Whether the effects of power walking program on immune response in human body remains less clear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of power walking program on the immune response including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), c-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC) in female adults. METHODS: 31 healthy female adults aged 19 to 22 years were participated in this study and classified as a three groups by light walking group (30-60 HRmax, 3-5d/wk, 30-55min/d), power walking group (40-70 HRmax, 3-5d/wk, 30-55min/d), and control group (non exercise program). They performed power walking program on treadmill for 12 months. IL-6, TNF-a, CRP, WBC were measured before treatment, after 6 months, and 12 months of the program treatment. Cardiorespiratory fitness was indirectly assessed by Harvard 5-minute step test. Repeated Measured Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Multiple Range Test (Bonferroni), Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, Analysis of Simple Linear Regression, and Dubin Watson Test were used to examine the statistical significance using SPSS 12.0 windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). RESULTS: There were significant differences on TNF-a for 12 months among three groups and walking period (p<.05), but there were no significant differences on IL-6, CRP, and WBC among three groups. Cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with IL-6 (r=0.39, p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, power walking program for 12 months may be partly affected on immune response in healthy female adults. This work was Supported by Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD) (KRF-2005-037-G00045), This work was Supported by the SRC Research Center for Women's Diseases of Sookmyung Women's University.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of complex training and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n3PUFA) supplementation on health-related physical fitness tests, serum lipoprotein profiles and inflammatory markers in college female students. METHODS: Thirty college females were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group I (placebo, 3.6g/day, n = 10); Group II [n3PUFA (2.4g/day) + placebo (1.2g/day), n = 10)]; Group III (n3PUFA, 3.6g/day, n = 10) with complex training for 12 weeks. The complex training indicates the combination of muscular resistance exercise (50-70% of 1RM, 3-4d/w, 3-20s/r) and aerobic exercise (40-75% of HRmax, 3-4d/w, 15-35min/d). All subjects were measured before and after 12 week of treatment including body weight, body fat mass, percent body fat, BMI, muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, C-reactive protein(CRP), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), leptin, red blood cell count (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC). Analysis of covariance, Duncan's post-hoc test, Pearson correlation, simple regression, and Durbin-Watson statistic were used to determine the statistical significance. RESULTS: There were significant mean differences on BMI, body weight, flexibility and CRP among three groups. The group III had lower CRP, body weight, or flexibility values as compared with Place groups (I, II). (p=.05). There were significant associations between health-related fitness components and CRP (r=-.36, p=.01), triglyceride (r=-.25, p=.01) and RBC (r=.30, p=.05). There were no significant mean differences in percent body fat, body fat mass, muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, total cholesterol/ HDL cholesterol ratio, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride, WBC, TNF-a and leptin values across three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of complex training and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation may be particularly important on health related physical fitness and inflammatory markers in college female students.

본 연구의 목적은 한 휠체어럭비 전문지도자의 지도행동과 상호작용을 조사하기 위함이다. 특히 본 연구는 그 코치의 주된 지도 유형, 반복적인 지도행동 유형, 그리고 코치의 어떤 지도행동이 선수들의 반응과 관계가 있는지 조사하기 위함이다. 본 연구의 참가자는 전 미국 국가대표 휠체어럭비 코치로서 다음과 같은 기준에 의해서 선택되었다. (1) 최소 10년 이상의 코칭경험, (2) 7할 이상의 승률 (3) 코칭에 대한 수상경력. 본 연구방법은 양적과 질적 연구방법을 동시에 이용했고, 자료 수집은 총 18시간의 연습을 비디오촬영 했다. 자료분석은 CAFIAS (Cheffers & Mancini, 1989) 이 사용되었고 추가적인 설명을 위해 연습현장의 에피소드가 이용되었다(Schempp et al., 2004). 연구결과는 칭찬과 지식 전달, 그리고 지시로 나타났다. 또한, 휠체어럭비 전문 지도자와 학습자 간의 상호작용은 반복적인 지식전달, 지시, 그리고 칭찬이 주로 나타났다. 코치의 칭찬과 지도는 선수들의 연습을 촉진시키고 코치가 선수들의 생각을 받아들이면 더 대화에 참여하는 경향을 보였다. 마지막으로 코치가 선수들의 경기력에 대해서 부정적인일 때 선수들은 더 분석적으로 반응했다.

Limited evidence exists showing the associations of abdominal obesity and cardiorespiratory fitness with inflammatory markers in a large US adolescent population. PURPOSE: We investigated whether abdominal obesity or cardiorespiratory fitness relates to inflammatory markers in 4,800 healthy U.S. adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004). METHODS: Body height was measured with a stadiometer, and weight was measured with a self-zeroing scale. Waist girth was measured at the midpoint between the bottom of the rib cage and above the top of the iliac crest. Abdominal obesity was classified as a waist girth greater than 90th percentile for age and sex. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by a submaximal exercise test, and classified as low, moderate, and high fitness categories. C-reactive protein was measured by latex-enhanced nephelometry, and white blood cell (WBC) count was measured by Beckman coulter method. Age-, sex-, and race-adjusted partial Pearson correlations were used to examine the relations of waist girth and CRF with inflammatory markers (CRP, WBC). General linear models were used to test mean differences for CRP and WBC across abdominal obesity and CRF categories. RESULTS: Abdominal obesity measured by waist girth was directly associated with CRP (r = 0.48, p<0.001) and WBC (r = 0.25, p<0.001) values in US adolescents. In contrast, cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely associated with CRP (r = −0.17, p<0.001) and WBC (r = −0.11, p<0.001) values. Furthermore, adolescents with abdominal obese had greater mean CRP values (p<0.001) and WBC values (p<0.001), respectively, as compared with their counterparts. We also observed that highly fit adolescents had lower mean CRP values (p<0.001) and WBC values (p<0.001), respectively, when compared with moderately and low fit adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity is directly associated with inflammatory markers in US adolescents. However, higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are inversely associated with inflammatory markers in young age groups.

Whether childhood obesity relates to inflammatory markers remains less explored. PURPOSE: We examined the relations of waist girth, body mass index, and body fatness to inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein and white blood cell count) in 2,745 healthy US children, aged 6 to 11 years, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004). METHODS: Body weight and height were measured with a stadiometer and a self- zeroing scale, and body mass index (BMI: in kg/m2) was calculated. Age- and sex- specific overweight (≥95th percentile) and risk for overweight (85-<95th percentile) categories were classified by following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions. Percent body fat was estimated from the sum of triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses, and obesity was defined as over 25% body fat in boys and over 32% body fat in girls. Waist girth was measured with a steel measuring tape, and abdominal obesity was defined as a waist girth greater than 90th percentile for age and sex. C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured by latex-enhanced nephelometry, and white blood cell (WBC) count was measured by Beckman coulter method. Partial Pearson correlations were used to examine the relations of waist girth, BMI, and body fatness with inflammatory markers (CRP, WBC) after adjustment for age, sex, and race. General linear models were used to test mean differences for CRP and WBC across abdominal obesity (yes/no), overweight (yes/no), and obesity (yes/no) categories after adjustment for covariates. RESULTS: Partial Pearson correlations documented that there were significant associations between CRP with waist girth (r = 0.45, p<0.001), BMI (r = 0.46, p<0.001), and body fatness (r = 0.48, p<0.001), and between WBC with waist girth (r = 0.17, p<0.001), BMI (r = 0.16, p<0.001), and body fatness (r = 0.20, p<0.001). We also observed that obese (p<0.001), overweight (p<0.001), or abdominal obese (p<0.001) children had greater mean CRP values and WBC values, respectively, as compared with their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Childhood obesity is directly associated with inflammatory markers in US children. Continued efforts are needed to reduce childhood obesity and to increase physical activity in US children.

BACKGROUND: Whether C-reactive protein (CRP) relates to peripheral artery disease in a large US population remains incompletely explored. Objectives: We investigated the association between CRP and peripheral artery disease in 2, 565 U. S. men and women aged 40 to 85 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2002). METHODS: CRP was assessed by using latex-enhanced nephelometry. Systolic blood pressures were measured at the right brachial and posterior tibial arteries in both legs, and right and left ankle-brachial indexes (ABI) were calculated as ankle systolic blood pressure at right and left, respectively, divided by brachial systolic blood pressure. PAD was classified as ABI <0.9 in either leg. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between CRP and PAD after adjustment for age, sex, race, and other multiple risk factors, respectively. The lowest CRP quartile (<0.17 mg/dL) was the reference category. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, and race, there was a direct association between CRP and PAD (p for trend = 0.005). The odds ratio of having PAD for persons in the highest CRP quartile (≥0.72 mg/dL) was 2.62 (95% CI: 1.31, 5.24) as compared with persons in the lowest CRP quartile. These associations persisted after additional adjustment for multiple risk factors (education, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, high-density liprotein and total cholesterols, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus). The odds ratios of having PAD across CRP quartiles were 1.00 (referent), 1.28 (95% CI: 0.59, 2.77), 1.50 (95% CI: 0.68, 3.31), and 2.68 (95 % CI: 1.26, 5.70) (p for trend = 0.006). Men and women who had the highest CRP quartile had a 2.7 times higher odds of having PAD as compared with those who had the lowest quartile of CRP. CONCLUSIONS: Increased levels of CRP are associated with development of peripheral artery disease in U. S. adults.

BACKGROUND: Whether physical activity relates to osteopenia in female college students remains less clear. PURPOSE: We investigated the association between osteopenia and physical activity among 121 female college students, aged 18 to 34 years. METHODS: We measured physical activity using the modified Heyward's questionnaire. Bone mineral density was measured by Quantitative Ultrasonography (QUS), and participants were classified as normal (T-score > −0.99) and osteopenia (T-score between −1 and −2.5) following the WHO guidelines. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between physical activity and osteopenia after adjustment of age and additional adjustment for cigarette smoking, overweight, dietary habits, and alcohol consumption. Trends across physical activity levels were tested by treating physical activity scores as an ordinal score. General linear models were used to test mean differences for descriptive physiological characteristics between normal and osteopenia categories after adjustment for age. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression documented that physical activity is inversely associated with incidence of osteopenia in female college students. After adjustment for age, moderately and highly active female students had 78% (95% CI: 0.07, 0.65) and 75% (95% CI: 0.08, 0.74) respectively, lower odds of having osteopenia when compared with inactive college students. These associations were similar after adjustment for multiple risk factors. Highly active female students had 78% (95% CI: 0.07, 0.70) and moderately active individuals had 77% (95% CI: 0.07, 0.70) lower odds of having osteopenia as compared with inactive female students. CONCLUSIONS An increased physical activity is inversely associated with reduced risk of developing osteopenia in female college students.

Whether physical activity relates to peripheral vascular disease remains less clear. PURPOSE: We investigated the relation of physical activity to peripheral artery disease in 4896 men and women aged 40 to 85 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2000 and 2001–2002). METHODS: Systolic blood pressures were measured at the right arm (brachial vessel) and both ankles (posterior tibial vessels), and ankle-brachial index (ABI) scores were computed by the ratio of systolic blood pressure in the ankles to that in the right arm. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) was classified as ABI <0.9. Physical activity was assessed by a standardized questionnaire and was classified as low, moderate, and high activity categories. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between physical activity and PAD. Inactive individuals constitute the reference category. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, and race, there was an inverse association between physical activity and prevalence of PAD (p for trend = 0.002). The odds ratios of having PAD for persons in the moderately and highly active individuals were 0.52 (95% CI: 0.31, 0.90) and 0.35 (95% CI: 0.18, 0.69), respectively, as compared with inactive individuals. These associations persisted after additional adjustment for income, education, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and antihypertensive medication use (p for trend = 0.007). Highly active individuals had a 60% (95% CI: 0.20, 0.79) and moderately active individuals had a 44% (95% CI: 0.32, 0.97) lower odds of having PAD, respectively, as compared with inactive individuals.

