Tomas K. Tong

• Hong Kong Baptist University

This study examined the effects of a specific core exercise program, as a re-warm-up regime during the half-time period, on inspiratory (IM) and core (CM) muscle functions, leg perfusion and the team sport-specific sprint performance in the initial stage of the second half of a simulated exercise task. Nine team-sports players performed a simulated...

Aims: To compare postprandial glucose responses to high-intensity interval exercise (HIE) between obese and lean individuals. Methods: Thirty healthy young adult males (15 obese, 15 lean) ate a standardised meal, then performed HIE (4 × 30-s Wingate cycling/4-min rest) or a no-exercise control trial (CON). Blood glucose was measured preprandially a...

The risk of malignant arrhythmias is higher during extremely intense exercise and after its cessation. It is still unclear whether high-intensity interval exercise (HIE), an increasingly popular option in preventive and rehabilitative medicine, can lead to an impaired electrophysiological milieu, as revealed by QT interval prolongation on an electr...

This study compared the effects of 12-week sprint interval training (SIT), high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on cardiorespiratory fitness (V̇O2peak), body mass and insulin sensitivity in overweight females. Forty-two overweight women (age 21.2 ± 1.4 years, BMI 26.3 ± 2.5 kg·m⁻²) were randomiz...

Introduction: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an emerging lifestyle intervention strategy for controlling obesity. HIIT consisted of brief all-out supramaximal sprint intervals was termed as sprint interval training (SIT). This study was designed to examine the time-efficient characteristics of SIT in reducing abdominal visceral fat. Met...

Background/Objective This study examined whether time spent at high rates of oxygen consumption (VO2) during 6-s sprint interval exercises (SIE) is a function of recovery interval duration. Methods In a randomised crossover study, thirteen male endurance runners performed 40 × 6-s all-out sprints interspersed with 15-s, 30-s and 60-s passive recov...

New findings: What is the central question of this study? Does exercise training impact resting and postexercise cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentration? What is the main finding and its importance? This randomized controlled intervention study demonstrated that 12 weeks of either high-intensity interval training or moderate-intensity continuous t...

This study examined the effectivenss of a balance-focused training program (i.e., Exercise for Balance Improvement Program, ExBP) in improving functional fitness of older nonfallers at risk of falling. Sixty-one participants were randomly assigned to receive 16 weeks of ExBP or Tai Chi (TC) training, or no treatment (CON) with an 8-week follow-up....

Previous studies have investigated the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in overweight populations. However, the additive effect of HIIT and hypoxia on health parameters is not clear. This study compared the effects of HIIT under hypoxic conditions on cardiometabolic function with t...

This study compared the effects of a single bout of resistance exercise (RES) on glycemic homeostasis to isotime sprint interval exercise (SIE) using a within-subjects design. Nineteen nondiabetic males (age: 23.3±0.7 yrs; height: 173.1±1.2 cm; weight: 79.1±4.8 kg; % fat: 22.5±2.5 %) were studied. RES involved nine exercises of 10 repetitions at 75...

This study compared the effect of prolonged moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on reducing abdominal visceral fat in obese young women with that of work-equivalent (300 kJ/training session) high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Forty-three participants received either HIIT ( n=15 ), MICT ( n=15 ), or no training (CON, n=13 ) for 12 we...

This study characterized cardiac troponin T (cTnT) appearance and associated histological evidence of reversible or irreversible changes in myocardial ultrastructure, determined via electron microscopy, in rats undertaking isoproterenol (ISO) infusion or an endurance exercise challenge. Male rats were randomized into ISO and exercise groups. In ISO...

Context: Post-exercise cardiac troponin release has been extensively described in athletic groups but little attention has been given to any role of sex in mediating this phenomenon. Objective: We compared the release of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) after endurance running in training-experience, biological-age and maturity-matched young male and f...

