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The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the menstrual cycle and its underlying hormonal fluctuations affect muscle damage and inflammation in well-trained females following an eccentric exercise. Nineteen eumenorrheic women performed an eccentric squat-based exercise in the early follicular phase, late follicular phase and mid-luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Sex hormones and blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation –creatine kinase, myoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, tumoral necrosis factor-α, and C reactive protein– were analyzed in each phase. No effect of menstrual cycle phase was observed (p > 0.05), while an interaction for interleukin-6 was shown (p = 0.047). Accordingly, a moderate effect size [0.68 (0.53)–0.84 (0.74)], indicated that interleukin-6 values 2 h post-trial (2.07 ± 1.26 pg/mL) were likely to be higher than baseline (1.59 ± 0.33 pg/mL), 24 h (1.50 ± 0.01 pg/mL) and 48 h (1.54 ± 0.13 pg/mL) in the mid-luteal phase. Blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation were not affected by the menstrual cycle in well-trained women. The eccentric exercise barely triggered muscle damage and hence, no inflammation was observed, possibly due to participants training status. The mid-luteal phase was the only phase reflecting a possible inflammatory response in terms of interleukin-6, although further factors than sex hormones seem to be responsible for this finding.

The transition of students to the university stage is a critical period in which there are numerous changes that could influence their lifestyles. The aim of this research was to analyse the levels of physical activity and the types of motivation for physical activity among university students according to gender. A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional survey methodology was used. A total sample of 3060 university students, 47.8% women and 52.2% men, with a mean age of 20.88 ± 2.01 years was recruited. The sampling margin of error was ±1.85%. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the third version of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire were used to evaluate MVPA and motivations to exercise, respectively. Two-way ANCOVA and a mediation analysis were performed. The most relevant results show that less than half of the university men and women are considered physically active. Furthermore, when analysing the interaction between motivation and gender, a large effect in identified motivation (F = 65.03; p≤ 0.001) and integrated motivation (F = 324.58; p ≤.0.001) and a medium one intrinsic motivation (F = 169.39; p ≤ 0.001) was found. Therefore, women university students have lower levels of physical activity practice than men students and show higher external motivation and demotivation.

It is unknown whether changes in lactate concentration produced by different situations (e.g., glycogen depletion or heat) modify fat oxidation. If confirmed, we could determine a dose–response relationship between lactate and fat. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in lactate concentration (due to glycogen depletion or heat) alter fat oxidation during exercise. 11 males and eight females performed an incremental exercise test under three situations: control, glycogen depletion, and heat. At rest, in the last minute of each step and immediately post‐exhaustion, lactate was analyzed and fat oxidation was estimated by indirect calorimetry. Lactate concentration was inversely associated with fat oxidation in the three aforementioned situations (r > 0.88 and p < 0.05). The highest lactate concentration was found in the heat situation, followed by the control situation, and finally the glycogen depletion situation (all p < 0.05). The opposite was found for fat oxidation, with the highest fat oxidation found in the glycogen depletion situation, followed by the control situation, and finally the heat situation (all p < 0.05). There is no association between the changes in lactate concentration between situations at each intensity and the changes in fat oxidation between situations at each intensity in males or females (p > 0.05). In conclusion, lactatemia is strongly and inversely associated with fat oxidation under the three different situations. Furthermore, the lowest lactate concentrations were accompanied by the highest fat oxidations in the glycogen depletion situation, whereas the highest lactate concentrations were accompanied by the lowest fat oxidations in the heat situation. Highlights It was found that a very strong inverse association between lactatemia and fat oxidation in females and males despite changes in both substrates between situations. Hence, assessing blood lactate alone could be an effective way to indirectly assess fat oxidation when the situation is the same. Importantly, lactate‐fat relationship is different between situations, indicating to extrapolate fat oxidation from lactate, or vice versa, this relationship needs to be previously determined in each specific situation. Since the same blood lactate concentration does not imply the same fat oxidation in different situations, a fixed blood lactate concentration may not reflect the same metabolic response, even in the same individual, if he/she is exposed to different situations. Changes in lactate kinetics, due to heat or glycogen depletion, are accompanied by opposite changes in the fat oxidation pattern. However, changes in blood lactate concentration between situations at each intensity are not associated with changes in the fat oxidation between situations at each intensity. Therefore, these results suggest an absence of a dose–response relationship between both variables indicating that lactate may not be a major regulatory factor of changes in fat oxidation across different situations during exercise.

