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This paper presents an analysis of the nature of physical education teaching and reports a study of work environment factors relating to burnout in a sample of physical education teachers in Israel. Based on teachers’ responses to a questionnaire, a factor analysis of 80 items describing work conditions found 15 factors to explain 57% of the variance in the work environment. In a multiple regression of all variables in the model on burnout, none of the personal or occupational variables entered the equation. However, 3 of 15 factors describing work conditions affected teacher burnout: Low Remuneration (β = .359), Bureaucratic Limitations (β =211), and Role Limitations (β = .204). These factors include some items common to all teachers but also point at some problems related to the unique nature of physical education teaching, such as social isolation, role conflict, lack of diverse activities, and lack of opportunity for self-development.

Hemodynamic and left ventricular systolic function were studied by Doppler echocardiography in 14 young and 15 older adult hypertensive patients and in 15 young and 12 older normotensive individuals. Measures were made at rest and during upright deadlift isometric exercise, at 30% of maximum voluntary contraction for 3 min. At rest, young and older hypertensive patients demonstrated impaired left ventricular systolic function compared to both old and young normotensive subjects. The impaired systolic function was associated with less augmentation in systolic indices during exercise compared with resting values in young and elderly hypertensive patients, and to a lesser degree in the normotensive elderly when compared with young normotensives. These data indicate that at rest, left ventricular systolic function may be compromised in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and, to a lesser extent, in the normotensive elderly. However, other factors in chronic hypertension may contribute to abnormal systolic function and override the effects of aging alone.

Left ventricular function was evaluated in 14 adolescents (13.1 ± 1 years) at maximal oxygen uptake and at peak Wingate anaerobic test by means of echocardiography. Significant (p < .05) differences between aerobic and Wingate test bouts were found for: cardiac output (15.5 ± 1.2 and 12.2 ± 1.1 L/min, respectively); left ventricular end-systolic pressure—volume ratio (5.2 ± 0.8 and 6.0 ± 0.7, respectively); ejection fraction (72.2 ± 5.2 and 65.2 ± 5.1%, respectively); and mean arterial blood pressure (102.9 ± 10.8 and 111.1 ± 11.3 mmHg, respectively). Data suggest that left ventricular function at peak Wingate anaerobic test was markedly lower from that observed at peak aerobic exercise as a result of a higher afterload response.