Browsing by Subject "Exercise"

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Bioavailability and Biological Efficacy of Phenolic Compounds in Oat and Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Implication of Exercise
(2018-07) Zhang, Tianou
Eccentric exercise and atherosclerosis are known to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and inflict inflammatory responses, leading to muscle inflammation and coronary artery disease respectively. Selective phenolic compounds from oats (Avenanthramides, AVA) and olive oil (Oleocanthal/Oleacein, Oleo/Olea) have been shown to remove these chemicals and inhibit the progress of inflammation. This dissertation proposed three studies to investigate: (1) The metabolic fate of AVA by measuring plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic properties of AVA in human after an acute oral ingestion of oat cookies. (2) Whether 8 weeks of dietary supplementation of AVA can affect circulatory immune cells and reduce blood inflammatory markers in response to downhill running (DR) induced muscle inflammation in both male and female subjects. (3) Whether 12 weeks of Oleo/Olea supplementation can inhibit inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in atherosclerotic rats, and combined exercise training would further reduce inflammation and improve immune functions. The findings and conclusions are: (1) AVA found naturally in oats are absorbed in the plasma after oral administration in humans. AVA reach peak plasma concertation 2-3 hours after oral ingestion in human. AVA-B has the slowest elimination rate (Kel) and longest half-life (T1/2) compared to AVA-A and AVA-C, while AVA-C demonstrated the lowest plasma concentrations (Cmax). (2) Oat AVA supplementation reduced circulatory inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) expression and ROS generation (NRB) after DR. AVA in oats also inhibited expression of chemokines (MIP-1β, MCP-1), cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and colony stimulating factors (GM-CSF, G-CSF) induced by DR. Although circulatory immune cells were not affected by oat AVA supplementation, oat supplementation decreased circulatory monocytes activation (CD14+) while oat AVA inhibited neutrophils (CD11b+) and increased NK cells (CD56+) activation after DR. (3) High Oleo/Olea diet tends to increase circulatory leukocytes, granulocytes, neutrophils percentage and inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, RANTES, NAP-3, M-CSF, GM-CSF) but decrease lymphocytes percentage and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in sedentary rats, whereas exercise training significantly reversed these trends of immune markers induced by EVOO supplementation.
Depression and Exercise: A New Option
(2011-08-03) Willenbring, Benjamin
Diet and Exercise in Cancer Prevention
(2010-09-15) Geier, Suzanne
Being overweight or obese is linked with the development of several cancers. This brochure reviews ways to lose weight and talks about specific agents that may assist to lower your risk of developing cancer.
The effects of two modes of exercise training on plasma biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease
(2014-08) Salisbury, Dereck Lee
Introduction: Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a manifestation of progressive atherosclerosis involving the main conduit arteries supplying the lower extremities. It is well known that atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease including PAD, is related partly to vascular inflammation and oxidative stress. Treadmill walking exercise to moderate claudication pain is considered the gold standard for improving walking distance in patients with PAD and claudication. Our group had previously reported that non-ischemia inducing upper body ergometry exercise training improves pain-free and maximal walking distance similar to ischemic inducing treadmill exercise training in patients with claudication. The influence of ischemic and non-ischemic inducing exercise training on systemic inflammation and vascular oxidative stress remains to be fully elucidated. Methods: A total of 75 patients (59 male and 16 female) with symptomatic PAD from the randomized controlled trial, Exercise Training to Reduce Claudication (EXERT), were used in a secondary analysis of inflammation and oxidative stress. Analysis of plasma for TNF alpha, IL-10, and F2 Isoprostane were performed at baseline and following 12 weeks of moderate intensity, claudication inducing treadmill training (T), upper body ergometry training (UBE), or usual care (C). Analysis of covariance was used to evaluate changes among groups for all biomarkers following intervention, using baseline level as a covariate. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess correlation among baseline plasma biomarkers and physical and physiological variables. Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, all patients, regardless of the group increased TNF alpha levels. In particular, patients randomized to the UBE group significantly increased TNF alpha levels compared to the control group after adjusting for baseline TNF alpha and allopurinol (a significant covariate). Participants in the treadmill group had non-significant increases in IL-10, while all groups showed non-significant decreases in F2 Isoprostanes. Additionally there was no significant correlation between baseline plasma inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, with physical and physiological variables such as ankle-brachial index, pain-free walking distance, and maximal walking distance at baseline. However, body mass index was significantly correlated to baseline TNF alpha levels (r=0.228, p=0.05). Conclusion: Moderate intensity UBE training appears to significantly increase the proinflammatory cytokine TNF alpha compared to a control group in patients with symptomatic PAD. However, all groups increased TNF alpha after 12 weeks of intervention, which contradicts the deemed anti-inflammatory effect of aerobic exercise training. It is clear that further study is required to establish if exercise training in patients with claudication is anti-inflammatory.
