Antonio Paoli

University of Padova | UNIPD · Department of Biomedical Sciences - DSB

Manual dexterity is a key skill in motor development. There are conflicting studies on the influence of sports practice on this skill and on which type of sport trains this ability the most in youth. Manual dexterity is usually assessed with expensive and time-consuming tools not easily available to facilities such as schools or sports clubs. The a...

Study aim : The aim of this study is to assess whether a closed (CG) or open grip (OC) can influence the maximum number of repetitions during the pull-up test to exhaustion. Material and methods : Ninety-five physically active males (age 23.5 ± 6.2 years, body mass 69 ± 7.9 kg, height 174.0 ± 6.4 cm, BMI 22.9 ± 2.2) randomly performed the pull-up t...

PURPOSE: Overactivation of erector spinae (ES) muscles has been identified as one of the potential major causes of low back pain (LBP) in cyclists1. Previous evidence on rowers with LBP reported an altered magnitude and spatial distribution of ES activity2. Conversely, less is known about cyclists’ lumbar region activation patterns. Accordingly, in...

PURPOSE: High-density surface EMG (HDsEMG) provides valuable information about motor units (MUs) properties and their adaptability non-invasively. However, great intersubject variability in identification of MUs exists due to anatomical constraints of the muscle, individual volume conductor properties and the contraction intensity. A recent study s...

Purpose Low back pain is the most frequently reported musculoskeletal disorder and represents one of the highest patient burdens in healthcare. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Pilates exercise on pain intensity and functional disability caused by low back pain (LBP). Materials and methods A Systema...

Background Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a technique widely used for estimating body composition and health-related parameters. The technology is relatively simple, quick, and non-invasive, and is currently used globally in diverse settings, including private clinicians’ offices, sports and health clubs, and hospitals, and across a spec...

Objective: Alpine skiing requires complex motor skills and fine adjustments to maintain balance in dynamic and challenging conditions. This study aimed to understand whether the balance ability in unspecific (UST) and sport-specific (SST) tasks could depend on the skiers’ ranking level. The balance performance of the dominant and non-dominant limbs...

Background: Interactive videogames, virtual reality, and robotics represent a new opportunity for multimodal treatments in many rehabilitation contexts. However, several commercial videogames are designed for leisure and are not oriented toward definite rehabilitation goals. Among the many, Playball® (Playwork, Alon 10, Ness Ziona, Israel) is a th...

The translation of the base of support represents a promising approach for the objective assessment of dynamic balance control. Therefore, this study aimed to present a servo-controlled, electrically driven movable plate and a new set of parameters based on the center-of-pressure (CoP) trajectory. Twenty subjects were assessed on a force platform s...

Élite athletes, due to the intense mental and physical demand, may experience injuries and hormonal dysfunction, including overuse injuries and menstrual disorders. Both these factors are influenced by Low Energy Availability (LEA), so this study aims to determine the relationship between menstrual irregularities, stress fractures and LEA in Italia...

Overactivation of erector spinae (ES) muscles has been identified as one of the potential major causes of low back pain (LBP) in cyclists. However, less is known about cyclists’ lumbar region activation patterns. Accordingly, in this cross-sectional study, we compared the activation and spatial distribution of ES muscles in cyclists with and withou...

Background & aims: The bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) represents a qualitative analysis of body composition. The vector, defined by resistance (R) and reactance (Xc) standardized by stature, can be evaluated compared to the 50%,75%, and 95% tolerance ellipses representative of the reference populations. The tolerance ellipses for h...

The analysis of the center of pressure (CoP) trajectory, derived from force platforms, is a widely accepted measure to investigate postural balance control. The CoP trajectory could be analyzed as a physiological time-series through a general stochastic modeling framework (i.e., Stabilogram Diffusion Analysis (SDA)). Critical point divides short-te...

Because of the biophysical relation between muscle fibre diameter and the propagation velocity of action potentials along the muscle fibres, motor unit conduction velocity could be a non‐invasive index of muscle fibre size in humans. However, the relation between motor unit conduction velocity and fibre size has been only assessed indirectly in ani...

Scientific literature is giving greater importance to dynamic balance in fall prevention. Recently, the validity and reliability of the most employed functional tests for dynamic balance assessment has been investigated. Although these functional tests are practical and require minimal equipment, they are inherently subjective, as most do not use i...

