Functional training in postmenopause: Cardiac autonomic modulation and cardiorespiratory parameters, a randomized trial.

AIM: To evaluate the influence of functional training on cardiorespiratory parameters and cardiac autonomic modulation in postmenopausal women. METHODS: A total of 39 apparently healthy postmenopausal women were randomized into two groups and analyzed: the group that carried out the functional training (FTG; n = 19; age 60 ± 4.5 years; weight 67.64 ± 11.64 kg) for 18 weeks, and the control group (CG) who did not undergo the training (n = 20; age 58.45 ± 4.8 years; weight 66.91 ± 13.24 kg). Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and autonomic modulation trough heart rate variability were evaluated. The Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney test were used to compare the differences (P < 0.05). RESULTS: The results obtained from the training showed improvement of the following cardiac parameters in the FTG: systolic blood pressure (CG -5.50 ± 12.76 vs FTG -18.36 ± 18.05, P = 0.021), diastolic blood pressure (CG 5.00 ± 20.13 vs FTG -9.47 ± 10.25, P = 0.002), heart rate (CG 7.00 ± 9.79 vs FTG -4.73 ± 8.41, P = 0.000), root mean square of the successive differences index (CG -0.18 ± 5.66 vs FTG 5.10 ± 11.93, P = 0.035) and RR intervals (CG -22.66 ± 75.75 vs FTG 70.17 ± 104.30, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Functional training promoted beneficial effects on cardiac autonomic modulation and cardiorespiratory parameters in postmenopausal women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 823-828.

Impact of functional training on geometric indices and fractal correlation property of heart rate variability in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the influence of functional training on the geometric indices of heart rate variability (HRV) and fractal correlation properties of the dynamics of heart rate in menopausal women. METHODS: Of 39 women who were in the period of menopause for more than a year and who did not practice any regular physical activity were divided into: Functional training group (FTG = 50 ± 4.5 years; 67.64 ± 11.64 kg; 1.5 ± 0.05 m) that executed the functional training (FT) and all proposals by reviews and the Control group (58.45 ± 4.8 years; 66.91 ± 13.24 kg; 1.55 ± 0.05 m) who performed all assessments but not FT. The training consisted of 18 weeks (three times a week) and the volunteers performed three sets of 11 functional exercises followed by a walk in each of the sessions. The autonomic nervous system modulation was evaluated by analysis of HRV and the indices obtained were: RR intervals, RRTRI, TINN, SD1, SD2, SD1/SD2, qualitative analysis of Poincaré plot and DFA (alfa-1, alfa-2 and alfa-1/alfa-2). The Student's t-test for unpaired samples (normal data) or Mann-Whitney test nonnormal data) were used to compare the differences obtained between the final moment and the initial moment of the studied groups (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Were observed in the FTG: increased SD1 (CG 0.13 ± 4.00 vs. 3.60 ± 8.43), beat-to-beat global dispersion much greater as an increased in the dispersion of long-term RR intervals and increased fractal properties of short-term (α1) (CG -0.04 ± 0.13 vs. 0.07 ± 0.21). FT promoted a beneficial impact on cardiac autonomic modulation, characterized by increased parasympathetic activity and short-term fractal properties of the dynamics of the heart rate.

Concurrent Training Promoted Sustained Anti-atherogenic Benefits in the Fasting Plasma Triacylglycerolemia of Postmenopausal Women at 1-Year Follow-up.

Rossi, FE, Diniz, TA, Fortaleza, ACS, Neves, LM, Picolo, MR, Monteiro, PA, Buonani, C, Lira, FS, and Freitas, IF Jr. Concurrent training promoted sustained anti-atherogenic benefits in the fasting plasma triacylglycerolemia of postmenopausal women at 1-year follow-up. J Strength Cond Res 32(12): 3573-3582, 2018-The aim of this study was to compare the effects of aerobic and concurrent training (aerobic plus strength training) on the lipid profiles of normotriacylglycerolemic and hypertriacylglycerolemic postmenopausal women and to verify whether the benefits of aerobic and concurrent training were sustained after 1 year. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triacylglycerol (TAG), and glucose were assessed in 46 normotriacylglycerolemic (TAG < 150 mg·dl) postmenopausal women divided into 3 groups: aerobic training, concurrent training (CT), and a control group. For CT group, hypertriacylglycerolemic postmenopausal women were recruited (TAG ≥ 150 mg·dl, n = 14). Total daily caloric consumption and free-living physical activity were evaluated by dietary questionnaires and accelerometer, respectively, and fat mass by DXA. In 16 weeks, CT was effective in increasing HDL-c (normotriacylglycerolemic: pre = 57.1 ± 17.3 mg·dl × post = 64.3 ± 16.1 mg·dl p = 0.020 and hypertriacylglycerolemic: pre = 44.7 ± 9.6 mg·dl × post = 50.3 ± 15.3 mg·dl; p = 0.012) and reducing the atherogenic index in normotriacylglycerolemic (pre = 3.6 ± 0.9 mg·dl × post = 3.0 ± 0.6 mg·dl; p = 0.003) and hypertriacylglycerolemic (pre = 5.2 ± 1.1 mg·dl × post = 4.7 ± 1.2 mg·dl; p = 0.018) postmenopausal women. In addition, the effects were sustained at the 1-year follow-up only among the hypertriacylglycerolemic postmenopausal women. The anti-atherogenic status in normotriacylglycerolemic and hypertriacylglycerolemic postmenopausal women was changed by CT but without significant differences between groups. Furthermore, these benefits are sustained at the 1-year follow-up among the hypertriacylglycerolemic subjects.

Combined training (strength plus aerobic) potentiates a reduction in body fat but only functional training reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in postmenopausal women with a similar training load.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of combined (CT; strength plus aerobic) and functional training (FT) on the body composition and metabolic profile with a similar training load in postmenopausal women. The participants were divided into three groups: CT (n=20), FT (n=17), and control group (CG, n=15). The trunk FM, fat mass (FM), percentage of FM (FM%), and fat-free mass were estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The metabolic profile, glucose, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were assessed. There were main effects of time in trunk fat, FM, and FM% (P<0.05). There were statistically significant interaction for FM (P=0.015), FM% (P=0.017) with lower values for CT group. For LDL-c, there was significant interaction (P=0.002) with greater values for FT group in relation to CG and CT. Furthermore, when performed the post hoc test on the "mean absolute differences" (Δ), it can observed statistically significant difference between FT, CT, and CG (-13.0±16.5 mg/dL vs. 4.8±18.4 mg/dL vs. 9.2±18.8 mg/dL, P<0.05). In conclusion, when training loads are equivalent CT potentiated a reduction in FM and FM%, however, only FT reduced LDL-c in postmenopausal women.