Use of the stages of change model in improving nutrition and exercise habits in enlisted Air Force men

Thirty-nine U.S. Air Force enlisted men participated in a randomized controlled study that evaluated an experimental program designed to enhance fitness. Subjects were assigned to either a treatment (access to the program) or control (no access to program) group for 6 months. To improve treatment group fitness (as measured by VO2, subjects received individually tailored information (based on a behavior change model) via the Internet to encourage adoption of positive diet and exercise behaviors. Results showed no significant effect in improving fitness in treatment. However, significant effects were observed for secondary outcomes such as weight (controls, +1.0 kg vs. treatment, -2.2 kg, p < 0.05), body mass index (+0.3 kg/m2 vs. -0.7 kg/m2, p < 0.05), and percent body fat (+0.6% vs. -1.5%, p < 0.001). The data suggest that the individually tailored exercise information was not effective in encouraging sufficient exercise intensity to impact fitness. However, the dietary tailored information appears to have encouraged the adoption of more positive nutritional practices as demonstrated by the beneficial effects reflected in secondary outcomes.     

There is more to stages of exercise than just exercise

A central construct of the transtheoretical model is stages of change, which describes progression through five stages that reflect behavioral and cognitive indicators. This article examines the usefulness of the stages of exercise to address various intensities of physical activity. It also documents support for intention, the second construct contained within the stages, which is rarely included in validations.     

Rhabdomyolysis in 119 students after repetitive exercise

Exercise induced rhabdomyolysis is well known, but has rarely been reported in high school students. This is the report of 119 cases in high school students who exercised vigorously (120 push ups in five minutes) in cold weather. Most of them developed muscle pain and dark urine within two to four days of the exercise.     

Relation of the stages of change for exercise behaviors,self-efficacy,decisional-balance,and diet-related psycho-behavioral factors in young Japanese women

BACKGROUND: A large proportion of young Japanese women is inactive. Exercise has important health benefits, however, abnormal weight/eating concerns and excessive dieting practices among physically active young women also have been reported in many cross-sectional studies. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between stages of change for exercise behaviors and exercise/dieting related psycho-behavioral factors using the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change as a theoretical framework. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 450 young Japanese women aged 18 to 21 (18.4+/-0.67 years). Subjects in precontemplation (n=111, 24.7%), contemplation (n=120, 26.7%), preparation (n=177, 39.3%), action (n=17, 3.8%), and maintenance (n=25, 5.6%) were compared on physique, body composition, current exercise practices, exercise self-efficacy, decisional balance (benefits and costs exercise), as well as dieting behaviors and weight/eating concerns. RESULTS: Stages of change for exercise behaviors were significantly related to exercise self-efficacy and perceived benefits as well as to dieting behaviors and weight/eating concerns. Subjects in the higher stages had higher self-efficacy, perceived benefits of exercise, and healthy dieting behaviors; however, some of them also had unhealthier dietary practices, higher phobia of obesity and obsession with eating than those in lower stages. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide support for applying the transtheoretical model of exercise behavioral change to Japanese young women. Additionally, it is also important to pay attention to stage specific psycho-behavioral factors related to their dieting.     

Fluid shifts resulting from exercise in rats as detected by bioelectrical impedance

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the immediate effect of exercise intensity and duration on body fluid volumes in rats throughout a 3-wk exercise program. METHODS: Changes in the extracellular water (ECW) and total body water (TBW) volumes of rats were measured preexercise and postexercise using multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Groups of rats were exercised at two intensities (6 m.min(-1) and 12 m.min(-1)) for two exercise times (60 min and 90 min) 5 d.wk(-1) during a 3-wk period. Changes in plasma electrolytes, glucose, and lactate resulting from the exercise were also measured on 3 d of each week. RESULTS: Each group of animals showed significant losses in ECW and TBW as a direct result of daily exercise. The magnitude of fluid loss was directly related to the intensity of the exercise, but not to exercise duration; although the magnitude of daily fluid loss at the higher intensity exercise (12 m.min(-1)) decreased as the study progressed, possibly indicating a training effect. CONCLUSION: At low-intensity exercise, there is a small but significant loss in both TBW and ECW fluids, and the magnitude of these losses does not change throughout a 3-wk exercise program. At moderate levels of exercise intensity, there is a greater loss of both TBW and ECW fluids. However, the magnitudes of these losses decrease significantly during the 3-wk exercise program, thus demonstrating a training effect.     

