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Govindasamy Balasekaran

Bio: Govindasamy Balasekaran is an academic researcher from Nanyang Technological University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Random early detection. The author has an hindex of 14, co-authored 69 publications receiving 1091 citations. Previous affiliations of Govindasamy Balasekaran include University of Texas at Arlington & National Institute of Education.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The psycho-physiological responses provide validity evidence for use of the Children's OMNI Scale over a wide range of dynamic exercise intensities.
Abstract: ROBERTSON, R. J., F. L. GOSS, N. F. BOER, J. A. PEOPLES, A. J. FOREMAN, I. M. DABAYEBEH, N. B. MILLICH, G. BALASEKARAN, S. E. RIECHMAN, J. D. GALLAGHER, and T. THOMPKINS. Children’s OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion: mixed gender and race validation. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 452–4

254 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that IL-15 is an important mediator of muscle mass response to resistance exercise training in humans and that genetic variation in IL15RA accounts for a significant proportion of the variability in this response.
Abstract: Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is an anabolic cytokine that is produced in skeletal muscle and directly affects muscle anabolism in animal and in vitro models. The contribution of IL-15 variability in musc...

215 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data suggest that in African-American children, family history of type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for insulin resistance, and it is proposed that this familial tendency, combined with environmental influences, could lead to type 1 diabetes decades later.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: African-Americans are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. We have previously demonstrated that African-American children are hyperinsulinemic and insulin resistant compared with their white American peers. The aim of the present investigation was to assess the impact of family history of type 2 diabetes on insulin sensitivity in African-American children. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 13 prepubertal healthy children with negative family history (FH-) and 9 with positive family history (FH+) of type 2 diabetes underwent a 3-h hyperinsulinemic (40 mU x m(-2) x min(-1))-euglycemic clamp study to assess insulin sensitivity. The groups were comparable for age, pubertal status, total body adiposity determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, abdominal adiposity assessed by computed tomography scan at the level of L4-5 lumbar vertebra, and physical fitness measured by maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). RESULTS: The FH+, compared with the FH-, group had lower insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (10.9+/-1.2 vs. 14.2+/-0.9 mg x kg(-1) x min(-1), P = 0.035) and lower nonoxidative glucose disposal (5.7+/-0.8 vs. 8.3+/-0.6 mg x kg(-1) x min(-1), P = 0.015), with no differences in rates of glucose oxidation, fat oxidation, or insulin-mediated free fatty acid suppression. Fasting hepatic glucose production assessed with [6,6-2H2]glucose and basal rates of glucose and fat oxidation were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that in African-American children, family history of type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for insulin resistance. These children manifest important metabolic alterations, including impaired insulin-stimulated total and nonoxidative glucose disposal early in the first decade of life. We propose that this familial tendency, combined with environmental influences, could lead to type 2 diabetes decades later.

122 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results indicate that, in the women studied, 75.7% of the variation in 2000 m indoor rowing performance time was predicted by peak power in a rowing Wingate test, while V O 2max and fatigue during theWingate test explained an additional 12.1% and 8.2%" of the variance, respectively.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to predict indoor rowing performance in 12 competitive female rowers (age 21.3 - 3.6 years, height 1.68 - 0.54 m, body mass 67.1 - 11.7 kg; mean - s ) using a 30 s rowing sprint, maximal oxygen uptake and the blood lactate response to submaximal rowing. Blood lactate and oxygen uptake ( V O 2 ) were measured during a discontinuous graded exercise test on a Concept II rowing ergometer incremented by 25 W for each 2 min stage; the highest V O 2 measured during the test was recorded as V O 2max (mean = 3.18 - 0.35 l· min -1 ). Peak power (380 - 63.2 W) and mean power (368 - 60.0 W) were determined using a modified Wingate test protocol on the Concept II rowing ergometer. Rowing performance was based on the results of the 2000 m indoor rowing championship in 1997 (466.8 - 12.3 s). Laboratory testing was performed within 3 weeks of the rowing championship. Submitting mean power (Power), the highest and lowest five consecutive sprint power outputs (Maximal and Minimal), percent fatigue...

