Nutritional profiles in middle-aged trained and untrained women were compared both before and after menopause. Subjects were assigned to one of four groups : (1) pre-menopausal trained (Pre-T: n=14, aged 43±5 years, running distance 56±27 km/week, Vo₂max 49±4ml/ kg/min, mean±SD), (2) pre-menopausal untrained (Pre-UT: n=25, 42±5 years, 34±5 ml/kg/ min), (3) post-menopausal trained (Post-T: n=19, 53±3 years, 49±17 km/week, 42±6 ml/ kg/min), (4) post-menopausal untrained (Post-UT: n=26, 54±3 years, 31±3 ml/kg/min) . There were no significant differences in hematocrit (range 38.7 to 39.3%), hemoglobin (12.8 to 13.1 g/dl) and total protein (6.9 to 7.1 g/dl) among the four groups. Serum iron concentrations in the post-menopausal women (Post-T: 97±30μg/dl, Post-UT: 106±29μg/dl) were relatively higher than in the pre-menopausals (Pre-T: 85±35 pg/dl, Pre-UT: 78±33 pg/dl) . Mean total iron binding capacity in Post-UT (326 pg/dl) was lower than other groups (352 to 361 pg/dl) . Higher serum ferritin levels were observed in the post-menopausal women (Post-T : 35.8±27.5 ng/ml, Post-UT : 60.4±47.1 ng/ml) than the pre-menopausals (Pre-T: 18.3±13.1 ng/ml, Pre-UT: 16.6±10.7ng/ml) . Intake levels of the four groups with regard to the major nutrients were sufficient as compared with the recommended dietary allowance appropriate for age, sex and physical activity level. Intakes of calcium, iron and vitamins B₁, B₂ and niacin were higher in the trained groups than in the untrained. Regularly performed endurance exercise resulted in higher protein and iron intakes associated with higher energy intakes both before and after menopause. These results suggest that nutritional status of middle-aged women who regularly perform vigorous endurance running could be adequate for maintaining their health in a good state.

This study was designed to evaluate nutritional status of older endurance runners (age ; 62.5±2.5 yr., weight ; 53.8±4.2 kg, %fat ; 12.0±2.1%, mean±SD) by comparing with agematched sedentary individuals (63.6±3.5 yr., 58.4±9.1 kg, 15.6±4.0%) and middle-aged long distance runners (35.2±3.1 yr., 61.2±5.6 kg, 11.8±1.9%) . Average training distance of the older runners was a half of that of the middle-aged runners (44 vs. 85 km/week) . Maximal oxygen uptake in the older runners was significantly higher than in the older sedentary controls, but lower than in the middle-aged runners (50.4±4.1 vs. 30.6±3.5 vs. 64.0±2.2 ml/kg/min, respectively) . No differences were observed in the concentrations of serum albumin, serum iron and blood hemoglobin among the three groups. Intake levels of the three groups with regard to the major nutrients were sufficient as compared with the recommended dietary allowance appropriate for age, sex and physical activity level. Total caloric intake in the older runners was not remarkably higher than in the older controls in terms of kcal/day (2, 430 vs. 2, 230), but was significantly higher in terms of kcal/kg wt/day (45.5 vs. 38.9) . Percents to the total caloric intake of protein (15.2%), fat (25.4%) and carbohydrate (52.6%) in the older runners were almost identical to the other two groups. Ratios of animal to total in protein and fat were not significantly different among the groups. The intakes of calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B1, B2 and niacin were higher, but statistically not significant, in the older runners than in the older controls. These results suggest that nutritional status of older endurance runners is adequate for maintaining their health in a good state while keeping their active lifestyle.

