Effects Of Aerobic Physical Exercise Research Articles

The Association of Genetic Markers Involved in Muscle Performance Responding to Lactate Levels during Physical Exercise Therapy by Nordic Walking in Patients with Long COVID Syndrome: A Nonrandomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Several genetic markers have shown associations with muscle performance and physical abilities, but the response to exercise therapy is still unknown. The aim of this study was to test the response of patients with long COVID through an aerobic physical therapy strategy by the Nordic walking program and how several genetic polymorphisms involved in muscle performance influence physical capabilities. Using a nonrandomized controlled pilot study, 29 patients who previously suffered from COVID-19 (long COVID = 13, COVID-19 = 16) performed a Nordic walking exercise therapy program for 12 sessions. The influence of the ACE (rs4646994), ACTN3 (rs1815739), AMPD1 (rs17602729), CKM (rs8111989), and MLCK (rs2849757 and rs2700352) polymorphisms, genotyped by using single nucleotide primer extension (SNPE) in lactic acid concentration was established with a three-way ANOVA (group × genotype × sessions). For ACE polymorphism, the main effect was lactic acid (p = 0.019). In ACTN3 polymorphism, there were no main effects of lactic acid, group, or genotype. However, the posthoc analysis revealed that, in comparison with nonlong COVID, long COVID increased lactic acid concentrations in Nordic walking sessions in CT and TT genotypes (all p < 0.05). For AMPD1 polymorphism, there were main effects of lactic acid, group, or genotype and lactic acid × genotype or lactic acid × group × genotype interactions (all p < 0.05). The posthoc analysis revealed that, in comparison with nonlong COVID, long COVID increased lactic acid concentrations in Nordic walking sessions in CC and CT genotypes (all p < 0.05). Physical therapy strategy through Nordic walking enhanced physical capabilities during aerobic exercise in post-COVID19 patients with different genotypes in ACTN3 c.1729C>T and AMPD1 c.34C>T polymorphisms. These findings suggest that individuals who reported long COVID who presumably exercised less beforehand appeared to be less able to exercise, based on lactate levels, and the effect of aerobic physical exercise enhanced physical capabilities conditioned by several genetic markers in long COVID patients.

Effects of aerobic physical exercise on memory and permeability of the blood-brain barrier of sleep deprived Swiss mice

Effects of aerobic physical exercise on memory and permeability of the blood-brain barrier of sleep deprived Swiss mice

Physical exercise regulates apoptosis and prostatic inflammatory effects induced by high-fat diet in PPAR-alpha deleted mice

The high-fat diet (HFD) promotes obesity and develops inflammation, causing dysregulation of energy metabolism and prostatic neoplastic tissue changes. PPARɑ deletion leads to loss of homeostasis between the pro and anti-inflammatory response, and dysregulation of lipid metabolism, causing changes in different physiological processes and damage to the prostate. On the other hand, aerobic physical exercise has been suggested as a non-pharmacological tool to improve energy metabolism and cellular metabolism in the prostate, however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. the current study aimed to evaluate PPARα as a possible regulator of the protective effects of aerobic physical exercise in the prostate by examining prostatic alterations in wild-type and PPARα deletion mice fed a standard diet or an HFD. Wild-type and PPARα-null mice were fed a standard or HFD diet for 12 weeks, and submitted to aerobic physical exercise for 8 weeks. The HFD promoted the increase of inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF-α, NF-kB, and an increase of inflammatory foci in animals in both genotypes. Although the PPARα deletion animals submitted to the aerobic physical exercise were not able to regulate response pro-inflammatory, but promoted an increase in IL-10 in the prostate. In animals WT, the aerobic physical exercise, reduced all inflammatory markers, improve the inflammatory response, and showed a higher expression of BAX and IL-10 proteins was protective against prostatic tissue lesions. Suggested that PPARα deletion associated with HFD suppressed apoptosis and increased damage prostate. On other hand, aerobic physical exercise improves prostatic tissue by increasing the response to anti-inflammatory and apoptosis protein.

