ESE - Artigos em Revistas Indexados à WoS/Scopus
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- Acute Effects of Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice on Cardiovascular and Hemodynamic Responses to Flywheel Resistance Exercise: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover TrialPublication . Primo, Mateus Chaves; Viana, Ítalo Santiago Alves; Goulart-Silva, Leonardo Silveira; Machado, Wanderson Matheus Lopes; Leite , Luciano Bernardes; Forte, Pedro; Calhelha, Ricardo C.; Monteiro, António M.; Branquinho, Luís; Silva, Sandro Fernandes; Oliveira, Claudia Eliza Patrocínio de; Moreira, Osvaldo CostaBeetroot juice is a popular nutritional resource in sports due to its ergogenic effects, promoting vasodilation, hypotension, improved energy efficiency, and reduced oxygen cost. However, its role in modulating the autonomic nervous system during strength training remains understudied. This study assessed the effects of acute nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplementation on cardiovascular and hemodynamic responses to flywheel resistance exercise. Fifteen male participants (age 22 +/- 3.64 years) from the Federal University of Vi & ccedil;osa completed a crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Each participant consumed either 400 mg of standardized nitrate or a placebo before performing 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions at 100% of their maximum concentric strength using a leg extension exercise, with 90 s recovery intervals. Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and subjective perception of effort were measured after each set. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23, employing the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, t-test for related samples, and MANOVA with time and supplement factors. NO3- supplementation led to a smaller increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) during exercise compared to the placebo and reduced diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the last set, reflecting decreased peripheral vascular resistance. However, no significant effects were observed for heart rate, rate-pressure product, oxygen saturation, time under tension, or subjective perception of effort. These findings suggest that NO3- supplementation can offer cardiovascular benefits by attenuating blood pressure increases during strength training, highlighting its potential as a low-risk ergogenic aid for healthy young men.
- The Effect of Flywheel Resistance Training on Executive Function in Older Women: A Randomized Controlled TrialPublication . Cota, Amanda dos Reis; Pérez Bedoya, Édison Andrés; Agostinho, Pablo Augusto Garcia; Leite, Luciano Bernardes; Schneider, André; Forte, Pedro; Monteiro, António M.; Branquinho, Luís; Teixeira, José Eduardo; Oliveira, Claudia Eliza Patrocínio de; Moreira, Osvaldo Costa; Carneiro-Júnior, Miguel AraújoExecutive function, which includes inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, tends to decline with aging. While traditional resistance training (TRT) has shown positive effects in mitigating these declines, limited evidence is available regarding flywheel resistance training (FRT). This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of TRT and FRT on executive function in older women. In this randomized controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT05910632), 29 older women were allocated into two groups: TRT (n = 15) and FRT (n = 14). The intervention lasted eight weeks with two weekly sessions conducted at the Federal University of Vi & ccedil;osa. The TRT group performed exercises using machines and free weights, while the FRT group used a multi-leg isoinertial device. Executive function was assessed using the Victoria Stroop Test (inhibitory control), Digit Span Test (working memory), and Trail Making Tests A and B (cognitive flexibility). Data were analyzed using a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (p < 0.05). Results: No significant changes were observed in inhibitory control (p = 0.350). Working memory improved significantly within both groups in forward (p = 0.002) and backward (p = 0.002) span tasks. For cognitive flexibility, Trail Making Test A showed no significant changes (p > 0.05), but Test B showed significant within-group (p = 0.030) and between-group (p = 0.020) improvements. The B-A difference was also significant (p = 0.040). Both resistance training modalities enhanced working memory and cognitive flexibility. However, FRT produced greater improvements in cognitive flexibility, suggesting potential advantages in cognitive aging interventions.
