Antonio Crisafulli - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Antonio Crisafulli

It has been demonstrated that brief cycles of ischemia followed by reperfusion (IR) applied befor... more It has been demonstrated that brief cycles of ischemia followed by reperfusion (IR) applied before exercise can improve performance and, IR intervention, applied immediately after exercise (post-exercise ischemic conditioning – PEIC) exerts a potential ergogenic effect to accelerate recovery. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to identify the effects of PEIC on exercise performance, recovery and the responses of associated physiological parameters, such as creatine kinase, perceived recovery and muscle soreness, over 24 h after its application. From 3281 studies, six involving 106 subjects fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Compared to sham (cuff administration with low pressure) and control interventions (no cuff administration), PEIC led to faster performance recovery (p=0.004; ES=-0.49) and lower increase in creatine kinase (p<0.001; ES=-0.71) and muscle soreness (p<0.001; ES=-0.89) over 24 h. The effectiveness of this intervention is more pro...

Experimental Physiology, 2020

I congratulate Lam, Greenhough, Nazari, White, & Bruce (2019) for their nice work about muscl... more I congratulate Lam, Greenhough, Nazari, White, & Bruce (2019) for their nice work about muscle metaboreflex activation during dynamic exercise. The authors found that increased muscle metaboreflex activity, generated by postexercise circulatory occlusion (PECO) of one leg, augmented the ventilatory and heart rate (HR) responses to effort of the contralateral leg. Thus, they demonstrated that metaboreflex activation can contribute to both hyperpnoea and tachycardia during dynamic exercise. This was an elegant approach to demonstrate that only during exercise (i.e. when the metaboreflex is operating in combination with central command), the stimulation of the muscle metaboreflex increases HR and ventilation. Moreover, the protocol they used (leg exercise) was different from those of most of the other studies in humans (handgrip). These results are similar to what found by our group in 2011 using adifferent experimental approach. Specifically,wedemonstrated that when PECO was applied during dynamic exercise (handgrip), substantial ventilation and HR responses occurred. On the contrary, when PECO was applied after dynamic handgrip, neither ventilation nor HR took part in the response (Crisafulli et al., 2011). In the last 20 years, hemodynamics and cardiovascular regulation during PECO have been investigated by several studies conducted in humans, which are summarised in a recent review (Crisafulli, 2017). One possible weak point of the paper by Lam et al. (2019) is that in their interpretation the authors almost overlooked the role played by the arterial baroreflex in the HR response during PECO. Specifically, during PECO after exercise parasympathetic activity increases and obscures the effect of themetaboreflex-induced sustained sympathetic activity upon the sinus node, thus explaining the lack of influence of PECO upon HR (Iellamo et al., 1999; Nishiyasu et al., 1994). A different HR behaviour occurs when the metaboreflex is evoked by means of PECO during exercise. In this situation, HR increases because the central command is still operating anddecreases the parasympathetic tone, which, in turn, cannot counteract the enhanced sympathetic activity towards the sinus node. In short, from these previous papers it appears that the HR behaviour during the metaboreflex is a complex biological phenomenon that is under the control of several mechanisms. In this context, the role of the baroreflex should not be ruled out.

International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 2012

This study was devised to measure certain physiological variables related to the energy requireme... more This study was devised to measure certain physiological variables related to the energy requirement together with a match analysis during real Muay Thai matches. Twenty skilled male fighters were recruited and performed a laboratory incremental preliminary test to assess their maximum oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold. They were then involved in real Muay Thai competitions. During matches heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (BLa) values were collected. Moreover, matches were filmed and analysed for subsequent determination of the techniques used. Differences between winners and losers were assessed. During matches HR was on average 178.9±0.3 bpm (i.e. close to the maximum level reached during the preliminary test), while BLa was 9.72±0.6 mmol•L-1. There was no difference in HR and BLa responses between winners and losers. Winners and losers used a similar number of techniques. However, the effectiveness of attacks was higher in winners. This investigation provides evidence that during Muay Thai the lactic anaerobic system is widely recruited and that the cardiovascular apparatus is highly stressed with no difference between winners and losers. Moreover, successful athletes use the same number of techniques as losers, although with greater effectiveness, thus indicating that the training strategy should aim at developing high technical skills.

Journal of sports science & medicine, 2016

At rest the proportion between systolic and diastolic periods of the cardiac cycle is about 1/3 a... more At rest the proportion between systolic and diastolic periods of the cardiac cycle is about 1/3 and 2/3 respectively. Therefore, mean blood pressure (MBP) is usually calculated with a standard formula (SF) as follows: MBP = diastolic blood pressure (DBP) + 1/3 [systolic blood pressure (SBP) - DBP]. However, during exercise this proportion is lost because of tachycardia, which shortens diastole more than systole. We analysed the difference in MBP calculation between the SF and a corrected formula (CF) which takes into account changes in the diastolic and systolic periods caused by exercise-induced tachycardia. Our hypothesis was that the SF potentially induce a systematic error in MBP assessment during recovery after exercise. Ten healthy males underwent two exercise-recovery tests on a cycle-ergometer at mild-moderate and moderate-heavy workloads. Hemodynamics and MBP were monitored for 30 minutes after exercise bouts. The main result was that the SF on average underestimated MBP by...