Effects of wheel running on cocaine seeking in rats: behavior and neurobiology
(2014-12) Zlebnik, Natalie
Cocaine addiction is a pervasive public health problem, but currently there are no highly effective treatments to reduce its extent or duration. Emerging research in humans and animals suggests that aerobic exercise may decrease drug use and prevent relapse. This set of experiments focused on the use of exercise as a behavioral treatment for cocaine addiction using rodent (rat) models of relapse. Concurrent access to a voluntary running wheel decreased reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in response to a cocaine injection (Experiments 1-3), cocaine-paired cues (Experiment 2-3), and the pharmacological stressor yohimbine (Experiment 2). Wheel running during the withdrawal period also prevented incubation of cocaine seeking or time-dependent increases in reactivity to cocaine-paired cues, a situation that often precipitates relapse (Experiment 5). Further, using pharmacological treatments such as progesterone (Experiment 2) or atomoxetine (Experiment 3) in combination with wheel running led to an additive treatment effect, suggesting a larger role for exercise as a singular or adjunct treatment in the prevention of cocaine relapse. While these behavioral models have revealed exercise to be an efficacious method to attenuate cocaine-motivated behaviors, long-term wheel running also changed cocaine-induced activation of brain reward circuitry (Experiment 4). Using c-Fos immunohistochemistry to evaluate neuronal activation, results demonstrated that exercising and control rats showed differential activation of the nucleus accumbens, caudate putamen, and prefrontal cortex in response to an acute cocaine injection. These results suggest that exercise may alter reactivity to cocaine by inducing plasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Overall, results across these experiments have demonstrated that aerobic exercise has the ability to attenuate activation of the neurobiological substrates of addiction in addition to robustly reducing relapse to cocaine-seeking behavior.
Engaging Older Adults with Alzheimer's Disease in Exercise: Impact on Caregivers
(2022-05) Sims, Tai
In 2020, over 11 million informal caregivers cared for 6.5 million older adults with Alzheimer’s disease in America. By 2050 the number of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to double, which will demand the need for more informal caregivers. Family most often serve as informal caregivers. Informal caregiving is associated with increased burden, and poorer wellbeing and overall health. Interventions that target family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease have shown minimal benefit on caregiver outcomes. Interventions that target people with Alzheimer’s disease, often neglect examining the intervention’s impact on family caregivers. In particular, exercise interventions have shown some promise in improving cognition and physical function of people with Alzheimer’s disease; however, little is known on how such interventions impact family caregivers. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to evaluate the impact of a 6 month, moderate intensity aerobic exercise intervention for community-dwelling older adults with Alzheimer’s disease on caregiver burden, wellbeing and general health. The study results were mixed across quantitative and qualitative data for caregiver burden and wellbeing. However, the findings suggest that improved caregiver burden and wellbeing may have been a consequence of perceived benefits of respite time and social support received by both study groups, rather than changes in care-recipients as a result of the exercise intervention. Both quantitative and qualitative data indicated the exercise intervention did not influence caregivers’ general health. This study provides some insight that integrating a family caregiver component into community-based exercise programs has the potential to benefit both people with Alzheimer’s disease and their family caregivers.
