To Örebro University

PURPOSE: Cold- and hot-water immersion (CWI and HWI, respectively) are popular post-exercise recovery methods in competitive soccer. The aims of this study were to (1) compare the effect of post-exercise CWI, HWI and placebo on the recovery of physical performance in national level soccer players, and (2) investigate whether repeated use of these recovery modalities has an impact on training adaptations over a 15 week period.

METHODS: For Part I, 40 male soccer players (15-19 years) were randomized to either CWI (10 °C, 10 min), HWI (42 °C, 20 min), or placebo (6 min, sham laser), applied after a 90 min simulated soccer match (SSM). Physical performance was assessed using submaximal aerobic, 20 m sprint, countermovement jump (CMJ), and knee extension strength tests [i.e., maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and time to exhaustion (TTE) at 60% of MVIC] performed at Pre-SSM and 0, 21 and 45 h Post-SSM. For Part II, 19 participants applied their respective recovery modality (~ twice a week) in their usual training. After 15 weeks, physical performance and body composition were assessed and compared to pre-intervention.

RESULTS: All three modalities similarly affected the recovery of physical performance during the 21-45 h Post-SSM period (p < 0.05). Moreover, no significant effects of the recovery modalities on body composition and on development of physical performance were found over the 15 week recovery intervention (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Compared to a placebo, CWI and HWI do not improve post-match recovery of physical performance and do not impact long-term training adaptations in highly trained soccer players.

Purpose: This narrative umbrella review evaluates the efficacy of recovery strategies for elite winter sports athletes by comparing their scientific and clinical validity. It aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for coaches and athletes, preparing them for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games through a critical evaluation of various post-training and competition recovery methods.

Methods: This narrative umbrella review involved a systematic literature search on PubMed, focusing on recent meta-analyses and review articles related to recovery strategies. Special emphasis was placed on their practical applications to ensure the findings are relevant to real-world settings.

Results: The study examined multiple recovery strategies, including sleep, nutrition, and physical methods, revealing a general scarcity of high-quality studies and insufficient control over placebo effects. A key finding emphasizes the crucial roles of nutrition and sleep in the recovery process, highlighting the need for personalized recovery plans tailored to the athlete's and sport's specific demands. The effectiveness of physical recovery methods varied, with some demonstrating significant benefits in specific contexts (e.g., massage and cold-water immersion to alleviate muscle pain and fatigue), whereas others (e.g., stretching and sauna) lacked robust evidence of their efficacy as recovery methods.

Conclusion: This paper presents recommendations for optimizing recovery strategies in elite winter sports, focusing on the specific demands of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. It provides a framework for athletes and coaches aiming to enhance performance recovery and achieve optimal athletic condition.

INTRODUCTION: The extent to which additional health benefits of accumulating twice the minimum amount of time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) affects indicators of physical function in older adults is unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess indicators of physical function in older adults who accumulate at least 150 but less than 300 min/week of MVPA compared to those accumulating at least 300 min/week.

METHODS: Indicators of physical function, including handgrip strength, 5 times sit-to-stand test (5-STS), squat jump and 6-min walk test (6MWT) were assessed in a sample of 193 older men (n = 71, 67 ± 2 years), and women (n = 122, 67 ± 2 years), who all accumulated at least 150 weekly minutes of MVPA. Time in MVPA was assessed by accelerometry during 1 week and engagement in muscle strengthening activities (MSA) was assessed by self-report. Protein intake was assessed by a food-frequency-questionnaire. Participants were classified as physically active (≥150 but <300 min of MVPA per week) or as highly physically active (≥300 min of MVPA per week).

RESULTS: Factorial analysis of variance revealed that older adults accumulating at least 300 min of MVPA per week had a significantly (p < 0.05) better 6MWT performance and overall physical function compared to the less active group. These findings remained significant after further adjustment for MSA, sex, waist circumference and protein intake. In contrast, no significant differences in indicators of muscle strength were observed between the two groups.

DISCUSSION: Adherence to twice the recommended minimum amount of weekly MVPA time is related to a better physical function, evidenced by a better walking performance compared to adherence to the minimum weekly amount of MVPA. This finding emphasizes the benefits of accumulating daily MVPA beyond the minimum recommended amount to optimize the ability to perform activities of daily living, thus reducing the burden of physical disability and related health-care costs.

BACKGROUND: The impact of regular exercise habits at middle-age on muscle mass and function at old age remains inconclusive. While regular exercise likely represents a primary source of health-enhancing physical activity (PA), the physical demand of occupation needs to be considered. Additionally, PA level at old age should be taken into account in order to elucidate true associations between past exercise behaviors and muscle mass and function at old age. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the impact of regular exercise habits during middle age years on muscle mass and physical function at old age, while considering occupation and objectively assessed PA level at old age.