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometry are considered alternatives to well-established reference techniques for assessing body composition. In team sports, the percentage of fat mass (FM%) is one of the most informative parameters, and a wide range of predictive equations allow for its estimation through both BIA and anthropometry...

Objectives: The present study aimed to develop and cross-validate a futsal-specific bioelectrical equation for estimating fat-free mass (FFM) in male players. Methods: A total of 66 futsal players (age 23.3 ± 5.4 years) from the Major Portuguese Futsal League "LIGA PLACARD" and from the 2nd and 3rd National Futsal Leagues were included in this c...

Stiffness is a fundamental property of living tissues, which may be modified by pathologies or traumatic events but also by nutritional, pharmacological and exercise interventions. This review aimed to understand if specific forms of exercise are able to determine specific forms of tissue stiffness adaptations. A literature search was performed on...

Purpose: Digital imaging systems are increasingly being used in health care settings for quantifying body size and shape, as well as accurate classifications. The potential exists to provide similar anthropometric measures outside of professional settings using smartphone applications (apps). The aim of this study was to compare the waist-to-hip ra...

Dragon Boat (DB) is a discipline that has become more popular in the last few years among women with breast cancer thanks to its psychophysical benefits. The present randomized control trial aims to depict the effects of a DB program on body composition, physical function, and some psychosocial aspects. METHODS: Thirty-two women with a previous dia...

The project STAI BENE 2.0 aimed to implement psycho-oncological and rehabilitative support for the paediatric patient suffering from onco-haematological malignancies in continuity between hospital and home stays. Online home-based and personalized physical exercise is included in the interventions with the final goal of promoting patient well-being...

Background Recent research suggest that gut microbiome may play a fundamental role in athlete's health and performance. Interestingly, nutrition can affect athletic performance by influencing the gut microbiome composition. Among different dietary patterns, ketogenic diet represents an efficient nutritional approach to get adequate body composition...

Because of the biophysical relation between muscle fibre diameter and the propagation velocity of action potentials along the muscle fibres, motor unit conduction velocity (MUCV) could be a non-invasive index of muscle fibre size in humans. However, the relation between MUCV and fibre size has been only assessed indirectly in animal models and in h...

From the second half of the previous century, there has been a shift toward occupations largely composed of desk-based behaviors. This, inevitably, has led to a workload reduction and a consequent lower energy expenditure. On this point, small increments of the non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) could be the rationale to reach health benefi...

Background Evidence regarding chronic stretching training is limited. This study aimed to review studies that performed stretching training and evaluated the effects on muscular strength. Methods Literature search was performed using three databases. Studies were included if compared the effects on strength following stretching training versus a n...

Resistance training has been proposed as a valid practice to counteract the aging effect on body mass and its components, which can be easily evaluated though the bioelectrical impedance analysis. This study aimed to achieve a systematic review with meta-analysis on the impact of resistance training on bioelectrical proprieties in older adults. A l...

Studies pertaining to muscle dysmorphia (MD) have concentrated the most on males. However, a new body ideal for women is emerging: a very toned, athletic body with flat, smooth muscles. The emphasis on the level of muscularity represents a contribution to the growth of MD symptoms in women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factorial struct...

Although regular physical activity exposure leads to positive postural balance control (PBC) adaptations, few studies investigated its effects, or the one of inactivity, on PBC in populations of different age groups. Thus, this study investigated the impact of a physically active lifestyle on static and dynamic PBC in young and older adults. Thirty...

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between changes in Physical Activity (PA) and mental health during the lockdown. With respect to Italy, there is a lack of studies investigating changes in the type of and in the levels of PA performed pre- and during the lockdown and the relationship among PA changes and psychological variables such...

The high rate of air pollution represents a significant threat to health across the world. At the same time, the level of sedentarism is significantly increasing. In this scenario, new active transportation strategies are needed to address both these problems and e-bikes may be the answer to this need. E-bikes represent a way to promote green susta...

Urban green areas are of fundamental importance for the mental and physical well-being of citizens. However, these areas are often designed without considering the needs of all users, especially people with disabilities and the elderly. To fill this gap, the SHIP project aims at designing and developing urban furniture, rides, and tools for physica...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a worldwide pandemic illness that is impacting the cardiovascular, pulmonary, musculoskeletal, and cognitive function of a large spectrum of the worldwide population. The available pharmacological countermeasures of these long-term effects of COVID-19 are minimal, while myriads of non-specific non-pharmacologi...

