The purposes of this study were to compare the hypotensive effects of treadmill running (TR) and resistance exercise (RE) performed by hypertensive subjects and to verify if the hypotensive effects of these exercises are maintained during a regular white-collar workday. Fifteen white-collar workers (42.9 +/- 1.6 years), treated with antihypertensive medication, accomplished three different sessions: 20 minutes of TR (approximately 70-80% of heart rate reserve), 20 minutes of circuit training RE (20 repetitions at 40% of 1 repetition maximum), and a control session without exercise (CON). The systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, heart rate, and blood lactate were measured at resting (Rest) and after sessions at 15th (R15), 30th (R30), 45th (R45), and 60th (R60) min, as well as after lunch (AL), four (R4h) and seven (R7h) hours of recovery at the participants' workplace. In relation to rest, a higher decrease of systolic BP after TR (-11.1 +/- 7.6 mm Hg) and RE (-12.6 +/- 7.3 mm Hg) was observed respectively at the R30 and R45. For diastolic BP, the highest decreases after TR (-4.0 +/- 6.4 mm Hg) and RE (-9.0 +/- 7.0 mm Hg) were observed respectively at the R45 and R30. The systolic BP and mean BP after TR and RE differed significantly from CON session (p < 0.05), and lower post-exercise values could be observed over the workday. In conclusion, both 20 minutes of TR and RE resulted in postexercise hypotension, and were able to reduce BP throughout 7 hours after exercise, even throughout the subject's regular occupational activities. Also, the RE promoted higher cardiac protection and can be a useful model of physical exercise prescription for hypertension individuals.

The purpose of this study was to investigate postexercise hypotension (PEH) during a 4-month period of resistance training in hypertensive elderly women. Sixty-four women were divided into 2 groups: an experimental group (EG), which performed resistance training, and a control group (CG) that did not practice any exercise. The EG carried out the following steps: (a) 3 weeks of exercise adaptation and 1 repetition maximum (1RM) test (month 1); (b) resistance exercise at 60% 1RM (month 2); (c) resistance exercise at 70% 1RM (month 3); (d) resistance exercise at 80% 1RM (month 4); and (e) PEH analyses at the end of each month. Measurements of systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were calculated each 5 minutes during a 20-minute resting period before the sessions and each 15 minutes during 1 hour of post-session recovery. Analysis of covariance for repeated measures showed a reduction in SBP of about 14 mm Hg (p ≤ 0.05) and in DBP of 3.6 mm Hg (p ≤ 0.05) between resting values after the training period. In the EG group, SBP showed acute PEH during months 2 and 3, whereas DBP showed acute PEH during months 2 and 4. The CG did not show acute PEH or variations during the 4-month period. Postexercise hypotension occurrence and chronic reduction of resting blood pressure observed in the EG may have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system of the study participants.

SummaryBackground: Due to the existing controversies in literature about the potential benefits of resistance exercise training (RT) on arterial blood pressure (BP) at rest, and the lack of studies conducted with elderly hypertensive individuals, RT is seldom recommended as a non-pharmacological treatment for arterial hypertension.

In this study, we compared the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) with lactate minimal (LM) intensities determined visually and through a quadratic polynomial function of selected stages of LM test. Eleven male recreational cyclists (27.7 +/- 4.5 years, 175.7 +/- 5.6 cm, 69.5 +/- 10.8 kg, and 12.0 +/- 5.5% body fat) performed one LM test under previous induction of hyperlactaemia with an initial intensity of 75 W with 30-W increments every 3 minutes with blood lactate concentration (HLa) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) measurements. The LM intensity was determined visually (VLM) and by modeling the lactate response through polynomial function by using: 1) all stages (LMP); 2) the first stage, the stage corresponding to RPE-13 and the last stage/exhaustion (LMP3max); 3) the three lowest lactate concentration stages (LMP3adj); and 4) the initial, RPE-13, and RPE-16 stages (LMP3sub). The MLSS was determined as the highest intensity at a variation not greater than 0.05 mmol.l.min of HLa during the last 20 minutes of a 30-minute exercise session. The MLSS (204.0 +/- 16.0 W), VLM (198.6 +/- 15.2 W), LMP3adj (190.4 +/- 12.9 W), and LMP3sub (192.1 +/- 27.2 W) were not different, well correlated, and in agreement to each other. In conclusion, the polynomial modeling of HLa response to three submaximal stages produced exercise intensities that did not differ from MLSS.

