Potential mechanisms behind the blood pressure–lowering effect of dynamic resistance training

Purpose of Review: To elucidate the hemodynamic, autonomic, vascular, hormonal, and local mechanisms involved in the blood pressure (BP)–lowering effect of dynamic resistance training (DRT) in prehypertensive and hypertensive populations. Recent Findings: The systematic search identified 16 studies involving 17 experimental groups that assessed the DRT effects on BP mechanisms in prehypertensive and/or hypertensive populations. These studies mainly enrolled women and middle-aged/older individuals. Vascular effects of DRT were consistently reported, with vascular conductance, flow-mediated dilation, and vasodilatory capacity increases found in all studies. On the other hand, evidence regarding the effects of DRT on systemic hemodynamics, autonomic regulation, hormones, and vasoactive substances are still scarce and controversial, not allowing for any conclusion. Summary: The current literature synthesis shows that DRT may promote vascular adaptations, improving vascular conductance and endothelial function, which may have a role in the BP-lowering effect of this type of training in prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals. More studies are needed to explore the role of other mechanisms in the BP-lowering effect of DRT

Post‐resistance exercise hypotension in patients with intermittent claudication

OBJECTIVE: To verify the acute effects of resistance exercise on post-exercise blood pressure in patients with intermittent claudication. METHODS: Eight patients randomly underwent two experimental sessions: a session of resistance exercise (R: 6 exercises, 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 reps with a perceived exertion of 11 to 13 on the 15-grade Borg scale) and a control session (C: resting on exercise machines). RESULTS: Before and for 60 min following an intervention, auscultatory blood pressure was measured while subjects rested in a sitting position. After the C session, systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures did not change from the pre-intervention values, while these values decreased significantly after the R session throughout the entire recovery period (greatest decreases = -14 ± 5, -6±5, and -9 ± 4 mmHg, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After a single bout of resistance exercise patients with intermittent claudication exhibited reduced systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures, suggesting that acute resistance exercise may decrease cardiovascular load in these patients

Projeto Exercício e Coração: Uma Década a Serviço da Comunidade

Sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for chronic disease development, and consequently regular physical activity can help to prevent and control these diseases. Thus, many public campaigns have been created to motivate people to become active, and many subjects are practicing exercises in public facilities. However, at these sites, physical practice is frequently performed without any professional advice, which increases its cardiovascular risks especially in people with cardiovascular diseases. To deal with this problem, the Exercise and Heart Project was created 10 years ago to prescribe secure physical activity to people who exercise in public facilities without supervision. The project has continuous activities in Fernando Costa park and in the USP University Hospital, and it also participates at public health campaigns. Throughout the years, the project evaluated more than 1,431 persons in the park, gave more than 2,109 stretching class, participated in more than 28 health events, trained more than 150 monitors, and published forty abstracts and nine complete scientific articles based on its data. In conclusion, the Exercise and Heart Project is a community extension activity of the university that takes the academic knowledge to the community, and also integrates extension, teaching and research.O sedentarismo é um fator de risco para as doenças crônicas e, portanto, a prática regular de atividades físicas auxilia na prevenção e combate dessas doenças. Diversas campanhas públicas têm incentivado as pessoas a praticarem exercícios em locais públicos. No entanto, a prática muitas vezes é executada sem a orientação de um profissional, o que pode representar um risco à saúde, principalmente para pessoas com doenças cardiovasculares. Diante dessa problemática, há dez anos, o Projeto Exercício e Coração foi criado para orientar/prescrever a prática segura de atividade física para frequentadores de locais públicos que se exercitam sem supervisão. O projeto atua de forma contínua no parque Fernando Costa e no Hospital Universitário da USP, além de participar de campanhas públicas de saúde. Nesses dez anos, o projeto avaliou mais de 1.431 pessoas no parque, ministrou mais de 2.109 aulas de alongamento, participou de mais de 28 eventos, treinou mais de 150 monitores e publicou quarenta resumos e nove artigos científicos completos relacionados aos seus dados. Assim, o Projeto Exercício e Coração é uma atividade de extensão que tem a preocupação de levar à comunidade os conhecimentos acadêmicos produzidos pela universidade, integrando pesquisa, ensino e extensão

Stages of health behavior change and factors associated with physical activity in patients with intermittent claudication

OBJECTIVE: To analyze, in people with intermittent claudication, the frequency of individuals who are in each of stages of health behavior change to practice physical activity, and analyze the association of these stages with the walking capacity. METHODS: We recruited 150 patients with intermittent claudication treated at a tertiary center, being included those > 30-year-old-individuals and who had ankle-arm index < 0.90. We obtained socio-demographic information, presence of comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors and stages of health behavior change to practice physical activity through a questionnaire, they being pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Moreover, the walking capacity was measured in a treadmill test (Gardner protocol). RESULTS: Most individuals were in the maintenance stage (42.7%), however, when the stages of health behavior change were categorized into active (action and maintenance) and inactive (pre-contemplation, contemplation and preparation), 51.3% of the individuals were classified as inactive behavior. There was no association between stages of health behavior change, sociodemographic factors and cardiovascular risk factors. However, patients with intermittent claudication who had lower total walking distance were three times more likely to have inactive behavior. CONCLUSION: Most patients with intermittent claudication showed an inactive behavior and, in this population, lower walking capacity was associated with this behavior