$Research paper thumbnail of Hemodynamic response to muscle reflex is abnormal in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction$

Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 2017

The aim of the present investigation was to assess the role of cardiac diastole on the hemodynami... more The aim of the present investigation was to assess the role of cardiac diastole on the hemodynamic response to metaboreflex activation. We wanted to determine whether patients with diastolic function impairment showed a different hemodynamic response compared with normal subjects during this reflex. Hemodynamics during activation of the metaboreflex obtained by postexercise muscle ischemia (PEMI) was assessed in 10 patients with diagnosed heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and in 12 age-matched healthy controls (CTL). Subjects also performed a control exercise-recovery test to compare data from the PEMI test. The main results were that patients with HFpEF achieved a similar mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) response as the CTL group during the PEMI test. However, the mechanism by which this response was achieved was markedly different between the two groups. Patients with HFpEF achieved the target MAP via an increase in systemic vascular resistance (+389.5 ± 402...

European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2016

Purpose The purpose of the present investigation was to study the metabolic demand and cardiovasc... more Purpose The purpose of the present investigation was to study the metabolic demand and cardiovascular response during a typical horse riding session. Methods To this aim, 19 (9 male, 10 female) riders, regularly participating in competitions, were enrolled. They underwent a preliminary, incremental exercise test on a cycle-ergometer to assess their anaerobic threshold (AT) and VO 2max. Then, participants underwent a riding training session, which comprised periods of walking, trotting, and cantering for a total of 20 min. Oxygen uptake (VO 2), carbon dioxide production (VCO 2), and heart rate (HR) were obtained throughout the preliminary and riding test by means of a portable metabolic system. Moreover, excess of CO 2 production (CO 2excess) and oxygen pulse (OP) were also calculated to obtain an estimate of anaerobic glycolysis and stroke volume. Results The main result was that all collected parameters remained below the AT level throughout the riding session, with the exception of HR that approached the AT level only during cantering. In detail, during cantering, average VO 2 , VCO 2 , HR, CO 2excess , and OP values were 1289 ± 331 mL min −1 , 1326 ± 266 mL min −1 , 158 ± 22 bpm, 215 ± 119 mL min −1 , and 7.8 ± 1.6 mL/ bpm, respectively. Conclusions It was concluded that riding imposes only light to moderate stress on the aerobic and anaerobic energy Communicated by Guido Ferretti.

BioMed Research International, 2016

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of vigorous exercise on functional abilities by m... more The aim of this study was to assess the effects of vigorous exercise on functional abilities by means of a Senior Fitness Test (SFT) in a group of elderly adults. Twenty healthy and inactive people performed vigorous exercise (VE: 12 men and 8 women, aged 69.6 ± 3.9 years). At the beginning of the study (T0) and after 3 months (T1), each subject’s functional ability was tested for muscular strength, agility, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and balance. The VE was designed with continuous and interval exercise involving large muscle activities. Functional exercises were performed between 60% and 84% of heart rate reserve (HRR) for a duration of 65 minutes. Five out of the 6 SFTs performed were found significantly improved: Chair Stand (T0 12.4 ± 2.4, T1 13.5 ± 2.6,p<0.01), Arm Curl (T0 14.2 ± 3.6, T1 16.6 ± 3.6,p<0.01), 2 min step (T0 98.2 ± 15.7, T1 108.9 ± 16.2,p<0.01), Chair Sit-and-Reach (T0 −9.9 ± 7.7 cm, T1 1.7 ± 6.3 cm,p<0.01), and Back Scratch (T0 −15.8 ± 10....

American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, May 2, 2016

Ischemic preconditioning (IP) has been shown to improve exercise performance and to delay fatigue... more Ischemic preconditioning (IP) has been shown to improve exercise performance and to delay fatigue. However, the precise mechanisms through which IP operates remain elusive. It has been hypothesized that IP lowers the sensation of fatigue by reducing the discharge of group III and IV nerve endings, which also regulate hemodynamics during the metaboreflex. We hypothesized that IP reduces the blood pressure response during the metaboreflex. Fourteen healthy males (age between 25-48 years) participated in this study. They underwent the following randomly assigned protocol: post-exercise muscle ischemia (PEMI) test, during which the metaboreflex was elicited after dynamic handgrip; control exercise recovery session (CER) test; PEMI after IP (IP-PEMI) test. IP was obtained by occluding forearm circulation for three cycles of 5 minutes spaced by 5 minutes of reperfusion. Hemodynamics were evaluated by echocardiography and impedance cardiography. The main results were that after IP the mean...

Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 2015

Introduction: Motor commands to perform exercise tasks may also induce activation of cardiovascul... more Introduction: Motor commands to perform exercise tasks may also induce activation of cardiovascular centres to supply the energy needs of the contracting muscles. Mental stressors per se may also influence cardiovascular homeostasis. We investigated the cardiovascular response of trained runners simultaneously engaged in mental and physical tasks to establish if aerobically trained subjects could develop, differently from untrained ones, nervous facilitation in the brain cardiovascular centre.Methods:Cardiovascular responses of 8 male middle-distance runners (MDR), simultaneously engaged in mental (colour-word interference test) and physical (cycle ergometer exercise) tasks, were compared with those of 8 untrained subjects. Heart rate, cardiac (CI) and stroke indexes were assessed by impedance cardiography while arterial blood pressures were assessed with a brachial sphygmomanometer.Results:Only in MDR simultaneous engagement in mental and physical tasks induced a significant CI inc...

American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2015

Patients suffering from obesity and metabolic syndrome (OMS) manifest a dysregulation in hemodyna... more Patients suffering from obesity and metabolic syndrome (OMS) manifest a dysregulation in hemodynamic response during exercise, with an exaggerated systemic vascular increase. However, it is not clear whether this is the consequence of metabolic syndrome per se or whether it is due to concomitant obesity. The aim of the present investigation was to discover whether OMS and noncomplicated obesity resulted in different hemodynamic responses during the metaboreflex. Twelve metabolically healthy but obese subjects (MHO; 7 women), 13 OMS patients (5 women), and 12 normal age-matched controls (CTL; 6 women) took part in this study. All participants underwent a postexercise muscle ischemia protocol to evaluate the metaboreflex activity. Central hemodynamics were evaluated by impedance cardiography. The main result shows an exaggerated increase in systemic vascular resistance from baseline during the metaboreflex in the OMS patients as compared with the other groups (481.6 ± 180.3, −0.52 ± 1...

Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2015

Considering the relation between body weight composition and energy cost of running, we tested th... more Considering the relation between body weight composition and energy cost of running, we tested the hypothesis that by modifying body composition by means of a combined protocol of specific diet and training, the energy cost of motion (Cr) may be reduced. Forty-five healthy and normal-weight subjects were divided into 3 groups that performed a different treatment: the first group attended a dietary protocol (D), the second group participated in a running program (R), and the third group followed both the dietary and running protocols (R&D). Each subject underwent 3 anthropometric and exercise evaluation tests during 1 year (at entry (T0), month 6 (T6), and month 12 (T12)) to assess body composition and Cr adjustments. The mean fat mass (FM) values were reduced in R&D from 12.0 ± 4.0 to 10.4 ± 3.0 kg (p < 0.05 T0 vs. T12) and in the D group from 14.2 ± 5.8 to 11.6 ± 4.7 kg (p < 0.05 T0 vs. T12). Conversely, the mean fat free mass values increased in R&D (from 56.3 ± 8.8 to 58.3 ...

European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2015

The aim of the present investigation was to assess the role of aging on the contribution of diast... more The aim of the present investigation was to assess the role of aging on the contribution of diastolic function during metaboreflex activation. In particular, it aimed to determine whether age-related impairment in diastolic function would produce a different hemodynamic response in elderly subjects (EG) as compared to young controls (CTL). Hemodynamic response to metaboreflex activation obtained by post-exercise muscle ischemia (PEMI) was gathered in 22 EG and 20 healthy CTL. Subjects also performed a control exercise recovery (CER) test to compare data from the PEMI test. The main results showed that the EG group reached higher mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) increment than the CTL group during the PEMI test (+11.2 ± 8.6 vs 6.1 ± 6.4 mmHg in the EG and CTL group, respectively). Moreover, the mechanism by which this response was achieved was different between the two groups. In detail, EG reached the target MAP by increasing systemic vascular resistance (+235.2 ± 315.1 vs -44.4 ± 167.7 dynes s(-1) cm(-5) for the EG and the CTL group, respectively), whereas MAP response in the CTL was the result of an increase in cardiac pre-load (-1.5 ± 11.2 vs 14 ± 13.7 ml in end-diastolic volume for the EG and the CTL group, respectively), which led to a rise in stroke volume and cardiac output. Moreover, early filling peak velocities showed a higher response in the CTL than EG group. This study demonstrates that diastolic function is important for normal hemodynamic adjustment during the metaboreflex and to avoid excessive vasoconstriction.

