Exercise and health: historical perspectives and new insights

Comparing positive versus negative intrinsic rewards for predicting physical activity habit strength and frequency during a period of high stress

The experience of positive intrinsic rewards (enjoyment) from physical activity (PA) is known to promote PA habit formation and maintenance. Negative intrinsic rewards (stress reduction) may also be associated with PA habit, particularly during a major stressor and when individual-level anxiety is higher. Multi-level models tested the following hypotheses using weekly survey data from a convenience sample (snowball sampling) of adults (N = 580; 91% White, 77% Female, mean age = 41 years) over the 8 weeks of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK: negative intrinsic rewards will be independently and statistically more strongly related to PA habit strength and frequency than positive intrinsic rewards; and, the relationship between negative intrinsic rewards and PA habit strength and frequency will be stronger for those with higher anxiety. Counter to the hypotheses, positive intrinsic rewards were more strongly associated with PA habit strength over time than negative intrinsic rewards (fixed effect = 0.27, p < 0.001 versus fixed effect = -0.05, p = 0.23, respectively), and there was a main effect of anxiety (but no interaction with negative rewards) on PA habit strength (fixed effect = -0.03, p = 0.03). The findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing and maintaining PA habit strength might best focus on cultivating positive intrinsic rewards (enjoyment) from PA, even in the presence of substantial stressors and individual-level anxiety.

Is it the people or the place? The remarkable 30-year period of integrative physiology research in the Carlson Gymnasium at the University of Colorado Boulder

Historically, programs of physical education and sport were housed in gymnasium buildings on academic campuses. As physical education evolved to the more scientifically focused successor departments of exercise science and kinesiology, faculty specialization developed in the physiology of exercise. With time, some faculty broadened their research to study the integrative physiology of other biological states and stressors. Through this series of events, a small group of integrative physiologists was formed in the Carlson Gymnasium at the University of Colorado Boulder during the 1990s with the goal of conducting novel biomedical research. The challenges were daunting: no contemporary core laboratory facilities, lack of temperature control, piercing external noise, pests, regular flooding, electrical power outages, and lack of funds for renovation. Despite these obstacles, the group established an innovative program of translational physiological research ranging from high-throughput molecular analyses to cell models to rodent studies to clinical trials in humans. These investigators supported their work with grant awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), American Heart Association, and private research foundations totaling ∼$80 M in direct costs from the late 1980s to 2020. Collectively, the faculty and their laboratory personnel published ∼950 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Over that period, 379 undergraduate students, 340 graduate students, 84 postdoctoral fellows, and dozens of junior research faculty received scientific training in Carlson, supported by >$21 M in extramural funding. What was accomplished by this handful of integrative physiologists speaks to the importance of the qualities of the investigators rather than their research facilities in determining scientific success.

Short Sleep Duration Disrupts Glucose Metabolism: Can Exercise Turn Back the Clock?

Short sleep duration is prevalent in modern society and may be contributing to type 2 diabetes prevalence. This review will explore the effects of sleep restriction on glycemic control, the mechanisms causing insulin resistance, and whether exercise can offset changes in glycemic control. Chronic sleep restriction may also contribute to a decrease in physical activity leading to further health complications.

Immunomodulatory effects of exercise in cancer prevention and adjuvant therapy: a narrative review

Successful application of cancer immunotherapy has rekindled hope in cancer patients. However, a number of patients are unresponsive to immunotherapy and related treatments. This unresponsiveness in cancer patients toward different treatment regimens can be mainly attributed to severe immune dysfunction in such patients. Several reports indicate that physical exercise can significantly lead to improved cancer patient outcomes. Since exercise gets immense response from the immune system, it can be utilized to improve immune function. Leukocytes with enhanced functions are substantially mobilized into the circulation by a single bout of intense physical exercise. Chronic physical exercise results in greater muscle endurance and strength and improved cardiorespiratory function. This exercise regime is also useful in improving T-cell abundance and reducing dysfunctional T cells. The current available data strongly justify for future clinical trials to investigate physical exercise use as an adjuvant in cancer therapy; however, optimal parameters using exercise for a defined outcome are yet to be established. The components of the immune system associate with almost every tumorigenesis step. The inter-relationship between inflammation, cancer, and innate immunity has recently gained acceptance; however, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms behind this relationship are yet to be solved. Several studies suggest physical exercise-mediated induction of immune cells to elicit anti-tumorigenic effects. This indicates the potential of exercising in modulating the behavior of immune cells to inhibit tumor progression. However, further mechanistic details behind physical exercise-driven immunomodulation and anticancer effects have to be determined. This review aims to summarize and discuss the association between physical exercise and immune function modulation and the potential of exercise as an adjuvant therapy in cancer prevention and treatment.

Effects of acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive function in E-athletes: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

E-sports require athletes to have high-speed reflexes and excellent memory skills. Whereas a single session of aerobic exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, this paper aims is to investigate the effects of acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the cognitive function of e-sports players and its time-course characteristics.

