The purpose of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of energy metabolism of a triathron-enthusiast during exercise . A 41 year old triathron-enthusiast (body height, 172 cm; body weight, 63.0 kg; peak VO2, 59.4 ml/kg/min) and a healthy male volunteer who showed almost the same peak VO2 as the triathron-enthusiast(age, 39 years; body height, 177 cm; body weight, 62.4 kg; peak VO2, 62.4 ml/kg/min) performed the Treadmill running by the Bruce protocol. The changes in ventilatory volume, oxygen intake, exhaust volume of CO2 and the respiratory quotient (gas exchange ratio) with the lapse of time were compared between them. It was found that the exercise endurance time of a triathron-enthusiast was longer by about 3 min than a volunteer. This difference is considered to result from more efficient use of carbohydrate and from better buffering capacity of lactic acid in the bicarbonate system of a triathron-enthusiast.

View full abstract

Relationship between Borg's category-ratio scale (CR-10) and relative muscle strength (%MVC) in isometric contraction of knee flexors and extensors was examined. Each scores of CR-10 had high relationship with %MVC (0.92-0.94) and presented ratio-scale property. This result indecates CR-10 might be useful in muscle strengthening exercise as a practical means of monitoring exercise intensity.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of changes in neck position on respiratory and circulatory responses during bridge exercise. Eight healthy persons repeated bridge exercise 30 times and their electrocardiogram, respiration depth, and respiratory rate were recorded. Results obtained were; 1) R-R interval (irrespective of neck position) became significantly shorter 1 min. after the initiation of the exercise, and the level was kept throughout the experimental period. R-R interval during the exercise was shorter with the neck flexed than with the neck in a neutral position. 2) Resting respiration rate was slightly higher with the neck flexed than with the neck in a neutral position, and respiratory rate during the exercise showeda similar change. 3) Respiration depth was increased by about 50 % with the neck in a neutral position and by about 10 % with the neck flexed 1 min, after the initiation of the exercise. These results indicate that bridge exercise from the posture with the neck flexed induces tachycardia, suggesting that the exercise may be contraindicated in patients who have circulatory disorder.

View full abstract

Cardiorespiratory resposes of ten untrained subjects were evaluated during Upper and Lower-Body exercise while immersed to the neck in 38°C water. Upper-Body exercise was flexion and extension of elbow joint(EFE), and then Lower-body exercise was flexion and extension of knee joint(KFE). The Test was started at degree of 20 repititions/min and every 3 min increased by 10 repitions/min until reached to 60 repitions/min(stage I ?? V). Mean values of metabolic equivalents (1 METS = 3.5ml/kg/min) increased 1.4 to 4.1 for EFE, from 1.1 to 4.0 for KFE. Relationship of Heart Rate and Oxgen Consumption was similar for EFE and KFE.

View full abstract

This study was designed to elucidate the relationship between disorders in joint sense receptors and osteoarthritis. Of 20 healthy adults, latency of T wave and involuntary movement against unexpected external force were examined by surface electromyography. Electromyographic wave of voluntary movement could not be divided from that of stretch reflex. The latency of long loop tract showed individual differences and was significantly longer in elderly subjects than in young subjects. These results suggest that osteoarthritis may highly be influenced not only by ageing but also by neural factors, especially disorders in joint sense receptors.

View full abstract

Cardiac dysrhythmia of patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease (CVD)(33) patients with cerebral infarction, 30 patients with cerebral hemorrhage) was found to be higher in CVD patients compared with healthy controls (26.1% in patients with infarction, 25.0% in those with hemorrhage, and 10.0% in controls). These was a singnificant difference in the incidence of supraventricular dysrhythmia between patients with infarction (60.9%) and those with hemorrhage (20.0%)(p<0.01). Of patients showing supraventricular dyarhythmia, 92.9% of those with infarction and 75.0% with hemorrhage indicated higher incidence in their sleeping hours than in their walking hours. This suggests that physical therapy for CVD patients should be performed paying special regard to daily changes in cardiac nerve, serum electrolyte, and pH.

View full abstract

Electrocardiogram was recorded in 79 patients with acute phase cerebrovascular disease, and their R-R intervals and Q-T intervals were measured in order to investigate frequency in appearance of the elongated QTc intervals.
1. Elongated QTc intervals were observed at high frequency in patients with cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, or subarachnoid hemorrhage.
2. Frequency in appearance of the elongated QTc intervals was not dependent on the hemorrhagic sites.
3. There was a positive correlation between R-R and Q-T intervals in patients with cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, or subarachnoid hemorrhage.
At the acute phase of cerebrovascular disease, the patients are vulnerable to autonomic disorder, and careful consideration, particularly on risk management for the circulatory system, will therefore be necessary in the clinical stage of physical therapy.

View full abstract

In order to examine how the lateralization of lower limbs affects the standing or sitting posture, we prescribed the exercise with the single limb stabilized for 20 healthy subjects, and their static standing balance and sitting balance were evaluated by the measurement of body sway. After the exercise, stableness of a supporting limb was found to become prominent. Body sway in a standing posture became smaller after the exercise with the left leg stabilized than after that with the right leg stabilized. Even in a sitting posture, body sway tended to become smaller after the exercise with the left leg stabilized. These imply the importance of left leg as a supporting limb. In addition, the exercise with the left leg stabilized caused the other side of body to become more stable. There was no correlation in regard to the change rate of body sway between in standing and sitting postures.

View full abstract

This study was designed to examine the reaction time (RT) of the upper extremity agonist during shift motions among contact boards by using electromyogram, and to analyze the effects of the frequency of stimuli, disorders subjects suffered, and dominancy of the hand examined on RT. The premotor time of the elderly subjects was found to approximately 130 ms, which was unchanged in spite of variation of the frequency from 0.2 to 1.2 Hz. This suggests that the elderly persons may respond to different stimuli by the fixed movement pattern. To any stimuli, there was no difference in the ratio of RT to the required time for finishing the motion between Spino-cerebellar degenerations (SCD) and Parkinsonism (PS) patients. It was assumed from this fact that either abnormal muscle tonus or reciprocal, synchronous disorder in muscle contraction may play an important role in inducing disability of motor ”switching mechanism”.

View full abstract

In this lecture the outlines of medical literatures and the method for literature searching were introduced. Reference books such as dictionaries, encyclopedias are intended to be referred and list words in simple order so that we can find subjects easily. Many other medical books are standard works to be read through and are usually provided with an index of subjects to be found easily. In libraries, medical books are arranged in accordance with some classification schemes. Medical journals mainly consist of original research papers and literature reviews. Journal literatures can be searched by means of indexes, and CD-ROMs. Appropriate subject analysis and full understanding of the indexing and classification are needed for any literature search.

View full abstract