OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the heart rate response to exercise and the exercise-induced improvements in muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness and heart rate response between normal-weight and overweight/obese postmenopausal women. METHODS: Sedentary women (n = 155) were divided into normal-weight (n = 79; BMI <25 kg/m2; 58.3 + 8.6 years) and overweight/obese (n = 76; BMI >25 kg/m2; 58.3 + 8.6 years) groups, and have their 1-repetition maximum strength (adjusted for body mass), cardiorespiratory fitness and […]

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported the phenomenon of post-exercise hypotension. However, the factors that cause this drop in blood pressure after a single exercise session are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on the acute blood pressure response and to investigate the indicators of autonomic activity after exercise. METHODS: Ten male subjects (aged 25 ± 1 years) underwent four experimental exercise sessions and a control session on a cycle ergometer. The blood pressure and heart rate […]

BACKGROUND: The respiratory pattern is often modified or even blocked during flexibility exercises, but little is known about the cardiovascular response to concomitant stretching and the Valsalva maneuver (VM) in healthy subjects. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and rate-pressure product (RPP) during and after large and small muscle group flexibility exercises performed simultaneously with the VM. METHODS: Asymptomatic volunteers (N = 22) with the following characteristics were recruited: age, 22 ± 3 years; […]

INTRODUCTION: Rupture of the pectoralis major muscle appears to be increasing in athletes. However, the optimal treatment strategy has not yet been established. OBJECTIVES: To compare the isokinetic shoulder performance after surgical treatment to that after non-surgical treatment for pectoralis major muscle rupture. METHODS: We assessed 33 pectoralis major muscle ruptures (18 treated non-surgically and 15 treated surgically). Horizontal abduction and adduction as well as external and internal rotation at 60 and 120 degrees/s were tested in both upper limbs. […]

OBJECTIVES: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection worsens the frailty of elderly people, compromising their quality of life. In this study we prospectively evaluated eleven patients living with HIV and 21 controls older than 60 years and without prior regular physical activity, who engaged in a one-year progressive resistance exercise program to compare its effects on muscular strength, physical fitness and body composition. METHODS: Exercises for major muscular groups were performed 2 times/week, under professional supervision. Strength increase was evaluated bimonthly, […]

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of opioid receptor blockade on the myocardial protection conferred by chronic exercise and to compare exercise training with different strategies of myocardial protection (opioid infusion and brief periods of ischemia-reperfusion) preceding irreversible left anterior descending coronary ligation. INTRODUCTION: The acute cardioprotective effects of exercise training are at least partly mediated through opioid receptor-dependent mechanisms in ischemia-reperfusion models. METHODS: Male Wistar rats (n = 76) were randomly assigned to 7 groups: (1) control; (2) exercise training; […]

OBJECTIVE: Blood neurotrophins, such as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, are considered to be of great importance in mediating the benefits of physical exercise. In this study, the effect of acute strength exercise and the involvement of small versus large muscle mass on the levels of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor were evaluated in healthy individuals. METHODS: The concentric strengths of knee (large) and elbow (small) flexor and extensor muscles were measured on two separate days. Venous blood samples were obtained from […]

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of exhausting long-duration physical exercise (swimming) sessions of different durations and intensities on the number and phagocytic capacity of macrophages and neutrophils in sedentary rats. INTRODUCTION: Exercise intensity, duration and frequency are important factors in determining immune response to physical effort. Thus, the effects of exhausting long-duration exercise are unclear. METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into two groups: an untreated group (macrophage study) and oyster glycogen-treated rats (neutrophil study). In each group, the animals were […]

INTRODUCTION: Physiotherapy is one of the most important components of therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee. The objective of this prospective case series was to assess the efficiency of a guidance manual for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee in relation to pain, range of movement , muscle strength and function, active goniometry, manual strength test and function. METHODS: Thirty-eight adults with osteoarthritis of the knee (> 45 years old) who were referred to the physiotherapy service at the university […]

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the neurohormonal activity in heart transplant recipients and compare it with that in heart failure patients and healthy subjects during rest and just after a 6-minute walking test. INTRODUCTION: Despite the improvements in quality of life and survival provided by heart transplantation, the neurohormonal profile is poorly described. METHODS: Twenty heart transplantation (18 men, 49±11 years and 8.5±3.3 years after transplantation), 11 heart failure (8 men, 43±10 years), and 7 healthy subjects (5 men 39±8 […]

Hypertension is a ubiquitous and serious disease. Regular exercise has been recommended as a strategy for the prevention and treatment of hypertension because of its effects in reducing clinical blood pressure; however, ambulatory blood pressure is a better predictor of target-organ damage than clinical blood pressure, and therefore studying the effects of exercise on ambulatory blood pressure is important as well. Moreover, different kinds of exercise might produce distinct effects that might differ between normotensive and hypertensive subjects. The aim […]

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the percentage of oxygen consumption reserve and percentage of heart rate reserve in heart failure patients either on non-optimized or off beta-blocker therapy is known to be unreliable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the percentage of oxygen consumption reserve and percentage of heart rate reserve in heart failure patients receiving optimized and non-optimized beta-blocker treatment during a treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test. METHODS: A total of 27 sedentary heart failure patients […]

BACKGROUND: Even with anti-hypertensive therapy, it is difficult to maintain optimal systemic blood pressure values in hypertensive patients. Exercise may reduce blood pressure in untreated hypertensive, but its effect when combined with long-term anti-hypertensive therapy remains unclear. Our purpose was to evaluate the acute effects of a single session of aerobic exercise on the blood pressure of long-term-treated hypertensive patients. METHODS: Fifty treated hypertensive patients (18/32 male/female; 46.5±8.2 years; Body mass index: 27.8±4.7 kg/m2) were monitored for 24 h with […]

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we present data from a survey that aimed to assess the physical activity habits of adult Brazilian patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. METHOD: Fifty male and female patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder participated in this study. The mean age at onset was 37±12 years, and the mean time between diagnosis and follow-up was 3.6±4.2 years. RESULTS: Substantial changes in physical activity habits were observed following the onset of PTSD. While more than half of the patients […]

BACKGROUND: Calculating the maximum heart rate for age is one method to characterize the maximum effort of an individual. Although this method is commonly used, little is known about heart rate dynamics in optimized beta-blocked heart failure patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate heart rate dynamics (basal, peak and % heart rate increase) in optimized beta-blocked heart failure patients compared to sedentary, normal individuals (controls) during a treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test. METHODS: Twenty-five heart failure patients […]