METHODS

Thirty-four E-athletes were divided into 2 groups according to a random number table method, and 2 trials in a quiet physical fitness gym. The duration of each trial was approximately 1 hour. In the first trial: exercise group (64-76% of maximum heart rate for 30 minutes power cycling) and control group, cognitive function was tested, and results were automatically recorded before, immediately after, and 30 minutes after exercise using the human benchmark website (https://humanbenchmark.com). The second trial crossed and swapped the interventions of the 2 groups, and the other test protocols were the same as the first.

RESULTS

In both trials, the exercise intervention group showed significant improvements in speed accuracy (P < .001, Cohen's d = 1.406, 95% CI: 0.717-2.072; P = .005, Cohen's d = 0.782, 95% CI: 0.227-1.319), visual memory (P < .001, Cohen's d = 1.416, 95% CI: 0.725-2.086; P = .015, Cohen's d = 0.662, 95% CI: 0.127-1.181), and reaction time (P < .001, Cohen's d = 1.265, 95% CI: 0.610-1.898; P<.001, Cohen's d = 0.979, 95% CI: 0.386-1.551) immediately after exercise compared to baseline. The exercise intervention group also showed significant improvement in speed accuracy 30 minutes after exercise compared to baseline (P = .002 Cohen's d = 0.869, 95% CI: 0.298-1.421; P = .009, Cohen's d = 0.722, 95% CI: 0.177-1.249). In the first trial, the exercise intervention group showed significant improvements in visual memory and reaction time immediately after exercise compared to the control group (P = .013, Cohen's d = 0.904, 95% CI: 0.190-1.605; P = .027, Cohen's d = 0.796, 95% CI: 0.090-1.490). The exercise intervention group also showed significant improvement in reaction time 30 minutes after exercise compared to baseline (P = .009, Cohen's d = 0.719, 95% CI: 0.174-1.246). There was no effect of exercise on sequence memory or the chimp test in both trials (P > .05). Sequence effect analysis showed no influence on the order of the exercise intervention in both trials (P = .912; P = .111; P = .226).

CONCLUSION

Acute moderate-intensity aerobic exercise significantly enhanced the speed accuracy, visual reaction time, and instantaneous memory of eSports players, and the effect could be extended up to 30 minutes after exercise.

Special Issue on Metabolic Adaptations in Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle during Acute and Chronic Exercise

Research in the field of exercise physiology has evolved dramatically over the last century [...].

How can physical activity facilitate a sustainable future? Reducing obesity and chronic disease

This review examines the ways in which physical activity can contribute to a sustainable future by addressing significant public health issues. The review begins by identifying obesity and ageing as two major challenges facing societies around the world due to the association of both with the risk of chronic disease. Recent developments in the understanding and treatment of obesity are examined followed by an appraisal of the role of exercise alone and in combination with other therapies in preventing and managing obesity. The review then addresses the interaction between exercise and appetite due to the central role appetite plays in the development of overweight and obesity. The final section of the review examines the potential of physical activity to combat age-related chronic disease risk including CVD, cancer and dementia. It is concluded that while bariatric surgery and pharmacotherapy are the most effective treatments for severe obesity, physical activity has a role to play facilitating and enhancing weight loss in combination with other methods. Where weight/fat reduction via exercise is less than expected this is likely due to metabolic adaptation induced by physiological changes facilitating increased energy intake and decreased energy expenditure. Physical activity has many health benefits independent of weight control including reducing the risk of developing CVD, cancer and dementia and enhancing cognitive function in older adults. Physical activity may also provide resilience for future generations by protecting against the more severe effects of global pandemics and reducing greenhouse gas emissions via active commuting.

Physical Exercise and Appetite Regulation: New Insights

Physical exercise is considered an important physiological intervention able to prevent cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and obesity-related cardiometabolic imbalance. Nevertheless, basic molecular mechanisms that govern the metabolic benefits of physical exercise are poorly understood. Recent data unveil new mechanisms that potentially explain the link between exercise, feeding suppression, and obesity.

The molecular athlete: exercise physiology from mechanisms to medals

Human skeletal muscle demonstrates remarkable plasticity, adapting to numerous external stimuli including the habitual level of contractile loading. Accordingly, muscle function and exercise capacity encompass a broad spectrum, from inactive individuals with low levels of endurance and strength to elite athletes who produce prodigious performances underpinned by pleiotropic training-induced muscular adaptations. Our current understanding of the signal integration, interpretation, and output coordination of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern muscle plasticity across this continuum is incomplete. As such, training methods and their application to elite athletes largely rely on a "trial-and-error" approach, with the experience and practices of successful coaches and athletes often providing the bases for "post hoc" scientific enquiry and research. This review provides a synopsis of the morphological and functional changes along with the molecular mechanisms underlying exercise adaptation to endurance- and resistance-based training. These traits are placed in the context of innate genetic and interindividual differences in exercise capacity and performance, with special consideration given to aging athletes. Collectively, we provide a comprehensive overview of skeletal muscle plasticity in response to different modes of exercise and how such adaptations translate from "molecules to medals."