Articles

Comparison of seasonal variation in the fasting respiratory quotient of young Japanese, Polish and Thai women in relation to seasonal change in their percent body fat

From the viewpoint of human physiological adaptability, we previously investigated seasonal variation in the amount of unabsorbed dietary carbohydrates from the intestine after breakfast in Japanese, Polish an...

Authors: Tomoko Morinaka, Malgorzata Wozniewicz, Jan Jeszka, Joanna Bajerska, Porn-ngarm Limtrakul, Luksana Makonkawkeyoon, Naoko Hirota, Shoko Kumagai and Yoshiaki Sone

Normative references of heart rate variability and salivary alpha-amylase in a healthy young male population

This study aimed to present normative reference values of heart rate variability and salivary alpha-amylase in a healthy young male population with a particular focus on their distribution and reproducibility.

Authors: Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Bum-Jin Park and Yoshifumi Miyazaki

Sex and age-level differences of walking time in preschool children on an obstacle frame

Stepping over an obstacle is a kind of compound movement that makes walking more difficult, especially for preschool children. This study examines sex and age-level differences in walking time in preschool chi...

Authors: Kosho Kasuga, Shin-ichi Demura, Hiroki Aoki, Sohee Shin, Hiroki Sugiura and Yu Uchida

Pathophysiology and pathogenesis of circadian rhythm sleep disorders

Metabolic, physiological and behavioral processes exhibit 24-hour rhythms in most organisms, including humans. These rhythms are driven by a system of self-sustained clocks and are entrained by environmental c...

Authors: Akiko Hida, Shingo Kitamura and Kazuo Mishima

Prioritizing sleep for healthy work schedules

Good sleep is advantageous to the quality of life. Sleep-related benefits are particularly helpful for the working class, since poor or inadequate amounts of sleep degrade work productivity and overall health....

Authors: Masaya Takahashi

Daily rhythms of the sleep-wake cycle

The amount and timing of sleep and sleep architecture (sleep stages) are determined by several factors, important among which are the environment, circadian rhythms and time awake. Separating the roles played ...

Authors: Jim Waterhouse, Yumi Fukuda and Takeshi Morita

Herbs in exercise and sports

The use of herbs as ergogenic aids in exercise and sport is not novel. Ginseng, caffeine, ma huang (also called 'Chinese ephedra'), ephedrine and a combination of both caffeine and ephedrine are the most popul...

Authors: Chee Keong Chen, Ayu Suzailiana Muhamad and Foong Kiew Ooi

Oral administration of γ-aminobutyric acid affects heat production in a hot environment in resting humans

Central administration of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) induces lower body temperature in animals in hot ambient air. However, it is still unknown whether oral GABA administration affects temperature regulation ...

Authors: Taiki Miyazawa, Takashi Kawabata, Kazunobu Okazaki, Takashi Suzuki, Daiki Imai, Takeshi Hamamoto, Shinya Matsumura and Toshiaki Miyagawa

Cognitive characteristics of older Japanese drivers

Some causes of accidents among older drivers are: not paying attention to traffic signals; missing stop lines; and having to deal with and misjudging emergency situations. These causes of accidents reveal prob...

Authors: Indri H Susilowati and Akira Yasukouchi

Journal of Physiological Anthropology aims to investigate, how the speed of technological advance, experienced during the 21^st century, is affecting mankind

Authors: Akira Yasukouchi