• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of lowintensity resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction on muscle activity and muscle fatigue to determine if such a combination may be an alternative to high-intensity resistance exercise in maintaining the muscle mass and strength and preventing degenerative loss of skeletal muscle and to provide basic data for presenting the effectiveness of exercise. METHODS: The interventions were provided for five weeks, four sessions a week, once a day, 60 minutes a session to Experimental group I (n = 13), in which low-intensity resistance exercise was applied by combining blood flow restriction with the biceps curl and experimental group II (n = 12), in which only high-intensity resistance exercise was applied. As a pre-test, the biceps brachii muscle activity and fatigue were measured by surface electromyography, and the hemodynamic variables, such as blood pressure and heart rate, were measured. The post-test was performed identically to the pre-test and compared and analyzed with the pre-test. RESULTS: A significant difference within-group was observed in the biceps brachii muscle activity and fatigue in experimental group I and only in biceps brachii activity in experimental group II. No significant differences were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Since the low-intensity resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction has similar effects to high-intensity resistance exercise, it is considered an alternative for improving muscle function in groups unable to perform high-intensity resistance exercise.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.539-547
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• 2013

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of exercise of diverse intensities on the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$(tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$) in the spinal cord in osteoarthritic rats. METHODS: Over a period of four weeks, the authors applied treadmill exercise programs of diverse intensities to Sprague-Dawley rats, to which intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate(MIA, $3mg/50{\mu}l$, diluted in saline) was applied to the right knee joint to induce osteoarthritis. The four-week exercise program was not carried out with the control group(CG, n=10). Exercise programs of applicable intensities were applied to the low-intensity exercise group(LEG, n=10), moderate-intensity exercise group (MEG, n=10), and high-intensity exercise group(HEG, n=10) over the four weeks. Observations were made of expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the spinal cord in osteoarthritic rats using western blot analysis. RESULT: there were significant differences(p<.05) in the comparison of expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ between the four groups involved. The expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the spinal cord, the LEG and HEG had more elevated expression significantly than the CG(p<.05). But the MEG had reduced expression significantly than the CG(p<.05). CONCLUSION: These study results suggest that moderate-intensity exercise is effective in inhibition TNF-${\alpha}$ in the spinal cord. They also indicate that in prescribing exercise to treat osteoarthritic patients, exercise of moderate intensity is most suitable to patients' chronic pain, rather than low or high intensity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.313-323
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• 2022

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia, and it corresponds highly with exercise intensity. Here, we induced AF in mice using acetylcholine (ACh)-CaCl₂ for 7 days and aimed to determine the appropriate exercise intensity (no, low, moderate, high) to protect against AF by running the mice at different intensities for 4 weeks before the AF induction by ACh-CaCl₂. We examined the AF-induced atrial remodeling using electrocardiogram, patch-clamp, and immunohistochemistry. After the AF induction, heart rate, % increase of heart rate, and heart weight/body weight ratio were significantly higher in all the four AF groups than in the normal control; highest in the high-ex AF and lowest in the low-ex (lower than the no-ex AF), which indicates that low-ex treated the AF. Consistent with these changes, G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K⁺ currents, which were induced by ACh, increased in an exercise intensity-dependent manner and were lower in the low-ex AF than the no-ex AF. The peak level of Ca²⁺ current (at 0 mV) increased also in an exercise intensity-dependent manner and the inactivation time constants were shorter in all AF groups except for the low-ex AF group, in which the time constant was similar to that of the control. Finally, action potential duration was shorter in all the four AF groups than in the normal control; shortest in the high-ex AF and longest in the low-ex AF. Taken together, we conclude that low-intensity exercise protects the heart from AF, whereas high-intensity exercise might exacerbate AF.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2022