Evaluation of Learning Outcomes: “Why Does She Stay?” Class Exercise
(2016) Hurlburt, Allison
Attitudes of domestic abuse have been studied for many years. Now researchers look to see if there are ways to change those negative attitudes and have people understand the dynamics of abuse; having more empathy toward the situation and victim. Classroom exercises can be a useful tool to teach empathy. In this study I use the exercise, “Why Does She Stay?” to see if this can be done. In this study, after a pre test, class exercise, and posttest, I found that the class exercise increased the understanding of dynamics of domestic abuse. Females had a greater significant change in their understanding than males did. There was also an age group of 19, 20, and 21 years old had the greatest increase.
Exercise and Dating Relationship Patterns of University Students: Associations with Mood and Traits
(2008-12) Waltman, Melissa L.
Introduction. In the last couple of decades, obesity rates have increased steadily. Understanding and increasing physical activity is a key to tackling this issue, especially for college students. Additionally, these young adults are entering into more intimate and committed relationships. The connection between exercise and dating relationships is unknown, as studies of social influences on exercise have neglected this central relationship in college students’ lives. Another feature to understanding both exercise and dating relationship patterns are mood and trait associations. A review of the existing research connects these four variables and offers possible models for their mechanisms. Methods. Analyses included data for mood and traits from the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), respectively. Novel measures of the exercise and relationship variables were developed from the Motivational Structure Questionnaire (MSQ). The relationship variables included dating goals, relationship satisfaction, and dating relationship status. Results. All analyses performed for total group and separately for each sex, and many sex differences were found. Analyses replicated previous associations found between mood and both physical activity and dating relationship variables. For novel findings, various types of analyses (correlations, ANOVAs, chi-square, and multiple regression) indicated associations between the exercise and dating relationship variables. Analyses also included mediation of negative affect between exercise and relationship satisfaction. Lastly, the investigation explored associations between alternative physical activity measures as well as desired body change, including weight loss, with the mood, exercise, and dating relationship variables. Conclusions. Dating relationship patterns were associated with exercise variables, and negative affect may mediate this association for relationship satisfaction. Sex differences were found.
Exercise Therapy and Heart Failure
(2012-09-24) Dirksen, Lana
Exercise, neuropeptides and the hypothalamic regulation of appetite and energy balance
(2014-05) Noble, Emily Elizabeth
This dissertation is focused on mechanisms involved in the central regulation of appetite, with particular focus on interventions affecting two specific hypothalamic nuclei involved in feeding and energy balance, the ventromedial hypothalamic (VMN) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN). The purpose of these investigations was to identify promising areas of intervention on brain mechanisms involved in the etiology of obesity. First I sought to determine whether exercise dynamically modifies the brain to promote negative energy balance via altering homeostatic appetitive responses. A thorough literature review was performed, which led to the conclusion that, particularly during obesity, aerobic exercise may promote negative energy balance via paradoxically reducing caloric intake despite the increased energy demands of exercise. I then performed a literature review to investigate one particular factor which I believe has promising relevance for how exercise may alter the structure or activity of appetitive regions in the hypothalamus, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In the hypothalamus, BDNF and its receptor, tropomyosin-related kinase B (trkB), are extensively expressed in areas associated with feeding and metabolism, and have been demonstrated to inhibit food intake and increase energy expenditure in both the PVN and VMN, leading to negative energy balance. Furthermore, BDNF via its receptor trkB has a known role in promoting synaptic plasticity and synaptogenesis. Since exercise has been shown to promote sustained alterations in appetite regulation toward maintenance of a leaner phenotype, I hypothesized that exercise-induced feeding reductions are associated with elevated BDNF and trkB in appetite related areas of the hypothalamus. Using Sprague-Dawley rats, I show that over an eight-week period cumulative food intake is reduced in exercising animals compared with sedentary controls, leading to an overall negative energy balance. I report that during the early stages of exercise training, PVN BDNF is elevated in relationship to the amount of running performed by the animals. I did not observe significant changes in BDNF at the eight-week time point, suggesting that exercise may result in early plasticity changes in the PVN, which may alter the function or responsiveness of the PVN during the long-term. In addition to BDNF, I measured trkB receptor in the PVN and surrounding area. I report discovery of trkB immunoreactive fibers surrounding the PVN that have not been previously described in the literature. Quantification of the density of trkB immunoreactive fibers in animals subjected to either volitional or forced running paradigms indicated that volitional running was associated with a reduction in fiber density compared with forced exercise. The second portion of this dissertation focuses on the effects of oxytocin in the VMN on energy balance. Oxytocin, specifically produced in the PVN, has been shown previously to be essential to maintaining energy balance. Currently, literature related to oxytocin is focused on either hindbrain effects of oxytocin on energy balance, or relies on intra cerebroventricular injections, which provide no information about potential sites of oxytocin forebrain effects. Using site-specific VMN injections, I demonstrate for the first time that oxytocin reduces feeding and increases both activity and energy expenditure in this forebrain site. These data are relevant to understanding mechanisms by which oxytocin reduces feeding, and provides insight into the role of oxytocin in the central regulation of energy balance.