Physical training has been shown to improve glucose tolerance and insulin action in peripheral tissues. In the present study, regular (R) and high (H) -dose euglycemic clamp procedures were performed to determine the effects of different types of physical training on insulin action (sensitivity/responsiveness) in 10 long-distance runners (LR), 10 weight-lifters (WL) and 12 healthy controls (HC), The amount of infused glucose (glucose metabolism, GM) during euglycemic clamping is a measure of the peripheral tissue sensitivity and/or responsiveness to insulin. For R clamping, when GM was calculated per unit body weight (BW), GM in LR (11.92±1.22 mg/kg BW·min) and WL (9.28±0.63 mg/kg BW·min) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that in HC (7.44±0.39 mg/kg BW·min) . When calculated per unit lean body mass (LBM), LR (15.07±1.56 mg/kg LBM·min) differed from HC (9, 15±0.59 mg/kg LBM·min, P<0.05), whereas the value in WL (11.50±0.93mg/kg LBM·min) was identical to that in HC. For H clamping, there was no significant change in these three groups when GM was calculated per unit BW or LBM. These results suggest that enhancement of insulin action by physical training is due to an increase in insulin sensitivity, rather than to an increase in insulin responsiveness, and that aerobic exercise, for example long-distance running, is more effective for the improvement of decreased sensitivity to insulin, which is observed in patients with simple obesity and diabetes, than anaerobic exercise such as weight-lifting.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) during exercise and ventilatory threshold (VT), using the MemCalc system which is superior in spectral analysis. Nine healthy male subjects with no cardiopulmonary disease performed an exercise test to exhaustion to determine VT on a bicycle ergometer. Low frequency (LF : 0.04-0.15 Hz), high frequency (HF : 0.15-0.40Hz) and LF/HF ratio power spectra were calculated by maximum entropy method (MEM) spectral analysis, using the MemCalc system. In each case, when the subject started exercise, the HF component declined rapidly during the first 30 seconds ; and compared to the resting value, it declined to approximately 5 % at VT. The possibility of using this phenomenon as a criterion for setting intensity of exercise is tinder consideration. The LF/HF ratio showed different patterns of variation among the subjects. A significant linear relationship was seen between the declining rate of the HF component and VT (r=0.93, p<0.001), suggesting a corres pondence between the heart's capability of adjusting to maintained exercise and high endurance capacity.

Methods: We examined 242 patients (age >60 years) who underwent surgery for thoracic to lumbar spine fractures from 2010 to 2020. Subsequently, the maxVB was classified into three groups: maxVB (0), maxVB (2–8), and maxVB (9–18), and parameters, including fracture morphology (new Association of Osteosynthesis classification), fracture level, and neurological deficits were compared. In a sub-analysis, 146 patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures were classified into the three aforementioned groups based on the maxVB and compared to determine the optimal operative technique and evaluate surgical outcomes. Results: Regarding the fracture morphology, the maxVB (0) group had more A3 and A4 fractures, whereas the maxVB (2–8) group had less A4 and more B1 and B2 fractures. The maxVB (9–18) group exhibited an increased frequency of B3 and C fractures. Regarding the fracture level, the maxVB (0) group tended to have more fractures in the thoracolumbar transition region. Furthermore, the maxVB (2–8) group had a higher fracture frequency in the lumbar spine area, whereas the maxVB (9–18) group had a higher fracture frequency in the thoracic spine area than the maxVB (0) group. The maxVB (9–18) group had fewer preoperative neurological deficits but a higher reoperation rate and postoperative mortality than the other groups. Conclusions The maxVB was identified as a factor influencing fracture level, fracture type, and preoperative neurological deficits. Thus, understanding the maxVB could help elucidate fracture mechanics and assist in perioperative patient management.

Methods: Volunteers over 50 years of age underwent radiographic analysis. Radiographic parameters including pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence (PI), lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis, and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were measured. The the three Scoliosis Research Society-Schwab sagittal modifiers (PT, SVA, PI–LL) were categorized and the KL grade was assessed. Differences in spinopelvic parameters and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores among KL grades were evaluated. Results: A total of 396 volunteers (160 men, 236 women; mean age, 74.4 years) were analyzed. PI–LL and PT in KL4 were significantly higher compared to that in the other KL grades. However, there were no significant group differences in SVA. In women, but not in men, higher frequencies of the worst modifier grade (++) were observed for PI–LL and PT in the KL3 and KL4 groups compared to those for the other KL grades. In women, the ODI score in KL4 was worse compared to that in the other KL grades. Conclusions Individuals over 50 years of age with severe knee osteoarthritis had poor lumbo-pelvic sagittal alignment. Moreover, the progression severity of knee osteoarthritis had more impact onstronger relationship with lumbo-pelvic malalignment and disability-related low back pain in women than in men.