112 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Data reveal that large exercise-induced weight losses are associated with maintenance of fat free mass and a corresponding maintenance of FFM, and a significant reduction in WHR indicates a greater mobilization of abdominal fat and a preferential loss of fat from this region.
Abstract: Purpose: To investigate whether abdominal fat is reduced in response to substantial weight loss induced by exercise in young obese men. Methods: Thirty obese men (mean age 19.8 +/- 0.6 yr) were evaluated before (pretraining) and after (posuraining) 4 months of regimented training in the Singapore Armed Forces. There were 30 obese male subjects (mean age 19.2 +/- 1.3 yr) without training who were monitored as control subjects. Fat free mass (FFM), fat mass, and percent body fat were determined from skinfold measurements. Differences between pre- and posuraining responses were analyzed with a paired t-test. Results: Subjects lost 12.0 +/- 3.6 kg (P < 0.001) from pre- to posuraining, which was attributable to a reduction in fat mass (P < 0.001), as FFM was unchanged. Both waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC) decreased (P < 0.01), the reduction in WC (13.7%) being greater than the reduction in HC (7.7%) as reflected by the decrease in waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; P < 0.001). These data reveal that large exercise-induced weight losses are associated with maintenance of FFM. The significant reduction in WHR indicates a greater mobilization of abdominal fat and a preferential loss of fat from this region. Conclusions: Large exercise-induced weight loss is associated with a preferential reduction in abdominal fat and a corresponding maintenance of FFM. Such an effect on body composition should reduce disease risk and the eventual weight regain that typically follows diet-induced weight losses with obese subjects.

51 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review focuses on the myokine IL-6, its regulation by exercise, its signaling pathways in skeletal muscle, and its role in metabolism in both health and disease.
Abstract: Skeletal muscle has recently been identified as an endocrine organ. It has, therefore, been suggested that cytokines and other peptides that are produced, expressed, and released by muscle fibers and exert paracrine, autocrine, or endocrine effects should be classified as "myokines." Recent research demonstrates that skeletal muscles can produce and express cytokines belonging to distinctly different families. However, the first identified and most studied myokine is the gp130 receptor cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 was discovered as a myokine because of the observation that it increases up to 100-fold in the circulation during physical exercise. Identification of IL-6 production by skeletal muscle during physical activity generated renewed interest in the metabolic role of IL-6 because it created a paradox. On one hand, IL-6 is markedly produced and released in the postexercise period when insulin action is enhanced but, on the other hand, IL-6 has been associated with obesity and reduced insulin action. This review focuses on the myokine IL-6, its regulation by exercise, its signaling pathways in skeletal muscle, and its role in metabolism in both health and disease.

1,793 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review presents the 2002 update of the human gene map for physical performance and health-related phenotypes, based on peer-reviewed papers published by the end of 2002 and includes association studies with candidate genes, genome-wide scans with polymorphic markers, and single gene defects causing exercise intolerance to variable degrees.
Abstract: The current review presents the 2005 update of the human gene map for physical performance and health-related fitness phenotypes. It is based on peer-reviewed papers published by the end of 2005. The genes and markers with evidence of association or linkage with a performance or fitness phenotype in sedentary or active people, in adaptation to acute exercise, or for training-induced changes are positioned on the genetic map of all autosomes and the X chromosome. Negative studies are reviewed, but a gene or locus must be supported by at least one positive study before being inserted on the map. By the end of 2000, in the early version of the gene map, 29 loci were depicted. In contrast, the 2005 human gene map for physical performance and health-related phenotypes includes 165 autosomal gene entries and QTL, plus five others on the X chromosome. Moreover, there are 17 mitochondrial genes in which sequence variants have been shown to influence relevant fitness and performance phenotypes. Thus, the map is growing in complexity. Unfortunately, progress is slow in the field of genetics of fitness and performance, primarily because the number of laboratories and scientists focused on the role of genes and sequence variations in exercise-related traits continues to be quite limited.

750 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present review focuses on muscle-derived cytokines, their regulation by exercise, and their possible roles in metabolism and skeletal muscle function and it discusses which cytokines should be classified as true myokines.
Abstract: During the past 20 yr, it has been well documented that exercise has a profound effect on the immune system. With the discovery that exercise provokes an increase in a number of cytokines, a possible link between skeletal muscle contractile activity and immune changes was established. For most of the last century, researchers sought a link between muscle contraction and humoral changes in the form of an "exercise factor," which could mediate some of the exercise-induced metabolic changes in other organs such as the liver and the adipose tissue. We suggest that cytokines and other peptides that are produced, expressed, and released by muscle fibers and exert either paracrine or endocrine effects should be classified as "myokines." Since the discovery of interleukin (IL)-6 release from contracting skeletal muscle, evidence has accumulated that supports an effect of IL-6 on metabolism. We suggested that muscle-derived IL-6 fulfils the criteria of an exercise factor and that such classes of cytokines should be named "myokines." Interestingly, recent research demonstrates that skeletal muscles can produce and express cytokines belonging to distinctly different families. Thus skeletal muscle has the capacity to express several myokines. To date the list includes IL-6, IL-8, and IL-15, and contractile activity plays a role in regulating the expression of these cytokines in skeletal muscle. The present review focuses on muscle-derived cytokines, their regulation by exercise, and their possible roles in metabolism and skeletal muscle function and it discusses which cytokines should be classified as true myokines.

700 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is found that some workplace physical activity interventions can improve both health and important worksite outcomes, and effects were variable for most outcomes, reflecting the diversity of primary studies.

667 citations