Dr. Shumpei Fujie is an Assistant Professor in Faculty of Sports and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in Journal of the American Heart Association, which collaborated with Professor Motoyuki Iemitsu, Kiyoshi Sanada, Assistant Professor Natsuki Hasegawa, Assistant Professor in Ritsumeikan-Global Innovation Research Organization Masataka Uchida, Graduate student Naoki Horii (graduated from Sport and Health Science in March 2021), Professor and Director in Tokyo Medical University Takafumi Hamaoka, Professor in University of Tsukuba Seiji Maeda (Current affiliation and position: Professor in Waseda University) and Professor in University of Missouri Luis A Martinez-Lemus, Associate Professor in University of Missouri Jaume Padilla.

This study revealed that as a translational research in aged mice and elderly adults, changes in arterial adropin that occur with age or aerobic exercise training relate to alterations in endothelial function and NO production.

https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha

Fujie S, Hasegawa N, Horii N, Uchida M, Sanada K, Hamaoka T, Padilla J, Martinez-Lemus LA, Maeda S, Iemitsu M. Aerobic Exercise Restores Aging-Associated Reductions in Arterial Adropin Levels and Improves Adropin-Induced Nitric Oxide-Dependent Vasorelaxation. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021; 10(10): e020641.

Dr. Shumpei Fujie is an Assistant Professor in Faculty of Sports and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, which collaborated with Professor Motoyuki Iemitsu, Assistant Professor Natsuki Hasegawa, Assistant Professor in Ritsumeikan-Global Innovation Research Organization Masataka Uchida, Graduate students Naoki Horii (graduated Sport and Health Science in March 2021) and Kenichiro Inoue.

The study revealed that 12-week combination of Chlorella intake and aerobic exercise training had more pronounced effects on the improvement of endothelial vasorelaxation via an additive increase in arterial Akt/eNOS/NO signaling in aged mice.

 https://cdnsciencepub.com/journal/apnm

Fujie S, Hasegawa N, Horii N, Inoue K, Uchida M, Iemitsu M. Effects of combined exercise training and Chlorella intake on vasorelaxation mediated by nitric oxide in aged mice. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2021; 46(5): 479-484.

Dr. Takashi Sugiyama is Specially Appointed Assistant Professor in Faculty of Sport and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in Front. Sports Act. Living, which collaborated with Professor Tadao Isaka, Hiroaki Kanehisa, Assistant Professor Sumiaki Maeo and Assosiate Professor in Research Organization of Science and Technology of Ritsumeikan University Toshiyuki Kurihara.

In basketball, not only linear sprint speed but also change of direction speed (CODS) is a determinant of athletic performance of basketball players. This review revealed that while CODS performances in basketball players are increasingly studied with various tests, recent studies give equal weight to all of the three categorized test types based on the distinctive movements and changing angles (Defensive, 180°-turn, Cutting) to assess specific CODS performances. This review would provide useful information for basketball players and their strength and conditioning coaches to select multiple tests from different types based on the contents to evaluate the various CODS performance of the players comprehensively.

Sugiyama T, Maeo S, Kurihara T, Kanehisa H, and Isaka T. (2021). Change of Direction Speed Tests in Basketball Players: A Brief Review of Test Varieties and Recent Trends. Front. Sports Act. Living, 3: 1 - 12.

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living URL

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.645350/full?&utm_source=Email_to_authors_&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=T1_11.5e1
_author&utm_campaign=Email_publication&field=&journalName=Frontiers_in_Sports_and_Active_Living&id=645350

Hiroshi Fukuyama is Graduate Student in Graduate School of Sports and Health Science，Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in The JJBSE Journal, which collaborated with Associate Professor Toshiyuki Kurihara, Lecturer Atsuki Fukutani, Assistant Professor Takahiko Sato, and Professor Tadao Isaka. The study revealed that the junior female classic ballet dancers, which can spread the forefoot contact area, can control the posture on demi-pointe with one leg for a long time. In addition, the little toe abductor muscle strength would affect the larger forefoot contact area.

Fukuyama H, Kurihara T, Fukutani A, Sato T, Isaka T. (2021). Relationship between postural control ability on demi-pointe and toe muscular strength in junior female classic ballet dancers. JJBSE J, 25: 1-7.

