Jose Mora-Gonzalez

• Post-doctoral researcher
• PostDoc Position at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

La capacidad cardiorrespiratoria es un potente indicador de salud presente y futura en niños y adolescentes, sin embargo se desconoce si también lo es para niños de edad preescolar, de 3 a 5 años. En el presente estudio, describimos la adaptación a preescolares del test original de 20m de ida y vuelta, su viabilidad y asimilación en niños de 3 a 5...

Background: Physical fitness is a powerful health marker in childhood and adolescence, and it is reasonable to think that it might be just as important in younger children, i.e. preschoolers. At the moment, researchers, clinicians and sport practitioners do not have enough information about which fitness tests are more reliable, valid and informat...

Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong indicator of present and future health in children and adolescents, however it is unknown whether it is for pre-schoolers, from 3 to 5 years. In the present study, we described the adaptation of the original 20m shuttle run test, it feasibility and acceptance in children from 3 to 5 years and its maximality and...

Background Understanding the association of different fitness components with brain structure, and further, how possible fitness‐related brain associations relate to executive function is important for developing public health strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of elderly adults worldwide. Thus, we aimed to investigate the association o...

Objective The objective of this paper is to quantify muscle load using Theraband elastic bands across seven resistance intensities. Methods Bands were profiled using a force sensor, standardized to 200 cm length, and manually stretched. Measurements for each band were twice recorded at 11 distances and converted to percentages for standardization....

The aim of the study is to investigate the association of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular strength indicators with gray matter volume (GMV) and to study whether fitness‐related regions of GMV are associated to executive function (EF) in cognitively normal older adults. Ninety‐one cognitively normal older adults (71.69 ± 3.91 years; 57....

Introduction Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment and mental health disorders compared to the general population. Physical exercise might improve their brain health. The overall goal of the HEART-BRAIN randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to investigate the effects of different types of e...

Introduction Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease, have a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment and mental health disorders compared to the general population. There is a need to identify effective and sustainable strategies to improve brain health in individuals with CAD, in which physical exerci...

Objective To examine the associations between muscular strength and mental health. Design We used baseline data of 91 cognitively healthy older adults (71.69 ± 3.91 years old, 57 % women) participating in the AGUEDA randomized controlled trial. Methods Muscular strength was assessed using both objective (i.e., handgrip strength, biceps curl, squa...

Background Emerging research supports the idea that physical activity benefits brain development. However, the body of evidence focused on understanding the effects of physical activity on white matter microstructure during childhood is still in its infancy, and further well-designed randomized clinical trials are needed. Aim This study aimed: (i)...

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, by 2050, the world’s population over the age of 65 will reach 71 million, and in turn, there is a clear trend of increasing numbers of older adults with some form of mental illness. Indeed, over 21% of older people are affected by mental disorders (e.g., depression or anxiety). Favorabl...

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the chronic effects of a 20‐week exercise training program on device‐assessed sleep and sleep‐disordered breathing; and to determine whether participating in a session of the exercise program had effects on device‐assessed sleep the subsequent night in children with overweight/obesity. Methods A...

Background We previously demonstrated that a heuristic (i.e., evidence-based, rounded yet practical) cadence threshold of ≥ 100 steps/min was associated with absolutely-defined moderate intensity physical activity (i.e., ≥ 3 metabolic equivalents [METs]) in older adults 61–85 years of age. Although it was difficult to ascertain achievement of absol...

Background: College students are particularly susceptible to developing mental health problems. Gamification can be a powerful teaching strategy to favor motivation and behavioral changes for the improvement of psychological well-being. Purpose: To analyze the effect of a 14-week gamification-based physical education teaching program on psychologic...

Objectives To provide a comprehensive CERT (Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template)-based description of the resistance exercise program implemented in the AGUEDA (Active Gains in brain Using Exercise During Aging) study, a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a 24-week supervised resistance exercise program on executive funct...

Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most important markers of health. Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain functioning in healthy children. Some of these works suggested that cardiorespiratory fitness may have a protective role on the executive function, which represents a set of cogniti...

Objective: To investigate whether a 20-week aerobic and resistance exercise program induces changes in brain current density underlying working memory and inhibitory control in children with overweight/obesity. Methods: A total of 67 children (10.00 ± 1.10 years) were randomized into an exercise or control group. Electroencephalography (EEG)-bas...