Longitudinal associations between exercise identity and exercise motivation: A multilevel growth curve model approach

Past work linking exercise identity and exercise motivation has been cross‐sectional. This is the first study to model the relations between different types of exercise identity and exercise motivation longitudinally. Understanding the dynamic associations between these sets of variables has implications for theory development and applied research. This was a longitudinal survey study. Participants were 180 exercisers (79 men, 101 women) from Greece, who were recruited from fitness centers and were asked to complete questionnaires assessing exercise identity (exercise beliefs and role‐identity) and exercise motivation (intrinsic, identified, introjected, external motivation, and amotivation) three times within a 6 month period. Multilevel growth curve modeling examined the role of motivational regulations as within‐ and between‐level predictors of exercise identity, and a model in which exercise identity predicted exercise motivation at the within‐ and between‐person levels. Results showed that within‐person changes in intrinsic motivation, introjected, and identified regulations were positively and reciprocally related to within‐person changes in exercise beliefs; intrinsic motivation was also a positive predictor of within‐person changes in role‐identity but not vice versa. Between‐person differences in the means of predictor variables were predictive of initial levels and average rates of change in the outcome variables. The findings show support to the proposition that a strong exercise identity (particularly exercise beliefs) can foster motivation for behaviors that reinforce this identity. We also demonstrate that such relations can be reciprocal overtime and can depend on the type of motivation in question as well as between‐person differences in absolute levels of these variables.     

Prevalence and dynamic characteristics of generalized joint hypermobility in college students

BackgroundGeneralized joint hypermobility (GJH) is a common, but often ignored, condition characterized by general joint laxity, which is reported to increase one’s risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, it is not clearly learned in the prevalence and dynamic characteristics in college students.Research questionIs the active motion stability in the six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) kinematics of the knee joint of people with GJH poorer than that of others?MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study. A population of 489 college students was recruited who was divided into two groups: a GJH group (Beighton score ≥ 4, n = 54) and a normal group (Beighton score < 4, n = 435). A paper questionnaire with questions about the participants’ demographic characteristics and musculoskeletal disorder symptoms was collected. A three-dimensional gait analysis system was used to collect the participants’ knee joint kinematic parameters during treadmill walking. Variables were evaluated using independent t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.ResultsThe prevalence of GJH was found to be 11.0 % among college students. Participants with GJH exhibited a greater active range of motions in the anterior/posterior translation than the normal (P = 0.026). Participants with GJH exhibited greater flexion at the end of the terminal stance (P = 0.039) and greater anterior translation of the tibia during almost the whole gait period than the normal group (P＜0.05) during the treadmill gait. A greater external angle was found in GJH group during the periods of middle stance (P = 0.008).SignificanceGJH with a prevalence of 11.0 % among college students should be paid attention. Poor active motion stability in anterior/posterior translation may play an important role in the development of knee joint instability, potentially resulting in subsequent ACL deficiency and the development of knee osteoarthritis among people with GJH.     

Leptin responses to short term exercise in college level male rowers

Objective: To investigate plasma leptin response to short term exercise in college level male rowers.

Methods: Thirteen rowers performed a 30 minute maximal rowing ergometer test. Venous blood samples were obtained before, immediately after, and after 30 minutes of recovery. Concentrations of leptin, insulin, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were measured.

Results: Plasma leptin was significantly (p<0.05) decreased (from a mean (SD) of 2.7 (0.6) to 2.1 (0.8) ng/ml) and growth hormone significantly increased (from 0.6 (0.9) to 4.6 (5.4) µIU/l) immediately after the 30 minute maximal rowing exercise session (distance covered 7870.4 (443.3) m; blood lactate immediately after the test 14.9 (4.3) mmol/l). All other blood variables measured were not significantly changed as a result of the ergometer test. A positive relation was observed between the decreased plasma leptin concentration immediately after the test and the distance covered (R² = 0.645; p<0.05). Changes in leptin and IGF-I concentrations immediately after the test were also related (R² = 0.390; p<0.05). Percentage body fat explained 89.6% (p<0.05) of the variance (R² x 100) in basal leptin concentration. After normalisation for body fat, basal leptin was related (p<0.05) to basal insulin (r = 0.82) and training history (r = –0.60).

Conclusion: Leptin is sensitive to relatively short term intense exercise when all major muscles are involved.

     

Attitudes toward obese individuals among exercise science students

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to evaluate attitudes toward obese individuals and to identify personal characteristics associated with antifat bias among students majoring in exercise science. METHODS: Undergraduate (N = 136) and graduate (N = 110) students (mean age 23.2 yr, 55% male, 77% Caucasian) completed a series of questionnaires to assess attitudes toward obese individuals. Instruments included the Implicit Association Test (IAT), a timed self-report assessment that measures automatic attitudes and stereotypes toward obese persons through word categorizations (good vs bad; motivated vs lazy), and the Antifat Attitudes Test (AFAT), a self-report instrument that measures negative beliefs and attitudes toward obese individuals. Participants also completed a general demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: A strong bias was found for implicit measures including good versus bad attitude (P < 0.0001) and motivated versus lazy stereotype (P < 0.0001). Characteristics associated with greater bad bias included being female, Caucasian, and growing up in a less populated area (P < 0.05). Belief in greater personal responsibility for obesity was associated with stronger lazy bias (P < 0.01). On the AFAT self-report measure, belief in less personal responsibility for obesity, positive family history of obesity, and having an obese friend were associated with lower antifat scores (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that students in the field of exercise science possess negative associations and bias toward obese individuals. These findings have important implications for health promotion, as antifat bias and weight discrimination among exercise professionals may further contribute to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and reduced quality of life for many obese individuals who are at high risk for chronic disease.