The SARS-CoV-2-caused COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a devastating threat to human society in terms of health, economy, and lifestyle. Although the virus usually first invades and infects the lung and respiratory track tissue, in extreme cases, almost all major organs in the body are now known to be negatively impacted often leading to severe systemic failure in some people. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective treatment for this disease. Pre-existing pathological conditions or comorbidities such as age are a major reason for premature death and increased morbidity and mortality. The immobilization due to hospitalization and bed rest and the physical inactivity due to sustained quarantine and social distancing can downregulate the ability of organs systems to resist to viral infection and increase the risk of damage to the immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal systems and the brain. The cellular mechanisms and danger of this “second wave” effect of COVID-19 to the human body, along with the effects of aging, proper nutrition, and regular physical activity, are reviewed in this article.
Evidence-based consensus suggests that physical activity and regular exercise training can reduce modifiable risk factors as well as rate of mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, obesity and cancer. Conversely, long-term exercise training and drastic increase in vigorous physical activity may also cause acute cardiovascular events (e.g. acute myocardial infarction) and deleterious cardiac remodeling, particularly when exercise is performed by unfit or susceptible individuals. There is a reversed J-shaped hormesis-like curve between the duration and intensity of exercise and level of CVD risks. Therefore, it is important for an early detection of cardiac injuries in professional and amateur athletes. Under this context, this article focuses on the use of biomarker testing, an indispensable component in the current clinical practices especially in Cardiology and Oncology. We attempt to justify the importance of using circulating biomarkers in routine practices of Sports Medicine for an objective assessment of CVD events following exercise. Special attentions are dedicated to three established or emerging cardiac biomarkers (i.e. cardiac troponins, natriuretic peptides, hypoxanthine) for myocardial tissue hypoxia/ischemia events, muscle stress, and the consequent cellular necrotic injury. Based on these focused analyses, we propose use of circulating biomarker testing in both laboratory and point-of-care settings with an increasingly broader involvement or participation of team physicians, trainers, coaches, primary care doctors, as well as educated athlete community. This diagnostic approach may improve the quality of medical surveillance and preventive measures on exercise-related CVD risks/outcomes.
This manuscript reviews the current literature involving clinical anxiety and cardiopulmonary disease, considers the hypothesized physiological mechanisms for anxiety, and discusses the use of exercise as a treatment for both anxiety and cardiopulmonary diseases. The literature summary consists of original investigations, meta-analysis, commentaries, and review publications in order to better understand the biological and psychological mechanisms for using exercise as treatment and to provide details specific to cardiopulmonary disease and anxiety management. A gap in the literature exists concerning the anxiolytic effects of exercise as a psychological and physical treatment in cardiopulmonary populations. The findings from this review support further investigation into the use of exercise to ameliorate the burden of anxiety in cardiopulmonary disease patients.
This review evaluates the current literature surrounding cardiopulmonary disease and anxiety. A systematic literature search identified articles discussing the prevalence, association, and risk of anxiety in cardiopulmonary patients. Though depression is often studied in this population, recent investigation supports a need for further research regarding anxiety in cardiopulmonary patients. Treatment to manage patients’ psychological profile can reduce exacerbations of known disease, reduce hospital readmission, and improve functional capacity, and overall quality of life.
Background and purpose
Conclusion
Participation in ultra-endurance events has increased in recent years and requires extreme levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Moderate levels of MVPA have been associated with increased brain volume but the effects of extreme levels of MVPA on brain volume is unknown. As a result, we sought to compare the brains of those who engage in extremely high levels of MVPA with those who are sedentary using magnetic resonance imaging. We performed whole brain volumetric analyses and voxel-based morphometry on 12 ultra-endurance athletes (1078.75 ± 407.86 min of MVPA/week) and 9 sedentary persons (18.0 ± 56.9 min of MVPA/week). Whole-brain analyses revealed that those who participate in ultra-endurance training have increased grey (p< 0.0001), white (p = 0.031), and total matter volume (p < 0.0001), while regional analyses revealed that ultra-endurance athletes have smaller regional grey matter volume in the right primary sensory and motor cortex, inferior and middle frontal gyrus, and left thalamus. Future research is warranted to determine why ultra-endurance athletes have lower regional volumes in these areas despite having overall increased grey and white matter volumes.
Accumulating evidence show that exercise and diet interventions are associated with improved sleep quality. Studies investigating the effects of exercise and dieting on circulating metabolomics in people with sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, are scarce. This 6-month randomized study aimed to assess the effects of exercise and dietary interventions on serum metabolites in men with insomnia symptoms. Seventy-two Finnish men (age: 51.6 ± 10.1 years) with chronic insomnia symptoms who were assigned to different intervention groups completed this study (exercise, n = 24; diet, n = 27; and control, n = 21). The Shapiro-Wilk W-test, Levene test, Spearman correlation analysis, and analysis of variance were used for data analysis. We found that exercise and diet intervention were associated with improved sleep quality and with a number of metabolites across different biochemical pathways. Although we could not show causality, our findings provide new insight into the biological mechanisms underlying the health effects of physical activity, diet, and sleep quality. Further investigation is needed to better understand the link among lifestyle, sleep quality, and metabolic health.
This study sought to address the complex interplay between both biological and psychological perceptions of stress and sleep in the acute stages following a mild traumatic brain injury. A secondary goal was to identify potential targets for intervention. Eleven acutely injured youth (mean age 12 years) were studied at home with overnight actigraphy, salivary cortisol and melatonin assays, and subjective ratings of stress and fatigue (injured group). Nine matched control youth also were assessed (control group). Results suggested longer sleep latencies (time to fall asleep) and higher levels of fatigue in the injured group exist (p = 0.025 and p = 0.004, respectively). In the injured group, stress and sleep onset were significantly related with most subjects meeting criteria for Acute Stress Disorder. Melatonin levels were lower at bedtime in the injured group. Saliva samples were collected via passive drool at three time points: ∼1 h before bed (“bedtime” or T1), immediately upon waking (time 2: T2), and 30 min post-waking (time 3: T3). Overnight increases in cortisol (T1 to T2) were greater for the injured group; however, post-sleep changes in cortisol (T2 to T3) were reversed with control concentrations increasing. These findings are unique in using actigraphy and salivary hormone levels in an acutely injured youth while in their homes. The differences in sleep latency and the presence of injury-related stress point to potential treatment targets in acute concussion.