Assessing the Impact of Exercise Programs for Men on ADT

Categories: Spring 2018
Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is commonly used to delay the progression of prostate cancer and to improve survival. However, the treatment is associated with a reduction in muscle mass, bone mass, and an increase in fat and fatigue.
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The study found that exercise is beneficial for all men who have had ADT— especially those who were on long-term ADT in the past. ©David Taylor

Astudy of 100 prostate cancer patients in New Zealand and Australia looked at the effect of an exercise program on men who had short-term or long-term ADT in combination with radiation. The patients were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. For 6 months, men in the exercise group attended supervised exercise classes that combined progressive resistance and aerobic activity. They were also instructed to complete two aerobic exercise sessions per week at home. After 6 months, the men received an educational booklet detailing a home-based exercise program. Men in the control group received a pedometer, modified educational booklet, and a recommendation to perform 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

When compared with the control group, the men in the exercise program had better results with muscle performance, as measured by chair-rise time, chest-press strength, and leg-press strength. Men who had previously been on long-term ADT saw a greater benefit from the exercise programs.

Men on short-term ADT underwent treatment for 6 months; men on long-term ADT underwent treatment for 18 months.

The authors concluded that although all men currently or previously on ADT should be exercising, men who were previously had long-term ADT should especially be aware of the benefits of exercise.

BJU Int. 2018 Feb;121(2):194-202. doi: 10.1111/bju.14008. Epub 2017 Sep 22.

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