Journal website:

Mr. Naoki Horii, is a Graduate Student in Faculty of Sports and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in J Clin Biochem Nutr, which collaborated with Professor Motoyuki Iemitsu, Assistant Professor Masataka Uchida, Shumpei Fujie and Senior researcher in Research Organization of Science and Technology Natsuki Hasegawa. The study revealed that Dioscorea esculenta intake combined with resistance training has further effects on muscle hypertrophy and strength in athletes.

Horii N, Hasegawa N, Fujie S, Iemitsu K, Uchida M, Hamaoka T, Iemitsu M. Effects of Dioscorea esculenta intake with resistance training on muscle hypertrophy and strength in sprint athletes. (2020) J Clin Biochem Nutr. 67: 338-343.

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jcbn/67/3/67_19-124/_article/-char/ja

Mr. Naoki Horii, is a Graduate Student in Faculty of Sports and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in FASEB J, which collaborated with Professor Motoyuki Iemitsu, Assistant Professor Masataka Uchida and Shumpei Fujie and Senior researcher in Research Organization of Science and Technology Natsuki Hasegawa. The study revealed that acute resistance exercise-induced increase in muscle sex steroid hormones contribute to the activation of muscle protein synthesis (Akt/mTOR/p70S6K) and glucose uptake (Akt/AS160/GLUT4) signaling pathways in type 2 diabetic rats.

Horii N, Hasegawa N, Fujie S, Uchida M, Iemitsu M. Resistance exercise-induced increase in muscle 5α-dihydrotestosterone contributes to the activation of muscle Akt/mTOR/p70S6K- and Akt/AS160/GLUT4-signaling pathways in type 2 diabetic rats. (2020) FASEB J. 34: 11047-11057.

 https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1096/fj.201903223RR

Mr. Kenichiro Inoue, is a Graduate Student in Faculty of Sports and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, which collaborated with Professor Motoyuki Iemitsu, Kiyoshi Sanada, Assistant Professor Masataka Uchida and Shumpei Fujie, Senior researcher in Research Organization of Science and Technology Natsuki Hasegawa and Graduate Student Naoki Horii. The study revealed that aerobic exercise training-induced increase in irisin secretion related to reduction of arterial stiffness via NO production in adults with obesity.

Inoue K, Fujie S, Hasegawa N, Horii N, Uchida M, Iemitsu K, Sanada K, Hamaoka T, Iemitsu M. Aerobic exercise training-induced irisin secretion is associated with the reduction of arterial stiffness via nitric oxide production in adults with obesity. (2020) Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 45(7): 715-722.

Aerobic exercise training-induced irisin secretion is associated with the reduction of arterial stiffness via nitric oxide production in adults with obesity (cdnsciencepub.com)

Yuki Kusagawa is Graduate Student in Graduate School of Sports and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, which collaborated with Tadao Isaka (Professor in Faculty of SHS), Hiroaki Kanehisa (Professor in Faculty of SHS), Toshiyuki Kurihara (Associate Professor in Research Organization of Science and Technology), Sumiaki Maeo (Senior Researcher in Research Organization of Science and Technology), Takashi Sugiyama (Senior Researcher in Global Innovation Research Organization), and Aiko Imai (Graduate Student in Graduate School of SHS). The study revealed that toe flexor strength positively correlates with comfortable walking speed in older women with pronated/supinated foot, but not in older women with neutral foot.

Yuki Kusagawa, Toshiyuki Kurihara, Aiko Imai, Sumiaki Maeo, Takashi Sugiyama, Hiroaki Kanehisa & Tadao Isaka. (2020). Toe flexor strength is associated with mobility in older adults with pronated and supinated feet but not with neutral feet. J Foot Ankle Res, 13;55.

Risako Mori is a graduate student in Faculty of Sport and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and her research manuscript was accepted and published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, in which he collaborated with Professor Satoshi Fujita, and Research Associate Takumi Yokokawa in College of Gastronomy Management of Ritsumeikan University.

Many studies suggested that vitamin D is important for the regulation of skeletal muscle mass and function. This study showed that denervation-induced muscle atrophy is associated with changes in the expression of vitamin D-related proteins in murine skeletal muscles. Our data suggest that vitamin D metabolism may be involved in skeletal muscle mass loss. These data may contribute to the future research to clarify the mechanisms of vitamin D action in skeletal muscle.

