Strength training has become one of the most popular physical activities for increasing characteristics such as absolute muscular strength, endurance, hypertrophy and muscular power. For efficient, safe and effective training, it is of utmost importance to understand the interaction among training variables, which might include the intensity, number of sets, rest interval between sets, exercise modality and velocity of muscle action. Research has indicated that the rest interval between sets is an important variable that affects both acute responses and chronic adaptations to resistance exercise programmes. The purpose of this review is to analyse and discuss the rest interval between sets for targeting specific training outcomes (e.g. absolute muscular strength, endurance, hypertrophy and muscular power). The Scielo, Science Citation Index, National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE, Scopus, Sport Discus and CINAHL databases were used to locate previous original scientific investigations. The 35 studies reviewed examined both acute responses and chronic adaptations, with rest interval length as the experimental variable. In terms of acute responses, a key finding was that when training with loads between 50% and 90% of one repetition maximum, 3-5 minutes' rest between sets allowed for greater repetitions over multiple sets. Furthermore, in terms of chronic adaptations, resting 3-5 minutes between sets produced greater increases in absolute strength, due to higher intensities and volumes of training. Similarly, higher levels of muscular power were demonstrated over multiple sets with 3 or 5 minutes versus 1 minute of rest between sets. Conversely, some experiments have demonstrated that when testing maximal strength, 1-minute rest intervals might be sufficient between repeated attempts; however, from a psychological and physiological standpoint, the inclusion of 3- to 5-minute rest intervals might be safer and more reliable. When the training goal is muscular hypertrophy, the combination of moderate-intensity sets with short rest intervals of 30-60 seconds might be most effective due to greater acute levels of growth hormone during such workouts. Finally, the research on rest interval length in relation to chronic muscular endurance adaptations is less clear. Training with short rest intervals (e.g. 20 seconds to 1 minute) resulted in higher repetition velocities during repeated submaximal muscle actions and also greater total torque during a high-intensity cycle test. Both of these findings indirectly demonstrated the benefits of utilizing short rest intervals for gains in muscular endurance. In summary, the rest interval between sets is an important variable that should receive more attention in resistance exercise prescription. When prescribed appropriately with other important prescriptive variables (i.e. volume and intensity), the amount of rest between sets can influence the efficiency, safety and ultimate effectiveness of a strength training programme.

The purpose of this study was to examine the strength and flexibility gains after isolated or simultaneous strength and flexibility training after 16 weeks. Eighty sedentary women were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: strength training (ST; n = 20), flexibility training (FLEX) (n = 20), combination of both (ST + FLEX; n = 20) and control group (CG; n = 20). All the groups performed pre and posttraining sit and reach test to verify the flexibility level and 10RM test for leg press and bench press exercises. The training protocol for all groups, except for the CG, included 3 weekly sessions, in alternated days, totaling 48 sessions. Strength training was composed of 8 exercises for upper and lower body, executed in 3 sets of periodized training. The flexibility training was composed of static stretching exercises that involved upper and lower body. Results showed that ST (30 ± 2.0 to 36 ± 3.0 cm), ST + FLEX (31 ± 1.0 to 42 ± 4.0 cm), and FLEX (32 ± 3.0 to 43 ± 2.0 cm) significantly increased in flexibility in relation to baseline and to CG (30 ± 2.0 to 30 ± 2.0 cm); however, no significant differences were observed between the treatment conditions. Strength tests demonstrated that ST and ST + FLEX significantly increased 10RM when compared to baseline, FLEX, and the CG. In conclusion, short-term strength training increases flexibility and strength in sedentary adult women. Strength training may contribute to the development and maintenance of flexibility even without the inclusion of additional stretching, but strength and flexibility can be prescribed together to get optimal improvements in flexibility.

Jump Fit lessons further the improvement of the general physical fitness through choreographies performed on an elastic surface with rhythm and movements variation with intervals and low impact. However, not much is known about the actual energetic expenditure and the behavior of the metabolic variables related to Jump Fit lessons. The objective of this study was to identify and to evaluate the behavior of the functional variables such as: heart rate (HR), oxygen intake (VO 2 ), metabolic equivalent (MET) and energetic expenditure through routine spirometry measurement of a Jump Fit lesson. The tests were performed in four visits by 10 women who practice Jump Fit with age of 26.8 (± 7.2), body mass of 57.6 kg (± 6.8) and height of 162.2 cm (± 3.9). The spirometric evaluation of the several stages of the lesson revealed the following average results: HR of 160.3 bpm (± 8.9), VO 2 of 1.59 L.min -1 (± 0.45), RQ 0.87 (± 0.10) and total energetic expenditure of 386.4 kcal (± 13.8). The Jump Fit lesson average intensity corresponded to 75% (± 7.7) of the VO 2peak . For the analysis of the metabolic variables behavior in the different stages of the lessons, the results were treated through ANOVA for repeated measures with Bonferroni verification. The t-test was used to identify if differences between the functional responses in rest and EPOC phases occurred. The level of significance of p < 0.05 was adopted. It was concluded that from the magnitude of the functional responses, the Jump Fit lesson provides increase on the cardiorespiratory resistance, thus contributing effectively for the maintenance and improvement of the physical fitness and health in quality of life.

