Camila Fernanda Cunha Brandao

Introduction: Obesity is characterized by adipocyte dysfunction, accompanied by impairments in oxidative metabolism and physical function. Although physical training is known to improve oxidative capacity, body composition, and functional performance, the magnitude of these adaptations may be influenced by several modulatory factors. Among these, circadian rhythm has emerged as a potential determinant of exercise-induced adaptations due to daily fluctuations in metabolic and physiological processes; however, its influence in women with obesity remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of combined training performed at different times of the day (morning vs. evening) on body composition, cardiopulmonary performance, and muscle strength in previously untrained women with obesity. Methods: This randomized clinical trial (NCT06601660) included women with obesity (waist circumference ≥88 cm) aged 18–50 years. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group (CG; n = 13), a morning training group (MT; training performed between 07:00 and 10:00 a.m.; n = 17), or an evening training group (ET; training performed between 06:00 and 09:00 p.m.; n = 19). Assessments conducted before and after the intervention included body composition (InBody® 770), cardiopulmonary performance evaluated by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), muscle strength assessed by the one-repetition maximum (1RM) test, and cardiovascular parameters evaluated by blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR); the last three were performed at both a.m. and p.m. times. Only participants in the MT and ET groups underwent the intervention, which consisted of an 8-week combined training program performed three times per week. Each session included both resistance and aerobic exercise, with progressive increases in exercise intensity and duration throughout the intervention period. Participants assigned to the CG underwent assessments only. Results: Significant group-by-period interactions were observed for VO _2peak and bench-press and leg-press 1RM, whereas maximal treadmill velocity showed a significant period effect without a significant group-by-period interaction. Bench-press 1RM increased in MT during morning and evening testing by 5.79 and 5.31 kg, respectively, and in ET by 4.97 and 5.50 kg (all p < 0.001; d = 2.37–2.76), with gains in both training groups exceeding those observed in CG. Leg-press 1RM increased in MT by 22.20 and 29.01 kg and in ET by 18.40 and 17.11 kg during morning and evening testing, respectively ( p ≤ 0.001; d = 1.13–1.92); however, only MT showed a greater overall change than CG. VO _2peak increased in MT during morning testing [2.42 mL·kg ⁻¹ ·min ⁻¹ ( p = 0.004; d = 1.04)] and in ET during evening testing [1.57 mL·kg ⁻¹ ·min ⁻¹ ( p = 0.048; d = 0.67)]. Maximal treadmill velocity and CPET duration improved over time, but their changes did not differ significantly among groups. Body-composition and cardiovascular adaptations were limited, with waist circumference increasing only in CG. Conclusion: Eight weeks of combined training performed either in the morning or evening improved maximal muscle strength and cardiopulmonary performance in women with obesity, while producing limited changes in body composition and cardiovascular measures. No consistent evidence of superior adaptations according to training time was observed, suggesting that both schedules can effectively promote health-related adaptations.

Background/Objectives: People with diabetes are more susceptible to viral respiratory infections and worse clinical outcomes related to COVID-19 and influenza. Vaccination is considered an important prevention strategy. This study aimed to analyze the vaccination status against COVID-19 and influenza among people with diabetes mellitus and associated factors. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2024 and May 2025 in 42 Primary Health Care Units in a municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 316 individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus participated in the study. Data were collected using a structured instrument containing socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral, and clinical variables, in addition to verification of vaccination records through physical vaccination cards and information systems. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression models were performed to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios, with respective 95% confidence intervals. Analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Stata. Results: Adherence to COVID-19 vaccination was 21.5%, whereas influenza vaccination adherence reached 85.4%. In the multivariable analysis of COVID-19 vaccination status, previous influenza vaccination (OR = 7.74; 95% CI: 1.81–33.2) and alcohol consumption (OR = 2.11; 95% CI: 1.13–3.89) were positively associated with vaccination. Conversely, access to social media or other communication channels (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.24–0.92) and insulin use (OR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.21–0.84) were associated with lower odds of COVID-19 vaccination. Regarding influenza vaccination, positive associations were identified for religious affiliation (OR = 6.46; 95% CI: 1.79–23.30), previous COVID-19 vaccination (OR = 10.2; 95% CI: 2.22–47.06), and longer duration of diabetes diagnosis (OR = 3.47; 95% CI: 1.32–9.20). In contrast, alcohol consumption (OR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.21–0.86), insulin use (OR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16–0.76), and absence of medical follow-up (OR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.13–0.85) were associated with lower odds of influenza vaccination. Conclusions: The findings revealed a heterogeneous vaccination pattern among individuals with diabetes mellitus, in which higher influenza vaccination coverage contrasted with low adherence to COVID-19 vaccination, reflecting not only differences in the historical consolidation of immunization strategies but also contemporary dynamics related to risk perception, trust, and information circulation. The strong association with previous vaccination history suggests that vaccine adherence is part of a continuum of preventive behaviors mediated by the relationship with healthcare services and by the internalization of healthcare practices over time.