Fueling Physical Activity with a Hybrid Motivational System: How Multiple Sources of Motivation and Experiences Promote Physical Activity Across Contexts and Time
(2023-05) Furman, Celina
A critical feature of physical activity as a health behavior is that it must be performed regularly, and ideally over the course of one’s lifetime. However, only a small number of people engage in recommended amounts of physical activity to attain its health benefits, and interventions have had limited success in producing long-term behavioral adherence. Thus, more work is needed to identify constructs that produce lasting changes in physical activity. To understand physical activity as a repeated behavior, this dissertation presents a novel dynamic model of physical activity that describes how multiple sources of motivation work together in a hybrid manner to drive physical activity across contexts and time, and specifies how the outcomes afforded by physical activity help to sustain or undermine motivation for subsequent physical activity. Two studies were conducted to test a set of predictions derived from this model. First, a combination of intrinsic and instrumental motives is posited to be important for sustaining strong physical activity intentions, especially when one encounters barriers to physical activity. Study 1 used hypothetical scenarios to examine how these motives work together to strengthen physical activity intentions under various circumstances that differ in the extent to which they tempt participants to skip their planned exercise. Findings provided mixed evidence for the role of instrumental motivation, but suggest that intrinsic motivation may help sustain intentions across contexts by reducing the extent to which various barriers tempt one to skip their exercise. Second, affective and instrumental outcomes of physical activity are suggested to have distinct feedback loops that influence motivation for subsequent physical activity. Study 2 experimentally manipulated these different outcomes through an in-person exercise paradigm, and tested their relationships with motivation and intentions for continued exercise. A 2-week follow-up assessment examined the sustainability of each outcome as fueling sources of intentions over time. Findings provided evidence for distinct affective and instrumental feedback loops, but their implications for sustaining intentions over time are unclear. Recommendations for refining my model based on evidence obtained through Studies 1 and 2 are discussed alongside directions for future research.
Optimization of cooling regimes in a Liquid Cooling Garment (LCG) to support thermal balance and comfort of the human body during exercise.
(2009-08) Kim, Jung Hyun
The primary purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of different cooling regimes within a liquid cooling garment (LCG) to provide physiological thermal balance and subjective thermal comfort during different intensities of physical exertion. The second purpose was to examine the dynamics of finger temperature (Tfing) and finger heat flux (HFfing) responses to changes in thermal indices reflecting the thermal status of the body core and/or shell. Eight males ages 28.9±8.3 completed an exercise protocol consisting of 4 stages of treadmill walking/running (300-600 Watts) and one rest stage. Four different cooling regimes were tested in separate sessions: subjective cooling control by participant selecting the skin surface cooled (CON1); choice of different inlet water temperatures (Tin), whole body cooling (CON2); fixed Tin; at 7°C, whole body cooling (CON3); adjusted Tin based on different metabolic rates of exercise, whole body cooling (CON4). CON1/2 were acceptable means of LCG cooling control, but showed disadvantages because of delays in self-initiated cooling and frequent failure to select an appropriate cooling intensity. CON3 exhibited the highest amount of heat flow, but was not significantly more effective than CON4 in lowering core temperature (Tcore), heart rate, and perceived exertion. In addition, CON3 caused thermal discomfort and a high level of cold on the skin surface. CON4 appeared an effective cooling regime to support thermal balance and subjective comfort. Sweat rate was positively related to increase in Tcore; however, effects of regional skin wetness on development of thermal discomfort were inconclusive. The dynamics of Tfing/HFfing were highly associated with body heat content and mean body temperature and indicated its potential use as thermal indices to monitor thermal balance of the body. In addition, attention needs to be paid to non-thermoregulatory factors that also influence the dynamics of these indices. The findings suggest that future studies need to focus on harnessing human thermodynamic characteristics to advance the cooling capacity and design of a LCG. The combination of both conductive and convective cooling regimes seems optimal to better support human thermal balance and comfort under physical exertion.
