A comparison of the neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary and muscle oxygenation responses to single‐ and double‐leg cycling in older adults

Previous work in younger adults has shown that during small muscle mass exercise, the tolerable degree of neuromuscular impairment at task failure is greater than during large muscle mass exercise. However, no study has compared the neuromuscular …

Beetroot juice modulates physiological responses and accelerates recovery during the special judo performance: a randomized trial

The ability of nitrate (NO₃⁻)-rich beetroot juice (BJ) to improve exercise depends on training status. However, the mechanisms are understudied. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of acute BJ supplementation on the Special Judo …

Blood flow and force responses to voluntary and electrically induced isometric contractions

Background/aims Electrical stimulation (ES) is used in rehabilitation to enhance circulation and muscle activation, but its effects on vascular function and fatigue compared with voluntary (VOL) exercise remain unclear. This study examined acute and …

Combined effects of inspiratory and core muscle training on respiratory and core muscle function, limb muscle oxygenation and swimming performance

This study examined the effects of core training (CMT), inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and their combination (CIT) on strength and endurance of respiratory and core muscles, muscle oxygenation and swimming performance. Twenty-five competitive male …

Detecting the effects of cerebral small vessel disease on balance control using postural, kinematic and prefrontal near infra-red spectroscopy measures

Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is a common, potentially modifiable cause of poor balance control and falls in older people, but its early effects on balance control are difficult to detect. In this exploratory study, 20 older people with a …

Distinguishing Muscle Oxygen Saturation from Tissue Oxygen Saturation: Accuracy, Limitations, and Practical Utility in Muscle Oximetry

Muscle near-infrared spectroscopy (mNIRS) is widely used to measure skeletal muscle oxygen saturation, named as muscle-specific oxygen saturation (SmO₂) or tissue oxygen saturation (StO₂). The distinction between SmO₂ and the less specific …

Effects of an adapted swimming program with visual prompts on executive functions in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID)

Executive functions (EF) are higher-order cognitive processes that support goal-directed behavior, learning, and adaptation. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) often show EF deficits that affect attention, …

Effects of slow oscillatory HD-tDCS on creative cognition and prefrontal cortex activity: A multimodal EEG-fNIRS study

Creativity relies on the dynamic interaction between the default mode (DMN) and frontoparietal control (FPCN) networks, supported by controlled attentional processing and associative strategies. Slow wave activity (SWA: 0.1– 1 Hz) is a critical …

fNIRS estimates prefrontal cortex activation following glucose load in youths with obesity

Purpose The prefrontal cortex [PFC] is crucial in controlling food-related impulses. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy [fNIRS] represents a wearable functional neuroimaging technology for measuring PFC activation in real life. Aims of the study …

fNIRS identifies right prefrontal hemodynamic signatures for subclassifying Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a globally prevalent mental health condition, yet its classification remains largely reliant on subjective reports, lacking objective neurobiological biomarkers. This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy …

Impaired microvascular reactivity in post-COVID-19 syndrome is independent of cardiorespiratory fitness

Current evidence demonstrates that patients who suffer from long-term SARS-CoV-2 symptoms [i.e., post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS)] often present muscle fatigue and dyspnea. This is discussed to be a result of vascular dysfunction and oxidative stress …

Intradialytic neuromuscular electrical stimulation improves muscle oxygenation and aerobic capacity in end-stage renal disease: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) often exhibit substantial impairments in aerobic capacity and skeletal muscle oxidative function, contributing to physical deconditioning and elevated cardiovascular risk. …

Research progress on exercise-induced executive function improvements in older adults: insights from functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has emerged as a promising technique in motor cognitive neuroscience and has become an important neuroimaging tool for the study of motor cognition. This review synthesizes evidence from fNIRS studies to …

Sex differences in cardiovascular disease risk in type 1 diabetes: The vascular bed paradox in women

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Epidemiological studies indicate that women with T1D are at greater risk of CVD compared to men with T1D. The present study sought to …

The Effect of Muscle Blood Flow Restriction During Dynamic Exercise on Carotid Baroreflex Sensitivity

Background/Objectives: This study evaluated carotid baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS) during graded exercise tests to exhaustion in healthy individuals. It aimed to elucidate whether the augmented blood pressure response during heavy- and …

Associations between awake-state cerebral hemodynamic activity and sleep quality: A longitudinal fNIRS study in young adults and implications for rehabilitation

Objectives: Poor sleep quality is a significant public health challenge, particularly among young adults, and can impede recovery and rehabilitation. However, there is a lack of objective, field-deployable neurophysiological markers for widespread …

BDNF relates to prefrontal cortex activity in the context of physical exercise

Exercise has been shown to support brain health, cognitive function, and increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). While BDNF is known to support the central nervous system through improved brain metabolism, vasculature, …

Blood flow restriction induces similar peripheral stress but greater central drive impairments than systemic hypoxia during repeated cycling sprints

Purpose Systemic hypoxia (SH) and blood flow restriction (BFR) are methods used to improve repeated sprint exercise ability. This study aimed to compare their respective impacts on neuromuscular fatigue etiology of the lower limbs during cycling …

Catching a yawn: A multimodal experimental protocol for investigating sleepiness under visual and auditory yawning stimuli featuring human and digital characters

This protocol describes a laboratory-based experimental method for investigating whether exposure to contagious yawning stimuli is associated with measurable changes in subjective and physiological markers of sleepiness. The protocol employs a …

Circadian-dependent neural mechanisms of lighting optimization in underground transit environments: Evidence from fNIRS network analysis

Underground metro cabins rely almost entirely on artificial lighting, which simultaneously provides visual input and circadian cues for passengers. Yet, neurophysiological evidence remains scarce on how time-of-day–specific illuminance and correlated …