Abstract Aim: Heart rate variability threshold (HRVT) is a valid method to determine parasympathetic depression during an incremental exercise test (IET). However, HRVT is usually assessed using the last 60s of each 180s stage of an IET, resulting in longer and demotivating tests. This study aimed to evaluate the agreement of HRVT analysis adopting the first and second minute of R-R interval (iRR) segment comparatively to a standard third-minute segment obtained at each 3-min stage on IET. Methods: Seventeen young male subjects (22.2 ± 3.1 years; 23.4 ± 2.3 kg/m2) underwent IET on a cycle ergometer. HRVT was considered the load corresponding to the point of stabilization of the SD1 index (HRVTV), or the first load with SD1 value < 3ms (HRVT<3), both assessed by the 1st (HRVT1V, HRVT1<3), 2nd (HRVT2V, HRVT2<3) and standard 3rd (HRVT3V, HRVT3<3) 60s iRR segment analyzed at each stage of IET. Agreement and reliability were assessed by the Bland-Altman analysis and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. Results: High reliability and non-significant bias were observed considering HRVT1V vs HRVT3V (ICC = 0.92; p = 0.18) or HRVT2V vs HRVT3V (ICC = 0.94; p = 0.99). However, lower reliability was observed for HRVT1<3 vs HRVT3<3 (ICC = 0.79; p = 0.75) and for HRVT2<3 vs HRVT3<3 (ICC = 0.91; p = 0.33). Conclusion: HRVT can be similarly assessed by the 1st, 2nd or 3rd 60 seconds iRR segment, mainly when assessed by a visual method.

A síndrome metabólica (SM) é definida pela presença de, ao menos três, dentre cinco fatores de risco cardiovascular: hiperglicemia, resistência à insulina, obesidade, dislipidemia e pressão arterial elevada. Embora portadores de SM apresentem baixa aptidão física e pior qualidade de vida (QV), quando comparado aos indivíduos sem SM, ainda não foram investigadas as correlações entre a aptidão física e a QV em mulheres com SM. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar a QV, força muscular e aptidão aeróbia, bem como analisar a correlação entre a QV e a aptidão física de mulheres com e sem SM. Participaram do estudo 49 mulheres, 21 com SM (33.5 ± 9.1 anos) e 28 sem SM (32.3 ± 7.9 anos). Para avaliação da QV, aptidão aeróbia e força muscular foram utilizados, respectivamente, o questionário Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), o teste de caminhada de 6 minutos (6-C) e o teste de preensão manual. As mulheres com SM apresentaram pior QV, percorreram menor distância no 6-C e obtiveram menor força muscular relativa. Foi observada correlação positiva entre a aptidão aeróbia e quatro domínios da QV: capacidade funcional, limitação por aspectos físicos, dor e aspectos sociais da funcionalidade. Mulheres com SM apresentam menor de força muscular e aptidão aeróbia, bem como piores escores de QV no estado de saúde geral, capacidade funcional, dor no corpo, limitação por aspectos emocionais, aspectos sociais da funcionalidade e limitação por aspectos físicos quando comparado com mulheres sem SM.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as the presence of at least three out of five cardiovascular risk factors: hiperglicemia, insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia and elevated blood pressure. Subjects with MetS still present worse perception of quality of life (QL) and low physical fitness as compared with subjects without MetS. However, correlations between physical fitness and QL have not been investigated in subjects with MetS. The aim of the present study was to compare the QL, muscle strength and aerobic fitness, as well as to analyse the correlatation between the QL and physical fitness in women with and without MetS. Forty-nine women, 21 with MetS (33.5 ± 9.1 years) and 28 without MetS (32.3 ± 7.9 years) were studied. Perception of QL, physical fitness and muscle strength were evaluated by the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), the distance covered in the 6 minute walk test (6MWT), and the handgrip test, respectively. Women with MetS presented worse perception of QL, covered a lower distance during the 6MWT and exhibited lower relative muscle strength. Additionally there was a positive correlation of aerobic fitness with four domains of QL: functional capacity, limitation by physical aspect, pain and social aspects. Women with MetS present lower muscle strength and aerobic fitness, as well as lower QL scores for the general health state, functional capacity, body pain, limitation by emotional aspects, social aspects of functionality and limitation by physical aspects as compared with women without MetS.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar as respostas de pressão arterial sistólica (PAS) e pressão arterial diastólica (PAD) após três sessões experimentais: exercício de força (EF), exercício combinado (COMB-aeróbio e EF) e controle sem exercício (CON). Trinta mulheres com síndrome metabólica (SM) foram randomicamente alocadas a uma das três sessões experimentais: EF (n=10; 36,1 ± 9,0 anos) (3 séries de 8-12 repetições a 80% de 10RM em 6 exercícios para o corpo todo); COMB (n=10; 33,1 ± 5,0 anos) (30 min de exercício aeróbio a 65-70% da frequência cardíaca de reserva, sucedido da mesma sessão de EF) e CON (n=10; 30,4 ± 6,6 anos). A PAS e PAD foram medidas antes e a cada 15 min, nos 60 min subsequentes às sessões experimentais. O grupo COMB apresentou maior diminuição do delta da PAS (ΔPAS), nos momentos 15, 30 e 45 min pós-exercício, quando comparado ao grupo CON (p <0,05); o grupo EF apresentou maior redução ΔPAS (p < 0,05), nos momentos 30 e 45 minutos pós-exercício, também comparado ao grupo CON. Adicionalmente, a área abaixo da curva do ΔPAS para os grupos COMB (~30 mmHg de hipotensão em 60 min, p ≤ 0,0005) e EF (~19 mmHg de hipotensão em 60 min, p = 0,024) foram maiores em relação ao grupo CON. Portanto, tanto o EF como o COMB induziram hipotensão pós-exercício em mulheres com SM, com maior magnitude para o grupo COMB, o que pode ser interessante para prevenção e tratamento de problemas cardiovasculares.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the response of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood following three experimental sessions: resistance exercise (RE), combined exercise (COMB-aerobic and RE) and control session (CON). Thirty women with metabolic syndrome (MS) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups: RE (n=10; 36.1 ± 9.0 years) (3 sets of 8-12 repetitions at 80% of 10RM in six exercises for whole body); COMB (n=10; 33.1 ± 5.0 years) (30 min of aerobic exercise at 65-70% of reserve heart rate which was followed by the same RE session) and CON (n=10; 30.4 ± 6.6 years). The SBP and DBP were measured before and every 15 min during 60 min following the experimental sessions. The COMB group presented greater delta SBP (ΔSBP) decrease at 15, 30 and 45 min post-exercise as compared with CON group (p <0.05); the RE group presented greater ΔSBP reduction at 30 and 45 min post-exercise also compared with CON group (p <0.05). In addition, the area under the curve of ΔSBP for COMB group (~30 mmHg of hypotension during 60 min, p ≤ 0.0005) and RE group (~19 mmHg of hypotension during 60 min, p = 0.024) were greater than the CON group. Therefore, RE and COMB elicited post-exercise hypotension in women with MS; COMB provided a greater decrease which may be of value in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disorders.