HISTORY: Weight bearing exercise is positively associated with bone mineral density. However, whether combat sports relate to bone mineral density remains less clear. PURPOSE: We investigated bone mineral density (BMD) of combat sports in high school female athletes from South Korea. METHOES: The subjects consisted of 170 female athletes, aged 14 to 18 years, those with combat sports in Taekwondo (n = 36) and Judo (n = 16); those with weight bearing exercise (long distance runners, n = 9) and nonweight bearing exercise (swimmers, n = 9); and control (n = 100). We measured BMD (g.m-2) at the lumbar spine (L2-L4), femoral neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter using dual-energy x-ray absortiometry (DXA). General linear models were used to test mean differences for BMDs across different types of sports after adjusting for age, menstrual abnormality, age at menarche, and body mass index. RESULTS: There were statistical mean differences in lumbar spine (p <0.001), femoral neck (p <0.001), Ward's triangle (p <0.001) and trochanter (p <0.001), respectively, across different types of sports after adjustment for age, menstrual abnormality, age at menarche, and body mass index. Judo female athletes had the greatest BMD of lumbar spine (1.28 g.m−2), femoral neck (1.07 g.m−2), Ward's triangle (0.99 g.m−2) and trochanter (1.06 g.m−2). Taekwondo female athletes also had greater BMDs of lumbar spine (1.15 g.m−2), femoral neck (1.03 g.m−2), and Ward's triangle (0.95 g.m−2) and trochanter (0.99 g.m−2). Tukey's post-doc documented that there were no statistical differences in BMDs between Judo and Taekwondo athletes. However, both Judo and Taekwondo athletes had greater BMDs of lumbar spine, femoral neck, Ward's triangle and trochanter, respectively, when compared with long distance runners or swimmers. We observed similar BMDs between long distance runners and swimmers. CONCLUSIONS: Combat sports had greater bone mineral density as compared with weight bearing (long-distance runners) or nonweight bearing (swimmers) exercises among high school female athletes in South Korea.

Whether cardiorespiratory fitness relates to carotid atherosclerotic vascular disease across race, gender, and age groups remains unknown. PURPOSE: We investigated the relation of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with carotid artery atherosclerosis in 6,410 Korean men aged 40 to 81 years. METHODS: We measured carotid intima-media thickness by using B-mode ultrasonography, and cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by a maximal treadmill exercise test using the Balke protocol. Carotid atherosclerosis was defined as an intima-media far wall thickness greater than 1 mm or identification of plaque at any site, while CRF was classified as low fit (<20%), moderately fit (20-<60%), or high fit (=60%) categories based on age-specific treadmill time percentiles. RESULTS: The presence of carotid atherosclerosis across CRF categories was 3.1% (low fit), 4.9%, and 4.2%. After adjustment for age, there was a direct inverse association between CRF and carotid artery atherosclerosis (P < 0.01 for trend). The odds ratio of presence of carotid artery atherosclerosis in the low-fit men versus the high-fit men was 1.43 (95% CI, 1.17, 1.76). After additional adjustment for cigarette smoking, low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels, systolic blood pressure, c-reactive protein, fibrinogen level, diabetes mellitus, and antihypertensive medication, the results remain unchanged and the odds ratios across CRF levels were (95% CI): 1.00 (low fit, referent), 0.84 (0.69, 1.03), 0.78 (0.63, 0.96) (P = 0.02 for trend). The odds ratios of presence of carotid atherosclerosis were 1.2 for current smokers, 1.8 for diabetes, 1.2 for unfit, and 1.3 for hypertension after adjustment for other risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiorespiratory fitness is inversely associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis in Korean middle-aged and elderly men. This suggests an involvement of physical activity or fitness in the occurrence of carotid atherosclerosis in men.