Progressive self-curing: a grounded theory study of exercise behavior maintenance in older adults with Type 2 diabetes.
(2009-11) Weymiller, Audrey Jane
Background: Sociocultural shifts have resulted in sedentary, aging population. Type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions. Older adults with type 2 diabetes generally do not follow an exercise program. Exercise is key therapy for type 2 diabetes. Current heatlh behavior change models lack explanation for behavior maintenance. Thirteen interviews with older adults with type 2 diabetes who had been successful at maintaining an exercise program for at least six months results in the six-stage theory of progressive self-curing.
Revisiting Harold Frost’s mechanostat theory of bone functional adaptation: new interpretations based on new evidence.
(2011-01) Hughes, Julie Marie
The main purpose of this dissertation is to explore, update, and add to the existing theory of bone functional adaptation through critically reviewing and interpreting the literature in the bone field. In this dissertation, three main questions are asked regarding bone functional adaptation and then answered (based on existing literature) in three papers. These questions are: 1. What is the underlying biology of how bones sense and respond to mechanical stimuli? 2. Does bone functional adaptation become less effective with increasing age? 3. Do the benefits of bone functional adaptation transfer to protection from osteoporotic fractures? The final chapter summarizes the main conclusions of the dissertation and outlines important implications for both future bone research and for prevention of osteoporosis and related fractures.
The role of exercise central hemodynamics for the clinical classification of heart failure patients
(2015-04) Vaniterson, Erik Hoon
Central hemodynamic evaluation during exercise testing provides critical information for the clinical classification of reduced (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) heart failure (HF) patients. Recent and encouraging observations suggest that non-traditional indices of central hemodynamics can robustly describe cardiac function and pulmonary vascular hemodynamics in healthy individuals and in HF. Therefore, because of emerging evidence in favor of non-traditional indices to describe central hemodynamics in HF, it is unclear what index or indices best describe cardiac function and the heart-lung hemodynamic interaction in HF. Moreover, contributing to the complexity of the pathophysiology underlying the HF syndrome, it is becoming more recognized that neural mechanisms originating within skeletal muscle likely contribute to impaired cardiovascular function and symptoms of these patients. However, it remains unclear what role this neural feedback from skeletal muscle ergoreceptors has in the impaired central hemodynamic response frequently observed during exercise in HF. Therefore, the aims of this dissertation focused on investigating factors to better understand the central hemodynamic response to exercise in HF. In this series of studies we observed that non-traditional measurement of cardiac and pulmonary hemodynamics could describe the central hemodynamic response to exercise in HF. Also, experimental manipulation of neural feedback from skeletal muscle ergoreceptors resulted in observations which suggest pulmonary hemodynamics could be influenced by this mechanism, whereas cardiac function may not be similarly influenced by this pathway in HFrEF. Equally important and relevant to both clinical and research settings, it was observed that non-invasive measurement of stroke volume at peak exercise could be reliably estimated using echocardiography, acetylene rebreathe, and oxygen pulse in HF.
Testing and evaluation of three liquid cooling garments for use during spaceflight.
(2010-09) Warpeha, Joseph M.