Background Physical fitness status is a key aspect of health and, consequently, it is important to create and adopt appropriate interventions to maintain or improve it, and assess it using valid measures. While in other testing contexts, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are commonly and widely adopted, in physical fitness testing, a variety of...

Objectives Critical velocity and its related total distance covered above critical velocity can be used to evaluate and monitor the training and competition performance in athletes. While it is well researched in sports such as cycling and running, the literature on critical velocity in swimming is less available. Therefore, the objectives of this...

Neuromuscular fatigue could negatively affect postural balance, but its effects on dynamic postural regulation are still debated. This study aimed to investigate whether a fatigue protocol on calf muscle could affect muscle activation strategies and dynamic balance performance. Seventeen male adults (age 24.1 ± 4.6 years; height 183.9 ± 7.2 cm; wei...

Rapid weight loss is omnipresent in combat sports [1]. By reducing a substantial amount of weight prior to an official weigh-in and regaining weight after having made into desired weight class, combat athletes try to gain an advantage over their lighter opponents [2]. This type of behavior is often coined weight cycling and can take place on multip...

Background As combat sports are classified by body mass, many athletes engage in rapid weight loss (RWL) prior to competition so they can gain an advantage over lighter opponents. Following the weigh-in, athletes engage in rapid weight gain (RWG), whereby some athletes have been able to compete up to three weight categories greater than the officia...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced most Italian athletes to cease their regular training activities, with possible consequences on both mental and physical health. The present study aimed at assessing changes in Physical Activity (PA) from pre- to lockdown, and examining the relationships among lockdown PA, quality of life (mental and physica...

Aging and menopause are associated with morphological and functional changes which may lead to loss of muscle mass and therefore quality of life. Resistance training (RT) is an effective training mode to increase muscle mass. We reviewed the existing literature to identify studies implementing RT protocols and evaluating muscle hypertrophy exclusiv...

Although current physical activity (PA) guidelines regarding aerobic and anaerobic training are helpful for the population at large, many individuals prefer to engage in alternative forms of PA such as combat sports. As both a martial art and sport, judo is a physically demanding form of PA that potentially offers a novel experience, consequently l...

This randomized control trial aims to compare the effects of different regimes of Time Restricted Eating protocols on body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors. We also evaluated if the effects of TRE persist in the following months after the diet. Forty-two volunteers were recruited and randomly assigned to a TRE group (16:8, 14:10, 12:12)...

Exercise generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), creating a redox imbalance towards oxidation when inadequately intense. Normobaric and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) breathed while not exercising induces antioxidant enzymes expression, but literature is still poor. Twenty-two athletes were assigned to five groups: controls; 30%, or 50% O2; 100% O2 (HBO)...

Obesity remains a serious relevant public health concern throughout the world despite related countermeasures being well understood (i.e., mainly physical activity and an adjusted diet). Among different nutritional approaches, there is a growing interest in ketogenic diets (KDs) to manipulate body mass (BM) and to enhance fat mass (FM) loss. KDs re...

Motor neuron degeneration, denervation, neuromuscular junction (NMJ) fragmentation and loss of motor units (MUs), play a key-role in the development of sarcopenia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the beneficial effects of regular practice of dancing in physically active elders on concentration of C-terminal Agrin fragment (CAF), a m...

Introduction: Recently, a modified intermittent fasting protocol was demonstrated to be able to maintain muscle mass and strength, decrease fat mass and improve some inflammation and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy resistance-trained males after 2 months. The present study sought to investigate the long-term effects on these parameters. Me...

IntroductionUnderstanding the impact of lockdown upon resistance training (RT), and how people adapted their RT behaviours, has implications for strategies to maintain engagement in similar positive health behaviours. Further, doing so will provide a baseline for investigation of the long-term effects of these public health measures upon behaviours...

The aim of this study was to investigate if the combination of static and dynamic postural balance assessments gives more accurate indications on balance performance among healthy older adults. We also aimed at studying the effect of a dual-task condition on static and dynamic postural balance control. Fifty-seven healthy older adults (age = 73.2 ±...

