21 research outputs found
An online home-based exercise program improves autonomic dysfunction in breast cancer survivors
Introduction: Exercise interventions for breast cancer survivors have proved their potential to improve clinical, physical, and psychosocial outcomes. However, limited studies have explored exercise effects on autonomic dysfunction and the measurement of exercise tolerance and progression through daily heart rate variability (HRV).Purpose: To analyze the effects of a 16-wk exercise intervention on the autonomic modulation of breast cancer survivors, as well as to examine the evolution of daily measured HRV and its interaction with exercise sessions in this population.Methods: A total of 29 patients who had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy were randomly assigned to the exercise group or to the control group. The exercise intervention was delivered remotely through online meetings and consisted of supervised training resistance and cardiovascular exercise 3 times per week. During the intervention all patients measured their HRV daily obtaining the napierian logarithm of the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (lnrMSSD) and the napierian logarithm of the standard deviation of the interbeat interval of normal sinus beats (lnSDNN) values at four moments: day 0 (the morning of the training sessions), 24, 48, and 72 h after exercise.Results: The results revealed a significant interaction between group and months during the intervention period for lnrMSSD and lnSDNN (p < 0.001). Additionally, there were significant differences in lnSDNN recovery time between months (p < 0.05), while differences in lnrMSSD become apparent only 24 h after exercise (p = 0.019). The control group experienced a significant decrease in both variables monthly (p < 0.05) while exercise group experienced a significant increment (p < 0.05).Conclusion: HRV is daily affected by exercise training sessions in cancer patients. Although results strongly support the role of exercise as a post-chemotherapy and radiotherapy rehabilitation strategy for breast cancer survivors to improve autonomic imbalance, further research is necessary to validate these initial findings
Understanding Behavioral Regulation Towards Physical Activity Participation: Do We Need a Paradigm Shift to Close the Gender Gap?
Despite the well-established benefits of physical activity for both physical and psychological health, current inactivity prevalence continues to be particularly alarming among adolescents and youth. Equally of great concern is the existence of striking gender differences that represent a serious threat to reverse this problem. We aimed to analyze gender-related differences in self-reported physical activity and motivational regulations in a population-based sample of Spaniard adolescents and young adults (n = 9949). To this aim, we used an explanatory mixed-methods design by integrating quantitative and qualitative data using self-determination theory (SDT) as an analytic framework. Our results reported a gender imbalance in physical activity levels and autonomous forms of motivation to the detriment of adolescent girls and young women. An earlier and steeper age-related decline both in activity and volitional types of motivation was observed in girls. Qualitative outcomes depicted a range of key cognitive and contextual mechanisms undermining the degree to which physically active behaviors are volitionally undertaken among women. These findings highlight the importance of implementing gender-sensitive policy approaches and may have a useful application in suggesting how contextual factors and exercise settings can be addressed to foster volitional types of physical activity engagement in adolescent girls and young women
