| Weight control, the difference between men and women |
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1.I. PURPOSE
Beyond getting in touch with the relationship between the lack of activity and the food intake, our aim was to demonstrate that it is possible, whatever the sex and the overweight, to improve physical condition by a program of walking 30 minutes three times a week of which 25 minutes at one’s own speed seeking maximal use of lipids (in grams per minute) based on the "Lipox" concept (Brooks and Haberdasher 1993)
Indeed, it is important to walk at a speed which is going to improve the cardio respiratory function without premature fatigue. Our laboratory showed in its previous works www.billat.net) that the walking speed, running speed or pedalling speed, which allows the heart to seek its filling and its maximal emptying (maximal systolic volume of ejection VSM, improves the blood supply of oxygen of the heart in all the body. This in fact facilitates the oxidation (comburation) of sugars and lipids.
This is why we have set up a research-action (in the sense that the 100 people from 20 to 65 years, 50% of men and women from the Paris region of whom 20% were from Val de Marnais, were the actors and beneficiaries) which enabled us to obtain the following goals:
- Speed enabling to use the quantity of lipids per minute.
- Speed using the maximal systolic volume of ejection for the improvement of the cardiovascular function.
- And finally a speed leading to a secretion of catecholamine to increase the metabolism (the energy expenditure) post exercise.
2. Propose a personalized program easy to implement because it is constituted of only 3 walking sessions of 30 minutes weekly realized in these two speeds by giving marks of intensity based on the stake in correspondence of these two speeds with the perception of the difficulty (RPE fig 1.)
1. METHODOLOGY
2. RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION
Figure 1 : RPE SCALE :
It is then a question of spotting the individual note (from 6 to 20) corresponding to the walking speed which mobilizes the most the lipids (Borg scale, psychology physiologist who established a correspondence between the physiological indicators of cardiac frequency and accumulation of lactic acid and the sensations of difficulty). The walker will follow his sensations or his heart rate if he has a cardio frequency meter.
The subjects: 100 people from 20 to 65 years old from the Paris region (20% from Val de Marnais) among whom 50% of men and women. All were inactive. Then the subjects realized a first walking test with the physiological measures of heart rate, volume of systolic ejection, oxygen consumption, and lactic acid, to calibrate their optimal walking speed to Lipox and >at the beginning of lactic accumulation, according to the Brooks and Mercier ‘1983 protocol and they filled a weekly food balance sheet in order to measure their food contributions. They also followed their walking program of 3 sessions per week of 30 minutes at Lipox speed and above the lactic threshold.
After 2 months of follow-up, the subjects made the same walking test with physiological measures and sensation. Their food balance sheet was analyzed once more with the Nutrilog software.
1. III. RESULTS
The results showed that this type of program did not come along with a significant loss of weight which could be explained by an increase of the sweet food contributions taken after the walking sessions (the subjects declared "to reward their efforts "). The program directly improved the physical condition without loss of weight. Indeed, the program increased by 15 % the maximal consumption of oxygen and especially decreased by 20 % the difficulty of a walking speed which encouraged the people to walk more while being capable to converse without being breathless.
The Lipox speeds increased by 1, 5 km/h (passing from 3 to 4.5 km/h) as well as the maximal walking speed from 6 to 7, 5 km/h (limit walking-running). The cardiac function improved showing: the decline of the cardiac frequency of 10 beats per minute at every plateau of absolute speed, and also the maximal systolic volume of ejection of 15 % and the average blood pressure of 15 %.
The perception of the difficulty of the effort showed a decrease of 20 % in every speed. The effort at the same speed (4 km/h for ex) was on the cardiac plan less seeking and less painful. Half of the participants continued their walking program spontaneously which was recalibrated for an additional 2 to 6 months. Even if we did not elaborate a quality of life and psychological questionnaire, the talks showed a better self-esteem to have managed to follow this program and the people declared “to be better in their skins”.
1. IV. CONCLUSION AND PROSPECT
The results showed that whatever the sex and the overweight, this type of program did not come along with a significant loss of weight but allowed to improve the maximal consumption of oxygen by 15 % and especially to decrease by 20 % the difficulty of a speed, which encouraged the people to walk more while being capable of conversing and of not being breathless. Thus, we see that a moderate physical activity, the volume and the intensity of which are adjusted, allows to fight effectively against obesity.
Walking 3 times a week at the right speed allows to improve the physical condition of overweight and obese people, men and women whatever the age and the level of physical activity at departure (pure sedentary to not very active). Even if they had not lost weight significantly, they were in better physical and probably psychological condition, this plan is to be completed by a multidisciplinary analysis next year.
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