ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic may be having many psychological impacts on people, at both an individual and a community level. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the relationship between the weekly frequency of physical activity and levels of stress among Brazilian adults during social distancing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), and the interaction of sex in this association. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study with a descriptive approach conducted at a public university in Curitiba (PR), Brazil. METHODS: 2,000 Brazilian adults (average age 36.4 years; 59.6% women) were recruited according to convenience through digital media. They filled out a questionnaire in electronic format that asked for sociodemographic information, health data, food consumption data, weekly frequency of physical activity and stress levels on the 10-item Kessler psychological distress scale. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: Associations were observed for the following correlations: male sex * no physical activity (odds ratio (OR): 4.35; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-16.67); female sex * physical activity 4 or 5 times a week (OR: 7.86; 95% CI: 2.28-27.05); female sex * physical activity 3 times a week (OR: 7.32; 95% CI: 2.09-25.58); female sex * physical activity 1 or 2 times a week (OR: 14.57; 95% CI: 4.28-49.57); and female sex * no physical activity (OR: 24.17; 95% CI: 7.21-80.97). CONCLUSION: The lower the weekly frequency of physical activity during the period of social distancing was, the greater the chances of having stress levels were, especially for women.

O objetivo do estudo foi comparar a PSE no limiar ventilatório (LV) entre homens e mulheres. Participaram 17 homens (24,0 ± 3,3 anos) e 17 mulheres (22,5 ± 2,6 anos), submetidos a duas sessões experimentais com intervalo mínimo de 48 horas: (I) avaliação antropométrica e instruções referentes aos procedimentos e (II) teste máximo em esteira. Na análise estatística empregou-se teste t Student para verificar possíveis diferenças entre gêneros (p < 0,05). Não foram verificadas diferenças significativas entre homens e mulheres para a PSE LV (11,1 ± 1,8 e 12,1 ± 1,5, respectivamente). Apesar de as mulheres demonstrarem PSE superior em intensidade de exercício baseada em níveis absolutos, estas diferenças desaparecem quando homens e mulheres são testados em intensidade relativa de exercício. Conclui-se que homens e mulheres apresentam valores de PSE LV entre 12 e 13 ("leve" e "algo difícil") durante teste de esforço máximo.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) at ventilatory threshold (VT) during graded treadmill exercise between men and women. Participated 17 men (24.0 ± 3.3 years) and 17 women (22.5 ± 2.6 years) were submitted to two experimental sessions with a minimum interval of 48 hours: (I) anthropometric evaluation and instructions regarding the procedures, and (II) graded treadmill exercise. For statistical analysis, was employed used t Student test to verify possible differences between genders (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences between genders to RPE VT (11.7 ± 1.8 and 12.2 ± 1.5, respectively). Although women had a higher RPE to exercise intensity based on absolute levels, these differences were minimized or disappeared when men and women were compared at similar relative exercise intensity. The result of present study showed that men and women had a similar RPE VT between 12 and 13 ("light" and "something hard") during graded treadmill exercise.