Can Exercise Reduce the Autonomic Dysfunction of Patients With Cancer and Its Survivors? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Background: Cancer therapies have increased patient survival rates, but side effects such as cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity can lead to autonomic nervous and cardiovascular system dysfunction. This would result in a decrease in parasympathetic activity and the enhancement of sympathetic activity. Heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects autonomic modulation, is a valuable physiological tool since it correlates with cancer-related fatigue, stress, depression, and mortality in patients with cancer. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the effects of exercise programs on the autonomic modulation, measured by the HRV of patients with cancer and its survivors. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the quality of the articles was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. The meta-analysis statistic procedure was performed by using RevMan software version 5.3. Results: From the 252 articles found, six studies were included in the review involving 272 participants aged 30–75 years. Exercise programs had a mean length of 10.4 ± 4.6 weeks, a frequency of 3 ± 1.4 days/week, and a mean duration of 78 ± 23.9 min. In time-domain HRV measures, exercise may increase in the SD of normal-to-normal intervals [p < 0.00001, with a mean difference (MD) of 12.79 ms from 9.03 to 16.55] and a decreased root mean square of successive R–R interval differences (p = 0.002, with an MD of 13.08 ms from 4.90 to 21.27) in comparison with control groups (CG). The frequency-domain data reveal that the exercise group (EG) improve significantly more than the CGs in low frequency [absolute power: p < 0.0001, with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.97 from 0.61 to 1.34; relative power: p = 0.04, with an MD = −7.70 from −15.4 to −0.36], high-frequency [absolute power: p = 0.001, with a SMD of 1.49 from 0.32 to 2.66; relative power: p = 0.04, with an MD of 8.00 normalized units (n.u.) from 0.20 to 15.80], and low-to-high frequency ratio (p = 0.007 with an MD of −0.32 from −0.55 to −0.09). Conclusion: Exercise programs could lead to positive effects on the autonomic modulation of patients with cancer and its survivors. More beneficial changes may occur with resistance and endurance workouts. However, due to the low number of interventions performed, further research is needed to substantiate the findings and to provide additional insights regarding the exercise intensity required to increase the autonomic modulation of the patient
Animal-assisted interventions in sport sciences: a proposal for its inclusion among physical activities in the natural environment
Las intervenciones asistidas con animales (IAA), en sus diferentes formas, han
mostrado beneficios en las personas a diferentes niveles. En España,
profesionales de diferentes ámbitos llevan a cabo este tipo de intervenciones,
destacando la ausencia de profesionales de las ciencias del deporte (CAFYD).
Este artículo tiene como objetivo valorar la pertinencia del profesional de
CAFYD en las IAA, y más concretamente, dentro de las actividades físicas en
la naturaleza. La metodología se ha centrado en la realización de una revisión
sistemática de la literatura científica sobre sus beneficios en la condición
física. A continuación, se realizó un análisis crítico sobre la relación entre las
IAA y las CAFYD para, posteriormente, desarrollar la posible inclusión de las
IAA como actividades físicas en el medio natural, de acuerdo con las
diferentes clasificaciones existentes y atendiendo a las características propias
de este tipo de actividades. Los resultados de la revisión de revisiones
mostraron que las IAA tienen numerosos beneficios a nivel físico (equilibrio,
movilidad o marcha), lo cual estaría relacionado con el componente motriz
de las IAA y justificaría la presencia de profesionales en CAFYD. Además, la
interacción humano-animal podría relacionarse también con los beneficios
descritos mediante el concepto de biofilia, presente en las actividades físicas
en la naturalezaAnimal-assisted interventions (AAI) have shown different types of benefits in people. In Spain,
professionals from different fields carry out this type of interventions, but the absence of sports science
professionals (CAFYD) is remarkable. This article aims to screen the relevance of the CAFYD professional
in AAI and, more specifically, within the framework of the physical activities in the natural environment.
The methods included a systematic review of the scientific literature on the benefits in physical fitness.