Even though scientific literature shows numerous heath complications and performance decrements associated with rapid weight loss (RWL), its prevalence remains exceedingly high across various combat sports. The aim of this study was to thoroughly search the existing literature to explore the influence of RWL on kidney function in Olympic and non-Ol...

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the influence of intermittent fasting (IF) in combination with resistance training (RT) on body composition outcomes. Studies examining IF vs. non-IF diets in individuals performing RT, published up to February 2021, were identified through PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and...

Manual wheelchair use may determine shoulder joint overload and rotator cuff injury. Chronic shoulder pathologies can also influence the propulsion ability of wheelchair athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) during sport activities. However, the relationship between shoulder pathology and wheelchair performances has never been explored. Therefore,...

Even though staying active is extremely important in the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a FM while exercising remains a controversial topic.

Accumulation of adipose tissue in specific body areas is related to many physiological and hormonal variables. Spot reduction (SR) is a training protocol aimed to stimulate lipolysis locally, even though this training protocol has not been extensively studied in recent years. Thus, the present study sought to investigate the effect of a circuit-tra...

Difficulty walking in older adults affects their independence and ability to execute daily tasks in an autonomous way, which can result in a negative effect to their health status and risk of morbidity. Very often, reduced walking speed in older adults is caused by an elevated metabolic energy cost. Passive exoskeletons have been shown to offer a p...

Stretching is commonly used to increase range of motion and flexibility. Therefore, investigations are usually oriented towards the muscle-tendon unit. Limited evidence exists regarding potential effects of stretching on peripheral nerves which lie within muscles. The objective of this investigation will be to elucidate the responses of peripheral...

Background: In proprioceptive training, unstable devices produce multidirectional perturbations that must be counterbalanced by the postural control systems and core-muscle activation. We investigated whether different sizes and shapes of three gymnastic balls could affect core-muscle activation and postural balance when performing the same exercis...

Background: Ketogenic diet (KD) is a nutritional approach that restricts daily carbohydrates, replacing most of the reduced energy with fat, while maintaining an adequate quantity of protein. Despite the widespread use of KD in weight loss in athletes, there are still many concerns about its use in sports requiring muscle mass accrual. Thus, the pr...

The aim of this study will be to review the current body of literature to understand the effects of stretching on the responses of the cardiovascular system. A literature search was performed using the following databases: Scopus, NLM Pubmed and ScienceDirect. Studies regarding the effects of stretching on responses of the cardiovascular system wer...

The present study aimed to compare the activation of the lower lumbar erector spinae, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and rectus femoris in two trunk positioning (straight, and inclined) during three lunge exercises (static, step-forwarding, and walking) in trained young women. Twelve women (24 ± 3 years) were selected and then performed, in a ran...

Recent data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic showed that the virus is mostly conveyed by respiratory droplets that are produced at high intensity especially when an infected subject coughs or sneezes. Therefore, elevated volume ventilations, usually reached during physical efforts and exercise, are a potential source of contamination...

Background Although there is substantial interest in intermittent fasting as a dietary approach in active individuals, information regarding its effects in elite endurance athletes is currently unavailable. The present parallel randomized trial investigated the effects of a particular intermittent fasting approach, called time-restricted eating (TR...

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is posing a serious challenge to the health-care systems worldwide, with an enormous impact on health conditions and loss of lives. Notably, obesity and its related comorbidities are strictly related with worse clinical outcomes of COVID-19 disease. Recently, there is a growing interest in the clinical use o...

Gut microbiome influences athletes' physiology but, due to the complexity of sport performance and the great inter-variability of microbiome features, it is not reasonable to define a single healthy microbiota profile for athletes. We suggest the use of specific meta-omics analysis coupled with innovative computational systems to uncover the hidden...

In December of 2019, there was an outbreak of a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) in China. The virus rapidly spread into the whole world causing an unprecedented pandemic and forcing governments to impose a global quarantine, entering an extreme unknown situation. The organizational consequences...

In sports, postural balance control has been demonstrated to be one of the limiting factors of performance and a necessary component to achieve any sport technique. Team players (TP) must process and react to multiple external stimuli while executing at the same time the skills of the game. By contrast, endurance athletes (END) must perform the sam...