School of Public Health

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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.

Note: Prior to July 1, 2007, the School of Public Health was named the College of Health & Human Performance.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.aerobic fitness

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    Hippocampal and Cerebral Blood Flow after Exercise Cessation in Master Athletes
    (Frontiers, 2016-08-05) Alfini, Alfonso J.; Weiss, Lauren R.; Leitner, Brooks P.; Smith, Theresa J.; Hagberg, James M.; Smith, J. Carson
    While endurance exercise training improves cerebrovascular health and has neurotrophic effects within the hippocampus, the effects of stopping this exercise on the brain remain unclear. Our aim was to measure the effects of 10 days of detraining on resting cerebral bloodflow (rCBF) in gray matter and the hippocampus in healthy and physically fit older adults. We hypothesized that rCBF would decrease in the hippocampus after a 10-day cessation of exercise training. Twelve master athletes, defined as older adults (age ≥ 50 years) with long-term endurance training histories (≥ 15 years), were recruited from local running clubs. After screening, eligible participants were asked to cease all training and vigorous physical activity for 10 consecutive days. Before and immediately after the exercise cessation period, rCBF was measured with perfusion-weighted MRI. A voxel-wise analysis was used in gray matter, and the hippocampus was selected a priori as a structurally defined region of interest (ROI), to detect rCBF changes overtime. Resting CBF significantly decreased in eight gray matter brain regions. These regions included: (L) inferior temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, (R) cerebellar tonsil, lingual gyrus, precuneus, and bilateral cerebellum (FEW p < 0.05). Additionally, rCBF within the left and right hippocampus significantly decreased after 10 days of no exercise training. These findings suggest that the cerebrovascular system, including the regulation of resting hippocampal blood flow, is responsive to short-term decreases in exercise training among master athletes. Cessation of exercise training among physically fit individuals may provide a novel method to assess the effects of acute exercise and exercise training on brain function in older adults.
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    Aerobic Fitness and Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in African Americans and non-African Americans in PREMIER: a randomized controlled trial
    (2008-08-11) Levin, Laura A; Young, Deborah R; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Background: The Metabolic Syndrome is the clustering of several cardiovascular risk factors for coronary heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. This syndrome is of public health importance due to its high prevalence and high correlation to all-cause, CHD, and CVD mortality. The purpose of the current study was to determine if a change in aerobic fitness in the treatment group significantly decreased the odds of Metabolic Syndrome at 6 and 18 months. Methods: There were 810 adult participants in this trial with above-optimal blood pressure and up to stage I hypertension. Participants were part of an advice-only control group or a treatment group where physical activity increases were the main component. Results: A change in aerobic fitness, independent of treatment status, was significantly associated with a decrease in prevalent Metabolic Syndrome at both 6 and 18 months (OR: 0.96, CI: 0.94 - 0.98 & OR: 0.96; CI: 0.94 - 0.98, respectively).