at the same relative intensity as all-out exercise. This phenomenon is referred to as the 'sports adrenal medulla'. This higher capacity to secrete adrenaline was observed both in response to physical exercise and to other stimuli such as hypoglycaemia and hypoxia. For some authors, this phenomenon can partly explain the higher physical performance observed in trained compared with untrained subjects. More recently, these findings have also been reported in anaerobic-trained subjects in response to supramaximal exercise. In women, studies remain scarce; the results are more conflicting than in men and the physical training type (aerobic or anaerobic) effects on catecholamine response remain to be specified. Conversely, the works undertaken in animals are more unanimous and suggest that physical training can increase the capacity to secrete adrenaline via an increase of the adrenal gland volume and adrenaline content.     

Quantitative scintigraphy of sacroiliac joints: effects of age, gender, and laterality

The effects of age, gender, and laterality on sacroiliac/sacral ratios obtained during quantitative joint imaging were assessed in 97 nonarthritic control subjects. For the entire group, the right sacroiliac-to-sacral mean ratio of 1.27 in 54 males was significantly higher (p less than 0.02) than the right mean ratio of 1.18 in 53 females. In both genders the right joint ratio tended to be higher than the left in all age groups. The difference in mean ratio between the two joints was wider for males than for females. The age did not affect the joint ratio in either gender. It is concluded that the range of normal sacroiliac-to-sacral ratios are different for males and females and should be taken into account during a quantitative sacroiliac joint imaging examination.     

Predicted maximal aerobic power in youth is related to age, gender, and ethnicity.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of age, gender, and ethnicity on the predicted aerobic power of youth as they age from 8 to 16 yr. METHODS: The sample was a multicohort group of 2540 African Americans (N = 543) and Caucasians (N = 1997), 1279 (50.4%) girls and 1261 (49.6%) boys. Heights, weights, and sum of skin folds (triceps + subscapular) were measured. Aerobic power ((p)VO(2max)), expressed in relative (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) or absolute (L x min(-1)) terms, was predicted from a three-stage cycle ergometry test. RESULTS: Quadratic mixed-model analysis indicated that boys had higher relative and absolute (p)VO(2max) than the girls (P = 0.0004). The African American subjects had a higher absolute (p)VO(2max) (L x min(-1)) than the Caucasians, but their relative (p)VO(2max) was lower than the Caucasians (P = 0.031). Finally, age had a significant effect on (p)VO(2max) (P = 0.0001). The absolute (p)VO(2max) of the girls increased 9%.yr(-1) until age 14; but their relative (p)VO(2max) declined approximately 1.2 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) x yr(-1). The absolute (p)VO(2max) for the boys increased yearly by approximately 14% from ages 8 to 16 yr, but the relative (p)VO(2max) of the African American males was stable from ages 8 to 11, then dropped, and stabilized again between ages 12 and 16 yr. The relative (p)VO(2max) of the Caucasian boys declined from ages 8 to 10, but then increased slightly from age 12 to 16 yr. In addition, the interactions of age and gender, and age squared and gender were significant (P < 0.02). CONCLUSION: These data indicate that although absolute (p)VO(2max) (L x min(-1)) increases from age 8 to 16 yr, relative (p)VO(2max) (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) declines. The decline appears to be related to increased fat mass. Similarly, the higher relative (p)VO(2max) (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) of the Caucasian youth compared with the African American youth was related to lower weights and skin folds of the Caucasian youth.