| 1. |
- Parn, Triin, et al.
(författare)
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Physical activity, fatness, educational level and snuff consumption as determinants of semen quality : findings of the ActiART study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Reproductive BioMedicine Online. - : Elsevier BV. - 1472-6483 .- 1472-6491. ; 31:1, s. 108-119
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, the association between physical activity and other potential determinants, objectively measured by accelerometry, was examined. Sixty-two men attending an infertility clinic participated in the study. Obese men (body mass index >= 30) and those with a waist circumference 102 cm or more had lower semen volume than the other men (P < 0.05). Higher values in sperm parameters were observed in participants who completed university studies and those who did not consume snuff, compared with the other participants (P < 0.05). Finally, men who spent an average number of 10 min-bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity had significantly better semen quality than those who engaged in low or high numbers of bouts of activity (P < 0.05). No associations were found for sedentary or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity time when it was not sustained over 10 min, i.e. not in bouts. Men who have average levels of physical activity over sustained periods of 10 min are likely to have better semen quality than men who engage in low or high levels of such activity. Similarly, high levels of total and central adiposity, low educational level and snuff consumption are negatively related to semen quality.
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| 2. |
- Ruiz, Jonatan Ruiz
(författare)
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Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) events occur most frequently during or after the fifth decade of life, however, there is evidence indicating that the precursors of CVD has its origin already in the first or second decade of life. Low levels of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are major modifiable determinants for the development of CVD in adults. The overall aim of the present thesis was to study the associations between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, fatness and CVD risk factors in children and adolescents from the Estonian and Swedish part of the European Youth Heart Study. Physical activity was measured by accelerometry, and cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated by a maximal ergometer bike test. Total and central body fat were derived from the sum of five skinfold thicknesses and waist circumference, respectively. Additional measured outcomes included fasting insulin, glucose, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, total plasma homocysteine (tHcy), and blood pressure. Genotyping for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T polymorphism was done by DNA sequencing. The main outcome was that cardiorespiratory fitness was negatively associated with clustering of CVD risk factors in children. Moreover, the results suggested that there is a cardiorespiratory fitness level for having a low metabolic risk. The results also indicated that the deleterious consequences ascribed to high levels of total and central fatness could be counteracted by having high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness. On the other hand, the levels of tHcy in children and adolescents were not influenced by the levels of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body fat even after controlling for presence of the MTHFR 677C>T genotype, the main influence on tHcy levels in these individuals. To improve fitness and reduce fatness in children, moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity may have a greater impact than lower physical activity intensity levels. The data call for the development and testing of preventive strategies, especially for those children with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Longitudinal and interventional studies are needed in order to clarify if changes in physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness may favourably influence the levels of CVD risk factors already in these ages, and in a long perspective of time.
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| 3. |
- Altmae, Signe, et al.
(författare)
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Variations in folate pathway genes are associated with unexplained female infertility
- 2010
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Ingår i: Fertility and Sterility. - : Elsevier BV. - 0015-0282 .- 1556-5653. ; 94:1, s. 130-137
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate associations between folate-metabolizing gene variations, folate status, and unexplained female infertility. Design: An association study. Setting: Hospital-based IVF unit and university-affiliated reproductive research laboratories. Patient(s): Seventy-one female patients with unexplained infertility. Intervention(s): Blood samples for polymorphism genotyping and homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate measurements. Main Outcome Measure(s): Allele and genotype frequencies of the following polymorphisms: 5,10-methylenetetra-hydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C/T, 1298A/C, and 1793G/A, folate receptor 1 (FOLR1) 1314G/A, 1816delC, 1841G/A, and 1928C/T, transcobalamin II (TCN2) 776C/G, cystathionase (CTH) 1208G/T and solute carrier family 19, member 1 (SLC19A1) 80G/A, and concentrations of plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12, and serum folate. Result(s): MTHFR genotypes 677CT and 1793GA, as well as 1793 allele A were significantly more frequent among controls than in patients. The common MTHFR wild-type haplotype (677, 1298, 1793) CAG was less prevalent, whereas the rare haplotype CCA was more frequent in the general population than among infertility patients. The frequency of SLC19A1 80G/A genotypes differed significantly between controls and patients and the A allele was more common in the general population than in infertile women. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were influenced by CTH 1208G/T polymorphism among infertile women. Conclusion(s): Polymorphisms in folate pathway genes could be one reason for fertility complications in some women with unexplained infertility. (Fertil Steril (R) 2010;94:130-7. (C) 2010 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)
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| 4. |
- Amara-Gahete, Francisco J, et al.
