The Effect of Resistance Training and Aerobic Training on Body Composition During Chemotherapy

The Effect of Resistance Training and Aerobic Training on Body Composition During Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy can induce muscle loss in colorectal, breast and advanced renal cell carcinoma patients. The Danish nation-wide training and rehabilitation offer 'Body & Cancer' offers intensive resistance and endurance training to all Danish cancer patients receiving chemotherapy with the aim of reducing treatment-related fatigue and physical impairments, but the potential of the training to preserve or improve muscle mass is uninvestigated.

Furthermore, the underlying biological mechanisms of treatment and/or exercise induced changes in muscle mass in cancer patients remains uninvestigated.

Thus, the primary purpose of the present study is to investigate changes in body composition during chemotherapy and after resistance and aerobic training combined with protein supplementation during ongoing chemotherapy in cancer patients. Secondly, we aim to investigate the underlying biological mechanisms of muscle mass regulation in biopsies obtained before and after a control period as well as after 10 weeks of exercise, both during chemotherapy.

We hypothesize that 10 weeks exercise will improve muscle mass and body composition in cancer patients during chemotherapy as compared to a control period during chemotherapy alone.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Currently receiving curative, adjuvant, neo-adjuvant or palliative chemotherapy
• No documented bone metastases or myelomatosis
• No documented CNS affection
• WHO performance status 0-1
• No chronical thrombocytopenia or leukopenia
• No physical conditions preventing exercise participation
• No serious symptoms of heart disease
• No dementia or mental illness preventing participation
• Signed written concent
• Age above 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participation in systematic resistance training three months prior to inclusion