Effects of high vs. moderate intensity exercise on functional fitness and quality of life in cancer survivors: A pilot study

Although the incidence of cancer has increased in Australia, improvements in early detection and therapy have resulted in survival gains and a reduction in cancer specific mortality. The effects of exercise on reducing the burden of cancer among patients and survivors has been well reported, however, little is still known regarding the impact that different exercise intensities may have on functional capacity and quality of life in this cohort.PURPOSE: To determine the effect that moderate vs. high intensity exercise has on selected functional fitness parameters and quality of life.METHODS: Cancer survivors were randomly assigned into a high (n = 5) or moderate (n = 5) intensity 36 session (12 week) supervised exercise program. The high-intensity group (HIG) performed interval training (≥85% maximal heart rate) and the moderate intensity group (MIG) performed continuous aerobic training (≤55% maximal heart rate). Data was analysed using GraphPad Prism® (GraphPad Software, Inc., CA, USA). The Mann–Whitney U test was utilised to compare measurements between the two groups and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre and post-intervention measures within each group. Significance was set at p < 0.05.RESULTS: No statistically significant changes (p>0.05) were observed between or within the groups. 6-MWT: %: HIG: 8%; MIG 4%; STS: %: HIG: 20%; MIG 6%; FACTG: %: HIG: 11%; MIG 5%.CONCLUSION: Preliminary results from this study would tend to suggest that whilst no statistically significant differences were observed between or within the groups there appears to be a trend towards improvements in QoL and functional fitness with greater percentage changes being reported for those engaged in high intensity exercise. A larger sample size is required to confirm the clinical significance of these preliminary findings.