Physical aptitude classification tables for users of public parks

INTRODUÇÃO: Devido à difusão dos benefícios da atividade física, muitas pessoas passaram a se exercitar em parques públicos, o que incentivou o surgimento de projetos que orientam a prática nestes locais. Estes projetos precisam avaliar a aptidão física de seus clientes com testes fáceis, cujos resultados são comparados a padrões de estadiamento. Porém, os padrões existentes não se adequam à população em questão. OBJETIVO: Construir tabelas de estadiamento para a avaliação da aptidão física de adultos e idosos. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados os dados de 713 avaliações feitas em indivíduos de ambos os sexos e com mais de 20 anos. Foram avaliadas a aptidão cardiorrespiratória (marcha estacionária e Cooper), a capacidade muscular (flexão de cotovelo, impulsão vertical e resistência abdominal) e a flexibilidade (sentar e alcançar e flexibilidade de ombros). RESULTADOS: Foi avaliado o percentil 50 de cada teste: marcha estacionária = 105 passadas; Cooper = 1.200m; flexão de cotovelo = 20 rep; resistência abdominal = 18 rep; força de membros inferiores: 18cm; flexibilidade de ombros = 1cm e flexibilidade lombar = 23cm. Estes resultados foram maiores que os verificados nas tabelas originais, o que confirmou a necessidade da criação das tabelas específicas. CONCLUSÃO: Foram construídas sete tabelas separadas por gênero e faixa etária e com o desempenho classificado em: fraco - < que percentil 20; regular - entre 20 e 40; médio - entre 40 e 60; bom - entre 60 e 80; e ótimo - &gt; que o percentil 80.INTRODUCTION: Due to the spread of the health benefits of physical activity, many subjects began to exercise in public parks. This behavior promoted the creation of projects which stimulate and guide on physical activity practice. Nevertheless, for being considered effective, these projects need to evaluate the subjects' physical aptitude by applying easy tests, whose results are compared to classification tables. However, these tables are not adequate to the target population. OBJECTIVE: To design fitness classification tables based on simple fitness tests applied to adults and elderly subjects. METHODS: Data from 713 evaluations conducted with subjects of both genders older than 20 years were analyzed. Cardiorespiratory fitness (stationary gait and Cooper tests), muscle fitness (elbow flexion, vertical jump and abdominal resistance), and flexibility (sit and reach and shoulder flexibility) were evaluated. RESULTS: The 50 percentile for the tests were stationary gait = 105 steps; Cooper = 1200m; elbow flexion = 20 repetitions; abdominal resistance = 18 repetitions; legs strength =18 cm; shoulder flexibility = 1 cm; and lumbar flexibility = 23 cm. These results were higher than the original ones described for each test, which confirmed the need for specific classifications tables. CONCLUSION: Seven tables were designed with the results separated by gender and age group (20 to 80 year-olds divided in 10-year stages). Results were classified as: weak = < than 20 percentile; average= from 20 to 40 percentile; medium = from 40 to 60 percentile; good = from 60 to 80 percentile; and excellent = &gt; than 80 percentile.CNPqUniversidade de São Paulo (USP) - Pró-Reitoria de Cultura e Extensã

Análise correlacional dos níveis de atividade física e participação esportiva: pesquisa com gêmeos e famílias

Este ensaio inventariou a diversidade terminológica do conceito de atividade física (AF) e participação esportiva (PE), bem como a variedade na sua operacionalização em estudos de agregação familiar, além de descrever os resultados disponíveis em pesquisas com delineamentos familiar e gemelar. As bases Pubmed, Scopus, SportsDiscus, Web of Science e Scielo foram utilizadas na busca da informação, além das referências bibliográficas identificadas a partir dos artigos encontrados. Foram excluídos estudos de revisão sistemática sobre efeitos genéticos na AF e PE com informação quantitativa de heritabilidade, estudos de genomewide linkage, estudos de associação com genes candidatos, estudos de genomewide association, editoriais, cartas ao editor, relatos de caso, estudos laboratoriais, artigos que não reportassem a temática AF e PE em estudos de famílias e gêmeos, bem como pesquisa sobre pleiotropia. Os resultados mostram uma grande diversidade terminológica na expressão do conceito de AF e PE, bem como uma ampla variação em sua operacionalização. Além disto, a magnitude da agregação familiar na AF e PE varia, indicando a presença de fatores ambientais (físico e/ou social) que podem e devem ser considerados importantes para explicar a variação desses fenótipos numa população. Entretanto, é necessária uma maior padronização de terminologias e técnicas nesse tipo de estudo. Do mesmo modo, pesquisas futuras precisam identificar o tipo de influência exercida pelas diferentes variantes genéticas e fatores ambientais nesses fenótipos.This essay reports on the terminological diversity of the concepts of physical activity (PA) and sport participation (SP), as well as the variety of methods used to assess these parameters in studies on familial aggregation. In addition, it describes the results of research studies using family and twin designs. The PubMed, Scopus, SportsDiscus, Web of Science, and SciELO databases were used to search for information, and references identified from the retrieved articles were also considered. Systematic reviews of the genetic effects on PA and SP with quantitative information of heritability, genomewide linkage studies, studies on associations among candidate genes, genomewide association studies, editorials, letters to the editor, case studies, laboratory studies, studies that did not report PA and SP in families or twins, and studies about pleiotropy were excluded. The results show a large terminological diversity on the concepts of PA and SP, as well as on the methods of assessing these parameters. Furthermore, the magnitude of familial aggregation in PA and SP varies considerably, indicating the presence of environmental factors (physical and/or social) that can and should be considered important when explaining the variability of these phenotypes in a population. Likewise, future research should standardize the terms and measurements used for PA and SP in familial aggregation studies. In addition, it should investigate the type of influence that genetic variants and environmental factors may exert on these phenotypes

