A number of investigators have been concerned with the anthropometric as well as physical characteristics of sumo wrestlers during the past several decades. However, none have attempted to determine body density and percent body fat by the most accurate technique of hydrostatic or underwater weighings. Thus, a precise quantification of body density and percent body fat for the wrestlers has not yet been obtained. Ogawa et al. (1972) have predicted the body composition of sumo wrestlers from a formula which added the triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses. As the regression equation used in this instance was based on samples of normal young men, it may not have great predictive accuracy when used on the exceptional population of very stout athletes.
The purposes of this study were : (1) to assess the validity of percent body fat estimation by skinfold thickness measurement when compared to the hydrostatic weighing criterion method ; (2) to determine the interrelationships between anthropometric variables for use in the clear assessment of the physical characteristics of ‘Shindeshi’ sumo wrestlers ; and (3) to thereby develop a formula that would reliably predict percent body fat using skinfold thicknesses and/or anthropometric measurements in this exceptional population. The interrelationships between anthropometric and body composition variables were investigated using 35 Shindeshi sumo wrestlers, aged 15-20 years (X=16.5±1.5) .
The results of the present study can be summarized as follows.
1. The Shindeshi in the present study possessed physiques more developed than those tested in the past, as evidenced by Rohrer's and Ponderal Indices which were approximately 180 and 26.2, respectively. The development of body weight was particularly notable (i.e., over 100kg) .
2. Percent body fat for the Shindeshi was remarkably higher than that of a normal population of the same age, with approximately seventy percent of the Shindeshi possessing more than 20% body fat and less than 1.05000 body density.
3. Body density and height correlated negatively and insignificantly with almost all the variables. In contrast, correlations of body weight, circumferences, and all other variables were, in most cases, high and positive, with body weight correlating least with height. The skinfold measurement correlating best with % body fat was that taken at the thigh site (r=0.898) . The circumference measurements correlating best with % body fat were obtained at the thigh (r=0.888 and 0.831) and the abdomen (r=0 885) parts.
4. Of the six formulae for estimating % body fat, Sloan's correlated best with % body fat as determined by densitometry, and best approximated the mean value of 24.5%. However, all of the equations underestimated the measured % body fat of the Shindeshi.
5. When an exceptional population is being investigated, estimation of % body fat should be done with a population specific equation to ensure predictive accuracy. The following multiple regression equation (r=0.963) should, therefore, be utilized for estimation of % body fat in sumo wrestlers.
Y=0.2488x₁+0.6172x₂-14.3962 where x₁ and x₂ are abdomen circumference and skinfold thickness at thigh, respectively.

We retrospectively compared the treatment effects of electro-acupuncture against in situ acupuncture, in 15 Hunt's Syndrome patients who underwent acupuncture therapy in our institution between August 1996, and June 2004, and who had fulfilled 3 electroneurography (ENoG) criteria with a value of 0% within 90 days after onset, had a paralysis score of <20, and could be followed up for 6 months after onset. Electroacupuncture therapy was performed on the paralysis side of the faces of 8 patients (the electro-acupuncture group), while in situ acupuncture therapy was performed on the remaining 7 (the in situ acupuncture group). No significant differences were observed in the background factors between the two groups. Treatment results were evaluated using the 40-point paralysis score described by Yanagihara, as well as a sequela score, which was a modified method of the sequela assessment developed by Nishimoto and Murata et al. Changes in paralysis scores from first acupuncture therapy, out to 6 months post-onset were compared using repeated ANOVA measures, and Mann-Whitney U tests respectively. Recovery of paralysis scores did not significantly differ between the two groups (p=0.0507), although slightly better recovery was observed in the electroacupuncture group, as compared with the in situ acupuncture group. Additionally, sequelae scores did not significantly differ between the two groups (p=0.51). In recent years, many have been of the opinion that lowfrequency stimulation is contraindicated. In this study, however, the incidence of sequelae did not differ significantly between the electro-acupuncture therapy and the in situ acupuncture therapy groups, although slightly better paralysis recovery was observed in the former.

The present study was intended to determine max. Vo₂ and its relation to body weight of Japanese athletes. The subjects in this study were 151 male and female athletes who were Japanese excellent or good runners and swimmers.
Max. Vo₂2 was determined during the maximum running on the treadmill. Treadmill test was made with a constant slope of 8.6%. During the first 2 minutes, the treadmill was set in motion at a certain speed (180 or 200 m/min for male and 160 m/ min for female), and then the speed was increased by 10 m/min every succeeding minute until exhaustion. Expired air during running was collected in Douglas bag every 1 minute upto exhaustion. The sampling gas was analyzed by means of a Beckman oxygen and carbon dioxide analyzer.
The results obtained in this study were as follows ;
1) The regression equations were calculated between max. Vo₂ and body weight in relation to sex and sports (Table 1) .
2) Max. Vo₂ per body weight of the male swimmers ranges from 50 to 70 and that of the male runners is 70 ml/kg/min. For the female swimmers max. Vo₂ is between 40 and 60 and the female runners approximately 60 ml/kg/min.
3) The regression equation was calculated between the mean speed of 5000 m running as performance (Y) and max. Vo₂ per body weight as physical resources (X) for the runners.
Y=0. 0431X+2.50±0.232

Our previous studies have shown that spa therapy can reduce subjective symptoms and improve ventilatory function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study is to measure the effects of spa therapy on walking distance during the six-minute walk test in patients with COPD. Twenty-five COPD patients hospitalized for pulmonary rehabilitation at our hospital were included in this study. Twenty-two patients were male and 3 patients were female. Two patients had stage I, 9 patients had stage II, and 14 patients had stage III COPD, according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. We offered complex spa therapy (swimming training in a hot spring pool, inhalation of iodine salt solution, and fango therapy) in all patients for 4 weeks. Ventilatory function, six-minute walk distance, oxygen saturation and Borg scale were measured. Vital capacity (VC) was significantly improved by spa therapy at 4 weeks (p<0.05). The values of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV_1.0), forced expiratory flow after 75% of expired FVC (FEF₇₅), forced expiratory flow after 50% of expired FVC (FEF₅₀), forced expiratory flow after 25% of expired FVC (FEF₂₅), mean expiratory flow during the middle half of the FVC (FEF_25-75), residual volume (RV), functional residual capacity (FRC), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) showed a tendency to increase, however the increase in the 10 parameters was not significant. The values of six-minute walk distance before and after spa therapy were 288±106m and 323±114m, respectively (p<0.05). There was a significant decrease in values of maximum Borg Scale values (p<0.05). The values of minimum oxygen saturation and the values of oxygen saturation at rest slightly increased, but not significantly. The change of six-minute walk distance correlated with change of VC (r=0.545; p<0.05), with change of FVC (r=0.628; p<0.05), with change of FEV_1.0 (r=0.559; p<0.05), with change of FEF₅₀ (r=0.480; p<0.05), with change of minimum oxygen saturation (SpO₂) (r=0.554; p<0.05) and with change of SpO₂ at rest (r=0.445; p<0.05). We found that spa therapy induced improvements in ventilatory dysfunction and six-minute walk distance in patients with COPD. The results from this study reveal that spa therapy may improve disease control and exercise tolerance in patients with COPD.