Objective: Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is experienced worldwide by many age groups. Yoga is recommended as an exercise to reduce back pain and stress because it is a breathing exercise, posture, and meditation as key elements. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of yoga and stabilization exercise on pain intensity, function, and depression. Design: An open-label, parallel arm, randomized controlled trial Methods: Twenty-four participants were allocated to the experimental and the control group in a ratio of 1:1. Yoga (experimental group) and stabilization exercise (control group) were received twice a week for 6 weeks Participants were assessed at baseline and post-intervention for pain intensity (numeric pain rating scale), function (Aberdeen low back pain scale, flexibility,and strength), and depression (Beck depression inventory). Results: When the experimental group (Yoga) and control group (stabilization exercise) were performed twice a week for 6 weeks, numeric pain rating scale, Aberdeen low back pain scale, and flexibility in post-intervention showed significant improvement in both groups (P<0.05), However, in all variables, the experimental group showed a positive benefit compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study show that yoga has more positive benefits compared to stabilization exercise in pain intensity, function, and depression in individuals with NSLBP.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.59-66
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine the activity ratios of global trunk muscles and local trunk muscles in relation to adjustments in the level of task difficulty while performing stability exercises in easily applied bridging lumbar stabilization exercise. Twenty healthy subjects performed bridging lumbar stabilization exercise while the level of task difficulty was plate was used in the same posture for all the exercises. EMG was used to examine the activity ratios of the global muscles and multifidus in relation to the level of task difficulty. Moreover, the activity ratios of the multifidus muscle, the erector spinae and the gluteus maximus muscle were measured. A one-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used, and a Bonferroni correction was conducted (${\alpha}$=.05). When the bridging lumbar stabilization exercise were performed at different difficulty levels, the activity of the multifidus muscle, which is a local muscle, was high in all three exercises. Also, compared to low intensity and intermediate intensity exercises, high intensity exercises showed more significant differences (${\alpha}$=.05). Among all the muscles, the multifidus showed the highest activity at intermediate intensity. Based on these results, we suggest that in the case of bridging lumbar stabilization exercise, low intensity or intermediate intensity exercises are more suitable and efficient for local muscle stabilization.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.427-436
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to analyze the concurrent treatment effects of ursolic acid (UA) and low-intensity treadmill exercise and to confirm the effectiveness of UA as an exercise mimetic to safely improve muscle atrophy-related diseases using Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with skeletal muscle atrophy. Significant muscle atrophy was induced in male SD rats through hind limb immobilization using casting for 10 days. The muscle atrophy-induced SD rats were group into four: SED, sedentary; UA, daily intraperitoneal UA injection, 5 mg/kg; EX, low-intensity (10-12 m/min, $0^{\circ}$ grade) treadmill exercise; and UEX, daily intraperitoneal UA injection, 5 mg/kg, and low-intensity (10-12 m/min, $0^{\circ}$ grade) treadmill exercise. After 8 weeks of treatment, endurance capacity was analyzed using a treadmill, and tissues were extracted for analysis of visceral fat mass, body weight, muscle mass, expression of muscle atrophy- and hypertrophy-related genes, and endurance capacity. Although the effects of body weight gain control, muscle mass increase, and endurance capacity improvement were inadequate in the UA group, significant results were confirmed in the UEX group. The UEX group had significantly reduced body weight and visceral fat, significantly improved mass of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles, and significantly decreased atrophy-related gene expression of MuRF1 and atrogin-1, but did not have significant change in hypertrophy-related gene expression of Akt and mTOR. The endurance capacity was significantly improved in the EX and UEX groups. These data suggest that concurrent treatment with low-intensity exercise and UA is effective for atrophy-related physical dysfunctions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.127-135
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• 2013

