RESUMO
The effectiveness of two aerobic exercise programs on the modification of the metabolic syndrome (MS) components and its influence in reducing cardiovascular risk was evaluated in 16 sedentary women (30-66 years old). Patients were randomly divided into two exercise groups: continuous training (CE: 45 minutes at 65-70% of heart rate reserve or HRR) or interval training (IE: 5 x 3 minute intervals at 80-85% HRR with two minutes of active recovery at 65-70% HRR), and each participant gave previous informed consent. The components of MS were assessed according to the criteria for women of the National Cholesterol Education/Third Treatment Adult Panel, and cardiovascular risk factors at baseline and 16 weeks later. Data analyses were performed with the Wilcoxon signed test and the Mann-Whitney U-test (SPSS v. 12.0 Windows: p < 0.05). Both exercise programs were effective in the modification of a number of MS components (triglycerides, systolic/diastolic blood pressure), however IE had a higher percentage of patients without MS diagnosis at the end of the study (62.5%). The CE improved the physical fitness by increasing the VO2peak and METs and decreasing heart rate recovery, which is reflected on the reduction of cardiovascular risk.
Assuntos
Exercício Físico , Frequência Cardíaca/fisiologia , Síndrome Metabólica/terapia , Condicionamento Físico Humano/métodos , Adulto , Idoso , Doenças Cardiovasculares/prevenção & controle , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores de Risco , Comportamento Sedentário , Estatísticas não ParamétricasRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by high intrahepatic triglyceride level. It is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, independently of underlying cardiometabolic risk factors. Metformin is used as a pharmacological treatment; the adherence is low because of the presence of adverse effects. Aerobic exercise could be an alternative therapy, but its effectiveness compared with metformin has not been established in the treatment of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to establish the effectiveness of aerobic exercise and its influence in reducing cardiovascular risk in overweight or obese women with NAFLD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sedentary women 25-60 years old with body mass index (BMI) > 24.9 kg/m2 and liver fat content < 50 HU, were randomly divided into two parallel groups: exercise group (EG) or metformin group (MG). The EG performed an aerobic exercise program of 60 min/5 days/ week at 60-85% of heart rate reserve; the MG took 1 g/day of metformin each morning. The duration of the intervention was 12 weeks. The liver fat content, metabolic and cardiorespiratory- fitness parameters were evaluated at the beginning and end of the program. The study complied with the Helsinki ethics codes for human research. RESULTS: The study included a sample of 16 women, with 8 per group. The treatments modified the liver fat content by 14.6% (CI95% 0.92, 28.36) and 10.37% (CI95% -1.74, 22.48) for the EG and MG, respectively. In the EG, the insulin levels and HOMA-IR decreased (P < 0.05), and the cardiovascular fitness improved. CONCLUSIONS: An aerobic exercise program of 12 weeks with a volume training of 300 min/week and a moderate to vigorous intensity (60-85% VO2peak) modified the liver fat content and improved cardiovascular risk factors during the intervention. Exercise contributed to a holistic approach by modifying a number of the components of metabolic syndrome, cardiorespiratory-fitness, and cardiovascular risk.