The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of an aerobic fitness level on the percentage of maximum oxygen consumption, heart rate, and power output (%VO2max, %HRmax, and %Wmax) at which ventilatory thresholds 1 (VT1) and 2 (VT2) occur during a ramp incremental cycle‐ergometer test in males and females considering age. 1450 males and 241 females performed a ramp incremental exercise test until exhaustion to determine VT1, VT2, and VO2max. Combining the oxygen consumption at VT1, VT2, and VO2max by clustering analysis, males were classified as a low, medium, or high aerobic fitness level and females were classified as a low or high aerobic fitness level. Results showed VO2max was very poorly correlated with the %VO2max at which VT1 and VT2 occur (r ≤ 0.115), whereas oxygen consumption at VT1 and VT2 showed a stronger positive association with the %VO2max at which VT1 and VT2 occur, respectively (r = 0.357–0.604). Furthermore, the %VO2max at which VT1 and VT2 occur were greater the higher the aerobic fitness level (all p ≤ 0.002), observing a high heterogeneity in the %VO2max at which VT1 and VT2 occur even stratifying the sample by sex and aerobic fitness levels. In conclusion, the percentage of maximum at which VT1 and VT2 occur are better related to oxygen consumption at VT1 and VT2, respectively, than to VO2max. Moreover, the common strategy consisting of establishing exercise intensity as a fixed percentage of maximum might not be effective to match intensity across individuals even if sex and aerobic fitness levels is considered. Trial Registration NCT06246760.

(1) Background: the scientific literature has shown that students’ active involvement in the teaching–learning process significantly improves their learning outcomes. (2) Methods: this study shows the perceptions of seven researchers on the process of inquiring about the effects of the combined use of virtual reality (VR) and a practice teaching style in physical education in secondary educational institutions. (3) Results: the results obtained from the researchers’ diaries and the focus group, through qualitative design, are arranged in the following categories: difficulties in data collection before, during, and after the intervention; perceived differences between VR interventions in laboratory situations and educational contexts; and the perceived transferability of the use of VR devices in the educational context. (4) Conclusions: more research is needed on the use of VR in the educational context, although the results obtained indicate that the teaching–learning process can be enriched by overcoming the difficulties inherent to the use of this technology in a variable context such as education.

The development of new models of face masks makes it necessary to compare their impact on exercise. Therefore, the aim of this work was to compare the cardiopulmonary response to a maximal incremental test, perceived ventilation, exertion, and comfort using FFP2 or Emotion masks in young female athletes. Thirteen healthy sportswomen (22.08 ± 1.75 years) performed a spirometry, and a graded exercise test on a treadmill, with a JAEGER® Vyntus CPX gas analyzer using an ergospirometry mask (ErgoMask) or wearing the FFP2 or the Emotion mask below the ErgoMask, randomized on 3 consecutive days. Also, menstrual cycle status was monitored to avoid possible intrasubject alterations. The results showed lower values for the ErgoMask+FFP2, compared to ErgoMask or ErgoMask+Emotion, in forced vital capacity (3.8 ± 0.2, 4.5 ± 0.2 and 4.1 ± 0.1 l, respectively); forced expiratory volume in 1 s (3.3 ± 0.2, 3.7 ± 0.2 and 3.5 ± 0.1 l); ventilation (40.9 ± 1.5, 50.6 ± 1.5 and 46.9 ± 1.2 l/min); breathing frequency (32.7 ± 1.1, 37.4 ± 1.1 and 35.3 ± 1.4 bpm); VE/VO2 (30.5 ± 0.7, 34.6 ± 0.9 and 33.6 ± 0.7); VE/VCO2 (32.2 ± 0.6, 36.2 ± 0.9 and 34.4 ± 0.7) and time to exhaustion (492.4 ± 9.7, 521.7 ± 8.6 and 520.1 ± 9.5 s) and higher values in inspiratory time (0.99 ± 0.04, 0.82 ± 0.03 and 0.88 ± 0.03 s). In conclusion, in young healthy female athletes, the Emotion showed better preservation of cardiopulmonary responses than the FFP2.

The relationship between multiple sclerosis (MS) and females is a crucial aspect in the development of the disease, with the ovarian hormonal cycle being a sensitive stage, especially in females with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The objectives of the study are to identify moderating variables that modify satisfaction with physical activity practice throughout the menstrual cycle (MC) in females in or out of their MC, during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training sessions and to compare the acute effects of different types of physical activity sessions in females with and without MS. This protocol is the methodology used in the EMMA Study, a randomised, single-blind crossover trial study conducted in females with MS who were matched 1:1, based on age, lifestyle factors and country of residence, with females without MS, to analyse the effect of physical activity practice on satisfaction, functionality, fatigue and inflammatory profile through their MC. Participants will visit the facilities approximately 10 times (4 preliminary familiarisation visits and 6 visits to carry out a physical activity session in each phase of the MC) for 3–4 months. A total sample of 30 females (15 females without MS and 15 with MS) is necessary for the study. The evaluation will comprise clinical, nutritional and psychological interviews, including different variables. It is hypothesised during the luteal phase, females with MS are expected to exhibit different acute responses to HIIT and strength training sessions as compared with females without the disease. Before starting the study, all participants will read and sign an informed consent form. Trial registration number: This research protocol is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov to ensure transparency and accessibility of study information (NCT06105463). The university’s ethics committee number for this study is UALBIO2022/048.