Atualmente, os exercícios resistidos (ER) vêm sofrendo uma série de investigações, devido à importância que atingiram no desenvolvimento do condicionamento cardiorrespiratório e neuromuscular. Para prescrição dos ER, algumas variáveis devem ser monitoradas, tais como freqüência cardíaca (FC) e a pressão arterial (PA). A associação entre FC e PA fornece dados para se obter o duplo produto (DP). Essas variáveis foram utilizadas para analisar e comparar as respostas hemodinâmicas do supino reto sentado (SRS) e o supino reto deitado (SRD), sendo realizadas 10 repetições a 65% de uma repetição máxima (1RM). A amostra foi constituída de 14 indivíduos (10 mulheres e quatro homens), idade 23 (± 4 anos), peso corporal 61 (± 7kg) e estatura 168cm (± 5cm). Como material de coleta foram utilizados freqüencímetro Polar MZ1 (Finlândia), esfigmomanômetro Vasquez-Lubry (Alemanha) e um estetoscópio Littman (EUA). Foi utilizado o teste t-Student pareado, para efeito de comparação entre os valores encontrados nas variáveis fisiológicas. A análise estatística teve como critério de significância p < 0,05. Todas as variáveis apresentaram valor médio mais alto no SRS em relação ao SRD. Foram consideradas FC, PAS, PAD e DP pré e pós-exercício. Entende-se que o valor absoluto da PA medido pelo método auscultatório tende a ser inferior àquele registrado dentro da artéria, mas, em situações de testes em exercícios com intensidades diferentes, a variação percentual da PAS apresenta a mesma tendência que o método invasivo. Concluímos, então, que os exercícios de SRS e SRD não apresentaram diferenças significativas em nenhum dos parâmetros fisiológicos estudados. Porém, no SRD observaram-se respostas um pouco abaixo destes parâmetros. Sendo assim, faz-se necessária realização de outros estudos analisando diferentes posições corporais, para que através de comparações possamos estabelecer uma conduta quanto à prescrição destes exercícios.

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Objetivo: analisar o conhecimento acerca das Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis e sua influência na percepção de risco entre jovens universitários. Método: estudo transversal, realizado em uma universidade privada no Rio de Janeiro, com 768 estudantes na faixa etária de 18 a 29 anos. O instrumento de coleta de dados utilizado foi um questionário. Os dados foram analisados com auxílio do Software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, sendo aplicados os testes qui-quadrado de Pearson e a análise de variância. Resultados: os jovens universitários possuíam conhecimento abaixo da média em relação às infecções sexualmente transmissíveis. No que diz respeito à percepção de risco, os jovens acreditam que é impossível ou pouco possível a chance de serem infectados. Conclusão: o conhecimento dos estudantes universitários acerca das formas de transmissão das infecções sexualmente transmissíveis ficou abaixo do esperado, podendo, dessa forma, refletir na baixa percepção de risco acerca das infecções.

O objetivo deste estudo foi conhecer o perfil dos usuários da Atenção Primária à Saúde que procuram pelo planejamento reprodutivo e avaliar suas percepções sobre as atividades educativas oferecidas nesse nível de atenção. Trata-se de estudo descritivo com abordagem qualitativa, realizado em quatro Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) situadas no município de Juiz de Fora (MG), onde foram entrevistados 14 usuários. A análise de conteúdo temático-categorial auxiliou na elaboração das duas categorias referentes às atividades educativas de planejamento reprodutivo. Depreende-se desta pesquisa que os usuários que procuram pelas atividades educativas são majoritariamente mulheres, trabalhadoras do lar, que concebem o planejamento reprodutivo como sua responsabilidade. Conclui-se que essas atividades educativas, na qualidade de promotoras da saúde sexual e reprodutiva de mulheres e homens, têm limitações referentes à abordagem, à divulgação e à assistência. No entanto, os usuários reconhecem sua relevância para o bem-estar e a vivência segura e saudável da vida sexual e reprodutiva.

The aim of this study was to compare the acute influence of 2 intensities of aerobic exercise on a strength training session in physically active elderly women. Twenty-five women (74.3 +/- 2.8 years) with previous experience in both resistance and aerobic exercise volunteered to perform aerobic activity (60 and 80% maximum heart rate) followed by a training session on leg press, leg extension, and leg curl exercises. After aerobic intensity training, the number of repetitions in each set was analyzed to determine whether the aerobic exercise affected the amount of volume completed in a resistance workout. The results showed a significant decrease in the number of repetitions per exercise after aerobic training intensities of 80 and 60%. Ratings of perceived exertion demonstrated that fatigue after the 80% workout was greater than after the 60% workout. It was concluded that, at the training intensities tested, 20 minutes of aerobic training may be enough to produce a negative impact on a strength training performance session of physically active elderly women.