INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obesity is an increasing health concern amongst US adults, as 68% of the adult population are currently classified as such. Several health issues, including cardiovascular health, are associated with increased adiposity. The ForeverFit Program was designed to promote weight loss and cardiovascular fitness via behavior change and structured exercise sessions. Programs that demonstrate weight loss and improved health variables are essential for societal health. PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of the ForeverFit Weight Loss Program. METHODS: Ten overweight and obese (BMI= 31.4 kg/m2 ± 4.8) women (49.4 years ± 11.4) were assessed for body composition, cardiovascular health, and exercise and nutrition self-efficacy prior to and following the ten week program. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody 270, California, USA) measured body composition and weight, VO2 max was estimated via the Ebbeling treadmill protocol, and resting heart rate and blood pressure were measured by an oscillometric automated device (Omron 10 series, Illinois, USA). Self-efficacy was measured via Eating and Exercise Habits Confidence Surveys. The participants underwent a ten week exercise and education program in which they exercised in small groups led by a personal trainer twice each week and given weekly behavior challenges. Variables were analyzed pre and post via paired t-test (p < .05). RESULTS: Participants showed significantly decreased body weight (-2.54 kg ± 3.36, p=0.041), BMI (-0.84 kg/m2 ± 1.11, p= 0.040), fat mass (-2.47 kg ± 0.02, p= 0.024), and water weight (-0.72 kg ± 0.17, p= 0.002). Diet (0.70 ± 0.58, p=0.025) and exercise (0.66 ± 0.87, p=0.040) self-efficacy demonstrated significant increases on the 5-point Likert scale. Percent body fat approached significance (-1.59% ± 2.36, p =0.059). Skeletal muscle mass, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and VO2 max did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: Twice weekly exercise sessions combined with weekly behavior change challenges were effective at reducing body weight and improving self-efficacy in overweight and obese individuals. Future iterations of the ForeverFit Weight Loss Program should augment the supervised exercise sessions to more effectively target cardiovascular changes.

Physical fitness is associated with reduced risk factors for cardiovascular disease, in particular oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL). Therefore determinants of ox‐LDL in fit individuals are important to understand. Antioxidant defenses and the concentration of low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) are associated with ox‐LDL concentration, however the relative importance of these variables is not fully understood. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an antioxidant enzyme capable of preventing the oxidation of LDL. Moreover, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) is an assessment of the broad antioxidant status of the blood.PURPOSEOur purpose was to measure the association between ox‐LDL concentration and PON1 activity, TAC, and LDL concentration in highly trained individuals.METHODSParticipants were instructed to refrain from exercise for 48 hours prior to blood sampling. Following a 12‐hour fast venous blood was taken at rest to determine ox‐LDL in plasma, PON1 in serum, and TAC in serum. LDL concentration was estimated using the Friedewald formula. Pearson Product Moment correlations were used to assess the relationships between ox‐LDL concentration and PON1 activity, ox‐LDL concentration and TAC, and ox‐LDL concentration and LDL concentration.RESULTSFifteen individuals (12 males, 3 females) who had high cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max= 54.8 ± 1.7 ml×kg−1×min−1) completed the study. We found no association between ox‐LDL concentration and PON1 activity (r= 0.08, p = 0.78) and no association between ox‐LDL concentration and TAC (r= −0.15, p= 0.58). However there was a significant association between ox‐LDL concentration and LDL concentration (r= 0.82, p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONThis indicates that in highly trained individuals LDL concentration may be more important than antioxidant defenses in the development of circulating ox‐LDL concentration.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Jones, MT, Oliver, JM, Delgado, JC, Merrigan, JJ, Jagim, AR, and Robison, CE. Effect of acute complex training on upper-body force and power in collegiate wrestlers. J Strength Cond Res 33(4): 902-909, 2019-To determine if chain bench press (BP) exercise would enhance acute upper-body force and power, 13 collegiate male wrestlers (mean ± SD; 20.5 ± 1 years; 174.3 ± 4.2 cm; 76.5 ± 8.3 kg) with ≥1 year of strength training participated. Session 1 included body composition ([BodPod] 8.5 ± 2.6% body fat), 3 repetition maximum (RM) BP, and familiarization with the plyometric push-up (PPU) on a force plate. Athletes were matched for 3RM BP and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: Chain BP or Plate BP. One week after session 1, athletes performed the experimental protocol that consisted of: Baseline PPU, Chain/Plate BP set 1 (6 reps @ 60%), 30 seconds rest, PPU, 3 minutes rest, Chain/Plate BP set 2 (6 reps @60%), 30 seconds rest, and PPU. Independent samples t-tests analyzed physical characteristics (p ≤ 0.05). Standardized magnitude-based inferences were used to define outcomes. Aside from age (Plate BP 21.4 ± 0.8, Chain BP 19.9 ± 0.7 years), no physical differences were observed. Performance of Chain BP and Plate BP resulted in a likely (likelihoods of benefit/trivial/harm relative to the threshold for a smallest worthwhile benefit of 89 W: 0.5/9.2/90.3) and very likely (0.1/0.8/99.1) negative effect on peak power output in the PPU after set 1. Chain BP resulted in a likely positive effect on peak force in the PPU after set 1 (smallest worthwhile benefit 13 N: 82.8/16.9/0.3) and set 2 (94.7/5.2/0.1). Chain BP did not result in higher upper-body power over traditional plate loaded resistances.

