The effect of EEG neurofeedback on lowering the stress reaction level depending on various stressors on the biochemical, muscular and psychomotor sphere: A preliminary randomized study

BACKGROUND

The human body is exposed to stressors on a daily basis. Short-term exposure to a particular stressor can cause the release of inflammatory markers - including c-reactive protein (CRP). EEG neurofeedback is a noninvasive form of therapy that aims to improve brain function. Neurofeedback is a type of feedback based on brain activity.

METHODS

The research process was performed by a group of 80 men who were divided into 2 research groups and 2 control groups. In the first research group and the first control group, the stressor of high temperature was applied, while in the second research group and the second control group, the stressor was physical exertion to refusal. Meanwhile, blood samples were taken to visualize inflammatory markers. These were taken before and after the stressor, as well as before and after the application of EEG neurofeedback.

RESULTS

In research group after EEG neurofeedback intervention, the level of CRP significantly dropped in the measurement after stressor implementation. Analysis of the SMK test revealed a significant influence of both factors (time F = 13.525, P = .035; state F = 10.658, P = .047) and their interaction (F = 16.709, P = .026). Same statically significant decrease was observed in the level of rect. abdom. EMG was after physical work after neurofeedback. In all tests, a decrease in the EMG amplitude of upper trap. was observed after physical work before neurofeedback with its further increase after neurofeedback. After neurofeedback training, the results of the 3 tested parameters of the sensorimotor coordination test performed after the second heat stressor improved statistically insignificantly compared to the values obtained before.

CONCLUSION

This article shows the effect of EGG neurofeedback on reducing the negative effects of stress exposure in humans. The study showed that the level and a pattern of EEG neurofeedback influence and significance is different depending on the applied stressor. Furthermore, the level of EEG neurofeedback influence and significance in decreasing the stressor effect is different depending on the examined sphere.

EEG neurofeedback and isolation stressor. A systematic review

Introduction. One of the factors increasing the body's response to a stressful situation is isolation. The feeling of loneliness in isolation can be caused by biological, psychological or medical factors. Material and methods: This paper is a review of publications issued in 2009–2021, the most up-to-date in terms of information on the topic of stress and its links with EEG neurofeedback. Results: 5 publications on stress caused by isolation and the reaction of the human body in a stressful situation were selected. The papers were selected based on the use of EEG neurofeedback in reducing the body's stress reactions to isolation. Conclusions: There is a lack of studies in the available literature describing the direct application of EEG neurofeedback in the reduction of stress caused by isolation despite demonstrating its potential in individual studies.

Effects of acute ingestion of caffeinated chewing gum on performance in elite judo athletes

Purpose

Previous investigations have found positive effects of acute ingestion of capsules containing 4-to-9 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass on several aspects of judo performance. However, no previous investigation has tested the effectiveness of caffeinated chewing gum as the form of caffeine administration for judoists. The main goal of this study was to assess the effect of acute ingestion of a caffeinated chewing gum on the results of the special judo fitness test (SJFT).

Methods

Nine male elite judo athletes of the Polish national team (23.7 ± 4.4 years, body mass: 73.5 ± 7.4 kg) participated in a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled and double-blind experiment. Participants were moderate caffeine consumers (3.1 mg/kg/day). Each athlete performed three identical experimental sessions after: (a) ingestion of two non-caffeinated chewing gums (P + P); (b) a caffeinated chewing gum and a placebo chewing gum (C + P; ~2.7 mg/kg); (c) two caffeinated chewing gums (C + C; ~5.4 mg/kg). Each gum was ingested 15 min before performing two Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) which were separated by 4 min of combat activity.

Results

The total number of throws was not different between P + P, C + P, and C + C (59.66 ± 4.15, 62.22 ± 4.32, 60.22 ± 4.08 throws, respectively; p = 0.41). A two-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated no significant substance × time interaction effect as well as no main effect of caffeine for SJFT performance, SJFT index, blood lactate concentration, heart rate or rating of perceived exertion.

Conclusions

The results of the current study indicate that the use of caffeinated chewing gum in a dose up to 5.4 mg/kg of caffeine did not increase performance during repeated SJFTs.

Prenatal high-low impact exercise program supported by pelvic floor muscle education and training decreases the life impact of postnatal urinary incontinence: A quasiexperimental trial

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy and high impact exercise may cause postnatal urinary incontinence. We aimed to evaluate the life impact of postnatal urinary incontinence in women attending prenatal, high-low impact exercise program, supported by pelvic floor muscle education and training, in comparison to controls.

