Danilo Sales Bocalini

Strength Training Preserves the Bone Mineral Density of Postmenopausal Women Without Hormone Replacement Therapy

Objective: The study was designed to evaluate the effects of strength training (ST) on the bone mineral density (BMD) of postmenopausal women without hormone replacement therapy. Method: Subjects were randomized into untrained (UN) or trained (TR) groups. The TR group exercised three ST sessions per week for 24 weeks, and body composition, muscular strength, and BMD of the lumbar spine and femur neck were evaluated. Results: Body weight, mass index, and fat percentage were lower after 24 weeks only in the TR group (p < .05). SR also improved the one repetition maximum test in 46% and 39% of upper and lower limbs, respectively. The percentage of demineralization was higher in the UN group than in the TR group at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (p < .05). Discussion: Results indicated that 24 weeks of ST improved body composition parameters, increased muscular strength, and preserved BMD in postmenopausal women.

Physical exercise improves the functional capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical exercise on the functional capacity and quality of life in heart failure patients. METHODS Forty-two patients of both sexes with heart failure of NYHA class II and III with different etiologies were randomly divided into untrained or trained groups. The six-month exercise program consisted of aerobic training, muscle strength training, agility and joint flexibility activities. Physical fitness was evaluated by testing the performance on these trained components. Quality of life was evaluated by scored answers to a standardized questionnaire involving multiple domains. RESULTS Baseline values did not differ between groups. Improvement in the trained group was identified in all components of functional capacity when compared to the untrained group (p < 0.001). Quality of life improved in the trained patients concerning physical, psychological, social and environmental domains (p < 0.001), whereas no significant change was found in the untrained patients. CONCLUSIONS Guided and monitored physical exercise is safe and has the potential to improve functional capacity and quality of life in heart failure patients with multiple etiologies.

Water- versus land-based exercise effects on physical fitness in older women.

Aim:  The effectiveness of a water‐based exercise (WE) program and a walking on land (WL) program was evaluated in older women (aged 62–65 years).

Exercise training inhibits inflammatory cytokines and more than prevents myocardial dysfunction in rats with sustained β‐adrenergic hyperactivity

Myocardial hypertrophy and dysfunction occur in response to excessive catecholaminergic drive. Adverse cardiac remodelling is associated with activation of proinflammatory cytokines in the myocardium. To test the hypothesis that exercise training can prevent myocardial dysfunction and production of proinflammatory cytokines induced by β‐adrenergic hyperactivity, male Wistar rats were assigned to one of the following four groups: sedentary non‐treated (Con); sedentary isoprenaline treated (Iso); exercised non‐treated (Ex); and exercised plus isoprenaline (Iso+Ex). Echocardiography, haemodynamic measurements and isolated papillary muscle were used for functional evaluations. Real‐time RT‐PCR and Western blot were used to quantify tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin‐6, interleukin‐10 and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) in the tissue. NF‐κB expression in the nucleus was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The Iso rats showed a concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle (LV). These animals exhibited marked increases in LV end‐diastolic pressure and impaired myocardial performance in vitro, with a reduction in the developed tension and maximal rate of tension increase and decrease, as well as worsened recruitment of the Frank–Starling mechanism. Both gene and protein levels of tumour necrosis factor α and interleukin‐6, as well as TGF‐β1 mRNA, were increased. In addition, the NF‐κB expression in the Iso group was significantly raised. In the Iso+Ex group, the exercise training had the following effects: (1) it prevented LV hypertrophy; (ii) it improved myocardial contractility; (3) it avoided the increase of proinflammatory cytokines and improved interleukin‐10 levels; and (4) it attenuated the increase of TGF‐β1 mRNA. Thus, exercise training in a model of β‐adrenergic hyperactivity can avoid the adverse remodelling of the LV and inhibit inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, the cardioprotection is related to beneficial effects on myocardial performance.

