Abstract
Abstract Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most important indicators of health and improves length of life. The attention and acceptance for endurance training in patients with several cancer diagnoses increased during the last decade. This review highlight’s the effect of endurance training in cancer patients by summarizing exemplary randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews both within the acute hospital treatment context, as in a rehabilitation setting. To date, most studies focus on endurance training in patient groups with moderate to good prognosis. The studies within these patient groups evaluate the endurance training in cancer patients using a moderate training intensity between 50 and 75 % of the VO2 peak with an exercise time varying from 20 min (five times per week) in hospital up to 45 min (two to three times per week) in an ambulatory setting. Recently, the American College of Sports Medicine indicated that cancer survivors should follow the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which represents ≥150 min per week of moderate intensity, ≥75 min per week of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic exercises. To date, fewer studies evaluate the effects of endurance training in a palliative setting to maintain physical function of the patient. Future studies should investigate the effect of endurance training by evaluating different types of intensity training (moderate vs. high intensity training), the use of high-tech devices to improve physical activity, and to evaluate the effect of endurance training in patients with a palliative intention.
Highlights
Endurance training after hematological stem cell transplantationThe effects of endurance training on aerobic capacity after hematological stem cell transplantation in hospital have been examined by Baumann et al [3], Jarden et al [19] and Wiskemann et al [36]
Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most important indicators of health and improves length of life
The effectiveness of the endurance training in patients with oncological disease is influenced by several factors, such as time point of implementation of the endurance training, stage of cancerous disease, type and degree of seriousness of the oncological treatment, and lifestyle of the patient [22]
Summary
The effects of endurance training on aerobic capacity after hematological stem cell transplantation in hospital have been examined by Baumann et al [3], Jarden et al [19] and Wiskemann et al [36]. The training group consisting of 64 participants (five times weekly, 10– 20 min, 80 % of VO2 max.) stabilized the intensity of the performance workload and the patients’ activities of daily living, following a supervised endurance training (on stationary ergometer) during the stem cell transplantation treatment [3]. The results of this study were equal to those in the study of Jarden et al [19] These patients carried out a combined endurance training (five times weekly, 15–30 min, 50–75 % of the maximum heart rate) combined with a resistive strength program and stretch and relaxation exercises. The study of Wiskemann et al [36] showed an improvement of the walking distance after a combined endurance and muscle training program which started 1–4 weeks before the transplantation procedure and ended 6–8 weeks after discharge from hospital (endurance training is three to five times weekly for 20–40 min)
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