METHODS

It was a quasiexperimental trial among 260 postpartum Caucasian women (age 29 ± 4 years; mean ± standard deviation). The training group (n = 133) attended a high-low impact exercise and educational program from the 2nd trimester of pregnancy until birth, 3 times a week. We educated this group to contract and relax pelvic floor muscles with surface electromyography biofeedback and instructed how to exercise postpartum. Control women (n = 127) did not get any intervention. All women reported on the life impact of urinary incontinence 2 months and 1 year postpartum using the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ).

RESULTS

Training group started regular pelvic floor muscle exercises substantially earlier postpartum than controls (P < .001). Significantly less training women reported the life impact of urinary incontinence both 2 months (P = .03) and 1 year postpartum (P = .005). Two months after birth, for the symptomatic women the IIQ scores were significantly lower in the training than in the control women (median [Me] = 9.4 vs Me = 18.9; P = .002). Between the 1st and 2nd assessments the number of women affected by incontinence symptoms decreased by 38% in the training group and by 20% in the controls.

CONCLUSION

High-low impact activities supported by pelvic floor muscle exercises and education should be promoted among pregnant, physically active women. Such activities may help women to continue high-intensity exercise with the simultaneous prevention of postnatal urinary incontinence.Thy study was registered at ISRCTN under the title "Pelvic floor muscle training with surface electromyography" (DOI 10.1186/ISRCTN92265528).

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Sprint Performance in Elite Youth Football Players

Pickering, C, Suraci, B, Semenova, EA, Boulygina, EA, Kostryukova, ES, Kulemin, NA, Borisov, OV, Khabibova, SA, Larin, AK, Pavlenko, AV, Lyubaeva, EV, Popov, DV, Lysenko, EA, Vepkhvadze, TF, Lednev, EM, Leońska-Duniec, A, Pająk, B, Chycki, J, Moska, W, Lulińska-Kuklik, E, Dornowski, M, Maszczyk, A, Bradley, B, Kana-ah, A, Cięszczyk, P, Generozov, EV, and Ahmetov, II. A genome-wide association study of sprint performance in elite youth football players. J Strength Cond Res 33(9): 2344-2351, 2019-Sprint speed is an important component of football performance, with teams often placing a high value on sprint and acceleration ability. The aim of this study was to undertake the first genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with sprint test performance in elite youth football players and to further validate the obtained results in additional studies. Using micro-array data (600 K-1.14 M single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) of 1,206 subjects, we identified 12 SNPs with suggestive significance after passing replication criteria. The polymorphism rs55743914 located in the PTPRK gene was found as the most significant for 5-m sprint test (p = 7.7 × 10). Seven of the discovered SNPs were also associated with sprint test performance in a cohort of 126 Polish women, and 4 were associated with power athlete status in a cohort of 399 elite Russian athletes. Six SNPs were associated with muscle fiber type in a cohort of 96 Russian subjects. We also examined genotype distributions and possible associations for 16 SNPs previously linked with sprint performance. Four SNPs (AGT rs699, HSD17B14 rs7247312, IGF2 rs680, and IL6 rs1800795) were associated with sprint test performance in this cohort. In addition, the G alleles of 2 SNPs in ADRB2 (rs1042713 & rs1042714) were significantly over-represented in these players compared with British and European controls. These results suggest that there is a genetic influence on sprint test performance in footballers, and identifies some of the genetic variants that help explain this influence.

Exercise Professionals Improve Their Poor Skills in Contracting Pelvic-Floor Muscles: A Randomized Controlled Trial

A quick, well-timed pelvic-floor muscle contraction during physical effort is recommended for active women to prevent urine leakage.

PURPOSE

We address two research questions: how well do future female exercise professionals contract the pelvic-floor muscles, and whether the biofeedback session is necessary to train them to contract pelvic-floor muscles?

METHOD

Participants were 84 nulliparous future exercise professionals (age 23 ± 3 years, mean ± SD), randomly allocated into biofeedback (n = 27), usual-advice (n = 26), and control (no advice, n = 21) groups. Contraction of pelvic-floor muscles on a 4-point scale (1 = incorrect through 4 = correct) was assessed in all groups by surface electromyography (sEMG) with a vaginal probe before and after 6 weeks of intervention.

RESULTS

In pretest, almost one in five participants (17%) could not activate the pelvic floor and less than half of them (45%) presented correct technique. The technique score for the three groups was 3.1 ± 1.1 (mean ± SD). After training, both intervention groups presented better technique score by 0.6 (90% confidence limits ± 0.5) relative to the control group, and two-thirds (65%) of the intervention groups presented the correct technique.

