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Introduction: Regular physical activity (PA) is important for the entire population, equally for healthy people and survivors of breast cancer. Despite the benefits of PA, there are women who do not attain the recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO). Objective: To describe and compare the barriers to PA in women with and without breast cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. The consisted of 230 women with primary breast cancer diagnosed up to one year and 231 women without breast cancer. Both groups were matched by age (±5 years). The participants answered a questionnaire with questions about barriers to PA and sociodemographic, anthropometric and behavioral characteristics. Results: Women with breast cancer perceived more barriers to PA than those without diagnosis (59.4% versus 40.7%). The barriers most cited by women diagnosed with breast cancer were “feeling discomfort or pain” (59.6%) and “feeling tired” (56.1%). The barriers most mentioned by women without diagnosis were “lack of money” (21.6%) and “lack of company” (19.1%). Conclusion: Women with breast cancer report more barriers than women without the disease. Therefore, it is suggested that they have a lower level of PA in leisure time. The perceived barriers to PA among women with and without breast cancer are similar, but they differ in the physical barriers.

Objective: To evaluate the association of leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behavior with body image concern and satisfaction in Brazilian adolescents. Methods: Data were extracted from the 2015 Brazilian National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de Saú de do Escolar [PeNSE]). Information regarding body image concern and satisfaction, as well as exposures (physical activity and sedentary behavior) and covariates (maternal education, age, smoking, and alcohol intake), were assessed through a questionnaire. Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that engagement in recommended levels of physical activity (X 300 min/week) was associated with a decreased concern with body image and a high satisfaction in boys. Four or more hours spent in sedentary activities were associated with increased concern with body image and dissatisfaction among boys and girls. Conclusion: These findings support the relevance of programs aiming to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in the adolescent population. Such programs play a protective role against body dissatisfaction and are important for the development of a healthy body image in adolescence.

After the intervention, quadriceps muscle thickness, 1RM, and sEMG improved in all three groups (all p < 0.05), whereas muscle quality improved only in middle-aged and older participants (p ≤ 0.001), and MVIC only in middle-aged and mobility-limited older adults (p < 0.05). With a few exceptions, peak power improved in all groups from 30-90% 1RM (p < 0.05) both when tested relative to pre-training or post-training 1RM workloads (all p < 0.05). Both mobility-limited older adults and older adults improved their short physical performance battery score (p < 0.05). Chair stand, stair climb, maximal gait speed, and timed up-andgo performance, on the other hand, improved in all three groups (p < 0.05), but no change was observed for habitual gait speed and 6-min walk test performance. Overall, our results demonstrate that a HVRT intervention can build a stronger foundation in middle-aged individuals so that they can better deal with age-related impairments at the same time that it can mitigate already present physiological and functional impairments in older adults with and without mobility-limitation.

Background Although the prevalence of hypertension is high in older adults, clinical trial recruitment is a challenge. Our main aim was to describe the HAEL Study recruitment methods and yield rates. The secondary objectives were to explore the reasons for exclusion and to describe the characteristics of the enrolled participants. Methods This is a descriptive study within a trial. The HAEL Study was a Brazilian randomized two-center, parallel trial with an estimated sample of 184 participants. The recruitment strategy was based on four methods: electronic health records, word of mouth, print and electronic flyer, and press media. The yield rate was the ratio of the number of participants who underwent randomization to the total number of volunteers screened, calculated for overall, per recruitment method, by study center and by age group and sex. Additionally, we described the reasons for exclusion in the screening phase, as well as the demographic characteristics of those enrolled. The data are presented in absolute/relative frequencies and mean ± standard deviation. Results A total of 717 individuals were screened, and 168 were randomized over 32 months. The yield rate was higher for word of mouth (30.1%) in the overall sample. However, press media contributed the most (39.9%) to the absolute number of participants randomized in the trial. The coordinating center and participating center differed in methods with the highest yield ratios and absolute numbers of randomized participants. The main reason for exclusion in the screening phase was due to the physically active status in those intending to participate in the study (61.5%). Out of 220 participants included, 52 were excluded mainly because they did not meet the eligibility criteria (26.9%). Most of the screened volunteers were women (60.2%) age 60–69 years (59.5%), and most of the randomized participants were Caucasian/white (78.0%). Conclusions Multiple recruitment methods constituted effective strategies. We observed that approximately one of every four individuals screened was allocated to an intervention group. Even so, there were limitations in obtaining a representative sample of older Brazilian adults with hypertension. Data show an underrepresentation of race and age groups. Trial registration This SWAT was not registered.

