[Objective] The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of press tack needles (PTNs) on subjective assessment of symptoms such as heaviness, stiffness and lassitude in the lower limbs during walking, or in everyday life. Sham PTNs are used for the purpose of comparison.
[Methods] The subject is a male in his seventies who has a daily routine of walking 10,000 steps; experiences heaviness, stiffness and lassitude in his lower limbs; and has spinal or internal disease. Intervention: PTNs or sham PTNs are randomly chosen and worn on the subject's body for two days. The subject fills out a questionnaire regarding subjective assessment of symptom relief in his lower limbs during the following three time periods; in advance of the use of PTN, in the evening during the use of PTN, and the following evening. PTNs are applied to a total of 10 sites around both sides of his lower limbs depending on symptomatic or tender areas. Assessment: A questionnaire, in which a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is introduced, is filled out three times per trial, that is, thirty records from ten trials are finally kept. Differences can be seen in the result answered the following evening. The results regarding the use of PTNs and the results regarding the use of sham PTN are analyzed respectively by randomization test (R test).
[Result] Significant difference was shown in the heaviness of the lower limbs for both the PTN and sham in the evening of the next day (P < 0.05). Significant difference was shown in the stiffness of the lower limbs for both the PTN and sham in the evening of the next day (P < 0.05).
[Conclusion] A PTN is attached for two days when there is a feeling in the lower limbs of heaviness and stiffness, even with spinal disease, liver disease or varicose veins in the lower extremities. It is suggested that PTNs are effective in decrease of symptoms.

Research highlights the importance of maintaining pre-diagnosis physical activity levels for breast cancer survivors post-treatment. However, many survivors have difficulty engaging in physical activity due to cancer-related fatigue. The aim of this study was to explore how participation in a 12-week yoga intervention impacted fatigue and physical activity. 20 individuals with breast cancer diagnosis participated in a 12-week yoga intervention. The yoga intervention included modified hatha yoga postures and consisted of 10 min. of warm-up, 45 min. of yoga postures, 10 min. of breath work, and 10 min. of supine resting pose (savasana), for a total of 75 min. Assessments were administered at 3 time points: pre (T1), post (T2) yoga intervention and at a 12-week follow-up (T3). Measures included self-reported fatigue (Cancer Fatigue Scale) and physical activity (accelerometer step counts). One-way ANOVA were used to examine how fatigue scores and steps counts were changed over the course of the intervention. Total fatigue score (FS) and daily step (DS) counts at each time point were T1 (FS=21.6±8.9, DS=7709±2036), T2 (FS=14.0±8.3, DS=8429±2722), and T3 (FS=16.8±6.9, DS=8406±3389). Significant improvements in physical fatigue T1 (p<0.05, η² = 0.14) and cognitive fatigue (p<0.01, η² = 0.11) were seen at T1-T2. No significant changes were seen in psychological fatigue. 12 participants (65%) had high fatigue levels at T1, which decreased to 5 participants (27.8%) at T2. 12 participants (66.7%) increased daily steps at T2 and 8 participants (44.4%) continued to increase at T3. There were negative correlations between fatigue scores and step counts at all time points (r=-0.45~-0.55). Participation in a 12-week yoga program was associated with improved cancer-related fatigue.

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of exercise intensity on the recovery of autonomic nervous activity after exercise. Ten subjects performed four kinds of 10-min cycle exercise with target heart rates of 100, 120, 140, and 160 beats/min (THR 100, THR 120, THR 140 and THR 160, respectively) following 5 min of exercise to increase the heart rate to the target level. The beat-by-beat variability of the R-R interval was recorded throughout the experiment including the 5-min pre-exercise control period and the 30-min recovery period. Spectral analysis (fast Fourier transform) was applied to every 5-min R-R interval data set before, during ( 5-10 min) and after exercise at the target heart rate. The low- (0.05-0, 15 Hz : P₁) and high- (0, 15-1.0 Hz : P_h) frequency areas were calculated to evaluate sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous activities as P₁/P_hand P_h, respectively. During exercise, SNS of THR 160 was significantly higher, and PNS of THR 140 and THR 160 was significantly lower than the respective pre-exercise values (p<0.05) . Althouglt all indicators recovered to, or overshot the pre-exercise values at 20-30 min after THR 100 and THR 120, heart rate and SNS were still higher and PNS was still lower than the pre-exercise value after THR 160. These results suggest that the recovery of cardiac autonomic nervous activity is slower after high-intensity exercise than after low-intensity exercise, and that the recovery of autonomic nervous activity after acute exercise does not always corrrespond linearly on the exercise intensity.

