The purposes of this study were to 1) develop“cramp screening tests”to investigate susceptibility to exercise induced muscle cramp (EIMC) and 2) examine the effect of muscle fatigue and dehydra. tion-rehydration on EIMC using the tests. Twenty healthy male subjects were placed into three groups based on their experience of EIMC ; high (n=4, frequent cramps in daily life), low-medium (n=12, cramps with special conditions such as strenuous exercise), and no cramps (n=4), and performed two cramp screening tests for the toe flexors and hamstrings. The results indicated that the higher the frequency of muscle cramps in daily life, the higher the cramp induction rates in the tests. To investigate the effect of muscle fatigue on EIMC, 15 out of the 20 subjects performed 100 rhythmic isometric (knee joint angle of 90°) or isokinetic contractions (range of motion : 60-120°, flexion : 60°/s, extension ; 300°/s) of the knee flexors in separate days. Susceptibility to EIMC decreased in the exercised muscle after the fatiguing exercises, but significantly increased in the toe of the exercised limb. To verify the effect of dehydration on EIMC, nine out of the 20 subjects were dehydrated to reduce 3 % of body weight by an intermittent sauna exposure and rehydrated by giving the dehydrated amount of plain water. Dehydration significantly increased the susceptibility to EIMC, and rehydration did not contribute to decrease the susceptibility. These results suggest that the susceptibility to EIMC would be estimated by using the tests, and dehydration is associated with EIMC, but muscle fatigue does not seem to be a direct factor for EIMC.

The purpose of this study was to investigate bilateral deficit (BLD) of force in submaximal isometric muscle contraction and effect of muscle fatigue on BLD. In Experiment 1, nine male students were subjected to investigate whether BLD occurs in submaximal force generation. They were asked to generate maximal force of the elbow flexors with their right, left, and right and left arms simultaneously. They also performed submaximal force generation at 30% and 60% of MVC in a way similar to that for the maximal force generation. The magnitude of BLD was compared between maximal and submaximal conditions by Bilateral Index: BI=100× (Bilateral Right and Left force/Unilateral Right force + Unilateral Left force) - 100. The mean values of BI during maximal. 30%, and 60% force generations were -9.4, -10.6, and -7.4, respectively, and there was no signi-ficant difference between conditions. This suggests that BLD occurs similarly regardless of the level of force output. Effects of the other arm starting to generate force (30%MVC, 60%MVC, MVC) on force level of one arm already holding a target force (30%MVC, 60%MVC, MVC) for 2 s were also investigated additionally. The magnitude of BLD was significantly larger for the additional condition compared to that seen in the simultaneous force generation by both arms from the beginning. To examine BLD during repeated muscle contractions, 14 male students performed 100 maximal isometric elbow flexions with right and left arms simultaneously (2-s contraction and 4-s rest) with right and left arms alternatively (2-s contraction and 4-s rest for each arm) in Experiment 2. BI values were calculated over the 100 contractions. During 100 maximal isometric contractions, force decreased to approximately 70% of the initial force at the end. The BI value increased from -8.6 (1^st) to -0.1 (25^th) then 3.3 (100^th) during exercise, indicating that BLD disappeared as the muscular fatigue proceeds.

Objective: This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of resistance training in prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
Methods: Ten patients in the absence of metastasis undertook a 20-week progressive resistance training (2 times/week) consisting of 12 different upper and lower body exercises using training machines. Body composition, muscle function, physical performance, bone mineral density, serum biochemical data, plasma insulin and blood markers of prostate cancer were assessed at baseline and after training at weeks 10 and 20.
Results: Training significantly increased muscle strength and muscle endurance capacity (p<0.001) and decreased plasma insulin levels without affecting blood markers of prostate cancer.
Conclusion: Results suggest that resistance training is beneficial for prostate cancer patients with ADT to reduce the side effects of ADT and improve the activity of daily living and quality of life.

Effects of 5 km running upon taking a low-carbohydrate, high-fat and protein diet on the body, in fourteen healthy young males and three healthy young females, all being affected by taurine inducement, were investigated by double blind test method. The results obtained were as follows ;
1) As to the degree of in heart rate upon 5 km running, in males, there were no differences between taurine administration group (M-group) and placebo administration group (P-group) . But in females, recordings in P-group were much larger than those of M-group.
2) As to the degree of increase in systolic blood pressure upon 5 km running, in males, no differences between both groups were observed, but in females, recordings in P-group were larger than those of M-group.
3) Both serum creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) activities did not recover to pre-exercise levels during 3 days after 5 km running in both groups of both sexes.
4) In the rate of CK-MB against CK, not only P-group of females had extraordinary high levels immediately after 5 km running, but also P-group of both sexes had higher levels on 3rd and 5th day after 5 km runnning than M-group.
5) In both sexes P-group was larger than M-group in the degree of increase in blood lactate and serum triglyceride levels.
6) As to the changes in serum total protein levels, in males, no differences between both groups were observed, but in females, P-group had extraordinary low levels on 1st day after 5 km running and maintained low levels during 5 days recovery.
7) As to the changes in both serum total fatty acids levels and the rate of unsaturated fatty acids against total fatty acids, no differences were observed between both groups of both sexes.
8) As to the degree of increase in plasma noradrenalin and adrenalin levels, in males, no differences between both groups were observed, but in females, recordings in M-group were larger than those of P-group.

Effects of taurine on the functions of the body and metabolism with 3km running upon taking a diet, which is constituted of lowest possible amount of carbohydrate and highest possible amount of fat and protein, were investigated in 25 male and female subjects of age thirties by double blind test method. The results were as follows
1) Taurine administration (T. A.) proved to inhibit the degree of increase in heart rate and increase the maximal degree of pulse pressure in response to 3 km running.
2) T. A. proved to inhibit the degree of increase in serum creatine kinase isozyme MB (CK-MB) activities and CK-MB/CK ratio.
3) T. A. proved to inhibit the decrease of serum total protein values immediately before running and in the following morning. Similar trends in terms of the particuler times were observed, too, in the case of the degree of decrease of serum triglycerides values.
4) T. A. seemed to accelerate the utilization of saturated fatty acids especially.
5) Three kilometer running seemed to increase in serum taurine concentrations from several hours after running to the morning immediately after running.