PurposeTo investigate the effects of hypoxic training on redox status and cardiac troponin (cTn) release after intermittent exercise. Method Nine well-trained male marathon runners (age, 21.7 ± 2.3 year; body mass, 64.7 ± 4.8 kg; height, 177.9 ± 3.8 cm; and VO2max, 64.3 ± 6.7 ml kg−1 min−1) completed intermittent exercise under normoxic [trial N; f...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based Exercise for Balance Improvement Program (ExBP) on dynamic balance (DB), static balance with compromised sensations, and fear of falling (FF) among older non-fallers. Sixty-one participants (70 ± 3 years) at risk of falling were randomly allocated to receive 16 weeks' practice of ExBP (n =...

This field study investigated the influences of exposure to natural low altitude on endurance training-induced alterations of redox homeostasis in professional adolescent runners undergoing 12-week off-season conditioning program at an altitude of 1700 m (Alt), by comparison with that of their counterparts completing the program at sea-level (SL)....

The objective of the study was to compare the whole-body and abdominal fat loss resulting from high--intensity interval training (HIIT) with that from moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) with equivalent oxygen cost in overweight women. Forty-three overweight women with matched anthropometric characteristics were randomly assigned to parti...

We compared the effects of two 6-week high-intensity interval training interventions. Under the control condition (CON), only interval training was undertaken, whilst under the intervention condition (ICT), interval training sessions were followed immediately by core training, which was combined with simultaneous inspiratory muscle training - 'func...

This study investigated the occurrence of core muscle fatigue during high-intensity running exercise and its limitation to exercise performance. A secondary aim was to investigate whether respiratory muscle work performed during intense running periods, would contribute to core muscle fatigue. Nine male recreational runners were recruited for two r...

Background: Prolonged exercise may induce a transient reduction in the left ventricular (LV) function (exercise-induced cardiac fatigue) in adults. However, data related to the cardiovascular consequences of prolonged exercise in adolescents are extremely limited. This study examined the impact of exercise intensity adopted in routine long-distanc...

To examine the validity and reliability of a sports-specific endurance plank test for the evaluation of global core muscle function. Repeated-measures study. Laboratory environment. Twenty-eight male and eight female young athletes. Surface electromyography (sEMG) of selected trunk flexors and extensors, and an intervention of pre-fatigue core work...

This study investigated the 1-year longitudinal effect of professional training in adolescent runners on redox balance during intense endurance exercise. Changes in selected serum oxidant and antioxidant status in response to a 21-km running time trial in 10 runners (15.5 ± 1.3 years) undergoing professional training were evaluated twice in 12 mont...

This study examines the effects of inspiratory muscle warm-up (IMW) on performance and muscle oxygenation during cycling exercise. In a randomized crossover study of 10 female soccer players, the IMW, placebo (IMWP) and control (CON) trials were conducted before two 6-min submaximal cycling exercises (100 and 150 W) followed by intermittent high-in...

This study investigated the acute changes in glycemic homeostasis in response to brief, high-intensity, intermittent exercise in obese adults. Ten obese adults (age: 25.3±5.1 years; body mass index: 32.0±4.0) volunteered to participate in the study. The time-course changes in blood glucose in response to a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test were exam...

It has been shown that a suppressive protein, acting as an immune suppressor, is generated in animals and humans under particular stresses. However, studies related to immunosuppressive factors in response to the stress resulting from acute exercise are limited. This study compares the effects of pre- and post-exercise human serum on concanavalin A...

In this study, we examined the time course of changes in the blood volume and oxygenation of accessory respiratory (RM) and locomotor (LM) muscles, and the interrelationships of changes in these parameters during maximal incremental intermittent exercise in 15 non-endurance-trained active men. Blood volume and oxygenation of the serratus anterior a...

This study evaluated the impact of professional training on serum oxidant and antioxidant status in adolescent endurance athletes and compared it with that of untrained individuals. Firstly, serum thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARSs), xanthine oxidase (XO), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total...

This study examined two hypotheses: (1) a non-Wingate-based high-intensity interval training protocol of 20×30-second cycle exercise at 120% of peak aerobic power interspersed with 60-second recovery per session, 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks, can enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic-based exercise capacity; and (2) proportional-assist v...

Post-exercise cardiac troponin T (cTnT) release has been widely reported in adult athletes but limited data is available for adolescents. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and magnitude of cTnT appearance in a large group of adolescent runners, and to determine any association between cTnT release and personal characteristics of...