The purpose of this study was to compare the thigh muscle oxygenation state of competitive road cyclists and non-cyclists during varied pedaling frequency cycling. Six male college road cyclists (CY group) and five male students (NC group) performed four sets of cycling bouts, consisting of 2 minutes of warm up (60 rpm, 50 watts) followed by 5 minutes of pedaling (150 watts) using an electro-magnetic braked cycle ergometer at 40, 60, 90, and 120 rpm. Oxygenated hemoglobin and/or myoglobin (Oxy-Hb/Mb) and deoxygenated Hb/Mb (Deoxy-Hb/Mb) concentrations in the vastus lateralis were measured by near infrared spatially resolved spectroscopy. The Oxy-Hb/Mb level was significantly higher in the CY group than the NC group. But there was no significant intraction effect of the group and pedaling rate on the Oxy-Hb/Mb level. These results suggest that the changes in muscle oxygenation state according to pedaling cadence do not differ between cyclists and non-cyclists. And though the whole body work efficiency decreased according to increasing pedaling cadence, Oxy-Hb/Mb and Deoxy-Hb/Mb levels in the vastus lateralis remained unchanged up to 90 rpm. However, at 120 rpm, the Oxy-Hb/Mb level decreased remarkably and the Deoxy-Hb/Mb level increased. These results suggest that deoxygenation in the vastus lateralis at 120 rpm was higher than that for lower frequencies. And, conversely, oxygen uptake in the vastus lateralis might have increased steeply at 120 rpm. It may be that the maximum pedaling cadence that would not reduce work efficiency in the vastus lateralis is around 90 rpm.

Gas exchange kinetics during constant-load exercise were measured to investigate the possibility that excess CO₂ output during exercise might not be dependent on hyperventilation. Five healthy males performed twelve minutes of cycle exercise, including two minutes of 0 W pedaling, at 20, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80% of their maximal work rate (WRmax) determined on the basis of preliminary ramp exercise of 30 W/min. Minute ventilation, O₂ uptake, and CO₂ output were measured breath-by-breath. Excess CO₂ output and CO₂ stores were calculated, assuming that the respiratory quotient (RQ) in tissue is constant during constant-load exercise and that the respiratory exchange ratio at the mouth level is equal to the RQ during the steady-state phase. Excess CO₂ output was observed at levels of WR greater than 40% WRmax after initial CO₂ storage, where VC_O2/V_E decreased gradually as though in parallel with the kinetics of CO₂ storage. VO₂/V_E, however, appeared to be constant after the initial peak. These data suggest that V_E is closely correlated with V_O2 rather than V_CO2 during constant-load exercise, indicating that excess CO₂ output to compensate lactate production is independent of hyperventilation.

A study was conducted to ascertain the relationship between oxygen uptake (Vo₂) and vertical velocity using a pedal-stepping stair simulator. Ten healthy volunteers performed fbur kinds of graded exercise using a stair simulator (SS), whose pitches were set at 80, 100, and 120 beat⋅min^-1, and also an electrically braked bicycle ergometer (BE) . Work rate on the SS was detemined on the basis of the vertical pedal velocity, in accord with the climbingvelocity for stairs. The incremental rate was set at 0.34 W⋅kg^-1 every 3 min. Heart rate and Vo₂ were measured during the final minute of every stage. Both heart rate and Vo₂ during SS were significantly lower than those on BE at the same level of work intensity. Regression equations between Vo₂ (ml⋅kg^-1⋅min^-1) and velocity (v: m⋅s^-1) were as follows;
pitch 80: Vo₂=1.00×v+0.06
pitch 100: Vo₂=0.88×v+1.58
pitch 120: Vo₂=0.84×v+2.13
These equations give a lower value of Vo₂ than the previous equation based on stair-climbingvelocity reported by the American College of Sports Medicine. Although the individual relationship between Vo₂ and heart rate was closely linear, there was a significant effect ofexercise mode and stepping pitch. These results indicate that the work intensity of pedalstepping exercise with a stair simulator is overestimated if it is calculated based on theprevious equation for stair-climbing.

A conducted to determine 1) the effect of high-velocity movement in resistance training with a constant load on the velocity of movement after training and 2) the differences in the effect on muscle hypertrophy according to training velocity. Fourteen of the total subjects (male; n=10, female ; n=7) were placed in the experimental group and agreed to participate in 8 weeks of training sessions (4 times a week) . Five of the 17 subjects were in control a group before the training session. Subjects performed elbow extension and flexion exercise using 50% of one repetition maximum (% 1 RM) load. The exercise session consisted of 6 sets of 10 repetitions and 30s of rest was taken between the sets. The subjects in the experimental group trained their arms using two different protocols ; one was high-velocity movement performed as rapidly as possible (Type R), the other was low-velocity movement performed at a constant and slow velocity (Type S) . Isokinetic torque in elbow flexion was measured at angular velocities of 60, 180, 300 deg/s, respectively, during elbow flexion performed under different constant loads of 0, 30, 50% 1 RM, and the muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) of the elbow flexor was determined before and after training. It was found that Type R did not increased isokinetic torque at 300 deg/s significantly after training. However, the increase in angular velocity of elbow flexion in Type R exercise tended to be higher than in Type S exercise. The increase in CSA [Type S; 11.2%, Type R ; 14.2%] was significantly higher in Type R exercise (p<0.05) . These results suggest that high-velocity movement with a constant load in resistance training might increase the angular velocity of movement in the same mode, but might not produce a change in isokinetic strength, which involves a different mode of muscle contraction. Muscle hypertrophy would be induced to a greater extent by high-velocity movement than by low-velocity movement in resistance training with a constant load.

The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of prolonged continuous (CON) and intermittent (INT) exercises on metabolic and hormonal responses in 8 male college students (age ; 23.0±0.5 yr, weight; 67.7±1.5 kg, VO₂max ; 2.8±0.1 L/min, mean±SE) . Both trials consisted of two 40 min cycling bouts divided by a 5-min rest period. The intensity of INT was alternated every 4 min at low intensity (25% VO₂max) and high intensity (75% VO₂max), whereas the intensity of CON was maintained at 50% VO₂max. Blood samples were collected before, and after 40 and 80 min of exercise, to determine blood lactate, serum glucose, FFA, insulin, plasma adrenaline and noradre-naline. Perceived exertion (RPE) was assessed at 40 and 80 min of exercise using the Borg scale. Although the changes in the concentration of plasma noradrenaline and serum insulin from basal values were similar in INT and CON, the degree of increase in plasma adrenaline during INT was significantly smaller than that during CON (90.5±16.6 vs. 152.8±27.0 pg/ml, p<0.05, after 80 min of exercise) . There was no difference in the change in the serum glucose level between the two trials. However, serum FFA in INT was significantly smaller than that in CON after 40 min (0.28±0.06 vs. 0.10±0.04 mEq/l, p<0.05) and 80 min (0.54±0.08 vs. 0.33±0.07 mEq/l, p<0.05) of exercise. RPE did not differ between the trials. These data indicate that even if performed total work and exercise duration are the same, metabolic and hormonal responses during prolonged intermittent exercise differ from those during continuous exercise.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of fructose ingestion on maximal exercise performance capacity following prolonged steady-state exercise compared with glucose or placebo ingestion, in 7 male college students (age 23.3±0.7 yr, height 171.3±1.9 cm, weight 68.4±1.4 kg, Vo2max 3.5±0.2 L/min, mean ± SEM) . The subjects cycled constantly on an ergometer at 59± 2 % Vo2max for 100 min divided in the middle by a 5-min rest, and then performed 10 min of all-out self-paced cycling. They ingested either 8 % fructose solution (F), 8 % glucose solution (G) or artifi-cially sweetened placebo (P) before and during exercise (at 20, 40, 65, 85 mm) . Before exercise and at 50 and 100 min of exercise and 5 min after the performance ride, blood samples were collected for determination of the concentrations of blood lactate, serum glucose and serum FFA. In the G trial, the serum FFA level was significantly lower than in the P and F trials at any of the time points dur-ing and after exercise (vs. P ; p<0.01, vs. F ; p<0.05) . However, glucose ingestion maintained serum glucose at a significantly higher level during and after exercise than placebo ingestion (p< 0.01) and improved the total work output in the 10-min performance ride (G vs. P ; 135± 8 KJ vs. 128± 8 KJ, p<0.05) . Although in the F trial, the serum FFA level was elevated during exercise compared to that in the G trial and the serum glucose level was significantly higher than in the P trial (vs. P ; p<0.01), the blood lactate level after exercise was lower than in the G trial and total work output was similar to that in the P trial (123± 8 KJ, vs. G ; p<0.01) . These results indicate that fructose ingestion before and during exercise cannot improve the ability to perform high-intensity exercise late in prolonged exercise despite maintaining the serum glucose level.