Open Journal of Immunology, 2013

Natural killer cells (NK) are a group of peripheral blood lymphocytes which display cytotoxic act... more Natural killer cells (NK) are a group of peripheral blood lymphocytes which display cytotoxic activity against a wide range of tumour cells. They are a consistent part of the inflammatory response that is activated when either internal or external injuries occur as they are able to synthesize perforins. An important role is played by NK cells in the host defence against tumours without expressing any antigen-binding recaptor in their membrane which, however, distinguish T and B lymphocytes. NK activity appears early in the immune response, thus providing immediate protection during the time required for the activation and proliferation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and for their differentiation into functional cells. Even though much research regarding the effects of aerobic training exercise on NK cell numbers and function, there appears to be much controversy regarding its effect. NK cells are rapidly mobilized into circulation in response to acute exercise, most likely by increased shear stress and catecholamine-induced down-regulation of adhesion molecule expression. However, tissue injury and inflammation which often accompanies strenuous exercise have been associated to post-exercise NK cell suppression. Scientific evidence indicates exercise-induced changes in NK cell redistribution and function should be strongly influenced by stress hormones including catecholamines, cortisol and prolactin as well as by soluble mediators such as cytokines and prostaglandins. The role of exercise therapy in cancer patients and survivors rehabilitation is becoming increasingly important as it is thought to modulate immunity and inflammation. However, more knowledge about the effects of exercise on immune function in these patients is needed.

BioMed research international, 2014

Spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals show an altered hemodynamic response to metaboreflex activa... more Spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals show an altered hemodynamic response to metaboreflex activation due to a reduced capacity to vasoconstrict the venous and arterial vessels below the level of the lesion. Exercise training was found to enhance circulating catecholamines and to improve cardiac preload and venous tone in response to exercise in SCI subjects. Therefore, training would result in enhanced diastolic function and capacity to vasoconstrict circulation. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that one year of training improves hemodynamic response to metaboreflex activation in these subjects. Nine SCI individuals were enrolled and underwent a metaboreflex activation test at the beginning of the study (T0) and after one year of training (T1). Hemodynamics were assessed by impedance cardiography and echocardiography at both T0 and T1. Results show that there was an increment in cardiac output response due to metaboreflex activity at T1 as compared to T0 (545.4 ± 68...

Current Cardiology Reviews, 2006

Sport Sciences for Health, 2004

Eight healthy male subjects performed a cycle ergometer incremental exercise up to exhaustion to ... more Eight healthy male subjects performed a cycle ergometer incremental exercise up to exhaustion to study possible relationships between excess CO 2 production (CO 2-exc) and natural killer (NK) cells, measured in terms of concentration (NK abs) and as a percentage of lymphocytes in peripheral blood (NK%). A parabola-like regression equation with its vertex downwards best fit the relationship between CO 2-exc at W max and the difference between NK cell measurements at the maximum workload (W max) and at the workload corresponding to the anaerobic threshold (W AT). For NK cell concentration, the best equation was NK abs (cells/mm 3)=248.8413-0.3105 CO 2-exc (ml min-1)+0.0001 CO 2-exc 2 (ml min-1) (p=0.044). For NK cells expressed as a percentage, the best equation was NK(%)=108.7636-0.1414 CO 2-exc (ml min-1)+0.00001 CO 2-exc 2 (ml min-1) (p=0.032). Thus, the higher was the CO 2-exc the lower was the increase in both NK cell measurements at W max with respect to the value observed at W AT. However, when CO 2-exc reached more elevated values, then the direction of this relationship was inverted. It may be concluded that when strenuous exercise is performed, an anti-inflammatory/performance-preserving event takes place, while recovery towards a pro-inflammatory/anti-infection state tends gradually to re-establish when a subject's anaerobic power becomes too high.

Sport Sciences for Health, 2013

Sport Sciences for Health, 2012

While VO 2max has been widely investigated, there is few research on anaerobic capacity (AC) in s... more While VO 2max has been widely investigated, there is few research on anaerobic capacity (AC) in soccer players. Previous studies reported that AC is age-dependent and that young individuals had lower AC compared with adults. Thus, we wondered whether AC would have proven more useful than VO 2max in differentiating adult soccer players from young players. A total of 37 male athletes from a professional team were recruited and divided into two subgroups: the adult (AD, n = 20) group, older than 19 years, and the young (YO, n = 17) group, ranged from 16 to 18 years. Each participant underwent an incremental test on a treadmill to assess maximal velocity (V max), anaerobic threshold (AT) and VO 2max and a supramaximal exercise at a velocity 10 % higher than V max to measure AC. The AD group reached higher AT and VO 2max with respect to the YO group (55.23 ± 4.65 vs. 51.48 ± 4.73 mL min-1 kg-1), whereas no difference was found in parameters related to the AC. In conclusion, young soccer players had the same AC as adult, but they displayed a lower VO 2max. These findings indicated that AC in professional players is fully developed already when they are young while aerobic capacity is still to be developed.