La metodologías activas surgen para promover un rol protagonista y activo por parte de los estudiantes, incidiendo en el aprendizaje y compromiso con su formación. Además, en este contexto, es fundamental enfocar el proceso formativo en educación superior al desarrollo de competencias transferibles a la futura labor profesional, como puede ser la d...

We investigated the interaction between a genetic score and an exercise intervention on brain health in children with overweight/obesity. One hundred one children with overweight/obesity (10.0 ± 1.5 years, 59% girls) were randomized into a 20-week combined exercise intervention or a control group. Several cognitive and academic outcomes were measur...

Alzheimer’s disease is currently the leading cause of dementia and one of the most expensive, lethal and severe diseases worldwide. Age-related decline in executive function is widespread and plays a key role in subsequent dementia risk. Physical exercise has been proposed as one of the leading non-pharmaceutical approaches to improve executive fun...

Objective We investigated the association of anthropometric neonatal data (birth length and birth weight) and breastfeeding practices (exclusive and any breastfeeding) with hippocampal functional connectivity and its academic implication in children with overweight/obesity. Methods Ninety six children with overweight/obesity aged 8–11 years (10.01...

Background: Walking cadence (steps/min) has emerged as a valid proxy of physical activity intensity, with consensus across numerous laboratory-based treadmill studies that ≥100 steps/min approximates absolutely-defined moderate intensity (≥3 metabolic equivalents; METs). We recently reported that this cadence threshold had a classification accurac...

Objectives To examine 1) the chronic effects of a 20-week physical exercise program on device-assessed sleep and on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB); and 2) whether attending to a session of the exercise program had effects on device-assessed sleep the subsequent night in children with overweight/obesity. Methods A total of 99 children with overwe...

Background: Standardized validation indices (i.e., accuracy, bias, and precision) provide a comprehensive comparison of step counting wearable technologies. Purpose: To expand a previously published child/youth catalog of validity indices to include adults (21-40, 41-60 and 61-85 years of age) assessed across a range of treadmill speeds (slow [0...

Importance: Pediatric overweight and obesity are highly prevalent across the world, with implications for poorer cognitive and brain health. Exercise might potentially attenuate these adverse consequences. Objectives: To investigate the effects of an exercise program on brain health indicators, including intelligence, executive function, academi...

Background: There is a need to promote initiatives toward reaching more active and healthier lifestyles. Gamification has emerged among teachers as a powerful teaching strategy that favors students' motivation and behavioral change by applying game elements in nongame contexts. Purpose: To examine the effects of a 14-week gamification-based teachin...

Introduction The objective of the present work is to investigate the prospective associations between physical fitness components (cardiorespiratory fitness, motor fitness, and muscular strength) and two domains of executive function, working memory, and inhibitory control, in adolescents. Methods A total of 422 Spanish adolescents (13.35 ± 1.54 y...

Objectives To investigate the effects of exercise on intelligence, executive functions, academic performance and brain outcomes in children with overweight/obesity. In secondary analyses, we explored potential mediators and moderators of the exercise effects. Methods A total of 109 children (8-11.9y) with overweight/obesity were randomized (intent...

Neurotrophic factors and cardiorespiratory fitness are both considered important in developmental trajectories but their link to brain health remains poorly understood. The aims of the study were to examine whether levels of plasma-derived neurotrophic factors were associated with brain health indicators in children with overweight or obesity; and...

Purpose : To examine the effects of a 14-week gamification-based physical education teaching program on fitness in college students. Method : A convenience sample of 112 college students (21.22 ± 2.55 years) was distributed among a gamification-based group or a control group (i.e., traditional teaching). College students from the gamification group...

Background Heuristic (i.e., evidence-based, rounded) cadences of ≥100 and ≥ 130 steps/min have consistently corresponded with absolutely-defined moderate (3 metabolic equivalents [METs]) and vigorous (6 METs) physical activity intensity, respectively, in adults 21–60 years of age. There is no consensus regarding similar thresholds in older adults....

Abstract Background Wearable technologies play an important role in measuring physical activity (PA) and promoting health. Standardized validation indices (i.e., accuracy, bias, and precision) compare performance of step counting wearable technologies in young people. Purpose To produce a catalog of validity indices for step counting wearable techn...

Background Heuristic cadence (steps/min) thresholds of ≥100 and ≥ 130 steps/min correspond with absolutely-defined moderate (3 metabolic equivalents [METs]; 1 MET = 3.5 mL O2·kg− 1·min− 1) and vigorous (6 METs) intensity, respectively. Scarce evidence informs cadence thresholds for relatively-defined moderate (≥ 64% heart rate maximum [HRmax = 220-...