PURPOSE: This study was purposed to supply fundamental data which are necessary for health promotion and cardiorespiratory fitness development in female college students by examining relations of cardiorespiratory fitness with body composition, serum lipidlipoprotein profiles and metabolic indices. METHODS: Twenty one Korean female college students were participated in this study. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured by graded exercise test. Body composition (percent body fat) was analyzed by using the bioimpedance analysis (Biospace Co.). And serum lipidlipoprotein profiles e.g. total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, and metabolic indices, e.g. glucose, free fatty acid, lactate, leptin were measured by using an enzymatic method. Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and durbin watson test were used to investigate the association of cardiorespiratory fitness with body composition, serum lipidlipoprotein profiles and metabolic indices. RESULTS: The study result confirmed that ventilation, exercise duration, and leptin have significant effect to percent body fat, and also, respiratory quotient, and lactate and glucose, and total cholesterol have significant effect to maximal oxygen uptake, and respiratory quotient respectively (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The remarkable point of this study was that increase of percent body fat leads to increase of cardiorespiratory fitness. We assume that proper percent body fat to be necessary for effective normal social activities can be varied by times in college females. Afterwards, establishment of renewed standard for obesity is necessary through further research for diet habits, and exercise habits in college females.

Whether inflammary markers are associated with cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and blood lipids across gender and ethnic groups remain less clear. PURPOSE: We investigated the relations of white blood cell count (WBC) with cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition (percent body fat), and blood lipids (high-density lipoprotein, HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein, LDL-C, and total cholesterols, TC, and triglycerides, TG) in 82 Korean female college students aged 18 to 34 years. METHODS: We measured WBC count and blood lipids (HDL-C TC, and TG) using an enzymatic method. HDL-C was measured after dextran-magnesium precipitation, and LDL-C was calculated using the Friedewald equation. Percent body fat was analyzed by using the bioelectrical impedance (Biospace Co.), and cardiorespiratory fitness levels were indirectly assessed by using Harvard 5-minute step test. Pearson product-moment correlation was used to investigate the partial associations of WBC count with cardiorespiratory fitness, percent body fat, and blood lipids (HDL-C, TC, and TG) after adjustment for age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and dietary habits. RESULTS: WBC count was inversely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (r = −0.26, P = 0.02), and positively associated with percent body fat (r = 0.25, P = 0.03) after adjustment for multiple risk factors. However, there was a weak and non-significant association between WBC count with HDL-C (r = −0.04), LDL-C (r = −0.06), TC (r = −0.05), and TG (r = 0.07)], respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness may reduce white blood cell count, while being obese may increase white blood cell count in female Korean college students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of body mass index and health-related physical fitness on dinking habits in college females. 165subjects were participated in this study and their ages, college grade, academic major, height, weight, percent body fat, total body water, body mass index, waist hip ratio, back strength, sit-up, sit and reach, and physical efficiency index were measured. Their drinking habits were observed by Perceptions about Alcohol Use(Corbin, Welk, Lindsey, & Corbin, 2(04). Reliability Analysis, Factor Analysis(varimix), One-way Analysis of Variance(ANOVA), Multiple Range Test(Scheffe), Analysis of Multiple correlation, Analysis of Simple Linear Regression and Dubin Watson Test were used to examine the statistical significance using SPSS 11.0 windows. Drinking habits showed significant differences on health-related physical fitness (p＜.05), but no significant differences on the body mass index. Also, drinking habits were significantly affected by lean body mass, total body water, back strength, sit-up, sit and reach, and physical efficiency index. In conclusion, this result indicated that college females comparatively consumed less alcohol, and appropriate alcohol drinking had better effects on health-related physical fitness than non-drinking or heavy drinking. Therefore, it is necessary to spread improved health-related physical fitness and the desirable alcohol drinking habits through the small amount of alcohol drinking and regular physical activity in their daily life to college females.