Purpose: Detailed reporting of individually tailored exercise prescriptions (ExR x ) used in clinical trials is essential to describe feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of the intervention and to inform translation to clinical care. This article outlines the methodology used to develop a resistance training (RT) ExR x for people with colon cancer receiving chemotherapy and reports adherence to the randomized controlled trial testing the impact of RT on relative dose intensity of chemotherapy and patient-reported toxicities.
Methods: Participants randomized to the exercise arm ( n = 90) were included. To promote muscle hypertrophy, the ExR x was twice-weekly, moderate to heavy loads (65%-85% one-repetition maximum), high sets (3-5), and intermediate repetitions (6-10) of five large multijoint movements with adjustable dumbbells. Attendance (achieved frequency) and adherence (achieved volume) were calculated. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify clusters of individuals with similar adherence patterns and compared baseline characteristics across adherence groups.
Results: The median attendance was 69.1%. Adherence was 60.6% but higher for those receiving 3 versus 6 months of chemotherapy (80.4 vs 47.4%; P < 0.05 ). Participants engaged in a median of 1.4 d of RT each week, lifting 62% of the one-repetition maximum load, for 3.0 sets and 7.5 repetitions per set. Three distinct adherence groups were identified: 13% "nonstarter," 37% "tapered off," and 50% "consistent exercisers." Females were more likely to be in the nonstarter and tapered-off groups.
Conclusions: This article outlines suggested methods for reporting ExR x of RT in oncology clinical trials and provides insight into the tolerance of ExR x of RT during chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer. These findings aim to foster constructive dialogue and offer a premise for designing future research to elucidate the benefits of exercise during chemotherapy.
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