Objectives: Visual attention to emotional faces provides a useful framework for investigating orienting, visual exploration, and attentional engagement across development. The present study aimed to characterize the visuospatial organization of attention in neurotypical children and to examine how this pattern is modulated by social and emotional factors. Twenty children (aged 8–12 years) participated in a passive viewing paradigm of facial expressions while their eye movements were recorded using eye tracking (120 Hz). Methods: Oculomotor metrics based on areas of interest (eyes, mouth, nose, face, and non-social regions) were analyzed, including time to first fixation (TTFF), number of fixations (NF), and total fixation duration (TFD), as well as total saccade count as a global index of visual scanning. Results: Results indicated statistically significant AOI-dependent interactions involving emotional expression, observer sex, stimulus sex, and stimulus race/ethnicity, revealing region-specific modulation of visual attention. Consistently, prioritization of the eye region was observed, particularly for angry expressions, and was associated with greater fixation recurrence and duration, whereas happy and surprised expressions were associated with increased attentional allocation to the mouth. Differences related to observer sex and stimulus characteristics reflected region-specific modulations. In contrast, global saccadic dynamics remained relatively stable across experimental conditions and showed no significant effects of observer sex, stimulus sex, race/ethnicity, or emotional expression. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings suggest that visual attention to emotional faces in childhood follows a relatively stable spatial organization characterized by preferential processing of the eye region and region-specific modulation associated with emotional expression and stimulus characteristics.

Light exposure is a primary zeitgeber for the human circadian system and plays a key role in shaping sleep–wake patterns during adolescence, a period marked by biological sensitivity and social constraints. How the temporal organization and spectral composition of daily light exposure differ between weekdays and weekends remains poorly understood. Eighteen adolescents (15–17 years) were monitored for seven days using wrist actigraphy with integrated light sensors. Sleep parameters, nonparametric circadian rhythm indices, and time-resolved profiles of ambient and spectral (blue, green, and red) light exposure were analyzed. Repeated-measures ANOVA tested the effects of time of day and day type. Total sleep time and time in bed were longer on weekdays than on weekends (p < 0.05), while sleep latency and WASO did not differ. Circadian indices indicated preserved rhythmic organization. Light exposure showed a robust diurnal profile, with higher spectral irradiance on weekends (p < 0.001), especially in the morning and early afternoon. Significant time × day-type interactions were observed across all spectral bands (p < 0.001), indicating systematic reshaping of daily light profiles. Adolescents exhibit weekday–weekend differences in the temporal and spectral organization of light exposure, affecting the amplitude and shape of overall daily profiles.

Light exposure is a primary zeitgeber for the human circadian system and plays a key role in shaping sleep–wake patterns during adolescence, a period marked by biological sensitivity and social constraints. How the temporal organization and spectral composition of daily light exposure differ between weekdays and weekends remains poorly un-derstood. Eighteen adolescents (15–17 years) were monitored for seven days using wrist actigraphy with integrated light sensors. Sleep parameters, nonparametric circadian rhythm indices, and time-resolved profiles of ambient and spectral (blue, green, and red) light exposure were analyzed. Repeated-measures ANOVA tested the effects of time of day and day type. Total sleep time and time in bed were longer on weekdays than on weekends (p < 0.05), while sleep latency and WASO did not differ. Circadian indices indicated preserved rhythmic organization. Light exposure showed a robust diurnal profile, with higher spectral irradiance on weekends (p < 0.001), especially in the morning and early afternoon. Significant time × day-type interactions were observed across all spectral bands (p < 0.001), indicating systematic reshaping of daily light profiles. Ado-lescents exhibit weekday–weekend differences in the temporal and spectral organization of light exposure, affecting the amplitude and shape of overall daily profiles.