Then, a critical analysis of the relationship between AAI and CAFYD was carried out, to subsequently
develop the possible inclusion of AAI as physical activities in the natural environment, according to the
different existing classifications and taking into account the characteristics of this type of activities. The
results of the review showed that AAI have several physical benefits (balance, mobility or gait), which
would be related to the motor component of AAI and would justify the presence of professionals in
CAFYD. In addition, human-animal interaction could also be related to the benefits described through
the concept of biophilia, present in physical activities in the natural environmen
Effects of high-intensity training on the quality of life of cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Abstract: Cancer and associated medical treatments affect patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by decreasing functional dimensions of physical, social, cognitive, and emotional well-being, while increasing short and late-term symptoms. Exercise, however, is demonstrated to be a useful therapy to improve cancer patients' and survivors’ HRQoL, yet the effectiveness of high-intensity training (HIT) exercise is uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyse the effects of HIT on HRQoL dimensions in cancer patients and survivors as well as evaluate the optimal prescription of HIT. The search followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA) and examined Web of Science and PubMed (Medline) databases. Data were analysed utilizing Review Manager Software. Twenty-two articles were included in the systematic review and 17 in the meta-analysis. Results showed HIT improved global quality of life, physical functioning, role functioning, social functioning, cognitive functioning, fatigue, pain, dyspnea, and insomnia, compared to an inactive control group, yet no differences were found between HIT and low to moderate-intensity exercise interventions. Particular improvements in HRQoL were observed during cancer treatment and with a training duration of more than eight weeks, a frequency of 2 days/week, and a volume of at least 120 min/week, including 15 min or more of HIT. Our findings whilst encouraging, highlight the infancy of the extant evidence base for the role of HIT in the HRQoL of cancer patients and survivors
Benefits of Equine-Assisted Therapies in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review
This systematic review aimed to provide an up-to-date analysis of the effects of equine-assisted therapies (EAT) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). .e Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review. PubMed and Web of Science databases were employed in the search, which ended in February 2022. .e risk of bias analysis was performed using the Evidence Project tool. After removing duplicates, thirty-nine studies were identified. However, only ten fulled the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. .erefore, a total of 195 PwMS, aged between 40.3 and 51.3, were included in this systematic review. EAT-based interventions had a mean length of 13.6 weeks with a session´s frequency ranging from ten to once a week. All sessions involved real horses and lasted a mean of 34.4 min. Among the included articles, four were randomized controlled trials (RCT), four did not perform randomization, and two employed a prepost design without a control group. RCTs showed positive effects on quality of life, fatigue, balance, spasticity, and gait speed. Furthermore, non-RCT showed improvements in balance, spasticity, and postural control (postural control was not assessed in RCTstudies). Importantly, significant effects were only observed when the comparison group was inactive or followed usual care. .erefore, EAT is a promising and effective therapy to improve quality of life, fatigue, balance, spasticity, and gait speed in PwMS. However, since comparison groups are heterogeneous, results could vary depending on the research design. Moreover, the inclusion of noncontrolled studies (in order to have a wide perspective of the state of art) could increase the risk of bias and make the results be taken with caution
An online home-based exercise program improves autonomic dysfunction in breast cancer survivors
Introduction: Exercise interventions for breast cancer survivors have proved their potential to improve clinical, physical, and psychosocial outcomes. However, limited studies have explored exercise effects on autonomic dysfunction and the measurement of exercise tolerance and progression through daily heart rate variability (HRV). Purpose: To analyze the effects of a 16-wk exercise intervention on the autonomic modulation of breast cancer survivors, as well as to examine the evolution of daily measured HRV and its interaction with exercise sessions in this population. Methods: A total of 29 patients who had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy were randomly assigned to the exercise group or to the control group. The exercise intervention was delivered remotely through online meetings and consisted of supervised training resistance and cardiovascular exercise 3 times per week. During the intervention all patients measured their HRV daily obtaining the napierian logarithm of the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (lnrMSSD) and the napierian logarithm of the standard deviation of the interbeat interval of normal sinus beats (lnSDNN) values at four moments: day 0 (the morning of the training sessions), 24, 48, and 72 h after exercise. Results: The results revealed a significant interaction between group and months during the intervention period for lnrMSSD and lnSDNN (p < 0.001). Additionally, there were significant differences in lnSDNN recovery time between months (p < 0.05), while differences in lnrMSSD become apparent only 24 h after exercise (p = 0.019). The control group experienced a significant decrease in both variables monthly (p < 0.05) while exercise group experienced a significant increment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: HRV is daily affected by exercise training sessions in cancer patients. Although results strongly support the role of exercise as a post-chemotherapy and radiotherapy rehabilitation strategy for breast cancer survivors to improve autonomic imbalance, further research is necessary to validate these initial findings