This article examines the effects of brief, intense exercise in comparison with traditional endurance exercise on both novel and traditional markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in youth. Forty seven boys and ten girls (16.4 ± 0.7 years of age) were divided into a moderate (MOD), high intensity (HIT), or a control group. The MOD group (12 boys,...

This study examined the effect of two bouts of prolonged exercise performed on the same day on cardiac biomarkers and left ventricular (LV) function in trained adolescent runners. Twelve male adolescent runners (age = 14.5 ± 1.5 yr) performed two 45-min constant-load treadmill runs (RUN1 and RUN2), separated by 255 min of recovery, with intensity s...

This study investigated the changes in biomarkers of renal function and the corresponding estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in 10 male adolescent (16.2±0.6 years) trained runners during early and late recovery periods after an all-out 21-km run. Venous blood samples were taken immediately before, and at 2-h, 4-h, and 24-h following the 21...

Introduction: Significant ethnic differences exist in anthropometrical characteristics and body composition between normative Chinese and western populations. Elite climbers relative to age-matched general populations in Europe and North America are generally characterized smaller body size and a low percentage of body fat (%BF) compared to normati...

Post-exercise cardiac biomarker release has been widely reported in adult athlete groups but limited data is available for adolescents. We assessed the impact of a 21-km run on cardiac biomarkers in adolescent athletes and uniquely assessed N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and its potential association with serum cardiac tropon...

The objective of this study was to determine if prolonged exercise resulted in the appearance of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in serum and whether this was associated with elevated levels of myocardial oxidative stress. Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups and killed before (PRE-EX), immediately (0HR), 2 (2HR) and 24 h...

It is well documented that intense exercise precipitates oxidative stress in adults. However, there is lack of related studies concerning oxidant and antioxidant status during early and late recovery periods in adolescent athletes, following endurance exercise in particular. This study investigated aspects of the serum oxidant and antioxidant statu...

This study examined the hypothesis that chronic (training) and acute (warm-up) loaded ventilatory activities applied to the inspiratory muscles (IM) in an integrated manner would augment the training volume of an interval running program. This in turn would result in additional improvement in the maximum performance of the Yo-Yo intermittent recove...

This study examined the response of serum biomarkers of cardiac and skeletal muscle damage at rest and after a routine workout of 21 km run in 12 male adolescent (16.2±0.6 years) long-distance runners. Biomarkers of cardiac [troponins (cTnT, cTnI), creatine kinase MB mass (CK-Mbmass)] and skeletal muscle [creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase...

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is hepatic inflammation caused by a buildup of fat in the liver. This study was designed to examine whether the NASH-associated increase in hepatic TNF-α mRNA expression and serum TNF-α, and decrease in hepatic PPARα mRNA expression in rats secondary to 12-week consump- tion of a high-fat diet would be attenuated...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interactive effects of exercise duration and intensity on the elevation of serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in trained adolescent athletes following prolonged exercise in a laboratory-based setting. Thirteen male adolescent runners (mean age 14.8+/-1.6 year) performed two 45-min and two 90-min constant-l...

Nonalcoholic steacohepatiris (NASH) is hepatic inflammation caused by a buildup of fat in the liver. This study was designed to examine whether the NASH-associated increase in hepatic TNF-alpha mRNA expression and serum TNF-alpha, and decrease in hepatic PPAR alpha mRNA expression in rats secondary to 12-week consumption of a high-fat diet would be...

The effects of inspiratory muscle (IM) training on maximal 20 m shuttle run performance (Ex) during Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test and on the physiological and perceptual responses to the running test were examined. Thirty men were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups. The experimental group underwent a 6 week pressure threshold IM training progra...

We compared the optimal workload of Wingate test (WAnT), which was assigned according to total body mass (TBM), between two groups of eight young male adults. The leg anaerobic power and fat free mass of these two groups were comparable while their percent body fat was either within (NOR) or above normal range (OF). The optimal WAnT workload was de...

Cardiac troponin release is generally found in adult athletes after continuous-type endurance exercises or sport competitions. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the physical stress experienced by adolescents while playing basketball, an intense, intermittent-type sport, could induce transient elevations of the serum cardiac tropo...