Aerobic Physical Exercise Improves Exercise Tolerance and Fasting Glycemia Independent of Body Weight Change in Obese Females.

Obesity is associated with increased risk of several chronic diseases and the loss of disease-free years, which has increased the focus of much research for the discovery of therapy to combat it. Under healthy conditions, women tend to store more fat in subcutaneous deposits. However, this sexual dimorphism tends to be lost in the presence of comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aerobic physical exercise (APE) has been applied in the management of obesity, however, is still necessary to better understand the effects of APE in obese female. Thus, we investigated the effect of APE on body weight, adiposity, exercise tolerance and glucose metabolism in female ob/ob mice. Eight-weeks-old female wild-type C57BL/6J and leptin-deficient ob/ob mice (Lepob) were distributed into three groups: wild-type sedentary group (Wt; n = 6), leptin-deficient sedentary group (LepobS; n = 5) and leptin-deficient trained group (LepobT; n = 8). The LepobT mice were subjected to 8 weeks of aerobic physical exercise (APE) at 60% of the maximum velocity achieved in the running capacity test. The APE had no effect in attenuating body weight gain, and did not reduce subcutaneous and retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (SC-WAT and RP-WAT, respectively) and interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) weights. The APE neither improved glucose intolerance nor insulin resistance in the LepobT group. Also, the APE did not reduce the diameter or the area of RP-WAT adipocytes, but the APE reduced the diameter and the area of SC-WAT adipocytes, which was associated with lower fasting glycemia and islet/pancreas area ratio in the LepobT group. In addition, the APE increased exercise tolerance and this response was also associated with lower fasting glycemia in the LepobT group. In conclusion, starting APE at a later age with a more severe degree of obesity did not attenuate the excessive body weight gain, however the APE promoted benefits that can improve the female health, and for this reason it should be recommended as a non-pharmacological therapy for obesity.

What are the effects of aerobic physical exercise for adults with hematologic malignancies?

What are the effects of aerobic physical exercise for adults with hematologic malignancies?

Effects of aerobic physical exercise on neuroplasticity after stroke: systematic review.

Stroke is among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Interventions for stroke rehabilitation aim to minimize sequelae, promote individuals' independence and potentially recover functional damage. The role of aerobic exercise as a facilitator of post-stroke neuroplasticity in humans is still questionable. To investigate the impact of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity in patients with stroke sequelae. A systematic review of randomized clinical trials and crossover studies was performed, with searches for human studies in the following databases: PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS and PeDRO, only in English, following the PRISMA protocol. The keywords used for selecting articles were defined based on the PICO strategy. This systematic review evaluated the impacts of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity through assessment of neural networks and neuronal excitability, neurotrophic factors, or cognitive and functional assessment. Studies that evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise on neuroplasticity after stroke measured through functional resonance (fMRI) or cortical excitability have shown divergent results, but aerobic exercise potentially can modify the neural network, as measured through fMRI. Additionally, aerobic exercise combined with cognitive training improves certain cognitive domains linked to motor learning. Studies that involved analysis of neurotrophic factors to assess neuroplasticity had conflicting results. Physical exercise is a therapeutic intervention in rehabilitation programs that, beyond the known benefits relating to physical conditioning, functionality, mood and cardiovascular health, may also potentiate the neuroplasticity process. Neuroplasticity responses seem more robust in moderate to high-intensity exercise training programs, but dose-response heterogeneity and non-uniform neuroplasticity assessments limit generalizability.