Key factors associated with adherence to physical exercise in patients with chronic diseases and older adults: An umbrella review
Physical inactivity is a major concern and poor adherence to exercise programs is often reported. The aim of this paper was to systematically review published reviews on the study of adherence to physical exercise in chronic patients and older adults and to identify those adherence-related key factors more frequently suggested by reviews for that population. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Results were classified considering the target population and participants’ characteristics to identify the most repeated factors obtained for each condition. Fifty-five articles were finally included. Fourteen key factors were identified as relevant to increase adherence to physical exercise by at least ten reviews: (a) characteristics of the exercise program, (b) involvement of professionals from different disciplines, (c) supervision, (d) technology, (e) initial exploration of participant’s characteristics, barriers, and facilitators, (f) participants education, adequate expectations and knowledge about risks and benefits, (g) enjoyment and absence of unpleasant experiences, (h) integration in daily living, (i) social support and relatedness, (j) communication and feedback, (k) available progress information and monitoring, (l) self-efficacy and competence, (m) participant’s active role and (n) goal setting. Therefore, adherence to physical exercise is affected by several variables that can be controlled and modified by researchers and professionals.The study was conducted in the framework of the 2019 “Red de Adherencia al Ejercicio
Físico en Pacientes con Enfermedades Crónicas”/“Adherence to physical exercise in patients with
chronic patients network” (25/UPB/19) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sport. This
work was also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities with a
postdoctoral grant (FJCI-2016-28405) to A.L.-C. A.L.-C. and a predoctoral industrial grant (DIN2018-010129) to A.M.L.-P
High‐intensity exercise to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRFit) in cancer patients is crucial to increase survivorship, promote health and improve quality of life. High‐intensity training (HIT) has the potential to increase CRFit, perhaps better than other exercise modalities, but the extant evidence has yet to be fully explored. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of HIT on CRFit in cancer patients and survivors and to identify the optimal characteristics of the interventions (e.g. cancer type, intervention timing, exercise modality, intervention’s duration and the number of minutes of high‐intensity exercise in each session). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. A total of 31 articles (2515 participants) were included in the systematic review and 25 in the meta‐analyses. CRFit significantly improved with HIT in comparation to a control group (p<0.00001, SMD = 0.44 and a 95% confidence interval from 0.25 to 0.64). The results obtained in the sub‐analysis were statistically significant except the comparison with the active group CRFit (p=0.13). The results showed that higher effects could be achieved in: patients starting to exercise before treatment, interventions longer than eight weeks, programs including exclusively cardiovascular training and with a high‐intensity part of session duration of at least 20 minutes
Efectos de un programa de ejercicio físico en la presión arterial, el estrés laboral y el burnout
El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los efectos de un programa multicomponente de ejercicio físico de 12 semanas, 3 días a la semana, en el estrés laboral, el burnout y en la presión arterial en el personal docente e investigador (PDI) y personal de administración y servicios (PAS) de la universidad. Los datos cuantitativos se obtuvieron antes y después de la intervención con los cuestionarios de estrés laboral de Karasek y de burnout MBI- HSS y la medición de la presión arterial a 16 trabajadores (8 PAS y 8 PDI). La evaluación cualitativa se realizó mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas a 10 de estos participantes (5 PAS y 5 PDI). El programa de ejercicio físico produjo cambios significativos en la disminución de la presión arterial de los participantes y una disminución del estrés laboral en los participantes del grupo PDI. Respecto a los resultados de las entrevistas, los participantes percibieron mejoras en la composición corporal, la fuerza y la flexibilidad, los dolores físicos, la fatiga, la presión arterial, y la frecuencia cardiaca, en el estado anímico, en la ansiedad, en el estrés, en la eficiencia laboral, en el burnout y el clima social. Además, los participantes adquirieron conocimientos sobre ejercicio físico saludable y se adhirieron a la actividad física y realizaron dietas más saludables. Por ello, los resultados sugieren que el ejercicio físico puede producir beneficios en la salud y bienestar de esta población tan poco estudiada con anterioridad