Mori, R., Yokokawa, T., & Fujita, S. (2020). Modified expression of vitamin D receptor and CYP27B1 in denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 529(3), 733-739.

Nobuaki Tottori is a postdoctoral fellow in Research Organization of Science and Technology of Ritsumeikan University and graduated from graduate school of Sport and Health Science in last March. His research manuscript was accepted and published in Physiological Reports, in which he collaborated with Professor Satoshi Fujita, Professor Tadao Isaka and Assistant Professor Tadashi Suga in Faculty of Sport and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University. This study showed that moment arm correlated with joint torque productions during isometric and isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors in children. This finding suggests that moment arm dimension plays an important role in achieving superior torque production in this population.

Nobuaki Tottori, Tadashi Suga, Miyuki Hori, Tadao Isaka, and Satoshi Fujita. Impact of moment arm on torque production of the knee extensors in children. Physiological Reports, 8(17), e14521, 2020.

Daichi Tomita is a graduate of Department of Sport and Health Science, and his research manuscript was accepted and published in BMC Research Notes, which collaborated with Professor Tadao Isaka, Professor Akinori Nagano, Lecturer Masafumi Terada, Assistant Professor Tadashi Suga, and Assistant Professor Mitsuo Otsuka.

This study examined the relationship between leg bone length and sprint performance in sprinters. As a result, the ratio of the tibial length to femoral length correlated with International Amateur Athletic Federation score (i.e., sprint performance) in 400-m sprinters, but not 100-m sprinters. This finding suggests that the leg bone lengths may play an important role in achieving superior long sprint performance in 400-m specialized sprinters.

Tomita D, Suga T, Terada M, Tanaka T, Miyake Y, Ueno H, Otsuka M, Nagano A, Isaka T. A pilot study on a potential relationship between leg bone length and sprint performance in sprinters; are there any event-related differences in 100-m and 400-m sprints? BMC Res Notes 22;13(1):297, 2020.

doi: 10.1186/s13104-020-05140-z.

Hiroto Ito who graduated Sport and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University in March, 2019, and his research manuscript was published in “Temperature”, which collaborated with Professor Kazushige Goto. This study investigated the effect of ingesting electrolyzed hydrogen water (EHW) during prolonged exercise in a heated environment. As a result, EHW presented significantly lower energy expenditure during 60 min pedaling exercise than purified water, suggesting the potential benefit of ingesting EHW during endurance exercise in the heat.

Hiroto Ito, Shigeru Kabayama, Kazushige Goto. Effects of electrolyzed hydrogen water ingestion during endurance exercise in a heated environment on body fluid balance and exercise performance. Temperature, 2020 (in press).

Nanako Hayashi is a Graduate Student in Sport and Health Science of Ritsumeikan University, and her research manuscript was published in European Journal of Applied Physiology, which collaborated with Professor Kazushige Goto. This study investigated hepcidin response (an iron regulating hormone) following an acute endurance exercise session in combined “heat” and “hypoxia” environment. Consequently, hepcidin responses were similar between exercise in “hypoxia” and “combined heat and hypoxia” environments, suggesting no effect of supplemented heat stress during endurance exercise on exercise-induce hepcidin response in hypoxia.

Nanako Hayashi, Haruka Yatsutani, Hisashi Mori, Hiroto Ito, Claire Badenhorst, Kazushige Goto. No effect of supplemented heat stress during an acute endurance exercise session in hypoxia on hepcidin regulation. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2020 (in press).

 Shoma Kudo, Student in the Graduate School of Sport and Health Science, published a research paper in Gait & Posture, co-authored with Professor. Akinori Nagano and Dr. Takahiko Sato at the College of Sport and Health Science, and Dr. Masahiro Fujimoto at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

The importance of the trunk has been well recognized to contribute considerably to achieving and controlling human locomotion, such as walking and running, serving as a linking segment between the lower and upper limbs. This paper determined the optimal rigid-body model of the trunk for the analysis of its movement during walking and running. The findings of this study would be useful to analyze complex movements of the trunk during human locomotion.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966636220300709

Kudo S., Fujimoto M., Sato T., and Nagano A., (2020). Determination of the optimal number of linked rigid-bodies of the trunk during walking and running based on Akaike’s information criterion. Gait & Posture, In Press.