Repercussions of training and detraining by water-based exercise on functional fitness and quality of life: a short-term follow-up in healthy older women

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of short‐term exercise detraining on the functional fitness of older women after a 12‐week water‐based exercise (WE) program. METHODS: Healthy older women (trained (TR) group) were submitted to 12 weeks WE (three 45 min sessions per week) followed by a 6‐week detraining period. A group of aged‐matched women without any exercise training (UN group) were evaluated during the same period. The aerobic power, measured by VO2max and 800 meters performance, and the neuromuscular fitness and quality of life were evaluated. All assessments were made at baseline, after 12 weeks of training and after 4 and 6 weeks of detraining. RESULTS: No changes were found for the UN group during the follow‐up study, but WE induced significant improvement in aerobic capacity, neuromuscular fitness and quality of life score. However, the upper and lower body strength, agility, flexibility, and body balance returned to UN levels (p>0.05) after 6 weeks of detraining. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed that 12 weeks of WE improves the functional fitness parameters and quality of life of older women. However, after a short detraining period of 4–6 weeks, the neuromuscular parameters and the quality of life score returns to baseline or untrained subject levels.

Left Ventricle Radio-frequency Ablation in the Rat: A New Model of Heart Failure due to Myocardial Infarction Homogeneous in Size and Low in Mortality

BACKGROUND The purpose of the current study was to create a model of myocardial infarction (MI) that is homogeneous in size with a low immediate (24 hours) mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS Male and female rats (n = 256) underwent left ventricle (LV) ablation (Ab) by a radiofrequency current (1000 kHz; 12 watts for 12 seconds) to promote a MI. A transmural MI occurred in all rats. Post-Ab complex arrhythmias were frequent (atrioventricular block, ventricular tachycardia, and fibrillation), which rapidly and spontaneously reverted to sinus rhythm. Among 66 male rats, immediate mortality occurred in 7.5%. Small MI size dispersion was characterized by smaller variability following Ab (x +/- SD: 45 +/- 8%) when compared with coronary occlusion (Oc; 40 +/- 19%). The histopathologic evaluations identified lesions similar to those which occurred following Oc, with scarring complete at 4 weeks. The hemodynamic and Doppler echocardiograms showed comparable increases in LV dimension, end-diastolic pressure, and pulmonary water content 1 and 4 weeks post-MI. Papillary muscle mechanics 6 weeks post-MI had matched inotropic and lusitropic dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS LV Ab gave rise to a MI within a narrow size limit and with a low immediate mortality. LV Ab resulted in histopathologic evolution, ventricular dilation, and dysfunction, impairment in myocardial mechanics, and congestive outcome that reproduced a MI from Oc.

Effects of circuit-based exercise programs on the body composition of elderly obese women

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of circuit-based exercise on the body composition in obese older women by focusing on physical exercise and body weight (BW) gain control in older people. Methods Seventy older women (>60 years old) voluntarily took part in the study. Participants were randomized into six different groups according to body mass index (BMI): appropriate weight (AW) control (AWC) and trained (AWT) groups, overweight (OW) control (OWC) and trained (OWT) groups, and obesity (O) control (OC) and trained (OT) groups. The exercise program consisted of 50 minutes of exercise three times per week for 12 weeks. The exercises were alternated between upper and lower body using rest between sets for 40 seconds with intensity controlled by heart rate (70% of work). The contraction time established was 5 seconds to eccentric and concentric muscular action phase. The following anthropometric parameters were evaluated: height (m), body weight (BW, kg), body fat (BF, %), fat mass (FM, kg), lean mass (LM, kg), and BMI (kg/m2). Results The values (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) of relative changes to BW (−8.0% ± 0.8%), BF (−21.4% ± 2.1%), LM (3.0% ± 0.3%), and FM (−31.2% ± 3.0%) to the OT group were higher (P < 0.05) than in the AWT (BW: −2.0% ± 1.1%; BF: −4.6% ± 1.8%; FM: −7.0% ± 2.8%; LM: 0.2% ± 1.1%) and OWT (BW: −4.5% ± 1.0%; BF: −11.0% ± 2.2%; FM: −16.1% ± 3.2%; LM: −0.2% ± 1.0%) groups; additionally, no differences were found for C groups. While reduction (P < 0.03) in BMI according to absolute values was observed for all trained groups (AWT: 22 ± 1 versus 21 ± 1; OWT: 27 ± 1 versus 25 ± 1, OT: 34 ± 1 versus 30 ± 1) after training, no differences were found for C groups. Conclusion In summary, circuit-based exercise is an effective method for promoting reduction in anthropometrics parameters in obese older women.