Introdução: O envelhecimento está associado ao declínio das atividades motoras e perda gradual das funções cognitivas. Sabe-se que a realidade virtual é um recurso potencial para melhorar a cognição e controle motor. Objetivo: Verificar o efeito de um programa de treinamento com Realidade Virtual Imersiva na navegação espacial, cognição global e mobilidade de idosos. Metodologia: Onze idosos (a partir de 60 anos de idade), de ambos os sexos, foram recrutados. Os participantes foram submetidos aos seguintes testes: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) para avaliar a cognição global; Floor Maze Test (FMT), para avaliar a navegação espacial; e o teste de levantar e ir 2,44 m (Lev-ir), que avalia a mobilidade física (agilidade e equilíbrio dinâmico). O programa de dupla-tarefa com realidade virtual imersiva (DTRV) foi composto de exercícios físicos multimodais, em que o participante utilizou um simulador de realidade virtual (Oculus Quest 2TM, Meta, Califórnia, EUA), através do software que fornece os jogos virtuais (Beat saber; Dance central; Gym class basketball VR; Hand physics Lab; OhShape; The Thrill of the Fight). O programa teve duração de 12 sessões (2 vezes/semana). A comparação pré e pós-treinamento foi realizada utilizando os testes t dependente e de Wilcoxon. Resultados Esperados: As análises revelaram que houve diferença significativa na navegação espacial no tempo de repetição do labirinto sem planejamento prévio (p<0,01), mostrando que os idosos melhoraram o desempenho da memória episódica relacionada à navegação espacial. Nenhuma outra alteração foi identificada. Conclusão: Conclui-se que o programa de treinamento com realidade virtual imersiva possivelmente melhore a navegação espacial de idosos, independente da cognição global e mobilidade.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of relative maximum strength intensity during a conditioning activity on women seated shot put performance. Methods; Nineteen physical active women were subjected, at 24-hour intervals and in a randomized order, to the following conditions: control, 40% of one maximum repetition (1RM), and 80% of 1RM (2 sets of 5 repetitions for each condition). The conditioning activities consisted of contractions performed using a vertical bench press apparatus. Three minutes after these contractions, participants executed the primary task of throwing a 4 kg shot. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significantly greater throwing distance after conditioning activities compared to the control condition (p < 0.05), with no significant difference observed between the 40% and 80% of 1RM conditions (p > 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that relative intensity did not influence the women’s seat shot put task performance but was effective in eliciting post-activation potentiation.

Introdução: Existe a percepção de que os ralis femininos são mais longos do que os masculinos, devido a menor a potência dos ataques, em paralelo à maior chance de defesa em comparação com os homens. Objetivo: Comparar a duração e o número de ralis por set entre as equipes de vôlei masculino e feminino. Métodos: Foram analisados vídeos de seis partidas (três masculinas e três femininas), totalizando 11 sets masculinos e 12 sets femininos das finais da Liga das Nações de Voleibol nos anos de 2019, 2021 e 2022, disponíveis no site da Volleyball World TV. A duração dos ralis foi registrada com um cronômetro manual e o número de ralis foi contado manualmente. Os ralis também foram categorizados em curtos, médios e longos. O teste t e o teste do χ² foram utilizados para análise dos dados. Resultados: O tempo médio e o número de ralis por set foram superiores nas equipes femininas em comparação às masculinas. O número de ralis longos também foi maior nas equipes femininas. Conclusão: Em partidas de alto desempenho, o número e a duração dos ralis são maiores nas equipes femininas em comparação com as masculinas.

The present study evaluated the level of physical activity and physical fitness of users of Family Health Strategy programs in the city of Divinópolis-Minas Gerais, which does not have Physical Education professionals. The 390 users of Family Health Strategy programs participated (145 men and 245 women), aged between 18 and 60 years. They were evaluated regarding their level of physical activity and health aspects, anthropometric measurements, body composition, and physical fitness tests: flexibility (sitting and reaching), muscular resistance (abdominal and arm flexion), and cardiorespiratory fitness. Of the participants, 71% practiced physical activity, good flexibility levels, and muscular strength resistance but had low cardiorespiratory fitness. Regarding body composition, men had a higher fat-free mass and lower body fat compared to women. Besides, 25% are classified as obese, 46% have chronic diseases, 29% are sedentary or irregularly active, 63% have already received instructions to perform physical exercise at health centers, and 99% understand the importance and need for Physical Education Professional in programs. Users practice physical activity but have low cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition due to a lack of targeted physical exercise. Although users receive guidance on practicing physical activity, they understand the need for the presence of a Physical Education professional in programs to perform physical exercise.

Resumos de trabalhos apresentados no III Simpósio Internacional de Fisiologia do Exercício e Saúde, 24 e 25 de maio de 2024, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil