This study examined the physiological response to different water depths in recreational synchronized swimming. Nine middle-aged, female, recreational swimmers carried out the same team free routines in deep water (deep-water synchronized swimming: DWS) and shallow water (shallow-water synchronized swimming: SWS). Heart rate (HR) was measured continuously during each performance, combined with estimation of metabolic equivalent (MET) values using individual linear regression equations of HR-oxygen uptake. These equations were created using the results of 12 water activities. Blood lactate concentration and systolic blood pressure were measured at the 1/3 and 2/3 stages and immediately after each performance period. HR and estimated METs during DWS (mean±SD, 152.9±7.5 beats·min^-1 and 7.3±1.2) were significantly higher than those measured during SWS (131.8±11.3 beats·min^-1 and 5.7±0.8). Blood lactate concentration and systolic blood pressure measured immediately after DWS were significantly higher than those measured after SWS. With DWS, blood lactate concentration at the 2/3 stage and immediately after the performance were significantly higher than those measured at the 1/3 stage, whereas in SWS no significant difference was found in these values at any time period. In conclusion, the exercise intensity of DWS was high and SWS moderate. The predominant sources of energy may be phosphocreatine stores and aerobic metabolism during these performances. It is possible that glycolysis may also play an important role in energy requirements during the 2/3 stage and immediately after a DWS performance.

A number of studies have shown that sleep disordered breathing (SDB) has a strong relation with obesity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a short-term weight-loss program in obese men with SDB. In our 14-week weight-loss program, forty-one obese men (mean±SD, age ; 49.6±10.8 yr, body mass index ; 27.9±2.5 kg/m²) were assigned to 2 subgroups : diet only (DO ; n=19) and diet plus aerobic exercise (DE ; n=22). 2%, 3%, and 4% oxygen desaturation index (ODI) were measured by pulse oximetry before and after the weight-loss program. Weight and %fat significantly (p<0.05) decreased in the total subject pool consisting of DO plus DE (weight ; -8.4±3.5 kg, %fat ; -7.5±3.5%). 2%, 3%, and 4% ODI significantly decreased by -3.46±5.01 event/hour, -2.37±3.57 event/hour, and -1.99±2.84 event/hour, respectively. Significant correlations were found between 2%, 3%, and 4% ODI at baseline and changes of 2%, 3%, and 4% ODI during the weight-loss program (2% ODI ; r=0.48, 3% ODI ; r=0.51, 4% ODI ; r=0.67). Weight loss and %fat loss did not differ significantly between DO and DE (DO : -7.6±3.2 kg, -6.8±3.2%, DE : -9.2±3.7 kg, -8.1±3.7%). The increase in maximal oxygen uptake was slightly larger for DE (4.7±4.6 ml/kg/min) compared to DO (2.5±3.3 ml/kg/min), but there was no significant interaction. Changes of 2%, 3%, and 4% ODI did not differ significantly between groups. These results suggest that for obese men with SDB, the weight-loss program is an effective method, leading to improvement in SDB, although the combination of aerobic exercise to diet may not produce additional effects to SDB, compared with the diet only.

Although faculty development (FD) on simulation education is widely conducted, there are few reports of its online implementation. In this study, we attempted an online simulation FD session in which all students and instructors participated remotely from different locations without ever meeting face-to-face, and learned simulation education by experiencing not only the provision of knowledge but also the planning, design, and demonstration of simulation education. Compared to face-to-face simulation FD, reflection-in-action among the students who played the role of instructor was facilitaed during the demonstration. In addition to the experience gained from the practice, we will report on the challenges and possibilities of online simulation FD using conceptuals framworks.