Effect of Combining Impact-Aerobic and Strength Exercise, and Dietary Habits on Body Composition in Breast Cancer Survivors Treated with Aromatase Inhibitors

Abstract

This study examines both the effect of a twice-weekly combined exercise—1 h session of strength and 1 h session of impact-aerobic—on body composition and dietary habits after one year of treatment with aromatase inhibitors (AI) in breast cancer survivors. Overall, forty-three postmenopausal women with a BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2, breast cancer survivors treated with AI, were randomized into two groups: a control group (CG) (n = 22) and a training group (IG) (n = 21). Body composition, i.e., abdominal, visceral, and subcutaneous adipose tissue) was measured by magnetic resonance. In addition, some questionnaires were used to gather dietary data and to measure adherence to the Mediterranean diet. After one year, women in the IG showed a significant improvement in body composition, indicated by decreases in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, and total fat tissue. Furthermore, the dietary habits were compatible with moderate adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern and a low dietary intake of Ca, Zn, Folic Ac, and vitamins D, A, and E. A twice-weekly training program combining impact aerobic exercise and resistance exercise may be effective in improving the body composition for postmenopausal women who have breast cancer treated with AI, and the results suggest the need for nutritional counselling for this population.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Based on the Dietary Habits and Physical Activity of Korean Women Cancer Survivors

“…In another study, 36 weeks of combined aerobic and strength training significantly improved low density lipoprotein cholesterol and reduced body fat in the CS group compared with the control group [12]. In addition, increased PA and healthy diets improve eating habits and reduce visceral fat [13]. However, contradictory results have been reported.…”

Suppressive effects of exercise-conditioned serum on cancer cells: A narrative review of the influence of exercise mode, volume, and intensity

“… 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 Indeed, a robust body of evidence now exists on the safety and effectiveness of exercise as medicine, either during or post-cancer treatments, to improve various health-related cancer outcomes, such as fatigue, quality of life, cardiorespiratory capacity, neuromuscular strength, physical function, body weight, and body composition (both fat mass and lean mass), as well as the ability to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 Furthermore, exercise is associated with a lower risk for the development of a range of cancers as well as reduced recurrence and improved survival in patients with cancer. 15 , 16 , 17 The underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood; however, over the past 2 decades, several avenues of preclinical and clinical research have investigated the effects of acute and chronic exercise-conditioned serum on different cancer cell lines in vitro (e.g., breast, prostate, and colon).…”

Optimizing exercise prescription during breast cancer rehabilitation in women: Analysis of the load–velocity relationship in the box squat exercise

“…Monitoring intensity is essential to properly control and prescribe RT to enhance muscular strength (Fry, 2004). Recent studies with survivors of breast cancer used traditional procedures to prescribe and monitor the relative load (%1RM, percentage of an individual's one‐repetition maximum, used as a measure of RT intensity), including performing a one‐repetition maximum (1RM, which is the maximum weight that an individual can lift for a single repetition in a specific exercise) (Garcia‐Unciti et al., 2023; Guloglu et al., 2023) or performing repetitions to failure (XRM, the maximum number of repetitions that can be completed) (Calonego et al., 2023; Koevoets et al., 2023). However, these methods may cause significant muscle soreness and extended recovery times between sessions because of the high physical stress imposed (Shaw et al., 1995).…”