A randomized comparison study regarding the impact of short-duration, high-intensity exercise and traditional exercise on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in post-menopausal women--A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The mode and duration of exercise necessary to change body composition and reduce weight remains debatable. Menopause results in hormonal changes that preclude weight loss. This randomized pilot study compared the effects of short-duration, high-intensity interval training and traditional exercise on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in post-menopausal women. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of short-duration, high-intensity interval training and traditional methods of exercise (walking) on anthropometric, body composition and body weight change over a 12-week period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects (N = 18) were post-menopausal, sedentary female volunteers, randomly assigned into one of two exercise groups. Both groups exercised five out of seven days for 12 weeks. The resistance group (n = 8) (54.3 ± 7.3 years; BMI = 28.0 ± 2.1 kg/m(2); mean ± SD) exercised for 15.0 ± 3.5 min, which consisted of five different exercise routines including upper and lower extremity, a cardio segment, yoga and abdominal exercises. The walkers (n = 10) (56.6 ± 5.2 years; BMI = 29.2 ± 2.6 kg/m(2); mean ± SD) exercised for 40.0 ± 5.0 min at 65% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate. Relative (%) body fat was measured via DEXA scan, along with five anthropometric measurements, all of which were taken prior to and after 12 weeks. Independent sample t-tests were probed for differences, p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: No statistically significant changes were determined between the groups for pre-and post-measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of this study provide a foundation for future comparisons of short-duration high-intensity interval training exercise and traditional exercise, or walking, on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in sedentary, overweight, post-menopausal females over a 12-week period.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrollment and the Impact of Systematic Nursing Interventions for Postmyocardial Infarction and Stent Patients.

A randomized experimental design was used to determine the most effective intervention for enhancing cardiac rehabilitation (CR) enrollment for postmyocardial infarction and stent patients. The 104 subjects (70 males and 34 females; 23-87 years old) were patients with a discharge diagnosis of a myocardial infarction followed by a percutaneous coronary intervention, which included a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and the placement of one or more coronary stents. Regardless of the intervention, patients who received face-to-face nursing interventions were more likely to enroll in CR than were patients who had indirect interventions, χ(2)(3) = 32.84, p < .001. Patients who experienced an entrance interview were most likely to enroll, χ(2)(1) = 86.80, p < .001. Direct logistic regression determined that the full model was statistically significant for all predictors, χ(2)(5), 105.56, p < .001, with the strongest predictor, the entrance interview, having an odds ratio of 1.73.