METHODS: Self-reported leisure-time PA during middle age years [35-65 years] and present accelerometer-derived PA level were assessed in a population of community-dwelling older women (65-70 years; n = 112). Participants who accumulated at least 600 MET-min of PA per week during middle age years were classified as physically active. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), aerobic fitness and maximal isometric arm and leg strength were determined. Analyses of differences in muscle mass and physical function between physically active and inactive at middle age were adjusted by present PA, adiposity level, and the physical demand of former occupation (sedentary vs manual).

RESULTS: Participants accumulating at least 600 MET-min of exercise-related activities during middle-age years had higher aerobic fitness (P < 0.01) and SMI (P < 0.05) at old age compared to their less active peers. Notably, these beneficial impacts were driven by exercise habits during late middle-age period [50 to 65 years], and remained significant after further adjustment by the physical demand of former occupation and present PA behavior at old age. Finally, middle-age engagement in exercise-related activities had no influence on maximal arm and leg isometric strength at old age.

CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of engaging in regular PA of at least moderate intensity during middle age years in order to promote benefits at the level of muscle mass and aerobic fitness. This clearly supports the potential of PA in delaying aerobic capacity impairment and the occurrence of clinically manifest sarcopenia at old age.

Introduction: Healthy dietary patterns and physical activity (PA) represent important lifestyle behaviors with considerable potential to influence on age-related metabolic health. Yet, data on the combined effects of these lifestyle behaviors on metabolic health including low-grade systemic inflammation in aging populations remain scarce. Therefore, this protocol describes a randomized controlled trial aiming to examine the impacts of healthy dietary patterns alone or combined with PA on metabolic health in middle-aged and older men and women.

Material and methods: The ORUDIET study is a 3-arm randomized controlled 16-week trial: Healthy Diet (HD), Healthy diet plus PA (HD-PA), and control (CON). The trial is open label, randomized with allocation concealment, parallel groups with passive controls. Participants without overt disease aged between 55 and 70 years, with BMI below 35, a current intake of a maximum of 1 serving of fruit and vegetable per day, and noncompliance to PA guidelines are eligible for inclusion. Participants in HD are instructed to increase fruit and vegetable intake to 5 servings per day (equivalent to 500 g). Participants in HD-PA receive the same dietary intervention as the HD and are additionally instructed to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activities for at least 150 minutes per week. The primary study outcomes are changes in metabolic and inflammatory health biomarkers. Secondary outcomes are changes in body composition and perceived health.

Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by the ethical review board in Uppsala, Sweden. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated in national and international conferences.

Ageing is associated with a gradual deterioration in physical function, accompanied by a decrease in muscle mass, leading to loss of independency. In this respect, physical activity and healthy diet represent key lifestyle factors with potential to delay onset of age-related physical disability. The overall aim of the present thesis was to explore the effects of physical activity behaviours in general and resistance training (RT) in particular, with or without addition of a healthy diet (HD), on muscle mass and physical function in older community-dwelling women. A main finding was that physical activity of at least moderate intensity at old age infers beneficial effects on physical function, even in individuals with a previously sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, engagement in exercise-related activities during middleage years is linked to better physical function and higher muscle massat old age, regardless of present physical activity level. This thesis further highlights that in older women RT combined with HD rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids elicits significant gains in muscle mass, whereas no corresponding gain was induced by RT alone. Likewise, larger improvements in muscle strength and physical function were evident in response to combined effects by RT and HD compared to RT alone. Taken together, findings from this thesis support public health efforts aiming to promote physical activity of at least moderate intensity together with a healthy diet rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in order to combat age-related decline in muscle mass and physical function.

While physical activity (PA) may counteract age-related functional decline and loss of independence at old age, to what extent physical function is influenced by past or present PA behaviors is currently unclear. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine relationships between both past and present PA behaviors and components of physical function in older women. A physical function score based on the 6-minute walk test, squat jump, and single-leg-stance balance was aggregated in 60 older women (65-70 years). Present PA behavior was assessed by accelerometry (Actigraph) and past leisure-time PA was self-reported, where times in sports-related activities and in walking were analyzed separately. Analysis of differences in physical function across tertiles of PA behaviors was adjusted by DXA-derived fat mass. Physical activity level at present age and engagements in sports-related activities before retirement age, excluding walking, were both associated (P < 0.05) to physical function. Time spent in PA of at least moderate intensity was associated with physical function (P < 0.05), whereas no corresponding relationships to either sedentary time or time in light intensity PA were observed. In conclusion, PA behaviors at present age and engagement in sports-related activities performed during adulthood are both related to physical function in older women. Being physically active at old age infers beneficial effects on physical function, even in individuals with a past or present sedentary lifestyle, which supports public health efforts aiming at increasing daily time in PA of at least moderate intensity to preserve physical function in older women.