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G T Romero

Publications and source records attributed to G T Romero.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Changes with age in monosynaptic reflexes elicited by mechanical and electrical stimulation.

Absence of the achilles tendon reflex (T) has been reported to increase with age. Other investigators have reported no age relationship. Age changes in the Hoffmann reflex (H) have been examined in only one recent investigation. It was our purpose to compare the T and H reflexes of healthy, active old (n = 20) against young (n = 20) subjects using methods which provide stimulus-response data for both T and H. We also compared the age differences of H against T to estimate fusimotor involvement in age changes. No significant age difference were found in the response:stimulus ratio for T. Amplitude of H responses were 32.7 percent smaller in the old (P less than 0.04) and M waves were smaller by 24 percent (P less than 0.025). No significant age difference was found between mechanically and electrically elicited reflexes; and, therefore, our data do not support fusimotor involvement in the age changes of monosynaptic reflexes.

Achilles Tendon↗

Physiological alterations consequent to circuit weight training.

The efficacy of a 10-week program of circuit weight training to elicit specific physiological alterations was evaluated in a group of men (n = 16) and a group of women (n = 12), with an additional group of men (n = 10) and a group of women (n = 11) serving as controls. The circuit consisted of 10 stations performed on a Universal Gym, 3 circuits per day (approximately 22.5 min/day), 3 days/week. The subjects exercised at 40-55% of 1-RM, executing as many repetitions as possible in 30 sec on each of the lifts, followed by a 15 sec rest as the subject moved to the next station. Following the training program, the experimental groups demonstrated significant increases in lean body weight, flexed biceps girth, treadmill endurance time, VEmax (women only), Vo2max in ml/kg-min (women only), flexibility and strength. Significant decreases were found in selected skinfold measurements, and in resting heart rate (control group showed similar decreases). No change was found in body weight or in relative or absolute body fat. Generally, the women exhibited equal or greater changes when compared to the men for all variables assessed, which could be a function of their lower initial starting levels, or a more intense training program. It was concluded that circuit weight training is a good general conditioning activity, i.e., attends to more than one component of fitness.

Anthropometry↗

Effects of water immersion on lung volumes: implications for body composition analysis.

Lung volumes of 20 healthy young men were measured before and after water immersion to the neck level. Immersion resulted in significant decreases (P less than 0.01) in forced vital capacity (FVC) (8.9%), expiratory reserve volume (ERV) (61%), total lung capacity (TLC) (5.6%), and functional residual capacity (FRC) (2.9%). Significant increases were observed in inspiratory capacity (IC) (10%) and residual volume (RV) (6.7%). The increase in RV was attributed to a possible "stiffness" of the lung tissue caused by pulmonary vascular engorgement. Densitometric analysis was made on each subject using hydrostatic weighing techniques. Subsequent calculation of body density and per-cent body fat indicated significant (P less than 0.01) differences when using RV measured on land and in water. Body fat was 14.0% using the land RV in the computation of density and decreased to 13.4% using the RV measured in water. It was concluded that when obtaining body density values. RV should be measured concurrently while the subject is in the water.

Adult↗