Purpose: Bradykinesia and muscle weaknesses are common symptoms of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and are associated with impaired functional performance, increased risk of falls, and reduced quality of life. Recent studies have pointed to progressive resistance training (PRT) as an effective method to control and reduce these symptoms, increasing possibilities to treat the disease. However, few studies have focused on assessing the PRT effects in the short-term. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the short-term PRT effects on people with PD, in order to offer new parameters for a better understanding of its effects, so as an adequation and PRT use as a complementary therapy. Patients and Methods: Forty individuals diagnosed with PD from stage 1 to 3 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale took part on the study and were allocated into 2 groups; Training Group (TG) performed a 9-week RT program twice a week, and the Control Group (CG) attended disease lectures. Bradykinesia UPDRS subscale (BSS), knee extensors isokinetic strength, Ten Meters Walk Test (TMW), Timed Up&Go Test (TUG) and 30-Second Chair Stand (T30) were measured before and after the intervention period. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Significant time was noted by the group interaction for all functional tests (TUG, T30, and TWM; all p < 0.01) and BSS (p < 0.01). Post hoc analyses revealed that these differences were driven by significant improvements in these dependent variables (all p < 0.01) while the CG remained unchanged (all p > 0.05). Moreover, TUG, T30, TWM, and BSS were significantly different between TG and CG in the post-training assessments (all p < 0.01). Isokinetic muscle strength was slightly increased in the TG (2.4%) and decreased in the CG (−2.2%), but statistical analyses did not reach significance for interaction but only a trend (p = 0.12). Conclusion:The results indicate that 9 weeks of PRT reduces bradykinesia and improves functional performance in patients with mild to moderate PD. These findings reinforce this mode of exercise as an important component of public health promotion programs for PD.

Objective: To analyze the compliance to antiretroviral therapy among HIV/AIDS patients. Method: 99 HIV-positive volunteers undergoing treatment responded to a semi-structured sociodemographic interview and to a questionnaire that assessed compliance to antiretroviral treatment. Results: In the sample analyzed, 52.5% of the volunteers presented good/adequate treatment compliance, while 33.3% presented low/insufficient compliance. There was no significant difference between men and women in the questionnaire score, nor between groups with different levels of education. Conclusion: The main items of the questionnaire that contributed to good/adequate compliance were: positive impact of treatment on health and quality of life, few side effects after initiation of therapy, and positive self-evaluation of participants regarding their compliance to antiretroviral therapy. The main barriers detected for compliance to antiretroviral therapy were the lack of knowledge about current medications and the lack of information on antiretroviral therapy drugs.

This was a placebo-controlled randomized study that aimed to investigate the effects of strength training (ST) combined with antioxidant supplementation on muscle performance and thickness. Forty-two women (age, 23.8 ± 2.7 years; body mass, 58.7 ± 11.0 kg; height, 1.63 ± 0.1 m) were allocated into 3 groups: vitamins (n = 15), placebo (n = 12), or control (n = 15). The vitamins and placebo groups underwent an ST program, twice a week, for 10 weeks. The vitamins group was supplemented with vitamins C (1 g/day) and E (400 IU/day) during the ST period. Before and after training, peak torque (PT) and total work (TW) were measured on an isokinetic dynamometer, and quadriceps muscle thickness (MT) was assessed by ultrasound. Mixed-factor ANOVA was used to analyze data and showed a significant group × time interaction for PT and TW. Both the vitamins (37.2 ± 5.4 to 40.3 ± 5.6 mm) and placebo (39.7 ± 5.2 to 42.5 ± 5.6 mm) groups increased MT after the intervention (P < 0.05) with no difference between them. The vitamins (146.0 ± 29.1 to 170.1 ± 30.3 N·m) and placebo (158.9 ± 22.4 to 182.7 ± 23.2 N·m) groups increased PT after training (P < 0.05) and PT was higher in the placebo compared with the control group (P = 0.01). The vitamins (2068.3 ± 401.2 to 2295.5 ± 426.8 J) and placebo (2165.1 ± 369.5 to 2480.8 ± 241.3 J) groups increased TW after training (P < 0.05) and TW was higher in the placebo compared with the control group (P = 0.01). Thus, chronic antioxidant supplementation may attenuate peak torque and total work improvement in young women after 10 weeks of ST.

This study investigated the chronic effect of blood pressure (BP) and post-exercise hypotension (PEH) during resistance training (RT) and its relation with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in hypertensive elderly women. Participants were divided into two groups: an experimental group (EG) with exercise and a control group (CG) without exercise. The EG performed one adaptation month and one repetition maximum load (1RM) test at the end of this period. After the first month, the EG conducted a three-month program of RT at 60%, 70%, and 80% of 1RM, respectively, for each month. The CG was evaluated at the end of each month. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure (Microlife BP 3AC1-1) were measured, with the subject in a seated position, during an acute session for both GE and CG as follows: every 5 minutes for 20 minutes at pre-exercise rest, immediately after the resistance exercise and control, and every 15 minutes during 1 hour of recovery after exercise and CG. Analysis of covariance showed reduction in SBP and DBP (P ≤ 0.05) rest values after the RT program. PEH was observed only for the EG in acute sessions, for SBP after the second and third months (P ≤ 0.05), and for DBP after the second and fourth months (P ≤ 0.05). No significant differences in main effects and interaction effects between blood pressure and ACE I/D were observed. The occurrence of chronic reduction of blood pressure and PEH through EG may have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system with no ACE I/D polymorphism influence for this population.