Effects of deep water running on cardiac autonomic control and functional capacity in overweight and obese women

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are a serious public health problem and are associated with an increased risk of a cardiovascular event. Physical exercise is one of the main strategies in the treatment of obesity, especially when performed in aquatic environment, such as Deep Water Running (DWR). Considering that the evaluation of cardiac autonomic control, using heart rate variability analysis, is an important prognostic parameter for cardiovascular mortality, it is relevant to study the effects of DWR on these variables. Objective: to evaluate the effects of a DWR program on cardiac autonomic control and functional capacity in overweight and obese women. Material and methods: This is a randomized controlled clinical trial. Thirty-four adult female subjects with a classification of overweight (BMI e 25 kg / m2 at 29.9 kg / m2) or obesity grade I (BMI e 30 kg / m2 at 34.9 kg / m2) will participate in the study. After the baseline assessment, the volunteers will be randomly allocated into two groups: experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). The EG will be submitted to a DWR program consisted of 36 sessions, held three times a week, for 12 weeks. The CG will be advised to maintain dietary and physical activity habits identified at baseline. Before and after the 12-week period, all volunteers will be submitted to continuous recording of heart rate, on a beat-to-beat basis, in supine and orthostatic postures, using cardiac monitor and to the six-minute walk test. In addition, the 24-hour food recall, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and body composition by means of tetra polar bioimpedance will be evaluated. The choice of the statistical tests will depend on the results of the analysis of the data by the Shapiro-Wilk test in relation to the distributions found and the homogeneity or not of the respective variances. The level of significance will be set at 5%. (AU)