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We evaluated the effects of aerobic and resistance exercise training on ventricular morphometry and function, physical capacity, autonomic function, as well as on ventricular inflammatory status in trained rats prior to myocardial infarction. Male Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: sedentary+Sham, sedentary+ myocardial infarction, aerobic trained + myocardial infarction, and resistance trained + myocardial infarction. Sham and myocardial infarction were performed after training periods. In the days following the surgeries, evaluations were performed. Aerobic training prevents aerobic (to a greater extent) and resistance capacity impairments, ventricular dysfunction, baroreflex sensitivity and autonomic disorders (vagal tonus decrease and sympathetic tonus increase) triggered by myocardial infarction. Resistance training was able to prevent negative changes to aerobic and resistance capacity (to a greater extent) but not to ventricular dysfunction, and it prevented cardiovascular sympathetic increments. Additionally, both types of training reduced left ventricle inflammatory cytokine concentration. Our results suggest that aerobic and, for the first time, dynamic resistance training were able to reduce sympathetic tonus to the heart and vessels, as well as preventing the increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in the left ventricle of trained groups. These data emphasizes the positive effects of aerobic and dynamic resistance training on the prevention of the negative changes triggered by myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has an important role in physical performance. However, the cardiac ANS activity in high-level track and field athletes has been poorly explored. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that endurance and power athletes would present a markedly different cardiac autonomic control at rest. We analyzed the cardiac ANS by means of time and frequency domains heart rate variability (HRV) analyses and by symbolic analysis. Endurance athletes showed higher pulse interval than power athletes (1 265±126 vs. 1 031±98 ms respectively; p<0.05). No differences were found in time and frequency domains between the groups. However, the LF%, HF% and LF/HF ratio presented high effect sizes (1.46, 1.46 and 1.30, respectively). The symbolic analysis revealed that endurance athletes had higher 2V parasympathetic modulation (36±6.5) than power athletes (24±9.3; p<0.05). A reduced 0V sympathetic modulation was observed in endurance athletes (21±9.9) compared to power athletes (33±11; p<0.05 and ES=1.30). Our results suggest greater parasympathetic modulation and less sympathetic modulation in endurance athletes compared to power athletes. Additionally, the type of HRV analysis needs to be chosen with well-defined criteria and caution because their use in assessing cardiac autonomic modulation can interfere with the interpretation of results. In practical terms, symbolic analysis appears to better discriminate between cardiac autonomic activities of athletes with different training backgrounds than frequency domain analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of anemia in kidney transplantation patients (KTPs) is very common and seems to be associated with the reduction in both renal function and physical exercise tolerance. The purpose of the present study was to compare biochemical markers of anemia and renal function of physically active and sedentary KTPs., Method: Serum hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and serum creatinine (used to derive estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]) were obtained from the medical records of 18 KTPs assisted at the Center for Prevention of Kidney Diseases of the Federal University of Maranhao Hospital. The physically active transplant patients (group 1) included 7 men and 2 women, aged 49 ± 14 years who participated for at least 6 months on a supervised physical exercise program (SPEP) (2 to 3 times a week, 90-minute sessions) and the sedentary counterparts (group 2) of 2 men and 7 women, aged 37 ± 15 years., Results: Group 1 presented higher values of Hb (14.2 ± 2.6 vs 10.7 ± 0.6 g/dL; P = .003), Hct (41.6% ± 7.0% vs 32.3% ± 1.4%; P = .004), and eGFR (64.4 ± 19.4 vs 39.3 ± 19.7 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ; P = .015) when compared with group 2. There was a positive and significant correlation between Hb and eGFR (r = 0.528; P = .024), and between Hct and eGFR (r = .509; P = .031)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that regular physical activity seems to improve the biochemical markers of anemia and also the renal function of KTPs, and these patients should be advised to participate in SPEP., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)