(författare)
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Energy expenditure differences across lying,sitting, and standing positions in younghealthy adults
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 14:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The time spent in sedentary behaviour represents an important public health burden. Toreduce sedentary time in the general population, the simplest, most effective, and mostaccessible method is to decrease lying and sitting time. We aimed to compare differenceson energy expenditure (EE) across lying, sitting, and standing positions; and to analyse theassociations between the change on EE of changing from one position to another andanthropometric and body composition parameters in young healthy adults. A total of 55(69% women) young healthy adults aged 21.7 ± 2.2 participated in the study. We measuredEE by indirect calorimetry across lying, sitting, and standing positions following the standardprocedures. The EE was significantly higher in standing than in both lying and sitting positions(mean difference: 0.121±0.292 and 0.125±0.241 kcal/min, respectively; all P<0.001),and no differences were observed between lying and sitting positions (P = 1.000). Therewas a negative association between the EE differences in sitting vs. standing position andlean body mass (P = 0.048), yet no associations between EE differences with the rest of theanthropometric and body composition parameters were observed in each position pair studied(all P>0.321). Our findings support the fact that increasing the time spent standing couldbe a simple strategy to slightly increase EE. Therefore, our results have important clinicalimplications including a better monitoring, characterizing, and promoting countermeasuresto sedentariness through low-level physical activities.
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| 5. |
- Arias Tellez, Maria Jose, et al.
(författare)
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Association of Neck Circumference with Anthropometric Indicators and Body Composition Measured by DXA in Young Spanish Adults
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nutrients. - : MDPI. - 2072-6643. ; 12:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Due to a clinical and public health interest of neck circumference (NC), a better understanding of this simple anthropometric measurement, as a valid marker of body composition is necessary. Methods: A total of 119 young healthy adults participated in this study. NC was measured over the thyroid cartilage and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the neck. Body weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference were measured. A Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan was used to determine fat mass, lean mass, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Additionally, body mass index (BMI) and triponderal mass index (TMI), the waist to hip and waist to height ratios, and the fat mass and lean mass indexes (FMI and LMI, respectively) were calculated. Results: NC was positively associated in women (W) and men (M), with BMI (rW = 0.70 and rM = 0.84, respectively), TMI (rW = 0.63 and rM = 0.80, respectively), WC (rW = 0.75 and rM = 0.86, respectively), VAT (rW = 0.74 and rM = 0.82, respectively), Waist/hip (rW = 0.51 and rM = 0.67, respectively), Waist/height (rW = 0.68 and rM = 0.83, respectively) and FMI (rW = 0.61 and rM = 0.81, respectively). The association between NC and indicators of body composition was however weaker than that observed by BMI, TMI, WC and Waist/height in both women and men. It is of note that in women, NC was associated with FMI, VAT and LMI independently of BMI. In men, adding NC to anthropometric variables did not improve the prediction of body composition, while slight improvements were observed in women. Conclusions: Taken together, the present study provides no indication for NC as a useful proxy of body composition parameters in young adults, yet future studies should explore its usefulness as a measure to use in combination with BMI, especially in women.
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| 6. |
- Benser, Jasmin, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of physical activity and cardiovascular fitness on total homocysteine concentrations in European adolescents : The HELENA study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. - : Center for Academic Publications Japan. - 0301-4800 .- 1881-7742. ; 61:1, s. 45-54
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examined the association of physical activity (PA), cardiovascular fitness (CVF) and fatness with total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in European adolescents. The present study comprised 713 European adolescents aged 14.8±1.2 y (females 55.3%) from the multicenter HELENA cross-sectional study. PA was assessed through accelerometry, CVF by the 20-m shuttle run test, and body fat by skinfold thicknesses with the Slaughter equation. Plasma folate, cobalamin, and tHcy concentrations were measured. To examine the association of tHcy with PA, CVF, and fatness after controlling for a set of confounders including age, maturity, folate, cobalamin, creatinine, smoking, supplement use, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 genotype (CC 47%, CT 43%, TT 10%), bivariate correlations followed by multiple regression models were performed. In the bivariate correlation analysis, tHcy concentrations were slightly negatively correlated (p<0.0 5) with CVF in females (measured both by stages: r=-0.118 and by VO 2 max: r=-0.10 2) and positively with body mass index (r=0.10 0). However, daily time spent with moderate and vigorous PA showed a weak positive association with tHcy in females (p<0.0 5). tHcy concentrations showed a tendency to decrease with increasing CVF and increase with increasing BMI in female European adolescents. However, tHcy concentrations were positively associated with moderate and vigorous PA in female European adolescents.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Cadenas-Sanchez, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Physical fitness reference standards for preschool children : The PREFIT project.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. - : Elsevier. - 1440-2440 .- 1878-1861. ; 22:4, s. 430-437