Strength and power training did not modify cardiovascular responses to aerobic exercise in elderly subjects

Resistance training increases muscle strength in older adults, decreasing the effort necessary for executing physical tasks, and reducing cardiovascular load during exercise. This hypothesis has been confirmed during strength-based activities, but not during aerobic-based activities. This study determined whether different resistance training regimens, strength training (ST, constant movement velocity) or power training (PT, concentric phase performed as fast as possible) can blunt the increase in cardiovascular load during an aerobic stimulus. Older adults (63.9 ± 0.7 years) were randomly allocated to: control (N = 11), ST (N = 13, twice a week, 70-90% 1-RM) and PT (N = 15, twice a week, 30-50% 1-RM) groups. Before and after 16 weeks, oxygen uptake (VO2), systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and rate pressure product (RPP) were measured during a maximal treadmill test. Resting SBP and RPP were similarly reduced in all groups (combined data = -5.7 ± 1.2 and -5.0 ± 1.7%, respectively, P < 0.05). Maximal SBP, HR and RPP did not change. The increase in measured VO2, HR and RPP for the increment in estimated VO2 (absolute load) decreased similarly in all groups (combined data = -9.1 ± 2.6, -14.1 ± 3.9, -14.2 ± 3.0%, respectively, P < 0.05), while the increments in the cardiovascular variables for the increase in measured VO2 did not change. In elderly subjects, ST and PT did not blunt submaximal or maximal HR, SBP and RPP increases during the maximal exercise test, showing that they did not reduce cardiovascular stress during aerobic tasks.Universidade de São Paulo Escola de Educação Física e Esporte Laboratório de Hemodinâmica da Atividade MotoraUniversidade de São Paulo Escola de Educação Física e Esporte Laboratório de Adaptação Neuromuscular ao Treinamento de ForçaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Centro de Estudos em Psicobiologia e ExercícioUNIFESP, Centro de Estudos em Psicobiologia e ExercícioSciEL

Modelação multinível e delineamento longitudinal-misto na pesquisa em Educação Física e Ciências do Esporte

The main aim of this study was to introduce the use of multilevel modeling in the data from a mixed longitudinal study concerning growth, development and health of Portuguese adolescents. The sample comprises 5155 subjects from 4 age cohorts: 10 to 12, 12 to 14, 14 to 16 and 16 to 18 years. Variables chosen for analysis were handgrip strength and percentage of total body fat. Multilevel modeling analysis showed a quadratic trajectory of adolescents' handgrip strength performance, with higher annual increasing in boys. The percentage of total body fat was positively associated with the static strength and there were marked interindividual differences. The use of a mixed longitudinal design allowed a faster data collection process; in addition, multilevel modeling analysis was sufficiently flexible and robust to accommodate, in a single model, aspects of individual and interindividual changes in static strength development over the time.O propósito deste estudo é apresentar o uso da modelação multinível (MMN) com informação oriunda de um estudo longitudinal-misto sobre o crescimento, desenvolvimento e saúde de adolescentes portugueses. A amostra foi composta por 5155 indivíduos divididos em quatro coortes que abrangem as faixas etárias dos 10 aos 12, 12 aos 14, 14 aos 16 e 16 aos 18 anos. As variáveis de estudo foram a força de preensão manual e o percentual de gordura total (%GTotal). A análise mostrou trajetórias curvilíneas do desempenho de força de preensão, com maiores incrementos anuais nos meninos. O %GTtotal apresentou associação positiva com o desempenho da força estática; constatou-se uma forte variabilidade interindividual. O recurso ao delineamento longitudinal-misto permitiu a recolha mais célere da informação; e a metodologia MMN mostrou-se suficientemente flexível e robusta para acomodar, num modelo único, aspectos da mudança individual e das diferenças interindividuais do desempenho da força estática condicionados à ação do tempo