Understanding changes in cardiovascular post-exercise values requires the accurate measurement of pre-exercise values. Exercise anticipation can elevate heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). However, no study has compared these variables among a non-exercise session and before high intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate intensity continuous exercise (MICE) with equivalent workloads. The development and implementation of a pre-exercise HR and BP measurement protocol that controls for the anticipatory response could provide a more precise understanding of acute HR and BP responses to exercises of different intensities. PURPOSE: To compare HR and BP among a non-exercise session and immediately before HIIE and MICE sessions. METHODS: Healthy participants (n = 14, 21.5 ± 2.1 yrs, 171.0 ± 9.4 cm, 72.6 ± 11.4 kg) reported to the laboratory on four occasions. Session 1 included HR and BP assessment, session 2 consisted of a maximal exercise test, and sessions 3 and 4 consisted of HR and BP assessments before either HIIE or MICE in a random order. Participants were previously informed that HIIE and MICE would be equivalent in total workload. HR and BP were measured using an oscillometric automated device (Omron 10 series, Illinois, USA) after 10 minutes of rest. The average of three readings taken 60 seconds apart was used for all measurements. RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVAs compared HR and BP among sessions (p<.05). Systolic blood pressure was not significantly different among baseline (111.6 ± 8.6 mm Hg), HIIE (108.9 ± 7.4 mm Hg) or MICE (111.3 ± 8.0 mm Hg) (F(2,26)= 1.15, p= .33). Diastolic blood pressure was not significantly different among baseline (74.4 ± 6.8 mm Hg), HIIE (71.7 ± 6.6 mm Hg), or MICE (72.7 ± 4.5 mm Hg) (F(2,26)= 1.55, p= .23). Mean arterial pressure was not significantly different among baseline (86.8 ± 6.9 mm Hg), HIIE (84.1 ± 6.1 mm Hg) or MICE (85.6 ± 4.9 mm Hg) (F(2,26)= 1.66, p= .21). HR was not significantly different among (70.6 ± 11.0 bpm), HIIE (68.6 ± 12.5 bpm) or MICE (70.4 ± 12.6) (F(2,26)= 0.39, p= .68). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that non-exercise associated HR and BP can be similar to pre-HIIE and pre-MICE HR and BP with equivalent workloads. Study findings indicate that using a protocol similar to ours may account for exercise anticipation before exercise sessions.

Debate exists as to whether improvements in some cardiometabolic risk factors following exercise training result more from the last session of, or from an accumulation of, exercise sessions. This study was designed to compare the effect of a single exercise session with 3 consecutive days of exercise on triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C). Twelve young adult (aged 22.5±2.5 years), overweight (body mass index=29.7±4 kg·m(-2)), sedentary, black (n=5) and white (n=7) men (n=6) and women (n=6) completed, in random order, a single treadmill exercise session at 60% maximal oxygen uptake for 90 min (1EX), accumulated exercise sessions (same as for 1EX) for 3 consecutive days (3EX), and a control protocol (no exercise for 6 days). Plasma samples were collected from baseline through 24, 48, and 72 h postexercise. Significant treatment-by-time interactions (p<0.05) existed in HDL-C and LDL-C. Postexercise responses of HDL-C differed at 48 h (1EX: -3.6, 3EX: +3.7 mg·dL(-1)) and 72 h (1EX: -1.7, 3EX: +3.2 mg·dL(-1)). LDL-C responses differed at 48 h (1EX: -16, 3EX: +6 mg·dL(-1)). Although not statistically significant, TG concentrations decreased by 29% at 24 h after 3EX, compared with -7% after 1EX. An inverse relationship between baseline and postexercise reduction in TG was present with 3EX (r=-0.655; p<0.05). In conclusion, 3EX increased HDL-C and decreased TG more than 1EX, while the decrease in LDL-C after 1EX was suppressed. Blood lipid panel changes may be due to more accumulated effects over time rather than just a result of the most recent exercise session.