Aerobic Physical Exercise for Pain Intensity, Aerobic Capacity, and Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Currently, chronic pain is a disabling condition that is difficult to manage, which generates a high burden on health systems. The objective is to determine the effects of aerobic physical exercise in adults with chronic pain. A systematic review of searches in databases including MEDLINE, LILACS, ScienceDirect, PEDro, OTseeker, The Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and Google Scholar was conducted. The search process was carried out until July 31, 2020, and the study selection process was independently carried out through a criteria analysis for each phase. Outcome measures were chosen: aerobic capacity, physical function, quality of life, and pain. Twenty-seven studies were included in which aerobic exercise was considered as an option to treat chronic pain. These studies showed significant results compared with other treatment options in terms of pain measurements (-0.22 [-0.42 to -0.03]) and aerobic capacity. For quality of life, there were significant improvements in the physical function component over the mental health component evaluated with the short form health survey-36/12. Aerobic exercise is a nonpharmacological therapeutic option for treatment. Also, aerobic capacity and endurance improved when this type of exercise was prescribed, thus resulting in a substantial improvement in the quality of life of people suffering from chronic pain.

Aerobic Exercise Increases Expression Of SUR1 And SUR2A Subunits Of K ATP -channels In Murine Diabetic Ventricular Cardiomyocytes.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent and rapidly increasing non-communicable chronic diseases around the world. It has been related to left ventricular disfunction, as well to its electric remodeling. Cellular and molecular underlying mechanisms remains unveiled, at least in part. Phenotypic consequences includes QT Interval prolongation, ventricular arrhytmia, and cardiac sudden death. KATP-channels are considered as couplers of metabolism to membrane electric behavior in ventricular cells. At early DM stages, reduction in KATP-channels expression has been claimed as one of the main cardiac dysfunction underlying mechanisms. Physical exercise (PE) is postulated as a preventive and therapeutic intervention for diabetic cardiomyopathy. PURPOSE: to explore aerobic PE effects on expression of KATP-channel sulphonylurea receptors (SURs) in diabetic cardiomyocites. METHODS: 3 weeks male Wistar rats were randomly asigned to four groups, control with (EC) and without exercise (NEC); diabetes with (ED) and without exercise (NED) groups (n = 5, each). IP streptozotocin at 100 mg/Kg dosis was used to induce DM. DM was considered when glycaemia was ≥250 mg/dl in tail blood. EC and ED performed exercise in a treadmill 5 min at a 15 m/min pace, followed by 20 min at 20 m/min, along 13 consecutive days. NEC and NED spent similar periods of time in a nonfuctioning treadmill. At the end of the program animals were eutanized and tissue samples were obtained from the ventricular apex. Subsecuently, Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (rtPCR) was used to SURs expression quantitation. RESULTS: significant differences were found for weight and glycaemia between NEC and EC when compared to NED as well as to ED (p = 0.05). Relative expression (mRNA SURx/β-actin genes) was higher in ED: for SUR1, ED vs. NED were 10.54 ± 3.53 vs 1.32 ± 0.38 (p = 0.007), as well when compared to NEC (1.29 ± 0.47, p = 0.01). Similarly, SUR2A expression was higher in ED than in NED; 10.68 ± 2.54/1.22 ± 0.45 (p = 0.002), and than in NEC (1.18 ± 0.33, p = 0.06). No differences were found in the expression of SUR2B. CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic PE increases SUR1 and SUR2A isoforms of the KATP-channels sulfonylurea receptors. This phenomenon could be related to cardioprotective effects of aerobic physical exercise in Diabetes Mellitus.

Supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and aerobic exercise improve functioning, morphology, and redox balance in prostate obese rats

The high-fat diet (HFD) stimulates an increase in lipids and can be prejudicial for harmful to prostatic morphogenesis. Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action in some types of cancer. The combination of aerobic physical exercise and PUFA can be more effective and reduce the risk of death. The study evaluates the effects of aerobic physical exercise associated with omega-3 (fish and chia oils), on the ventral prostate of Wistar rats those fed with HFD. Here, we report that HFD modified the final body weight and the weight gain, decreased the expression of the androgen receptor and increased prostatic inflammation via TNF-α produced damage prostatic like intraepithelial neoplasia. The supplementation with fish oil decreases final body weight, reduced BCL-2 and inflammation compared to chia oil; aerobic physical exercise associated with fish oil reduced lipids circulant and prostatic, increased proteins pro-apoptotic expression and reduced IL-6 (p < 0.0001) and TNF-α potentiating the CAT (p = 0.03) and SOD-1 (p = 0.001) expression. Additionally, the chia oil increased the NRF-2 (p < 0.0001) and GSS (p = 0.4) genes. PUFAs reduced the damage caused by excessive high-fat diet in the prostate so that there is greater effectiveness in omega-3 intake, it is necessary to associate with aerobic physical exercise.