Introducción: el aprendizaje cooperativo (AC) es una metodología activa que pretende desarrollar la competencia de trabajo en equipo y favorecer la implicación del alumnado en su aprendizaje. Objetivo: conocer la percepción del alumnado de implementar estrategias metodológicas que favorezcan el AC en la educación superior. Metodología: se llevó a cabo un Proyecto de Innovación Educativa con alumnos de asignaturas de Educación Física de los grados de Educación Primaria y Educación Infantil de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. El diseño de la investigación fue cualitativo, realizándose entrevistas semiestructuradas y grupos de discusión cuyas transcripciones fueron analizadas mediante el software MAXQDA. Resultados y discusión: entre las dificultades percibidas en los equipos de trabajo destacan los problemas con la gestión de los tiempos, con la toma de decisiones consensuadas y el diferente nivel de implicación entre sus integrantes. Entre los facilitadores percibidos destacan la posibilidad de aprendizaje entre iguales y la posibilidad de especialización. Conclusiones: a pesar de las dificultades percibidas, trabajar cooperativamente parece favorecer el desarrollo de competencias sociales en los futuros docentes.

Using as a reference the Self-Determination Theory with its exposition of the three basic psychological needs, the literature on teaching styles and active methodologies, a didactic proposal using the Points, Badgets and Leaderboards (PBL) system for the subject of Physical Education based on the universe of Avatar is detailed. This intervention was carried out in a secondary school in Madrid (Spain) with students in the second year of ESO, at the end of which information was obtained from some of the participants, through personal interviews, on aspects related to the feeling of competence, teamwork, the subject matter used and the system for distributing points. The sense of novelty and the feeling of belonging to a group seem to have been the two key elements in increasing student motivation during the intervention, while at the same time the low motivational impact of other factors such as the chosen subject matter or the scoring system is discussed. Utilizando como referencia la Teoría de la Autodeterminación con su exposición de las tres necesidades psicológicas básicas, la literatura sobre los estilos de enseñanza y las metodologías activas, se detalla una propuesta didáctica que utiliza el sistema Points, Badgets and Leaderboards (PBL) para la asignatura de Educación Física basada en el universo de Avatar. Esta intervención se llevó a cabo en un centro de educación secundaria de Madrid (España) con alumnado de segundo de ESO, al término de la cual se obtuvo información por parte de algunos de los participantes, a través de entrevistas personales, sobre aspectos relacionados con el sentimiento de competencia, el trabajo en equipo, la temática utilizada y el sistema de reparto de puntos. La sensación de novedad y el sentimiento de pertenencia a un grupo parecen haber sido los dos elementos clave en el aumento de la motivación en el alumnado durante la intervención, al mismo tiempo que se discute la escasa repercusión motivacional de otros factores como la temática elegida o el sistema de puntuación.

Children and adolescents worldwide, especially girls, do not meet moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines, a situation which is related to obesity and other comorbidities. Sex/gender differences in the practice of MVPA and motivations to engage in physical activity have not been previously examined among Spanish students considering different educational levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore these differences and analyse if motivations mediate the relationship between educational levels and MVPA in a large sample of students. From different schools in the Madrid region (primary: 11,122; lower secondary: 12,379; upper secondary: 3228) 26,729 students (13,491 boys and 13,238 girls; 9–19 years old) were recruited to participate in this study. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the third version of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire were used to evaluate, MVPA and motivations to exercise, respectively. Two-way ANCOVA and a mediation analysis were performed. Female students were found to be less active than males (43.4±38.7 and 58.6±45.9 min of MVPA; p  < 0.001; η p 2  = 0.023) and showed lower intrinsic ( η p 2  = 0.003), and integrated ( η p 2  = 0.007) motivations than their male counterparts ( p  < 0.001). Primary school students were more active than lower and upper secondary students (53.3±44.2, 49.9±42.3 and 48.0±42.8 min of MVPA; p  < 0.001; η p 2  = 0.002) and also presented higher intrinsic ( η p 2  = 0.011) and integrated ( η p 2  = 0.010) motivation than secondary school students ( p  < 0.001).    Conclusion :   Among Spanish children and adolescents, females showed lower levels of MVPA and intrinsic and integrated motivation across all the educational levels, and among primary school students in comparison to secondary school. This suggests that inner motivation is more determinant of increased engagement in MVPA and thus, there is need to reinforce it before the transition to secondary school and with special focus on females’ preferences. What is Known: •Many children and adolescents worldwide, do not meet physical activity (PA) recommendations. • Within the self-determination theory, autonomous motivation seems to be the main responsible of greater PA levels. What is New: •This study shows for the first time sex and educational level differences in PA levels in a representative sample of Spanish students (9-19 yrs). • Autonomous motivation decreased from primary school onwards and was lower in female students than in their male counterparts.