A news study shows how regular resistance training improved fatigue and quality of life in breast cancer survivors who were previously sedentary. Fatigue is common for women breast cancer survivors and it can be debilitating. If you feel fatigued it is hard to motivate yourself to do any exercise, but this can be the very activity that will give you more energy and motivation. This study proves that doing resistance exercise three times a week relieves the fatigue often experienced by breast cancer survivors.
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of resistance training (RT) on quality of life (QOL) and fatigue in breast cancer survivors as an adjunct to usual care. We recruited 39 women who had survived breast cancer [mean age (y) 51.9 ± 8.8; time since diagnosis (m) 11.6 ± 13.2]. Primary outcomes were fatigue as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Fatigue (FACIT) scale and QOL as assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General (FACT-G) scale. ANCOVA was used to assess the change in the primary outcomes while controlling for baseline values, with effect sizes (ES) displayed as partial Eta squared. The experimental group received supervised RT 3 days per week in a university clinic for 16 weeks. Perceptions of fatigue improved significantly in the RT group compared to controls [mean (SD) 6.7 (7.5) points vs. 1.5 (3.7) points], (P = 0.006, ES = 0.20) as did QOL [6.9 (8.5) points vs. 1.6 (4.4) points], (P = 0.015, ES = 0.16). We demonstrated both statistically and clinically important improvements in fatigue and QOL in response to RT in breast cancer survivors.
, , , , & (2016)European Journal of Cancer Care 25: 784–794 Resistance training improves fatigue and quality of life in previously sedentary breast cancer survivors: a randomised controlled trial