This study aimed to analyze the associations of activity‐rest pattern indicators with academic achievement, executive function, and intelligence and to explore whether these associations are mediated by the total gray matter volume among children with overweight/obesity. Ninety‐five children (10 ± 1 year, 37 girls) with overweight/obesity (based on...

Background In younger adults (i.e., those < 40 years of age) a walking cadence of 100 steps/min is a consistently supported threshold indicative of absolutely-defined moderate intensity ambulation (i.e., ≥ 3 metabolic equivalents; METs). Less is known about the cadence-intensity relationship in adults of middle-age. Purpose To establish heuristic...

The present study aims (i) to examine the association of physical fitness components (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, speed-agility, and muscular fitness) with brain current source density during working memory; and (ii) to examine whether fitness-related current density was associated to working memory performance and academic achievement. Eighty...

Background Children with overweight/obesity have poorer sleep and smaller gray matter volume (GMV) than normal‐weight children. No studies have investigated the associations of objectively‐assessed sleep and GMV in children with overweight/obesity, or their implications for academic and cognitive outcomes. Objectives To explore the associations of...

Recent studies investigated the association of cardiorespiratory fitness with white matter microstructure in children, yet little work has explored to what extent other components of physical fitness (i.e., muscular or motor fitness) are associated with white matter microstructure. Indeed, this association has not been previously explored in childr...

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a valid and non-invasive indicator of cardiac autonomic nervous system functioning. Short-term HRV recordings (e.g., 10 min long) produce data that usually is manually processed. Researcher subjective decision-making on data processing could produce inter- or intra-researcher differences whose magnitude has not been...

Molina-Garcia, P, Mora-Gonzalez, J, Migueles, JH, Rodriguez-Ayllon, M, Esteban-Cornejo, I, Cadenas-Sanchez, C, Plaza-Florido, A, Gil-Cosano, JJ, Pelaez-Perez, MA, Garcia-Delgado, G, Vanrenterghem, J, and Ortega, FB. Effects of exercise on body posture, functional movement, and physical fitness in children with overweight/obesity. J Strength Cond Re...

Background: Best-practice early interventions to increase physical activity (PA) in children with overweight and obesity should be both feasible and evidence based. Walking is a basic human movement pattern that is practical, cost-effective, and does not require complex movement skills. However, there is still a need to investigate how much walkin...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the existence of a relative age effect (RAE) on physical fitness of preschoolers. Anthropometry and physical fitness were assessed in 3147 children (3–5 years old) using the PREFIT battery. Based on the birth year, participants were divided into 3year groups (3-, 4- and 5-years). Within each year grou...

We investigated the associations of different sedentary behaviors (SB) with gray matter volume and we tested whether SB related to gray matter volume is associated with intelligence. Methods: 99 children with overweight or obesity aged 8-11 years participated in this cross-sectional study. SB was measured using the Youth Activity Profile-Spain qu...

The aim of this study was to examine whether metabolically healthy overweight/obese children have greater global and regional gray matter volumes than their metabolically unhealthy peers. We further examined the association between gray matter volume and academic achievement, along with the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in these associations. A...

Whereas numerous studies have investigated the relationship of cardiorespiratory fitness with inhibition and neuroelectric activity, the role of other physical fitness components and physical activity (PA) intensities in this relationship remain unclear, especially in children with obesity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate th...

Background Childhood obesity is known to negatively impact on body posture with severe consequences to the musculoskeletal system. Physical performance could play a positive role in the body posture conformation of these children, but there is little evidence to date. Research Question Is physical performance (i.e., physical fitness and functional...

Objective: This study aimed to 1) analyze the criterion validity of the Slaughter equations (Slg-Eq) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to estimate body fat percentage (BFP) and fat mass index (FMI) at different degrees of obesity in children compared with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and 2) determine their agreement over time....

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of fitness and physical activity with academic achievement in children with overweight/obesity. A total of 106 (10.0 ± 1.1y, 61 boys) children participated. The fitness components were assessed by field and laboratory-based tests. Physical activity was measured via accelerometry. The academic ac...

Objective: To examine the effects of a gamification teaching program, including the use of a game-based mobile app on the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels of college students. Materials and Methods: This study included a total of 117 college students (20.1 ± 2.9 years). They belonged to two different class groups, one formed the intervention...

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a gamification-based program on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels of college students. We divided 112 college students into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). IG college students followed a 15-week gamification-based program, whereas CG followed traditional lectures....