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: Reference values are necessary for classifying children, for health screening, and for early prevention as many non-communicable diseases aggravate during growth and development. While physical fitness reference standards are available in children aged 6 and older, such information is lacking in preschool children. Therefore, the purposes of this study were (1) to provide sex-and age-specific physical fitness reference standards for Spanish preschool children; and (2) to study sex differences across this age period and to characterise fitness performance throughout the preschool period.DESIGN: Cross-sectional.METHODS: A total of 3179 preschool children (1678 boys) aged 2.8-6.4 years old from Spain were included in the present study. Physical fitness was measured using the PREFIT battery.RESULTS: Age- and sex-specific percentiles for the physical fitness components are provided. Boys performed better than girls in the cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed-agility tests over the whole preschool period studied and for the different percentiles. In contrast, girls performed slightly better than boys in the balance test. Older children had better performance in all fitness tests than their younger counterparts.CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides age- and sex-specific physical fitness reference standards in preschool children allowing interpretation of fitness assessment. Sexual dimorphism in fitness tests exists already at preschool age, and these differences become larger with age. These findings will help health, sport, and school professionals to identify preschool children with a high/very low fitness level, to examine changes in fitness over time, and to analyse those changes obtained due to intervention effects.
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| 9. |
- Chillón, Palma, et al.
(författare)
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Bicycling to school is associated with improvements in physical fitness over a 6-year follow-up period in Swedish children
- 2012
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Ingår i: Preventive Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-7435 .- 1096-0260. ; 55:2, s. 108-112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To examine whether modes of commuting to school at baseline and changes in commuting were related to 6-year changes in cardiorespiratory fitness in youth.METHODS: A total of 262 (142 girls) Swedish children (9 years at entry) were measured at baseline (1998/9) and follow-up (2004/5). Mode of commuting to school was assessed by questionnaire and fitness by a maximal bicycle test.RESULTS: At baseline, 34% of children used passive modes of commuting (e.g., car, motorcycle, bus, train), 54% walked, and 12% bicycled to school. Six years later the percentage of bicyclists increased 19% and the percentage of walkers decreased 19%. On average, children who bicycled to school increased their fitness 13% (p=0.03) more than those who used passive modes and 20% (p=0.002) more than those who walked. Children who used passive modes or walked at baseline and bicycled to school at 6 years later increased their fitness 14% (p=0.001) more than those who remained using passive modes or walking at follow-up.CONCLUSIONS: Implementing initiatives that encourage bicycling to school may be a useful strategy to increase cardiorespiratory fitness of children.
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| 10. |
- Cuenca-Garcia, Magdalena, et al.
(författare)
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Association of breakfast consumption with objectively measured and self-reported physical activity, sedentary time and physical fitness in European adolescents : the HELENA (Healthy Lifestylein Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study
- 2014
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Ingår i: Public Health Nutrition. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 17:10, s. 2226-2236
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To examine the association of breakfast consumption with objectively measured and self-reported physical activity, sedentary time and physical fitness.Design: The HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Cross-Sectional Study. Breakfast consumption was assessed by two non-consecutive 24 h recalls and by a 'Food Choices and Preferences' questionnaire. Physical activity, sedentary time and physical fitness components (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness and speed/agility) were measured and self-reported. Socio-economic status was assessed by questionnaire. Setting: Ten European cities. Subjects: Adolescents (n 2148; aged 12.5-17.5 years). Results: Breakfast consumption was not associated with measured or self-reported physical activity. However, 24 h recall breakfast consumption was related to measured sedentary time in males and females; although results were not confirmed when using other methods to assess breakfast patterns or sedentary time. Breakfast consumption was not related to muscular fitness and speed/agility in males and females. However, male breakfast consumers had higher cardiorespiratory fitness compared with occasional breakfast consumers and breakfast skippers, while no differences were observed in females. Overall, results were consistent using different methods to assess breakfast consumption or cardiorespiratory fitness (all P <= 0.005). In addition, both male and female breakfast skippers (assessed by 24 h recall) were less likely to have high measured cardiorespiratory fitness compared with breakfast consumers (OR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.18, 0.59 and OR = 0.56; 95 % CI 0.32, 0.98, respectively). Results persisted across methods. Conclusions: Skipping breakfast does not seem to be related to physical activity, sedentary time or muscular fitness and speed/agility as physical fitness components in European adolescents; yet it is associated with both measured and self-reported cardiorespiratory fitness, which extends previous findings.
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