Background: Extravehicular activity poses several dangers to astronauts. A major concern is the regulation of core temperature and thermal comfort in the context of an impermeable EMU microclimate and elevated energy expenditure rates for prolonged periods. Purpose: To identify the optimal features of each of three LCGs (MACS-Delphi, Russian Orlan, NASA LCVG) for maintaining core temperature and thermal comfort during exercise in mild (24 oC) and hot (35 oC) conditions. Methods: Four male and two female participants (aged 22-46 years) performed 10 trials (each with five 20-minute exercise stages and two rest stages) to account for all garment configurations (with/without hood) and temperature regimes. Metabolic (VO2, Ve, RER), temperature (core, skin), cardiovascular (HR, SBP, DBP, SaO2), local sweat rate, and skin wetness data were collected and analyzed during stages five (moderate exercise) and seven (rest). Whole body sweat rate and water flow parameters were collected pre- and post-trial. Results: Significant differences (p < or = 0.05) between garments were found for: skin temperature, HR, SBP, local and whole body sweat rate, and water flow rate. Discussion: There were several significant, yet few consistent, findings between the garments. Use of a cooling hood had no discernable effect. Amount of tubing coverage was related to whole body sweat rate while flow rate affected skin temperatures and local sweat rate. Conclusion: All three garments were similar in terms of regulating core temperature in a safe range (though not to the NASA standard of 37.2 oC) during physical exertion in moderate and hot environments. Future research is needed to identify the roles of adding a cooling hood and/or ventilation system to LCGs in addition to determining optimal water temperature, flow rate, tubing arrangement, and ergonomic design.
Treatments for PTSD
(2009-05-04) Krohn, Kristina
This brochure is an easy to read pamphlet for patients about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The pamphlet includes a definition of PTSD and various treatment options. One section outlines the treatments your physician can provide, or help provide, including medications and psychotherapy. The next section provides a list of complementary therapies, including meditation, yoga and guided imagery.
Who eats their feelings, and who sweats them out?: Understanding how individuals and their romantic partners use eating and exercise for emotion regulation
(2022-04) Jones, Rachael
Researchers argue that individuals’ emotion regulation affects their long-term health outcomes by leading them to engage in health behaviors to cope with their stress and negative emotions. However, there is a need to isolate health behavior for this purpose from individuals’ typical health behavior, and to include health-promoting behaviors, such as exercise, in addition to health-compromising behaviors, such as eating junk food. Furthermore, emotion regulation and health behavior often occur around close others and are influenced by them, highlighting the need to study the social context around these processes. Thus, this dissertation examines how individuals’ and their romantic partners’ emotion regulation and typical health behavior predict their use of eating and exercise to down-regulate negative emotion. Participants reported their typical health habits and use of eating and exercise for emotion regulation, including how frequently they engaged in the behaviors and how they deviated from their typical health behavior when doing so. Participants’ balanced (i.e., constructive and effective) emotion regulation was measured by well-established self-report surveys as well as by their behavior during conflict discussions with their romantic partners, which was coded by trained observers. The results indicated that balanced emotion regulation was not related to individuals’ typical health behavior but was related to their health behavior for emotion regulation. Furthermore, participants reported significantly changing their typical health behavior when using it to cope. Actor Partner Interdependence Model regressions revealed that participants lower in self-reported balanced emotion regulation engaged in eating for emotion regulation more frequently than those higher, especially if they were women. Their typical junk food consumption was not predictive. In contrast, those who typically exercised more in their daily lives used exercise for emotion regulation more frequently than those who exercised less. They also tended to increase their exercise more when using it to regulate their emotions, especially if they were men. Balanced emotion regulation was not related to individuals’ use of exercise to manage their feelings, although those higher in balanced emotion regulation used exercise significantly more often than they used eating for this purpose. Individuals’ partners’ tendencies were sometimes associated with individuals’ eating for emotion regulation, but not with their exercise. Self-reported balanced emotion regulation was more strongly related to other variables than was behavioral balanced emotion regulation. These findings suggest that health behavior for emotion regulation differs from typical health behavior, more dysregulated individuals may eat (but not exercise) more often to cope with their negative feelings, and experience with exercise may be needed to employ physical activity for emotion regulation.

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