Feasibility and effects of a combined adjuvant high-intensity interval/strength training in breast cancer patients: a single-center pilot study

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate feasibility of an exercise intervention consisting of high-intensity interval endurance and strength training in breast cancer patients.

Methods: Twenty-six women with nonmetastatic breast cancer were consecutively assigned to the exercise intervention- (n= 15, mean age 51.9 ± 9.8 years) and the control group (n = 11, mean age 56.9 ± 7.0 years). Cardiopulmonary exercise testing that included lactate sampling, one-repetition maximum tests and a HADS-D questionnaire were used to monitor patients both before and after a supervised six weeks period of either combined high-intensity interval endurance and strength training (intervention group, twice a week) or leisure training (control group).

Results: Contrarily to the control group, endurance (mean change of VO₂, _peak 12.0 ± 13.0%) and strength performance (mean change of cumulative load 25.9 ± 11.2%) and quality of life increased in the intervention group. No training-related adverse events were observed.

Conclusions: Our guided exercise intervention could be used effectively for initiation and improvement of performance capacity and quality of life in breast cancer patients in a relatively short time. This might be especially attractive during medical treatment. Long-term effects have to be evaluated in randomized controlled studies also with a longer follow-up.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• High-intensity interval training allows improvement of aerobic capacity within a comparable short time.

• Standard leisure training in breast cancer patients is rather suitable for the maintenance of performance capacity and quality of life.

• Guided high-intensity interval training combined with strength training can be used effectively for the improvement of endurance and strength capacity and also quality of life.

• After exclusion of contraindications, guided adjuvant high-intensity interval training combined with strength training can be safely used in breast cancer patients

Keywords:

• Breast cancer
• high-intensity interval training
• HIT
• strength training
• secondary prevention

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to all patients that participated, the team at the Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine at Ulm University and also to Ansgar S. Schulz of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm. The authors also like to thank Katie E. Feather for proofreading.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.