Immediate effects of a single session of physical exercise on cognition and cerebral blood flow: A randomized controlled study of older adults

BackgroundRegular physical activity is beneficial for cognitive performance in older age. A single bout of aerobic physical exercise can transiently improve cognitive performance. Researchers have advanced improvements in cerebral circulation as a mediator of long-term effects of aerobic physical exercise on cognition, but the immediate effects of exercise on cognition and cerebral perfusion are not well characterized and the effects in older adults are largely unknown. MethodsForty-nine older adults were randomized to a 30-min aerobic exercise at moderate intensity or relaxation. Groups were matched on age and cardiovascular fitness (VO2 max). Average Grey Matter Blood Flow (GMBF), measured by a pulsed arterial-spin labeling (pASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition, and working memory performance, measured by figurative n-back tasks with increasing loads were assessed before and 7 min after exercising/resting. ResultsAccuracy on the n-back task increased from before to after exercising/resting regardless of the type of activity. GMBF decreased after exercise, relative to the control (resting) group. In the exercise group, higher n-back performance after exercise was associated with lower GMBF in the right hippocampus, left medial frontal cortex and right orbitofrontal cortex, and higher cardiovascular fitness was associated with lower GMBF. ConclusionThe decrease of GMBF reported in younger adults shortly after exercise also occurs in older adults and relates to cardiovascular fitness, potentially supporting the link between cardiovascular fitness and cerebrovascular reactivity in older age.

Effect of Aerobic Physical Exercise in an Animal Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a condition caused by an amendment to the X chromosome, inherited as a recessive trait, and affects 1:3500 live births, especially males. Low-intensity exercise is known to decrease certain parameters associated with muscular degeneration in animal models of progressive muscular dystrophies. In the present study, 28-day-old male mdx and wild-type (wild) mice were used. The animals were subjected to a low-intensity physical exercise protocol for 8weeks. It was found that this protocol was able to reduce oxidative stress in muscle tissue and in most of the CNS structures analyzed, with a significant increase in antioxidant activity in all analyzed structures. It is thus possible to infer that this exercise protocol was able to reduce oxidative stress and improve the energy metabolism in brain tissue and in the gastrocnemius muscle of animals with DMD.

Oxidative Stress-Related Endothelial Damage in Vascular Depression and Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Beneficial Effects of Aerobic Physical Exercise.

Oxidative stress- (OS-) related endothelial damage is involved in the occurrence and progression of several disorders, such as vascular depression and dementia. It has been reported that moderate, aerobic, physical exercise could reduce OS and inflammation, thus limiting the cardiovascular risk factors while improving endothelial homeostasis, mood, and cognition. In this review, we will discuss about the role of OS and OS-related endothelial damage in vascular depression and vascular cognitive impairment. Then, we will comment on the effects of physical exercise on both disorders.