Background The relationship of obesity with grey and white matter volumes has been examined in several studies, and the results are decidedly mixed. Objective To investigate the associations of body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and lean mass index (LMI) with total and regional grey and white matter volumes. Methods This is a cross‐secti...

To examine whether areal bone mineral density (aBMD) differs between metabolically healthy (MHO) and unhealthy (MUO) overweight/obese children and to examine the role of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in this association. A cross-sectional study was developed in 188 overweight/obese children (10.4...

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate associations of objectively measured and self-reported physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior with white matter microstructure in children with overweight or obesity. Methods: In a sample of 103 participants (10.02±1.15 years old; 42 girls) from the ActiveBrains project, we assessed PA and sedentar...

The association between vitamin D [25(OH)D] and bone health has been widely studied in children. Given that 25(OH)D and bone health are associated with muscular fitness, this could be the cornerstone to understand this relationship. Hence, the purpose of this work was to examine if the relation between 25(OH)D and areal bone mineral density (aBMD)...

In the original version of this article, the following funding source was accidentally omitted: “European Regional Development Funds (ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR)” This additional funding source has now been included in the Acknowledgements section. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the article.

Background Low-intensity resistance training (LI-RT) combined with blood flow restriction (BFR) is an alternative to traditional moderate–high-intensity resistance training to increase strength and muscle mass. However, the evidence about the efficacy of this novel training method to increase strength and muscle mass in healthy and older adults wit...

Aim: Physical activity (PA) has traditionally been measured wearing accelerometers on the hip, but they are increasingly being worn on the wrist. We compared hip and wrist accelerometers with regard to their acceptability and any associations between PA and fatness and fitness. Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 103 children aged 8-12...

Background Evidence suggests that participation in physical activity may support young people’s current and future mental health. Although previous reviews have examined the relationship between physical activity and a range of mental health outcomes in children and adolescents, due to the large increase in published studies there is a need for an...

Objectives: To examine which inflammatory markers are associated with bone mass and whether this association varies according to muscular fitness in children with overweight/obesity. Methods: Plasma interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), epidermal growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF), and C-reactive...

Purpose: To investigate the effect of a 13-week exercise program, based on "movement quality" and "multigames" work, on plantar pressure during walking in children with overweight/obesity (OW/OB). Method: Seventy children (10.8 ± 1.2 years, 58.5% girls) with OW/OB, as defined by the World Obesity Federation, were assigned to either a 13-week exe...

Early life factors may influence brain and academic outcomes later in life, especially during childhood. Here we investigate the associations of early life factors (i.e., birth weight, birth length, and breastfeeding) with gray matter volume, adjusted for body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness, and ii) we test whether early-life factor-relat...

Background: Education and health are crucial topics for public policies as both largely determine the future wellbeing of the society. Currently, several studies recognize that physical activity (PA) benefits brain health in children. However, most of these studies have not been carried out in developing countries or lack the transference into the...

Background Heart rate variability (HRV) is negatively associated with body mass index and adiposity in several populations. However, less information is available about this association in children with overweight and obesity, especially severe/morbid obesity, taking into consideration the dependence of HRV on heart rate (HR).Objectives(1) to exami...

Soccer is a very popular team sport that involves a variety of physical actions, such as sprints, accelerations, sudden decelerations, and jumps, among others. Research has placed recreational soccer in a good position as a strategy to increase physical activity levels and promote health across the lifespan. In this regard, recreational (non-compet...

Introduction: Chronic inflammation plays an important role on the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as on brain function and behaviour. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between inflammatory biomarkers and a wide range of brain health indicators (i.e., academic performance, executive...

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the associations of sedentary time, physical activity (PA) and step-related behaviors with neurotrophic growth factors. Methods: A total of 97 children with overweight/obesity age 8 to 11 yr participated in this study. Sedentary time, PA, and steps were measured by GT3X+ accelerometers in hip and nondominant...

BACKGROUND Best practice early interventions to increment physical activity in children with overweight/obesity should be both feasible and evidence-based. Walking is a basic human movement pattern that is practical, cost-effective and does not require complex movement skills. However, there is still a need to investigate how much walking is perfor...

The aim of the present study was to examine the associations of physical fitness, sedentary time and physical activity (PA) with working memory and neuroelectric activity in children with overweight/obesity. Seventy‐nine children with overweight/obesity (10.2 ± 1.1 years old) participated in this cross‐sectional study. We assessed physical fitness...