- Predicting Sleep Quality Based on Metabolic, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness Variables in Aged People: Exploratory Analysis with a Conventional Machine Learning ModelPublication . Forte, Pedro; Encarnação, Samuel; Teixeira, José Eduardo; Branquinho, Luís; Barbosa, Tiago M.; Monteiro, António M.; Pecos-Martín, DanielSleep plays a crucial role in the health of older adults, and its quality is influenced by multiple physiological and functional factors. However, the relationship between sleep quality and physical fitness, body composition, and metabolic markers remains unclear. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the associations between sleep quality and physical, metabolic, and body composition variables in older adults, and to evaluate the preliminary performance of a logistic regression model in classifying sleep quality. A total of 32 subjects participated in this study, with a mean age of 69. The resting arterial pressure (systolic and diastolic), resting heart rate, anthropometrics (high waist girth), body composition (by bioimpedance), and physical fitness (Functional Fitness Test) and sleep quality (Pitsburg sleep-quality index) were evaluated. Group comparisons, associative analysis and logistic regression with 5-fold stratified cross-validation was used to classify sleep quality based on selected non-sleep-related predictors. Individuals with good sleep quality showed significantly better back stretch (t = 2.592; p = 0.015; eta(2) = 0.239), lower limb strength (5TSTS; t = 2.564; p = 0.016; eta(2) = 0.476), and longer total sleep time (t = 6.882; p < 0.001; eta(2) = 0.675). Exploratory correlations showed that poor sleep quality was moderately associated with reduced lower-limb strength and mobility. The logistic regression model including 5TSTS and TUG achieved a mean accuracy of 0.76 +/- 0.15, precision of 0.79 +/- 0.18, recall of 0.83 +/- 0.21, and AUC of 0.74 +/- 0.16 across cross-validation folds. These preliminary findings suggest that physical fitness and clinical variables significantly influence sleep quality in older adults. Sleep-quality-dependent patterns suggest that interventions to improve lower limb strength may promote better sleep outcomes.
- Exploring the Impact of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction on the Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivity of Tamus communis L. FruitsPublication . Gouvinhas, Irene; Saavedra, Maria José; Alves, Maria José; Garcia, JulianaThe health benefits of Tamus communis fruits have been associated with their high phenolic content, which comprises several flavonoids. However, the extraction methods might significantly impact these valuable compounds' bioactivity. Therefore, the current study assesses how different extraction techniques affect T. communis extracts' antioxidant, anti-aging, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and phenolic contents. Conventional method (TCE-CM) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (TCE-UM) were the methods employed. Results: The increased phenolic content of TCE-UM, particularly flavonoids and phenolic acids, was demonstrated to be a contributing factor to its higher biological activity. Key enzymes linked to dermatological conditions, such as elastase, collagenase, hyaluronidase, and tyrosinase, were significantly inhibited by both extracts at 1 mg/mL; TCE-UM showed the highest tyrosinase inhibition (65.61 +/- 5.21%) compared to TCE-CM (21.78 +/- 2.19%). TCE-UM also demonstrated exceptional antibacterial performance, showing notable antibiofilm and metabolic inactivation effects and potent activity against pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Both extracts showed concentration-dependent anti-inflammatory properties; TCE-UM had a lower IC50 value (26.46 +/- 2.30%) in nitric oxide inhibition tests, suggesting stronger anti-inflammatory capabilities. These findings underscore the superior bioactivity of TCE-UM and suggest that ultrasonic extraction is a more efficient method for isolating bioactive phenolic compounds from T. communis fruits, presenting promising applications in anti-aging and antimicrobial formulations.
- Sex differences in performance and pacing in the greatest Quintuple Iron ultra-triathlon race in history: The IUTA World Championship 2024 in FrancePublication . Knechtle, Beat; Leite , Luciano Bernardes; Duric, Sasa; Cuk, Ivan; Andrade, Marilia Santos; Scheer, Volker; Nikolaidis, Pantelis Theo; Weiss, Katja; Rosemann, Thomas; Forte, Pedro; Ratko PericPacing in ultra-triathlon has been investigated by analyzing lap times from Double to Deca Iron ultra-triathlon for World Cup races but not for a World Championship. The present study aimed to investigate pacing in ultra-triathletes competing in the fastest and largest World Championship in Quintuple Iron ultra-triathlon ever held in history. A total of 11 female and 24 male finishers who completed the 2024 Quintuple Ultra Triathlon World Championship in Colmar, France, were analyzed. Independent t-tests assessed sex-based performance variations with effect sizes (Cohen's d). A two-way ANOVA evaluated the effects of sex and performance quartiles on cycling and running, with eta squared (eta(2)) used to measure effect sizes. Overall, men were slower in swimming and cycling and faster in running and overall race time. The variability in lap times was similar in cycling for both women and men but higher in running for women. There was a significant interaction between sex and performance quartiles in cycling but not running. For cycling, the variability in performance was higher in men compared to women; for running, it was similar for both women and men. The finding that women outperformed men in swimming and cycling, likely due to the elite nature of the World Championship, which featured a highly selected and committed female cohort with a high completion rate. While both sexes showed consistent pacing in cycling, women exhibited greater variability in running, possibly due to more frequent breaks.