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate whether training status would influence the capacity of a verification phase (VER) to confirm maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) of a previous graded exercise test (GXT) in individuals with hypertension. Methods: Twelve older adults with hypertension (8 women) were recruited. Using a within-subject design, participants performed a treadmill GXT to exhaustion followed by a multistage VER both before and after a 12-wk pragmatic combined exercise training program. Individual VO2max, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), maximal heart rate (HRmax), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during both GXT and VER tests. Mean values were compared between bouts using paired sample t-tests, and VO2max was also compared between GXT and VER individually. Results: Testing was well tolerated by all participants. Absolute and relative VO2max values were higher in VER than in GXT at baseline, but only absolute VO2max differed between bouts post-intervention (all p<0.05).Individual VO2max comparisons revealed that 75% of the participants (9/12) achieved a VO2max value that was ≥3% during VER both before (range: from +4.9% to +21%) and after the intervention (range: from +3.4% to +18.8%), whereas 91.7% (11/12) of the tests would have been validated as a maximal effort if the classic criteria were employed (i.e., VO2 plateau or at least two secondary criteria). Conclusion: A 12-wk combined training intervention could not improve the capacity of older adults with hypertension to achieve VO2max during a GXT, as assessed by VER.

Introdução: Neoplasias são um dos principais problemas de saúde prevalentes. O câncer colorretal (CCR) apresenta alta incidência no Brasil, o tratamento da doença consiste em auxiliar o sistema imunológico a combater as células malignas, e a prática de exercícios pode auxiliar em sua prevenção. Na busca de fatores de risco para CCR, pesquisas obtiveram dados consistentes quanto a: alimentação inapropriada, inatividade física, obesidade, consumo de álcool e tabaco, mas ainda não foi possível encontrar dados sobre o histórico de atividade física (AF) dos pacientes diagnosticados com CCR. Objetivo: Avaliar se a prática de AF durante toda a vida pode influenciar no desenvolvimento da doença. Método: Estudo caso-controle. Os casos foram obtidos nos centros oncológicos de Pelotas, Brasil. Dois controles de cada caso foram detectados no mesmo centro de saúde. Ambos os grupos foram pareados por idade (±5 anos). Ao todo, participaram do estudo 82 casos e 165 controles. Resultados: A partir das análises brutas e ajustadas para os fatores de confusão, a AF em seus quatro domínios e a AF total, realizadas durante toda a vida, não estiveram associadas ao desfecho. Conclusão: Os resultados analisados neste estudo foram contrários, em sua maior parte, ao encontrado na literatura; as possíveis explicações foram o perfil de AF na população estudada, as características da AF ocupacional e o tamanho amostral.

Background: To determine the effect of resistance training volume on physical and perceptual outcomes of breast cancer survivors submitted to a combined training program. Design: Randomized single-blinded study. Methods: Nineteen breast cancer survivor women were randomized to a single-set (SS) or a multiple-set (MS) group. Both groups completed an 8-week combined training intervention in which the SS and MS groups performed 1 and 3 sets per resistance exercise, respectively. The following outcomes were assessed preintervention and postintervention: maximal knee extension dynamic strength (1-repetition maximum), quadriceps muscle thickness, peak oxygen uptake, time to exhaustion, cancer-related fatigue, and quality of life. Results: Both interventions increased knee extension 1-repetition maximum (SS: 29.8% [37.5%]; MS: 19.3% [11.8%]), quadriceps muscle thickness (9.4% [4.1%]; 8.9% [5.9%]), and quality of life (4.3% [6.3%]; 7.9% [9.0%]), with no difference between the groups. However, only MS improved cancer-related fatigue (−2.1% [1.7%]) and time to exhaustion (21.3% [14.9%]), whereas peak oxygen uptake remained unchanged in both groups. Conclusions: Cancer-related fatigue and time to exhaustion, improved only in the MS group after the intervention. On the other hand, similar knee extension 1-repetition maximum, quadriceps muscle thickness, and quality of life improvements were observed in breast cancer survivors irrespective of the resistance training volume performed.