Search

Aim: Population-based projections of sitting and physical activity (PA) help to guide PA programs. We aimed to project total and context specific sitting and PA until year 2028 in adults aged 46–74 years in Finland. Subject and methods: The population based DILGOM Study in 2007 and 2014 provided longitudinal data on self-reported weekday sitting in five contexts (work, vehicle, at home in front of TV, at home by computer, elsewhere), total sitting, and PA in three domains (occupational, commuting and leisure time). Projections until 2028 were generated using a Markovian multistate model and multiple imputation techniques by gender, age and education. Results: Total weekday sitting was projected to increase until 2028 only in the 64–74-year-olds and the low educated (+ 24 and + 32 min/day, p< 0.05, respectively). Sitting at home by computer was projected to increase on average 30 min/weekday (p< 0.05) and occupational PA decrease by 8 to 20%-units (p< 0.05) in all midlife and older adults. Further, sitting at home by TV and sitting elsewhere were projected to decrease in many, although not all groups. Conclusion: Projected changes suggest increase in sitting by computer and decrease in occupational PA, which indicate the growing importance of leisure-time as the potential mean to increase PA.

BackgroundPolicy makers need disability projections for planning adequate services and measures for health promotion. The aim of this study is to provide projections on severe mobility limitations up to year 2044 and illustrate how the projected prevalence and the number of persons with severe mobility limitations are affected by potential changes in the modifiable risk factors, namely excess weight, physical inactivity and smoking.MethodsWe analysed the nationally representative, repeated measures Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys (BRIF8901) with 8615 and 6740 participants, respectively, aged 18 years and older. Severe mobility limitations were defined as major difficulties or unable to walk about half a kilometre. We applied a multistate model on repeated measures to account for both individual risk factors and their changes over time.ResultsThe number of people with severe mobility limitations was projected to double by the year 2044 in Finland, due to the rapid ageing of the population. Eliminating half of the excess weight would reduce their number by one-fifth, while reductions in the prevalence of smoking and physical inactivity would have a minor impact. Even if excess weight, smoking and physical inactivity were completely eliminated, the number of persons with severe mobility limitations is projected to increase.ConclusionsDesigning and implementing strategies to promote healthy weight are important to slow down the rapid increase in mobility limitations due to population ageing. Providing adequate health and social services for the increasing population with disabilities will nevertheless be an increasing national challenge.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of strength training on basal concentrations and acute responses of serum hormones, and their possible interrelationships with training induced muscle hypertrophy and strength gains of the knee extensor muscles in women with fibromyalgia (FM) and healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-one premenopausal women with FM were randomized to 21 week strength training (FMT; n = 11) or control (FMC; n = 10) groups. Twelve premenopausal sedentary healthy women served as controls (HC). Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity, maximal unilateral isometric force of the right knee extensors, and muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadriceps femoris throughout the lengths of 3/12 to 12/15 of the femur (Lf) were measured. Serum concentrations of total and free testosterone and growth hormone (GH) were analyzed at rest and in pre- and post-exercise conditions, while levels of insulin-like growth factor and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate were measured at rest only. RESULTS: Mean (SD) maximal force increased by 18% (10%) (p < 0.001) in the FMT group, and by 22% (12%) (p < 0.001) in the HC, while in the FMC it remained unchanged. Maximum integrated EMG of the agonists (VL + VM/2) increased in HC by 22% (p < 0.05) and in the FMT by 19% (p < 0.05). Significant increases in the CSA of the QF were observed at 5 to 12/15 Lf in FMT (p < 0.05-0.01) and at 3 to 12/15 Lf in HC (p < 0.05-0.001), while in FMC the CSA remained unchanged. No training induced changes occurred in the basal concentrations of serum hormones examined. A significant acute increase took place in the mean concentration of GH at pre-training in HC (p < 0.01) and in the FMT (p < 0.05), while at post-training the elevations after the loading (p < 0.001 and 0.05) remained elevated up to 15 min (p < 0.05) in HC and up to 30 min (p < 0.01) post-loading in the FMT. CONCLUSION: Both the magnitude and time course of adaptations of the neuromuscular system to resistance training in women with FM were completely comparable to those taking place in healthy women. Basal levels of the anabolic hormones seem to be similar in women with FM compared to age matched healthy women. Observations recorded during the acute loading conditions might be considered an indication of the training induced adaptation of the endocrine system, showing that the acute GH response may become systematic after strength training in both women with FM and controls.

Effects of strength training (ST) for 21 wk were examined in 10 older women (64 ± 3 yr). Electromyogram, maximal isometric force, one-repetition maximum strength, and rate of force development of the leg extensors, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) of the quadriceps femoris (QF) and of vastus lateralis (VL), medialis (VM), intermedius (VI) and rectus femoris (RF) throughout the lengths of 3/12–12/15 (Lf) of the femur, muscle fiber proportion and areas of types I, IIa, and IIb of the VL were evaluated. Serum hormone concentrations of testosterone, growth hormone (GH), cortisol, and IGF-I were analyzed for the resting, preexercise, and postexercise conditions. After the 21-wk ST, maximal force increased by 37% (P< 0.001) and 1-RM by 29% (P< 0.001), accompanied by an increase (P< 0.01) in rate of force development. The integrated electromyograms of the vastus muscles increased (P< 0.05). The CSA of the total QF increased (P< 0.05) throughout the length of the femur by 5–9%. The increases were significant (P< 0.05) at 7/15–12/15 Lf for VL and at 3/15–8/15 Lf for VM, at 5/15–9/15 for VI and at 9/15 (P< 0.05) for RF. The fiber areas of type I (P< 0.05), IIa (P< 0.001), and IIb (P< 0.001) increased by 22–36%. No changes occurred during ST in serum basal concentrations of the hormones examined, but the level of testosterone correlated with the changes in the CSA of the QF (r= 0.64, P< 0.05). An acute increase of GH (P< 0.05), remaining elevated up to 30 min (P< 0.05) postloading, was observed only at posttraining. Both neural adaptations and the capacity of skeletal muscle to undergo training-induced hypertrophy even in older women explain the strength gains. The increases in the CSA of the QF occurred throughout its length but differed selectively between the individual muscles. The serum concentrations of hormones remained unaltered, but a low level of testosterone may be a limiting factor in training-induced muscle hypertrophy. The magnitude and time duration of the acute GH response may be important physiological indicators of anabolic adaptations during strength training even in older women.