- Freestyle master’s swimming: Nationality, sex, and performance trends in World Aquatics competitions (1986–2024)Publication . Ahmad, Wais; Wilhelm, Matthias; Moreitz, Sascha; Andrade, Marilia Santos; Forte, Pedro; Stanula, Arkadiusz; Nikolaidis, Pantelis Theo; Cuk, Ivan; Thuany, Mabliny; Weiss, Katja; Rosemann, Thomas; Hill, Lee; Seffrin, Aldo; Knechtle, Beat; Emiliano CèIn sports science, freestyle swimming has been thoroughly studied for particular performance-related factors. Nonetheless, it is unknown what countries the top freestyle swimmers are from, especially not for age group swimmers. In addition, the existing research on the performance of master freestyle swimmers has yet to confirm that male swimmers achieve faster times than their female counterparts across all age groups and distances. The current study looked into the nationalities and sexes of the top freestyle swimmers in each age group in World Aquatics competitions for the 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m events from 1986 to 2024. Methods The data (derived from (www.worldaquatics.com/masters/archives/masters-archives) were presented using mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values, and/or confidence intervals. The year of competition, age, age group, stroke, distance, and first and last names of each swimmer were noted. The nations were then divided into six groups: one group comprising all other countries and the top five nations with the greatest number of appearances in the top 10 fastest freestyle swimming times by distance each year. Results In freestyle swimming, most swimmers (30.6%) competed in the 50m event (n = 25,094, 10,909 female and 14,185 male), followed by the 100m event (25.6%, n = 20,961, 8,796 female and 12,165 male), the 200m event (17.4%, n = 14,309, 6,729 female and 7,580 male), the 400m event (13.4%, n = 10,956, 5,363 female and 5,593 male), and the 800m event (12.6%, n = 10,317, 5,179 female and 5,138 male). The results from the generalized linear models indicate that sex, age group, and the interaction between sex and age group all had significant effects on the 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m races. Specifically, for the 50m races, the effect of sex was significant (x(2) (1) = 3451.941, p < 0.001), as was the effect of age group (chi(2) (13) = 19,295.169, p < 0.001), and the interaction between sex and age group (chi (2) (13) = 654.671, p < 0.001). Conclusion The USA demonstrates quantitative dominance by contributing the greatest number of top 10 performers. Additionally, the study highlights significant sex-based performance differences, with males generally outperforming females in all age categories. This study comprehensively analyzes the performance trends observed in freestyle master swimming for nearly four decades.
- Behavioral regulation in sport questionnaire and sport motivation scale-II: a scale comparisonPublication . Bica, Joana; Jacinto, Miguel; Matos, Rui; Amaro, Nuno; Antunes, Raul; Couto, Nuno; Cid, Luís; Forte, Pedro; Monteiro, DiogoThis study compared the psychometric properties of two primary instruments for assessing sport motivation based on Self-Determination Theory: the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) and the Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ). A cross-sectional analysis evaluated the scales' internal consistency, factor structure, convergent and discriminant validity, and model fit, which required post-hoc modifications. Measurement invariance and adherence to the theoretical simplex pattern were also tested. The BRSQ demonstrated generally acceptable reliability, while the SMS-II showed deficiencies in its introjected, external, and amotivation subscales. Both scales faced validity challenges in distinguishing adjacent motivational constructs. Although measurement invariance was supported, correlations deviated from the theoretical quasi-simplex pattern. The BRSQ appears more robust, but neither scale is flawless. Researchers must select instruments aligned with their specific objectives and interpret scores cautiously due to these psychometric limitations. This underscores the need for refined tools to better capture the dynamic complexity of motivation in sports.