CONCLUSIONS

Future exercise professionals displayed poor skills in contracting pelvic-floor muscles. Both training interventions (with and without biofeedback) were effective for this study group.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of relaxation in lowering the level of anxiety in young adults - a pilot study

OBJECTIVES

Anxiety is a negative emotion that acts as a mediator between stress stimuli and emotional (physiological) reaction patterns. The myofascial system is particularly sensitive to stress. The aim of this study was to determine which of the 2 popular methods used to reduce psychophysical tension, i.e., soft tissue manipulation and Jacobson's progressive relaxation, is more effective.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This study was conducted at Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sports in the sports psychology laboratory and the manual therapy room. After performing specialist consultations and interviews to exclude potential participants with contraindications to any of the interventions, the final sample included 90 people who were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. In group I, soft tissue techniques were applied, including the techniques of post-isometric muscle relaxation, elements of myofascial relaxation of tissues, and elastic tissue deformation using the Swedish massage limited to the cervicothoracic complex. In group II, Jacobson's progressive relaxation was performed. The training consisted of tightening and relaxing specific muscle groups. The experiment was conducted under an ambulatory condition, consisting of a single physiotherapeutic session (group I) or a single progressive relaxation session using the Jacobson method (group II). The level of anxiety was assessed twice, i.e., immediately before and after the therapy.

RESULTS

According to a repeated-measures ANOVA, each therapeutic impact was effective in reducing the level of perceived anxiety. Furthermore, the level of perceived anxiety in group I decreased significantly more than that in group II.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, both the soft tissue manipulation and Jacobson's progressive relaxation techniques were efficient methods of minimizing the negative effects of stress. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(6):817-24.

Cyclic movement execution and its influence on motor programmess

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to discover the relationship between the performance of different mechanical movements of rowers, and define its effect on the motor programs of the cyclic movement in athletes living in rural and urban areas.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Twenty-two male rowers participated in the experiment using a rowing ergometer (Concept2, USA). The experiment consisted of 3 tests examining the maximal power of the pull-ups (MPbpu). The movement mechanogram was registered with a specialized complex Noraxon's 3D MyoMotion (Noraxon Inc., USA). The software of the complex allowed calculation of the values of the joint angles from the accelerometer data. The Origin Lab 8.5 program was used for the mathematical and statistical processing of the signals from the mechanograms.

RESULTS

It was found that all experiment participants had a stepped controlled increase in the power of single bar pull-ups leading to a corresponding proportional increase in the frequency of rowing - test 1 and, conversely, a stepped controlled increase in the rowing frequency accompanied by a proportional increase in the power of the bar pull-ups - test 2. The involuntary dependence of the power and the rate was due to the peculiarities of the central cyclic movement programming, according to which the forces and durations of the active and passive bar pull-ups phases were interconnected and regulated together. The voluntary power-rate dependence control led to the breakdown of these links in the motor program of cyclic movements and to the separate control of these parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Motor programs in cyclic movement may be created in the same pattern in tope level sport and recreation, as well in different environmental conditions - gym halls (movement simulators), professional and recreational water sport tracks.

High-Low Impact Exercise Program Including Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises Improves Pelvic Floor Muscle Function in Healthy Pregnant Women - A Randomized Control Trial

Background: Pregnancy and high-impact activity are considered as risk factors for pelvic floor dysfunctions, including urinary incontinence.

Aim: To investigate whether a structured exercise program, including high- and low-impact aerobics and supported by pelvic floor muscle exercises, improves the neuromuscular activity of the pelvic floor and does not reduce the quality of life in terms of urinary incontinence in healthy pregnant women.

Methods: This was a randomized control trial among 97 Caucasian healthy nulliparas in uncomplicated pregnancies (age 30 ± 4 years, 21 ± 5 weeks of gestation; mean ± SD). Women were assessed for pelvic floor muscle functions with surface electromyography (EMG) using vaginal probes and using the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ). Only women able to contract pelvic floor muscles and with good quality of life based on IIQ were included for the study. Seventy women in the experimental group took part in a supervised exercise program including high-low impact aerobics and pelvic floor muscle exercises three times a week. Twenty-seven controls did not receive any exercise intervention. After 6 weeks both groups were re-tested with EMG and IIQ. Post- and pre-exercise program changes in each group were analyzed using a repeated-measures ANOVA.