Exercise training often results in healthful changes in HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations, but debate exists as to whether such changes are due more to the most recent session of exercise or to an accumulation of physiological effects across exercise sessions. PURPOSE: To compare the effects of a single session of prolonged moderate-intensity exercise to the effects of three consecutive days of the same exercise on plasma HDL-C and TG concentrations. METHODS: Twelve young (22.5±2.5 y, mean±SD) overweight and obese (BMI: 29.7±3.9 kg.m-2) sedentary white (n=7) and black (n=5) women and men (n=6 each) participated in three separate experimental protocols in random order: a single treadmill exercise session (90 min, 60% VO2max), the same exercise session performed on three successive days, and a control protocol (no exercise for six days). Fasted blood samples were taken before and 24, 48, and 72 hours after each exercise session and on days 1 and 6 of the control protocol. All HDL-C and TG values were corrected for plasma volume changes. RESULTS: A repeated measures ANOVA showed the three exercise session protocol to elicit significant elevations in HDL-C at 24 (58.9±5.7 mg.dL-1, mean±SE) and 48 (59.2±5.7 mg.dL-1) hours post-exercise compared to baseline (55.5±6.0 mg.dL-1) (p<0.05). A treatment by time interaction was present and a paired-sample t-test showed HDL-C to be higher 48 hours following the three session protocol versus the single session. The three session protocol also produced a nonsignificant trend toward reducing TG concentrations (baseline: 90.0±10.3, 24-hr post: 64.3±7.1 mg.dL-1). Pearson's correlation analyses showed higher baseline concentrations to be related to greater TG reductions following the three session protocol (r=-0.69), but not the single session (r=0.04). Significant relationships between baseline and post-exercise HDL-C concentrations did not exist with either protocol. CONCLUSION: In young overweight and obese women and men, accumulating exercise over several days may increase plasma HDL-C to a greater extent than a single session of exercise. Three days of prolonged moderate-intensity exercise may also lower TG in those with higher baseline concentrations. Supported in part by a Susan B. Stout Graduate Research Fellowship from UNC-Greensboro.

Adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing and anti-atherosclerotic adipocytokine, exists in different isoforms. The high-molecular weight (HMW) isoform may be more biologically active. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of a vigorous-intensity endurance exercise training program on serum HMW adiponectin concentration in a sample of black and white men and women aged 17 to 65 years (n=515). METHODS: Serum HMW adiponectin concentrations from before and after a 20-week exercise program were analyzed via ELISA. RESULTS: When controlling for age, HMW adiponectin concentration before training was not related to VO2max in men or women (r=−0.028 and −0.031, respectively, p>0.05). As we have previously found with total serum adiponectin, the HMW isoform decreased slightly as a result of exercise training (before vs. after: 3.01±0.10 vs. 2.53±0.09, mean±SE, p<0.001). This decrease was significant within each of the four race/sex groups (p=0.04). Baseline HMW adiponectin was related to intra-abdominal and subcutaneous abdominal fat areas and overall body fat mass (r=−0.287, −0.185, and −0.154, respectively, p=0.001). Training-related change in HMW adiponectin was not related to changes in these fat variables (r=−0.058, −0.089, and −0.014, p>0.05). However, significant change relationships were present in black women (r=−0.253, −0.338, and −0.367, p=0.02). HMW adiponectin and insulin sensitivity (derived from minimal modeling after intravenous glucose tolerance testing) were related at baseline (r=0.224, p<0.001), but training−induced changes were not related (r=0.006, p>0.05). At baseline, HMW adiponectin was related to HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations (r=0.405 and −0.210, p<0.001). A modest change relationship was present for HDL-cholesterol (r=0.162, p<0.001), but not triglyceride (r=0.027, p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum HMW adiponectin concentration did not increase in response to 20 weeks of vigorous-intensity exercise training. Overall, exercise-induced change in HMW adiponectin was not strongly related with changes in other factors associated with cardiometabolic risk. These results largely mirror those of total serum adiponectin previously found in the HERITAGE sample. Funded by the American Heart Association (Mid-Atlantic Affiliate) and multiple grants from NIH-NHLBI.