Effects of Aerobic Physical Exercise Performed Under Hypoxic Conditions on Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone which controls sleep, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Aerobic physical exercise can influence melatonin in normoxia. However, there is controversy about the effects of exercise on the melatonin level in hypoxia, which is characterized by impaired sleep. PURPOSE: This work evaluated the effects of aerobic physical exercise on melatonin under hypoxic conditions. METHODS: Forty healthy men were randomized into 4 groups: Normoxia (N) - (22.1 ± 3.1 y, 69.1 ± 1.1 kg); Hypoxia (H) - (23.2 ± 2.1 y, 67.2 ± 4.1 kg); Exercise under Normoxia (EN) - (26.1 ± 3.2 y, 71.1 ± 3.2 kg); and Exercise under Hypoxia (EH) - (24.1 ± 3.1 y, 72.3 ± 2.1 kg). The observation period for all groups was 36 hrs, beginning with a first night devoid of any intervention.The normobaric hypoxia condition was conducted in a room equipped for altitude simulation that can reach up to 4,500 m (normobaric chamber, CAT - Colorado Altitude Training ™ / 12 CAT-Air Unit, USA). Aerobic exercise was performed by the EN and EH groups on a treadmill at 50% of VO2.peak for 60 minutes. Venous blood samples for the melatonin measurement were obtained on the 1st and 2nd days at 7:30 AM as well as on the1st and 2nd nights at 10:30 PM. Data are reported as mean ± standard deviation. A repeated measures and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Tukey’s post hoc test were used to detect significant differences between groups. The accepted significance level was p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: On the 2nd night, melatonin was higher in the H group compared to the N group (48.3 ± 2.2 vs. 26.1 ± 1.1, p< 0.05); low in the N group compared to the EH group (26.1 ± 1.1 vs. ± 59.2 ± 2.1, p< 0.05); low in the H group compared to the EH group (48.3 ± 2.2 vs. ± 59.2 ± 2.1, p< 0.05); and low in the EN group compared to the EH group (37.2 ± 1.0 vs. ± 59.2 ± 2.1, p< 0.05). On the 2nd day, melatonin was higher in the H group compared to the N group (39.1 ± 3.1 vs. 28.1 ± 2.1, p< 0.05); low in the N group compared to the EH group (28.1 ± 2.1 vs. 46.2 ± 2.0, p< 0.05); and high in the EH group compared to the H group (46.2 ± 2.0 vs. ± 39.1 ± 3.1, p< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxia acutely increases melatonin. Diurnal remission of the nocturnal increase in melatonin seems to be delayed by hypoxia and to an even greater extent if acting together with exercise.

What are the effects of aerobic physical exercise for adults with hematological malignancies?

What are the effects of aerobic physical exercise for adults with hematological malignancies?

The effect of aerobic exercise on relative leukocyte telomere length in male Sprague-Dawley rats given a high fat-diet

Background: There is an increasing number of studies showing that physical activity and aerobic exercise have a positive effect on telomere length. Some studies also show that dynamics of telomere length is influenced by various environmental factors such as lifestyle and diet. However, the association between exercise and diet with telomere length is still questionable. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of aerobic physical exercise on relative telomere length changes in high fat-diet condition in rat animal models. Methods: This study was an in vivo experimental study using twelve Sprague-Dawley male white rats (12-month-old). Subjects were evenly and randomly divided into two groups (n=6): (1) high fat-diet fed control group; (2) high fat-diet fed and aerobic exercise treatment group. Aerobic exercise was conducted using animal treadmill with intensity of 20 m/min, 5 days/week. At weeks 4 and 8, relative telomere length was compared with week 0 control group, using q-RT-PCR. Results: Lengthening of relative telomere length was observed in both control and treatment groups at weeks 4 and 8, when compared to week 0 control group. The lengthening in the control group was much greater than the treatment group. Conclusions: Excessive increase of relative telomere length was seen in high fat-diet conditions. Aerobic exercise for 8 weeks suppresses excessive increase of relative telomere length in high fat-diet conditions.