Results: Women in the experimental group improved the neuromuscular activity of the pelvic floor in some motor tasks without any adverse outcomes of the intervention. After the exercise program we observed in the experimental group significantly higher EMG amplitude in the pelvic floor muscles during 3-s contractions (p = 0.014). We also noticed a beneficial trend in the increase of neuromuscular activity during 10- and 60-s contractions, but the changes were not statistically significant. The exercising women substantially improved their abilities for relaxation following 3- and 10-s contractions (p = 0.013 and p < 0.001). In controls, we reported no statistically significant improvement in either of the motor tasks. All study participants maintained good quality of life related to urinary incontinence.

Conclusion: Prenatal exercise programs that include high- and low-impact aerobics and are supported by pelvic floor muscle exercises should be recommended for pregnant women, especially those who are accustomed to higher exercise intensity before pregnancy. Nevertheless, these recommendations can be directed to continent women who can properly contract pelvic floor muscles.

ISRCTN. DOI: 10.1186/ISRCTN92265528: “Pelvic floor muscle training with surface electromyography”, retrospectively registered on the 25th of July, 2016.

PAIN MANAGEMENT AND OPTIMISM LEVELS AMONG OFFICE WORKERS WITH CERVICAL SPINE COMPLAINTS

Coping with pain plays a very important role in human life and it may differ depending on the personality characteristics of patients such as their level of optimism. The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether the coping strategies for to cervical spine pain amongof office workers were determined by gender, the locus of pain control orand an optimistic attributional style. 30 office workers (Females = 15, Males = 15) took part in the experiment. The age of the participants was for females (M and for =43; SD=5.,9) and for males (M=44.,9; SD=4.,9. The subjects were asked to fill out 4 questionnaires: (CSQ), (BPCQ), (ASQ), a 10-grade visual analogue scale (VAS) and an original questionnaire. The study revealed that most of the office workers declare the ability to copeing with pain. Women were significantly more focused on emotions as a pain coping strategy than were the males participants. It was also shown that the internal locus of pain control significantly correlates with coping focused on problem solving. Participants characterized by anwith optimistic attributableional style used task oriented strategies more often than did the pessimists. There were no significant differences in the level of perceived pain between optimists and pessimists. It was foundind that there are statistically significant differences in coping with pain coping according to gender. Women were significantly more focused on emotions as a pain coping strategy than were the males participants. A high level of optimism may have a significant impact on the reduction of emotion - oriented strategies such as catastrophising by switching on more beneficial strategies to cope with pain by the individual. There are no significant differences in the level of perceived pain between pessimists and optimists.

Six-Week Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity (sEMG) Training in Pregnant Women as Prevention of Stress Urinary Incontinence

BACKGROUND Pelvic floor muscle exercises are a widely used and well-established form of stress incontinence treatment, with success rates varying from 21% to 84%, although with a better subjective than objective outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS "Incontinence Impact Questionnaire" (IIQ), PFM EMG assessment was done at the beginning and after the 6-week training program. RESULTS Statistically significant differences appeared in the BASE and R values. In the symptomatic group (with SUI symptoms), the value of BASE was 3.26 µV, and after training it was 3.95 µV. The R values before and after training were 4.55 µV and 4.25 µV. In the symptomatic group (without SUI symptoms), the value of BASE was 2.88 µV and 3.52 µV and R values were 7.16 µV and 3.92 µV. In the control group, BASE was 3.05 µV and 4.11 µV and R was 7.82 µV and 4.39 µV. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that a 6-week training process influences PFM EMG activity in pregnant women. During Q, the value of PFM activity after a training session tended to increase in the symptomatic and control groups, but in the symptomatic group it remains practically unchanged. Our results show the probable process of decreasing control of PFM activity during long-lasting contractions in symptomatic and control women. The comparison of BASE before and after training averaged the values of R after five 10-s contractions and showed an increase in the Base and decrease in the R.

