High-intensity strength training improves quality of life in cancer survivors

Figures & data

Table I.  Patients’ characteristics at time of inclusion.

		Male	Female
n		13	44
Age (years)	Mean	50	49
	SD (range)	14 (24–73)	9 (26–71)
Cancer type	Breast	0	34
	Ovarian	0	4
	Hodgkin lymphoma	2	3
	Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	3	1
	Colorectal	6	2
	Testis	2	0
Treatment	Chemotherapy	13	44
	+Radiotherapy	0	4
	+Surgery	4	16
	+Radiotherapy + Surgery	4	24
Chemotherapy	AC, breast ca	0	11
	CMF, breast ca	0	11
	FEC, breast ca	0	12
	Carboplatin-paclitaxel, ovarian ca	0	4
	ABVD/EBVP/BEACOPP, Hodgkin lymphoma	2	3
	CHOP/CVP, non-Hodgkin lymphoma	3	1
	5FU-leucovorin, colorectal	6	2
	BEP, testis	2	0

Abbreviations: AC, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide; CMF, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil; FEC, fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide; ABVD, doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine; EBVP epirubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, prednisone; BEACOPP, bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone; CHOP, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone; CVP, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone; BEP, bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin.

Table II.  Physiological effects of training.

		Pre	Post
Men (n = 13)	Weight (kg)	89.5±10.9	91.6±12.1*
	BMI (kg/m^2)	27.9±3.2	28.5±3.3*
	% Body fat	27±6	27±7
	Max workload (W)	215±57	249±61**
	Max workload/weight (W/kg)	2.46±0.82	2.79±0.87**
	VO2 max (ml/min)	2702±608	3047±523**
	VO2 max (ml/min/kg)	30.7±8.5	33.9±8.1**
	HR max (bpm)	167±26	173±20*
	HR max/HR pred (%)	101±11	103±11
	VO2 VT (ml/min)	1883±433	2310±499**
	VO2 VT (ml/min/kg)	21.4±5.9	26.4±7.3**
	HR VT (bpm)	134±19	147±21**
	RQ	1.20±0.15	1.22±0.17
Women (n = 44)	Weight (kg)	76.6±14.4	76.8±14.1
	BMI (kg/m^2)	27.4±5.1	27.5±5.0
	% Body fat	38±4	38±4
	Max workload (W)	141±26	163±36**
	Max workload/weight (W/kg)	1.88±0.45	2.18±0.58**
	VO2 max (ml/min)	1800±308	2043±381**
	VO2 max (ml/min/kg)	24.2±4.9	27.3±5.6**
	HR max (bpm)	168±14	171±13
	HR max/pred HR (%)	98±7	99±7
	VO2 VT (ml/min)	1387±273	1578±356**
	VO2 VT (ml/min/kg)	18.8±4.5	21.3±5.1**
	HR VT (bpm)	139±16	142±20
	RQ	1.16±0.11	1.21±0.13*

*p < 0.05;**p < 0.01.

Figure 1.  Effect of training on muscle strength (n = 57).

Table III.  Effects of training on muscle strength.

Strength exercise (1-RM/kg)	Pre	Post	t	ES	95% CI for ES
Vertical row	0.51 (0.17)	0.73 (0.21)**	11.2	1.32	1.08 to 1.56
Leg press	1.95 (0.53)	2.86 (0.66)**	12.0	1.72	1.43 to 2.01
Bench press	0.34 (0.11)	0.50 (0.15)**	9.7	1.41	1.11 to 1.71
Lunge	0.21 (0.09)	0.43 (0.15)**	12.5	2.34	2.03 to 2.81
Pull over	0.14 (0.05)	0.27 (0.08)**	9.7	2.68	2.11 to 3.24
Abdominal crunch	0.40 (0.14)	0.60 (0.18)**	9.7	1.38	1.09 to 1.67

*p < 0.05;**p < 0.01.

Table IV.  Effects of training on quality of life: results from EORTC QLQ-C30.

	Pre	Post	t	ES	95% CI for ES
Physical functioning	72±21	84±20**	4.7	0.54	0.31 to 0.78
Role functioning	60±25	77±23**	3.7	0.66	0.30 to 1.02
Emotional functioning	77±20	86±17**	3.1	0.47	0.16 to 0.78
Cognitive functioning	77±24	84±22	1.7	0.30	−0.05 to 0.65
Social functioning	69±30	82±21*	2.7	0.65	0.16 to 1.13
Global health state	65±15	78±17**	5.7	0.82	0.53 to 1.11
Fatigue	42±21	21±21**	−6.0	−0.83	−1.11 to −0.55

*p < 0.05;**p < 0.01.

Table V.  Correlations between muscle strength and HRQOL.

	Physical functioning (HRQOL) before training
	Pre	Post
Vertical row	0.66**	0.72**
Leg press	0.57**	0.47**
Bench press	0.63**	0.22
Lunge	0.56**	0.51**
Pull over	0.56**	0.15
Abdominal crunch	0.75**	0.66**

*p < 0.05;**p < 0.01.

Figure 2.  Analysis of natural recovery.