Aerobical Physical Activities Improve Quality of Cardiac Health in an Animal Model: Parameters of Calorimetry, Profile Lipids and Oxidative Stress

Occidental life styles, including physical inactivity, are related to risk of developing heart diseases. To prevent or even mitigate these effects, the frequent recommendation has been the practice of physical exercise as a measure of therapeutic interaction in preventive medicine and rehabilitation. Thus, our study was carried out to evidence the effects of aerobic physical exercise regularly practiced, through swimming, calorimetry, lipid profile, and oxidative stress in myocardium. Thirty-two Winstar rats, males, 75 days old were used. Animals were divided into two groups: C (n=8) as the control, which received food and water ad libitum and TR (n=8) as the trained group received the same treatment as C and animals in this group were submitted to swim. Swimming was used as a model of exercise with moderate intensity training for eight weeks. The experimental design was completely randomized with 16 treatments and eight replications, with a significance level of 5% probability. Calorimetry shows lower carbohydrate oxidation and increased lipid oxidation in C when compared with TR. The trained group had higher glucose, higher HDL-cholesterol and lower accumulation of triglycerides, and verified the protective effect in cardiac tissue. Thus, we can conclude that the swimming protocol was effective in controlling deleterious effects caused by poor habits on the myocardium.

Efeito do exercício físico sobre os parâmetros hemodinâmicos

To assess the effects of aerobic physical exercise on the Doppler velocimetry of fetal vessels in pregnant women with no clinical or obstetrical complications. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 10 healthy low-risk pregnant women at 2 different gestational times: between the 26th and 29th week and 6 days, and at the end of pregnancy, between the 30th and 35th week. The patients were submitted to aerobic physical exercise on a treadmill until reaching fatigue. Ultrasonographic data were obtained at rest and after physical exercise (Doppler velocimetry indices for the umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery, ductus venosus, and uterine arteries). Data were analyzed statistically by the paired and independent Student's t-test using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) package, version 21.0. A change in the pulsatility index was observed, with an indication of vasodilatation, with a median value of 1.1±0.1 before exercise and of 1.0±0.1 after exercise; the median value of the resistance index was 0.7±0.04 before exercise and 0.6±0.07 after exercise. The median systole/diastole ratio of the umbilical artery was 3.1±0.4 before exercise and 2.9±0.2 (p=0.03) after exercise at the beginning of pregnancy. No changes in the Doppler velocimetry parameters were observed for the uterine arteries, the middle cerebral artery or the ductus venosus after physical activity at either testing time. Paired analysis of pre- and post-activity data showed a reduction of resistance from the first to the second period (p<0.04). Physical exercise does not lead to changes in systemic blood flow or fetal-placental flow in healthy pregnant women, confirming that exercises of mild to moderate intensity can be prescribed.

The Value of Exercise Training for Prevention and Complementary Treatment of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration

It is widely documented that sedentarism is a risk factor for most common age-related chronic diseases. Regarding brain’s health, there is increasing evidence of the beneficial effects of aerobic physical exercise on synapse and general brain function, at both young and old ages and in both healthy and pathological states [1]. Indeed, in adult animals, physical training has been shown to enhance performance in learning and memory tasks [2-4], increase neuronalproliferation [5-7], and affect neuronal structure and the functionality ofcellular mechanisms associated with learning processes [8,9]. In addition, several studies using transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have demonstrated the protective effects of aerobic exercise against neurodegeneration [10,11]. Although transcriptional responsiveness varies over the lifetime, many brain genes still seem to be responsive to exercise in old animals and in animal models for neurodegenerative diseases [12-14]. In mice, brain gene expression is sensitive to physical exercise, particularly in the hippocampus [15-19]. These findings are particularly relevant because the hippocampus is especially susceptible to dysfunctional and degenerative processes during aging or in Alzheimer’s disease, plays a key role in learning and memory processes and is involved in the regulation of mood and antidepressant responses [20-22]. Using the senescence-accelerated SAMP8 mouse a non-transgenic model for studying aspects of progressive cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) we have recently shown that exercise training during adulthood (6 months of voluntary training on a running wheel, 3 alternate days per week) prevented or delayed processes associated with aging [23]. Upon completion of the long-term intervention, SAMP8 mice were at the final stage of their lives (their median life is 9.7 months [24]), however they were still voluntarily running and showed improvement in several aging traits compared with the sedentary controls. We found that the exercise intervention ameliorated their skin color, decreased body tremor, increased hippocampal vascularization and modulated the expression of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene as well as several extracellular matrix gene alterations in the hippocampus. Recent data have described that epigenetic modifications seem to be involved in the peripheral and central effects of physical exercise [25]. Notably, we have recently observed epigenetic changes in specific microRNA (miRNA) and histone acetylation levels in the hippocampus of senescent SAMP8 mice in response to 8 weeks of voluntary wheel running (Cosin-Tomas et al., unpublished data). In sum, there is a growing body of research showing the neurophysiological aging-protective responses elicited by exercise training. Moreover, a still limited but fascinating field has begun to describe the epigenetic impact of physical exercise in peripheral tissues and in the brain. Unveiling the exercise-responsive mechanisms of chromatin regulation and their pathophysiological implications may lead to the development of new preventive and/or therapeutic interventions for age-related disorders, including neurodegenerative conditions.