Cardiac autonomic function can be quantified through mean heart rate (HR) or heart rate variability (HRV). Numerous studies have supported the utility of different HRV parameters as indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). However, HR has recently shown to be a stronger predictor of CRF than HRV in healthy young adults, yet these findings nee...

It is known that obesity is associated with biomechanical alterations during locomotor tasks, which is considered a potential risk factor for the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSKD). However, the association of obesity with biomechanical alterations of walking in the early stages of life have not yet been systematically reviewed. Thus,...

Objective: To examine the associations of physical fitness and physical activity with executive function in children with overweight and obesity. Study design: A cross-sectional study involving 100 children with overweight and obesity (10.1 ± 1.1 years old; 58.0% boys). We assessed physical fitness components (ie, muscular strength, speed-agilit...

Objectives: The aims of this study were (i) to examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and white matter volume and test whether those associations differ between normal-weight and overweight/obese children (ii) to analyze the association between other physical fitness components (i.e., motor and muscular) and white matter volume,...

This study examined (1) the association of dietary energy density from solid (ED S ) and solid plus liquids (ED SL ) with adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors (CRF) in children with overweight and obesity, (2) the effect of under-reporting on the mentioned associations and (3) whether the association between ED and body composition and CRF is...

This study aimed to compare estimations of sedentary time (SED) and time spent in physical activity (PA) intensities in children with overweight/obesity across different age‐appropriate cut‐points based on different body‐worn attachment sites and acceleration metrics. A total of 104 overweight/obese children (10.1±1.1 years old, 43 girls) concurren...

This study aimed to analyse the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and fatness and fitness in preschoolers. 2,638 preschoolers (3–5 years old; 47.2% girls) participated. SES was estimated from the parental educational and occupational levels, and the marital status. Fatness was assessed by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC)...

Cortical thickness and surface area are thought to be genetically unrelated and shaped by independent neurobiological events suggesting that they should be considered separately in morphometric analyses. Although the developmental trajectories of cortical thickness and surface area may differ across brain regions and ages, there is no consensus reg...

This study aimed to investigate the independent and combined associations between several fatness indicators and fitness components with functional movement quality in overweight/obese children. A total of 56 children (33 girls, aged 8–12) classified as overweight/obese according to the World Obesity Federation standard cut points, participated in...

Purpose: (1) To examine the comparability, i.e., discriminatory power, in a preschooler test (PREFIT 20-m shuttle-run test) and the 20mSRT-Original in 5-6-year-olds; (2) to provide an equation to estimate VO2max from the 20mSRT-PREFIT. Methods: 138 participants aged 5-6 years performed the 20mSRT-PREFIT and the 20mSRT-Original in a counterbalanc...

Objectives To examine the associations of physical fitness (i.e. cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, and speed/agility) with psychological distress and psychological well-being in overweight/obese pre-adolescent children. Design 110 overweight/obese children (10.0 ± 1.1 years old, 61 boys) from the ActiveBrains project (http://profith.ug...

Overweight and obesity at childhood have been associated with biomechanical alterations during locomotor tasks and lower movement competency. Furthermore, suboptimal movement quality may hamper daily physical activity and function, and also may predispose to musculoskeletal diseases in overweight/obese children. Yet, little is known about the assoc...

Background Accelerometers are widely used to measure sedentary time, physical activity, physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE), and sleep-related behaviors, with the ActiGraph being the most frequently used brand by researchers. However, data collection and processing criteria have evolved in a myriad of ways out of the need to answer unique r...

Obesity, as compared to normal weight, is associated with detectable structural differences in the brain. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has examined the association of physical fitness with gray matter volume in overweight/obese children using whole brain analyses. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the association between...

Overweight and obesity at childhood has been associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain. Likewise, a recent cohort study has showed that adolescents with multisite musculoskeletal pain have an increased risk of mental health disorders later in life. Yet, little is known about the association of musculoskeletal pain with current men...

Aim: Physical activity has numerous benefits for children when it comes to academic achievements. This study determined whether active commuting - walking or cycling - to school, as a way of increasing total physical activity levels, were associated with academic achievements in students aged 7-18 years. Methods: A total of 2,138 students partic...

Comparar el efecto de un entrenamiento de 12 semanas de duración orientado a la mejora de la calidad de movimiento sobre la superficie de apoyo plantar dinámica, respecto a un entrenamiento de fuerza en niños con sobrepeso/obesidad.