Read more about the article Physical activity promotion in the health care setting in Switzerland

Physical activity promotion in the health care setting in Switzerland

The role of regular physical activity for population health has been clearly documented. Improvements in population levels of physical activity require long-term implementation of a combination of measures, including the evidence based approaches described in the “seven best investments for physical activity” (www.globalpa.org.uk): whole-of-school programmes, transport, urban planning, integration of physical activity promotion into primary health care systems, public education, community-wide programmes, sport for all. The health care setting has a particular role in this context, particularly in its access to physically inactive individuals.

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Read more about the article A systematic overview of institutions and bodies active in physical activity promotion in Europe

A systematic overview of institutions and bodies active in physical activity promotion in Europe

Objectives: Growing interest in physical activity has led to the development of a number of organizations, networks and associations, including grass-root, professional and academic institutions. To maximize relevance and effectiveness of work undertaken in this field, we aimed at developing a systematic overview of institutions active in health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA).

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Read more about the article 10 years of HEPA Europe: what made it possible and what is the way into the future?

10 years of HEPA Europe: what made it possible and what is the way into the future?

HEPA Europe, the European network for the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity, will have its 10th annual meeting in 2014. Membership of the network has grown to 129 institutions from 32 countries. Collaborations have been established with the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union (EU), Agita Mundo, the global network for physical activity promotion, other regional networks, and the International Society for Physical Activity and Health. Physical activity has moved up on the public agenda; in 2013 the EU Council adopted its first ever Council Recommendation in sport, notably on promoting health-enhancing physical activity, and in 2014 WHO has begun the development of a Physical Activity Strategy for the European region.

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Read more about the article Reliability and Validity of Two Measurement Systems in the Quantification of Jump Performance

Reliability and Validity of Two Measurement Systems in the Quantification of Jump Performance

There are different devices on the market for assessing strength and power in vertical jumping as a fundamental requisite of an athlete’s performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of two instruments measuring force, power, velocity, and jump height in squat jumps. Myotest® (MYO) (Myotest SA, Switzerland) was compared with force plate measurements (Quattro Jump® [QUATTRO], Kistler, Switzerland & SPSport Software, Trins, Austria). Forty-three frontier-guards (age range 25–58 years) performed twice a series of five squat jumps (SJ) simultaneously using MYO device along with QUATTRO force plate. Reliability was analysed using ICC, CV and RMSE. Results for reliability for both devices show good results with ICCs ranging from 0.910 to 0.955, and CVs ranging from 2.33% to 6.59% for discrete outcome variables.

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Read more about the article E-Sports – Comparison of training intensity in two commercial gaming consoles with classical ergometer training

E-Sports – Comparison of training intensity in two commercial gaming consoles with classical ergometer training

There is a substantial lack of research comparing the effects of game console-based activities against conventional activities (aerobic, bicycle ergometer) within therapeutic and rehabilitative settings and the results are inconsistent. The aim of the study was to investigate if training with exergames (Nintendo Wii vs. Xbox 360) compared with conventional activities (bicycle ergometer) would have different effects on physiological and psychological parameters. Method: A quantitative three-armed, randomised, not-blinded study design was used. The test persons were randomly assigned to one of three activities: 1) Bicycle ergometer (n = 6); 2. Nintendo Wii game (n = 16); 3. Xbox 360 game (n = 17).

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Read more about the article Correlation between RPE and blood lactate concentration in resistance training

Correlation between RPE and blood lactate concentration in resistance training

Quantifying actual individual training intensity in resistance training is essential for athletes and trainers, but is at present only possible with methodological problems. Thus, the purpose of this article is to examine the relationship of different types of RPE (rating of perceived exertion) with blood lactate concentrations in hypertrophy training. Hereby it is possible, to deduce conclusions about the validity of the RPE-scale and different times of monitoring. In this article two studies with male subjects are presented (study 1: n=10, 23.7 ± 2.8 years; study 2: n=16, 24.9 ± 2.0 years). In both surveys, subjects had to complete 3 sets with 3 minutes of rest between sets in every exercise. Blood lactate was measured before each exercise and two minutes after the completion of each set.

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Read more about the article The correlation between dynamic and isometric maximal strength parameters and muscle cross sectional area/volume

The correlation between dynamic and isometric maximal strength parameters and muscle cross sectional area/volume

The aim of the study was the evaluation of the correlation between maximal strength and muscle mass depending on the kind of analysis which was used. Two different methods of strength evaluation and several morphological parameters were used. 77 male participants (age: 27,2 ± 6,6 years; body height: 179,9 ± 4,0 cm; body weight: 82,5 ± 10,4 kg) joined the study. Maximal strength was tested by measuring the isometric force (MIF) and analysing the one repetition maximum (1RM). The morphological data was captured by magnetic resonance imaging. The volume of the muscle (VOL), the biggest cross sectional area (QSMAX), the cross sectional area of the upper (QS30), middle (QS60) and lower (QS90) third of the scanned area of the arm flexors were examined.

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Read more about the article Position paper for a a strength training programmation based on demands

Position paper for a a strength training programmation based on demands

Strength training guidelines tend to be based on stress factors such as relative weight, repetitions, sets, rest inbetween sets, muscle action velocity and number of sessions per week. Based on the stress-strain-concept, empirical results and training experience require additional parameters related to the molecular and cellular adaptations for an effective strength training concept. In contrast to what has generally been assumed, it is notable that the individual percentage of 1-Repetition-Maximum (1 RM) is not the intensity but only a relative training load and therefore a stress factor. Intensity is referred to here as a strain factor, operationalized as the level of effort applied to a given load.

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Read more about the article Analysis of different variants of squats based on the literature – a focus on overuse injuries an adaptations

Analysis of different variants of squats based on the literature – a focus on overuse injuries an adaptations

In the science and practice of strength training it is sometimes suggested that the deep squat entails an increased injury risk of the lumbar spine and the knee joint. Avoiding deep flexion is believed to minimize the magnitude of knee joint forces. Because within the first 50° of knee flexion calculated retropatellar compressive stress is lower, execution of quarter or half squats is recommended when overuse injuries and degenerative changes of the patella-tendon-complex exist.

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The Evolution of Physical Activity on Prescription (FaR) in Sweden

In 1996, the first Report of the US Surgeon General on Physical Activity and Health provided an extensive knowledge overview about the positive effects of physical activity (PA) on several health outcomes and PA recommendations. This contributed to an enhanced interest for PA in Sweden.

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