Exercício físico aeróbico em mulheres com doença de Chagas

INTRODUÇÃO: A forma cardíaca da doença de Chagas causa modificações orgânicas e funcionais, sendo o exercício físico aeróbio uma alternativa de proposta terapêutica. OBJETIVO: avaliar o exercício físico aeróbio em mulheres com doença de Chagas crônica. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Quatorze mulheres com doença de Chagas na faixa etária entre 40 e 60 anos, classe I da New York Heart Association (NYHA) foram divididas em dois grupos. Sete no G1 que realizaram exercício físico, com duas sessões diárias semanais por seis semanas e sete no G2 sem tal intervenção. O efeito do exercício físico foi avaliado por 27 variáveis fisioterapêuticas e ergoespirométricas no tempo zero (T0) e após seis semanas (T6). RESULTADO: No T6 em relação ao T0 a avaliação fisioterapêutica mostrou diferenças significativas na pressão arterial sistólica, no pico do fluxo expiratório, nas pressões inspiratória e expiratória máximas e na frequência cardíaca. Na ergoespirometria houve aumento significativo no DP máximo, no MET máximo, no estágio do protocolo de Bruce, no VO2 máximo, na duração do teste e na distância percorrida para as participantes de G1 e apenas na duração do teste para G2. Para G1 foi ainda observada em T6 uma diminuição significativa do duplo produto na intensidade moderada e alta na mesma carga de esforço. CONCLUSÃO: O treinamento aeróbio de curto período, de simples aplicação e com supervisão pode ser realizado com segurança, aumentando a tolerância ao exercício em pacientes com doença de Chagas crônica classe I da NYHA.

Exercise and severe depression: Preliminary results of an add-on study

Physical exercise has been extensively researched as a therapeutic option for treatment of major depression. In a randomized controlled trial, we analyze the effects of aerobic physical exercise as an add-on strategy for treatment of severe depressed inpatients. The exercise has a "Dose" of 16.5 kcal/kg/week, three times a week during all the hospitalization. Our preliminary results show that there is no significant difference in scores of Hamilton in the second week between groups (Mean[SD]=8.2[5.96] × 11.18[5.03], p=0.192). However, there is a significant reduction in Hamilton scores of patients in exercise group at discharge (Mean[SD]=5.93[4.46] × 9.45[3.56], p=0.041). Regarding Quality of Life (QoL), no significant difference were found between groups in the second week in physical domain (Mean[SD]=56.98[8.96] × 54.54[9.18], p=0.511) and psychological domain (Mean[SD]=50.88[13.88] × 42.04[12.42], p=0.106). However, there is a significant difference in psychological domain (Mean[SD]=55.88[9.92] v 41.66[13.04], p=0.004) and a trend but no statistical significance in the physical (Mean[SD]=58.80[9.14] × 52.12[8.70], p=0.07) at discharge. Many patients receive different treatment strategies, like ECT (1 patient at exercise group × 3 at control group). Other limitation is the small number of participants included until this moment. Our preliminary results suggest that physical exercise could be a feasible and effective add-on strategy for treatment of severe depressed inpatients, improving their depressive symptoms and QoL.