HYPERBARIC THERAPY INFLUENCE ON PSYCHOMOTOR ABILITIES EFFECTIVENESS DEVELOPMENT – TWO CASES STUDY

Background: Hyperbaric therapy is a relatively new non-invasive therapeutic method. It involves inhaling the patient with pure oxygen using a pressure of 2 to 3 absolute atmospheres (ATA). The main purpose of this therapy is to improve the healing mechanisms and repairing processes in the case of various types of wounds and diseases. While in medicine this method is quite popular, in sport it is rarely used today and if so than mainly for the purposes of faster return to full fitness of athletes after injuries or after heavy, intense training conditions. Case study: Two subjects took part in the experiment. Training sessions were performed based on the selected original set of exercises within 29 days. Experiment participant was under conditions of increased pressure (2.5 ATA), during the session he breathed 100% oxygen, provided by the individual respiratory system. The measurement of muscle strength level of selected muscle groups, in selected motor tasks was estimated in (maximum weight – which is the maximum external resistance defeated in one repetition). It was found that there were increases in the level of muscle strength in selected muscles groups in first participant as a result of the applied set of exercises (motor tasks) and the effect of the hyperbaric sessions. Conclusions: The results of the study show that there was a visible/significant influence of the hyperbaric session on increasing the muscle function based on strength training example. This method in combination with adequate strength training sessions could be used in many areas connected with psychomotor development of human abilities.

The effects of gymnastics training on selected parameters of anaerobic capacity in 12-year-old boys

BACKGROUND

One of the aims of the study was to describe the physiological factors of young boys participating in artistic gymnastic training and evaluate differences between the levels of aerobic and anaerobic efficiency in this group as compared to the control group.

METHODS

The young male gymnasts selected to participate in the present study have been (G) participating in the training process since they were 6 years old (N.=12, age 11-12 y). In the control group (N.=12, age 11-12 y), boys were participating in physical education classes (C). Anaerobic efficiency was evaluated by using a 30 s Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) for arms. Adjusted load was defined on the level of 50 g·kg-1 of body mass. Aerobic efficiency was defined using gradual effort to exhaustion for lower limbs on the cycle ergometer with simultaneous analysis of breathing gases.

RESULTS

The test to exhaustion showed that group G achieved lower VO2peak results as compared to group C. The values were respectively: 48.1 mL·kg-1·min-1 and 55.6 mL·kg-1·min-1 (P<0.05). In the examination of anaerobic efficiency for upper limb parameters, total work and mean power were higher in group G than in group C, while the fatigue index (FI) was lower.

CONCLUSIONS

It is likely that early specialization in young male gymnasts may influence proper aerobic metabolism development. Executing WAnT using arms in group G was more convenient and precise according to anaerobic efficiency.

The Movement- and Load-Dependent Differences in the EMG Patterns of the Human Arm Muscles during Two-Joint Movements (A Preliminary Study)

Slow circular movements of the hand with a fixed wrist joint that were produced in a horizontal plane under visual guidance during conditions of action of the elastic load directed tangentially to the movement trajectory were studied. The positional dependencies of the averaged surface EMGs in the muscles of the elbow and shoulder joints were compared for four possible combinations in the directions of load and movements. The EMG intensities were largely correlated with the waves of the force moment computed for a corresponding joint in the framework of a simple geometrical model of the system: arm - experimental setup. At the same time, in some cases the averaged EMGs exit from the segments of the trajectory restricted by the force moment singular points (FMSPs), in which the moments exhibited altered signs. The EMG activities display clear differences for the eccentric and concentric zones of contraction that are separated by the joint angle singular points (JASPs), which present extreme at the joint angle traces. We assumed that the modeled patterns of FMSPs and JASPs may be applied for an analysis of the synergic interaction between the motor commands arriving at different muscles in arbitrary two-joint movements.

[COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC MUSCLE ACTIVITY OF THE HUMAN HAND DURING CYCLIC TURNS OF ISOMETRIC EFFORT VECTOR OF WRIST IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS]

The features of the formation of targeted tonic isometric effort created by muscles of the shoulder girdle and shoulder were compared for two opposite changes of the directions of arbitrary force vector-clockwise and counterclockwise. The magnitude of the effort vector remained constant. The intensity of the central motor commands (CMC) was evaluated according to the area of founded rectified, averaged and approximated electromyographic (EMG) recorded from the investigated muscles. The effort development was carried out in determined direction in operation space of the horizontal plane under angles of 75 degrees in the shoulder joint and 90 degrees in the elbow one. The synergic interaction of individual functional groups of muscles under certain reaction force was found. In the case of space, it was determined the main activity areas of the investigated muscles within the operating space. The differences were shown in the levels of EMG amplitude in opposite directions bypass of effort vector. Coactivation of flexor muscles was found, while the extensors showed their activity only within their functional sectors. Half of the investigated muscles showed an increase of the EMG amplitude for the counter-clockwise direction in relation to EMG amplitude for the clockwise direction. This can be attributed to more complex patterns of motor commands organization which consistently addressed to the muscles of the shoulder and forearm caused by atypical sequence of activation of antagonist muscles under making hand movements in cyclic mode during tonic isometric contraction.