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of exercise of diverse intensities on the recovery of articular cartilage in osteoarthritic rats. METHODS: Over a period of four weeks, the authors applied treadmill exercise programs of diverse intensities to Sprague-Dawley rats, to which intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate(MIA, 3mg/$50{\mu}l$, diluted in saline) was applied to the right knee joint to induce osteoarthritis. The four-week exercise program was not carried out with the control group(CG, n=10). Exercise programs of applicable intensities were applied to the low-intensity exercise group(LEG, n=10), moderate-intensity exercise group(MEG, n=10), and high-intensity exercise group(HEG, n=10) over the four weeks. Observations were made of morphological changes in the rats' articular cartilage, using hematoxylin and eosin stains. RESULTS: there were significant differences(p<.05) in the comparison of articular damage scores between the four groups involved. Articular cartilage damage scores were found to be significantly lower in the LEG, MEG, and HEG than in the CG, indicating that exercise helped with the recovery of cartilage. Of these latter three groups, the MEG showed the highest level of recovery, while the HEG showed the lowest. CONCLUSION: These study results suggest that exercise is effective in treating OA. They also indicate that in prescribing exercise to treat osteoarthritic patients, exercise of moderate intensity is most suitable to patients' physical conditions, rather than low or high intensity, maximizes, and so should be used to maximize the effects of therapy.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Purpose: This study examined the effects of pre-eccentric exercise to the quadriceps for the prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and recovery of muscular function, depending on the training intensities. Methods: Subjects were divided into one of three groups that control group, a low intensity eccentric exercise group (LIEE group) and a high intensity eccentric exercise group (HIEE group). Subjects who underwent pre-eccentric exercise undertook exercise at an intensity of 25% and 75% of maximal voluntary contractions, respectively. After undertaking pre-eccentric exercise for eight weeks, eccentric exercise was applied again to induce DOMS. Measurements were conducted to examine pain and muscular function changes before, immediately after, after the induction of DOMS, and at the first, third, fifth and seventh days after the induction of DOMS. Results: Subjects who underwent pre-eccentric exercise showed a significant difference from the control group for the changes in the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain threshold, pressure pain threshold and muscle thickness by isometric contraction from measuring DOMS, and in particular, pain threshold by isometric contraction had remarkable effect in the LIEE group of subjects. For the change of the root mean square values using mechanomyography (MMG) as the measurement of muscular function recovery, subjects who had undertaken pre-eccentric exercise group showed a significant difference as compared to the control group. Conclusion: Pre-eccentric exercise was very effective in preventing and recovering delayed onset muscle soreness and was helpful to prevent and recover from decreased muscular function. The difference based on the intensity of exercise was not great, but it was more effective in the low intensity eccentric exercise group of subjects. Therefore, it can be considered that pre-eccentric exercise has a high application value as a physical therapy intervention for prevention and rehabilitation of sports injuries.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.191-196
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• 2015

Attenuated functional exercise capacity in elderly and diseased populations is a common problem, and stems primarily from physical inactivity. Decreased function and exercise capacity can be restored by maintaining muscular strength and mass, which are key factors in an independent and healthy life. Resistance exercise has been used to prevent muscle loss and improve muscular strength and mass. However, the intensities necessary for traditional resistance training to increase muscular strength and mass may be contraindicated for some at risk populations, such as diseased populations and the elderly. Therefore, an alternative exercise modality is required. Recently, blood flow restriction (BFR) with low intensity resistance exercise (LIRE) has been used for such special populations to improve their function and exercise capacity. Although BFR+LIRE has been intensively studied for a decade, a comprehensive review detailing the effects of BFR+LIRE on both skeletal muscle and vascular function is not available. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss previous studies documenting the effects of BFR+LIRE on hormonal and transcriptional factors in muscle hypertrophy and vascular function, including changes in hemodynamics, and endothelial function.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate gene expression related with lipid metabolism and long chain fatty acid oxidation rates in the skeletal muscle by exercise. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (CON: n=7), high-intensity (HI-EX: n=7) and low-intensity exercise (LI-EX; n=7) groups. Rats in LI-Ex group were forced to run on the treadmill at the speed of 10m/min for 60 min. On the other hand, rats in the HI-Ex group were forced to run on the treadmill slope 0 at the speed of 25 m/min for 60 min. The palmitate oxidation rate of the RG was increased immediately and 1 hr after exercise in the HI-Ex group, and the HI-Ex group was higher than in the LI-Ex group in RG and WG. Expression of PPARα of the RG in HI-Ex groups was increased compared with control immediately after exercise. FAT/CD36 expression were not shown any significant effect by exercise. AMPK expression of the RG in the HI-Ex group was significently increased immediately after exercise compared with control. The change in CPT-1 expression of the RG in the HI-Ex group showed a similar pattern to that AMPK. In the summary, the gene expression of PPARα, AMPK and CPT1 that was related lipid metabolism was not significantly affected by low-intensity exercise, but effected by high-intensity exercise. In conclusion, exercise intensity and amounts might be have very important role to regulate gene expression related with metabolism.