- Shaping Training Load, Technical–Tactical Behaviour, and Well-Being in Football: A Systematic ReviewPublication . Afonso, Pedro; Forte, Pedro; Branquinho, Luís; Ferraz, Ricardo; Garrido, Nuno D.; Teixeira, José EduardoFootball performance results from the dynamic interaction between physical, tactical, technical, and psychological dimensions-each of which also influences player well-being, recovery, and readiness. However, integrated monitoring approaches remain scarce, particularly in youth and sub-elite contexts. This systematic review screened 341 records from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, with 46 studies meeting the inclusion criteria (n = 1763 players; age range: 13.2-28.7 years). Physical external load was reported in 44 studies using GPS-derived metrics such as total distance and high-speed running, while internal load was examined in 36 studies through session-RPE (rate of perceived exertion x duration), heart rate zones, training impulse (TRIMP), and Player Load (PL). A total of 22 studies included well-being indicators capturing fatigue, sleep quality, stress levels, and muscle soreness, through tools such as the Hooper Index (HI), the Total Quality Recovery (TQR) scale, and various Likert-type or composite wellness scores. Tactical behaviours (n = 15) were derived from positional tracking systems, while technical performance (n = 7) was assessed using metrics like pass accuracy and expected goals, typically obtained from Wyscout (R) or TRACAB (R) (a multi-camera optical tracking system). Only five studies employed multivariate models to examine interactions between performance domains or to predict well-being outcomes. Most remained observational, relying on descriptive analyses and examining each domain in isolation. These findings reveal a fragmented approach to player monitoring and a lack of conceptual integration between physical, psychological, tactical, and technical indicators. Future research should prioritise multidimensional, standardised monitoring frameworks that combine contextual, psychophysiological, and performance data to improve applied decision-making and support player health, particularly in sub-elite and youth populations.
- The Presence of Ethics in Initial Teacher Training: Reasons and ImplicationsPublication . Bonifácio, Evangelina; Proença, Adelaide; Carvalho, LuísaEthics has emerged as a central dimension of the teaching profession, although it is not always explicitly addressed in initial teacher training study plans. In this context, a quantitative study was conducted to examine, from a comparative perspective, the perceptions of undergraduate students in Elementary Education from two Portuguese higher education institutions regarding the treatment of the ethical dimension in their course study plans. Data was collected from 141 students using a questionnaire survey. The objectives were: (i) to determine whether the Elementary Education degree study plan adequately addresses ethical issues; (ii) to assess whether ethics should be taught as an integral part of the study plan; (iii) to gather possible suggestions and ways to improve the ethical approach in the Elementary Education degree. The results indicate that, while participants believe the study plan adequately addresses ethical issues, they also feel that ethics should be an integral component of the Elementary Education degree. Additionally, they suggested other ways to enhance the ethical approach in initial teacher training.
- Long-term effects of multicomponent training on body composition and physical fitness in breast cancer survivors: a controlled studyPublication . Encarnação, Samuel; Schneider, André; Encarnação, Roberto Gonçalves; Leite, Luciano Bernardes; Forte, Pedro; Fernandes, Hélder; Monteiro, António M.Multicomponent training is suggested as an efficient way to address the side effects of long-term treatment in breast cancer survivors and reduce the age-related relapse risk in these patients. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a multicomponent training intervention on breast cancer survivors’ physical fitness and body composition. This experimental and controlled study included 19 breast cancer survivors with 64.0 ± 8.6 years, to evaluate long-term effects (32 weeks) of multicomponent training on body composition [body weight (kg), body mass index, body fat (%), lean mass (kg), body water (%), basal metabolism (Kcal) and visceral fat (index)] and physical fitness [Upper limb strength (repetitions), lower limb strength (repetitions), upper limb flexibility (cm), lower limb flexibility (cm), dynamic balance (seconds), and aerobic fitness (repetitions)]. Bayesian statistical tests were employed to analyze the reduced dataset size, considering a Bayes factor ≥ 10 as the cutoff for significant differences. Hierarchical clustering identified participant improvements using Manhattan distance, and clusters were ranked by responsiveness. After 32 weeks, the experimental group showed significant reductions in body weight (Δ = − 1.67 kg; BF = 15.15; Cohen’s d = 0.19) and body fat percentage (Δ = − 3.99%; BF = 34.87; Cohen’s d = 0.73), while no relevant changes were observed in the control group. Improvements were also observed in upper limb strength (Δ = + 14.14 reps; BF = 1022.02; Cohen’s d = 3.45), strength in the surgically affected arm (Δ = + 13.57 reps; BF = 121.39; Cohen’s d = 2.37), lower limb strength (Δ = + 7.86 reps; BF = 206.55; Cohen’s d = 2.24), and aerobic fitness (Δ = + 97.57 reps; BF = 157.28; Cohen’s d = 0.10). Flexibility and dynamic balance also improved, with moderate to large effect sizes. The multicomponent physical exercise program effectively improved all physical fitness variables but was limited in body composition, exposing improvements only in body weight and % body fat. The intervention did not cause any side effects or injury to the participants.