Effects of water-based exercise in obese older women: impact of short-term follow-up study on anthropometric, functional fitness and quality of life parameters.

Aim:  In this study, the effects of a short‐term follow‐up intervention by water‐based exercise (WE) on indicators of obesity in frail obese older women were investigated.

Prior exercise training does not prevent acute cardiac alterations after myocardial infarction in female rats

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether previous exercise training could prevent or attenuate acute cardiac alterations after myocardial infarction. METHODS: Female rats were submitted to swim training (1 h/day; 5 days/week) or allowed to remain sedentary for 8 weeks. Afterwards, they were randomly assigned to left coronary artery occlusion or sham surgery. After this procedure, the rats remained sedentary for one week until euthanasia. Cardiac structural and functional analyses were performed using Doppler echocardiography. The rats that had a moderate or large infarct size were included in the evaluations. The data (mean ± SEM) were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA model followed by Tukeys post-hoc test. RESULTS: After the surgery, no significant difference between the exercise and sedentary groups was observed in the left ventricular infarct sizes (34.58±3.04 vs. 37.59±3.07). In another group of rats evaluated with Evans blue 1 h after myocardial infarction, no siginificant difference in the area at risk was observed between the exercised and sedentary rats (49.73±1.52 vs. 45.48±3.49). The changes in the left ventricular fractional areas for the exercised and sedentary myocardial infarction groups (36±2% and 39±3%, respectively) were smaller than those for the exercise sham surgery (ES, 67±1%) and sedentary sham surgery (SS, 69±2%) groups. The E/A was higher in the sedentary myocardial infarction (4.4±0.3) and exercised myocardial infarction (5.5±0.3) rats than in the SS (2.4±0.1) and ES (2.2±0.1) rats. CONCLUSION: Previous swim training of female rats does not attenuate systolic and diastolic function alterations after myocardial infarction induced by left coronary artery occlusion, suggesting that cardioprotection cannot be provided by exercise training in this experimental model.

Exercise Attenuates Renal Dysfunction with Preservation of Myocardial Function in Chronic Kidney Disease

Previous studies have suggested that exercise improves renal and cardiac functions in patients with chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term aerobic swimming exercise with overload on renal and cardiac function in rats with 5/6 nefrectomy (5/6Nx). Eight Wistar rats were placed into 4 groups: Control (C), Control+Exercise (E), Sedentary 5/6Nx (NxS) and 5/6Nx+Exercise (NxE). The rats were subjected to swimming exercise sessions with overload for 30 min five days per week for five weeks. Exercise reduced the effect of 5/6Nx on creatinine clearance compared to the NxS group. In addition, exercise minimized the increase in mean proteinuria compared to the NxS group (96.9±10.0 vs. 51.4±9.9 mg/24 h; p<0.05). Blood pressure was higher in the NxS and NxE groups compared to the C and E groups (216±4 and 178±3 vs. 123±2 and 124±2 mm Hg, p<0.05). In the 200 glomeruli that were evaluated, the NxS group had a higher sclerosis index than did the NxE group (16% vs. 2%, p<0.05). Echocardiography demonstrated a higher anterior wall of the left ventricle (LV) in diastole in the NxS group compared with the C, E and NxE groups. The NxS group also had a higher LV posterior wall in diastole and systole compared with the E group. The developed isometric tension in Lmax of the heart papillary muscle was lower in the NxS group compared with the C, E and NxE groups. These results suggested that exercise in 5/6Nx animals might reduce the progression of renal disease and lessen the cardiovascular impact of a reduction in renal mass.