There is evidence that exercise , such as low intensity aerobics walking , Tai Chi , or cycling , results in an overall decrease in fatigue levels over the course of cancer treatment .
Additionally , there is evidence that regular physical activity or exercise can decrease emotional stress , blood pressure , the duration of neutropenia , thrombocytopenia , and pain .
Exercise also has been shown to increase quality of life and improve the maximal oxygen uptake during exertion , sleep patterns , and cognition .
Disease and cancer treatment-related side effects such as decreased energy level , muscle weakness , and declines in functional status and body mass have been well documented .
However , the majority of studies of exercise and cancer have been conducted with women with early stage breast cancer , limiting the generalizability of these studies to other cancer population s. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a synthesis of the extant research evidence about th e benefits of exercise related to cancer recovery
Effects of Aerobic Interval Training on Cancer Patients' Functional Capacity
The effect of a 10-week aerobic interval-training cycle ergometer protocol on the functional capacity ( VO2Lmax ) of 45 women receiving chemotherapy for treatment of Stage II breast cancer was studied . Subjects were stratified by baseline functional capacity ( ± 1 MET ) and r and omized to experimental ( EX ) , placebo ( PL ) , and control ( CO ) groups . EX subjects completed a 10-week , 3 times/week exercise training program ; PL subjects participated in 10 weeks of nonaerobic stretching and flexibility exercises ; the CO group maintained normal activities . The EX group showed significant , p < .05 , improvement on pre- to posttest VO2Lmax as well as workload and test time compared to the PL and CO groups . The interval-training exercise intervention was effective in improving the functional capacity of Stage II breast cancer patients on adjuvant chemotherapy
There is evidence that exercise , such as low intensity aerobics walking , Tai Chi , or cycling , results in an overall decrease in fatigue levels over the course of cancer treatment .
Additionally , there is evidence that regular physical activity or exercise can decrease emotional stress , blood pressure , the duration of neutropenia , thrombocytopenia , and pain .
Exercise also has been shown to increase quality of life and improve the maximal oxygen uptake during exertion , sleep patterns , and cognition .
Disease and cancer treatment-related side effects such as decreased energy level , muscle weakness , and declines in functional status and body mass have been well documented .
However , the majority of studies of exercise and cancer have been conducted with women with early stage breast cancer , limiting the generalizability of these studies to other cancer population s. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a synthesis of the extant research evidence about th e benefits of exercise related to cancer recovery