The calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, released in 2015, include calls for “Education for Reconciliation” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. As an educational institution that reaches a large portion of the young adult population in Quebec, the college system is in a unique position to address these calls. The presentation will include concepts in Indigenous pedagogy and demonstrate an application of it to allow participants to brainstorm ways to apply these methods in their respective fields.

The Cégep Curriculum : Responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada : Calls to Action

Physical activity improves strength, balance and endurance in adults aged 40–65 years: a systematic review

Previous research suggests that individuals use a sense of effort, more than proprioceptive feedback, to gauge force production in their upper limbs We have adopted an isometric force matching task to determine if force asymmetry between lower limbs during bilateral force production results from a neural mechanism related to sense of effort We hypothesized that subjects attempting to produce equal lower limb forces would generate equal percentages of their bilateral maximum voluntary strength rather than equal absolute limb forces Ten subjects performed isometric lower limb extensions on an exercise machine Subjects attempted to match forces in their lower limbs at three different submaximal levels (20, 40, and 60% of their weaker limb peak force during bilateral maximum voluntary contraction) Subjects received visual feedback of only the target and stronger limb force Results showed that subjects consistently produced less force in their weaker limb during all force matching levels when normalized to their unilateral maximum voluntary contraction force (ANOVAs 20% P = 00473, 40% P = 00012, 60% P = 00007) As predicted by our hypothesis, normalizing force magnitudes by bilateral maximum voluntary contraction forces revealed no significant differences between limbs at all force levels (ANOVA P = 08490) Regardless of whether humans produce maximal or submaximal forces, limb force asymmetry appears to be related to neural factors rather than differences in mechanical capabilities between the limbs Our findings have implications for bilateral asymmetries during movement in healthy and neurologically impaired populations

Lower limb force production and bilateral force asymmetries are based on sense of effort

Acute neuromuscular responses to maximum versus forced repetition (FR) knee extension resistance exercises (4 sets of 12 repetitions [reps] with a 2-minute recovery between the sets) were examined in 4 male strength athletes (SAs) and 4 nonathletes. Maximum repetition (MR) sets were performed to voluntary exhaustion (12 repetition maximum [RM]), whereas in the FR sets, the load was greater (8RM) and the set was continued after voluntary fatigue with 4 additional assisted reps. Maximal isometric force and electromyogram (EMG) activity of the knee extensors were measured before and after the exercise, as well as 2 recovery days after the exercise. Electromyogram activity was also measured during the actual concentric phases of the knee extensions. Both loading protocols in both groups led to decreases in isometric force, but no significant changes were observed in EMG activity during isometric actions at any time points. However, the difference between the 2 loading protocols and experimental groups was observed in muscle activity during the concentric phases of the knee extensions. As expected, EMG activity increased in both groups throughout the MR sets when compared with the first repetitions of the sets. Only in SAs, EMG activity decreased significantly at the end of the FR sets. The results suggest that experienced SAs were capable to activate their muscles to a greater extent than their non-strength-trained counterparts indicated by neural fatigue during the FR exercise. Greater motor unit activation in SAs than in nonathletes may be due to training-induced neural adaptation, which manifested during fatiguing exercise. The present study suggests that FRs are an efficient training protocol to overload the neuromuscular system especially in SAs.

Strength athletes are capable to produce greater muscle activation and neural fatigue during high-intensity resistance exercise than nonathletes

The bilateral deficit phenomenon, characterized by a reduction in the amount of force from a single limb during maximal bilateral actions, has been shown in various movement tasks, contraction types and different populations. However, bilateral deficit appears to be an inconsistent phenomenon, with high variability in magnitude and existence, and seems to be plastic, as bilateral facilitation has also been shown to occur. Furthermore, many mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have been proposed over the years, but still remain largely unknown. The purpose of this review was to clarify and critically discuss some of the important issues relevant to bilateral deficit. The main findings of this review were: (1) bilateral deficit does not seem to be contraction-type dependent; however, it is more consistent in dynamic compared to isometric contractions; (2) postural stabilization requirements and/or ability to use counterbalances during unilateral actions seem to influence the expression of bilateral deficit to a great extent; strong evidence has been provided for higher-order neural inhibition as a possible mechanism, but requires further exploration using a lower limb model; biomechanical mechanisms, such as differences in shortening velocity between contraction modes and displacement of the force–velocity curve, seem to underlie bilateral deficit in ballistic and explosive contractions; (3) task familiarity has a large influence on bilateral deficit and thus adequate testing specificity is warranted in training/cross-sectional experiments; (4) the literature investigating the relationship between bilateral deficit and athletic performance and injury remains scarce; hence, further research in this area is required.

Bilateral deficit in maximal force production

Some have observed maximal strength of simultaneous bilateral homologous limb contraction is less than the sum of strengths of right and left limbs contracting alone; a phenomenon referred to as the bilateral deficit (BLD). There is controversy on whether there is a BLD for all exercises. We assessed whether a BLD occurs across different exercises (leg press, knee extension, and lat pull-down), whether the BLD could be altered with unilateral or bilateral training, and whether unilateral versus bilateral training was more beneficial for increasing lean tissue mass (LTM). Post-menopausal women (~57 years) were randomized to bilateral (n=14) and unilateral (n=12) training, or non-training control (n=24) groups. Bilateral training involved seven exercises performed with bilateral contractions (two sets, 3 days week−1, 26 weeks). Unilateral training involved the same exercises performed with one limb at a time. A BLD was found for leg press and lat pull-down, but not for knee extension. Bilateral training decreased the BLD; whereas unilateral training had minimal effect on the BLD. The unilateral-training group had a greater increase in lower-body LTM compared to the control group (P<0.05); however, there were no differences between unilateral and bilateral training groups. Both training groups had greater increases in LTM of the upper- and whole-body compared to the control group. We conclude that the BLD is apparent for some exercises (i.e., the leg press and lat pull-down) but not others (i.e., knee extension). Bilateral training reduces the BLD; whereas unilateral training has minimal effect on the BLD.

The effect of unilateral and bilateral strength training on the bilateral deficit and lean tissue mass in post-menopausal women

Population health approaches are visible among multidisciplinary methods used in urban design and planning, but attention to health equity is not always an explicit focus. Population and Public Health—Saskatoon Health Region recognized the need for frameworks to prioritize, integrate and measure health equity within local built environments. A cross-department healthy built environment (HBE) initiative coordinated activities involving Health Promotion, Environmental Public Health, Public Health Observatory, and Medical Health Officers engaged with municipal, academic and community partners in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The HBE team conducted evidence reviews and consulted with partners to identify common health equity issues in built environments and best and leading practices to address them. The HBE team then prioritized and undertook projects to model a health equity approach. Projects included the following: (1) developing a Health Equity in Healthy Built Environment Framework; (2) engaging in a partner campaign highlighting built environment and health equity during a municipal election; (3) producing a Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) report on the City of Saskatoon’s growth plan; and (4) developing a monitoring and evaluation framework for health equity outcomes. Other outputs include making new connections between local HBE and poverty reduction efforts and promoting social inclusion guidelines in consultation processes. Within a population health approach to HBE, an explicit focus on health equity can be a catalyst for engaging partners in cross-sectoral action for building inclusive physical and social environments.

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Cora L. Janzen

Papers

The effect of unilateral and bilateral strength training on the bilateral deficit and lean tissue mass in post-menopausal women

Embedding health equity strategically within built environments.