The purpose of the present preliminary study was to investigate whether a Chinese 10-point effort perception scale, which is a tool for monitoring exercise intensity in children, could be validly and reliably applied to adults. To evaluate this scale, 14 adults (aged 20 to 39 years) completed two identical continuous incremental cycling trials on a...

It was wondered if the counting of fat mass (FM) in the workload of Wingate test (WAnT) of 75 g.kg−1 total body mass (TBM) would invalidate the test on evaluating leg anaerobic power in minor overfat young adults. This study examined the hypothesis that the neglect of FM in the WAnT workload assignment would improve the peak power (PP), mean power...

The effects of inspiratory muscle (IM) warm-up on IM function and on the maximum distance covered in a subsequent incremental badminton-footwork test (FWmax) were examined. Ten male badminton players were recruited to perform identical tests in three different trials in a random order. The control trial did not involve an IM warm-up, whereas the pl...

This study was designed to examine the appearance and clearance characteristics of serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and I (cTnI) in junior runners after an exhaustive 21-km run. The dependence of the alternations of the cardiac troponins on the runners' training status reflected in training years, running ability and physiological profile at ventila...

The effects of inspiratory muscle (IM) warm-up on the maximum dynamic IM function and the maximum repetitions of 20-m shuttle run (Ex) in the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test were examined. Ten men were recruited to perform identical IM function test and exercise test in three different trials randomly. The control trial was without IM warm-up whil...

This study aims in investigating the effects of simulating obesity-related restrictive ventilatory load (RVL) with external thoracic restriction (ETR) on sustaining moderate exercise and on associated cardio-respiratory responses, perceived breathlessness sensation and ventilatory muscle fatigue in nonobese men. Seven male adults with body fat 15%...

The development of physical education and sports in China may have started in the 19th century and proliferated in the latter part of the 20 century. Because of the importance of physical culture (or physical education) in the People's Republic of China, institutes of physical culture were founded in all provinces, producing students and researcher...

To identify the effect of normal breathlessness sensation elicited during intense intermittent exercise at exhaustion on limitation of exercise maintenance (Ex), the contribution of the flow-resistive unloading effect of normoxic helium-oxygen breathing on the breathlessness sensation to the change in the Ex was examined. Seven men repeatedly perfo...

Background The need to assess physical fitness was first introduced in the form of general motor ability test battery in the US in the early 1900's such as the Roger Physical Fitness Index in the 1930's. Ever since, this has been the concern of both developed and developing countries. In 1958, the President Council on Physical Fitness was founded i...

To identify the reserve of an individual's tolerance of the sensation of breathlessness and metabolic stress in maintaining intense intermittent exercise at exhaustion under conditions of normal breathing, the contribution of the effect of modest inspiratory load on these two responses to the change in the exercise sustainability (Ex(sus)) were exa...

This study was designed to validate the Tanita (TBF_401) leg-to-leg bio-impedance analysis (BIA) system by comparing with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in assessing the body composition in Chinese obese children. Free fat mass (FFM), fat mass (FM) and percentage body fat (%BF) were measured with BIA and DXA in 64 children (44 males, 20 fem...

Effect of nasal breathing without and with nostril dilatation on sustainability of moderate exercise (75% VO2max) and selected respiratory variables were examined. Nine healthy male subjects completed three randomly assigned exhaustive treadmill runnings under three breathing conditions: (i) oronasal breathing (CON), (ii) nasal breathing with exte...

Five-min running field test (5_RFT) was established for determining individuals' maximal aerobic velocity (V(amax)) and functional aerobic capacity (VO2peak) during horizontal run. We determined the number of trials required for establishing high reliability of the 5_RFT and examined its accuracy in evaluating individuals' maximal aerobic capacity...

This study was designed to examine whether nostril dilatation would affect the ventilatory muscle (VM) function and the mean power output (PO) during prolonged all-out intermittent exercise. Eight untrained young male subjects each completed 30 bouts of all-out exercise 20-sec each on a cycle ergometer interspersed with 40-sec recovery periods unde...