Banca de DEFESA: GABRIEL COSTA SOUTO

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : GABRIEL COSTA SOUTO
DATE: 12/09/2025
TIME: 09:00
LOCAL: Remota
TITLE:

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN FITNESS, MOVEMENT BEHAVIORS, AND IMMEDIATE POST-EXERCISE BLOOD PRESSURE IN OLDER ADULTS: A NETWORK PERSPECTIVE

KEY WORDS:

immediate post-exercise blood pressure, fitness, movement behavior, aging, network analysis.

PAGES: 81
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Educação Física
SUMMARY:

Introduction: Identifying factors associated with immediate post-exercise blood pressure (BP), a proxy for exercise BP, is crucial for refining cardiovascular risk stratification and informing public health strategies. This thesis aimed to explore the associations between physical components, movement behaviors, and immediate post-exercise BP in older adults using network analysis. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving 237 older adults (mean age: 66 ± 5 years) with no previous diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. BP was measured at rest and immediately after a 3-minute submaximal walk test (equivalent to 5 METs). Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time were objectively assessed using accelerometry for seven consecutive days. The following were used as indirect markers of physical exertion: (i) the six-minute walk test (6minWT), (ii) handgrip strength (HGS), and (iii) the 30-second sit-to-stand test (30s-SST). The associations between these variables were examined using network analysis, a multivariate statistical approach that simultaneously represents direct and indirect connections between multiple factors. Results: Lower scores on the HGS test (weight: -0.136) and 30s-SST (weight: -0.106) were directly associated with higher BP values immediately post-exercise, indicating that low muscle strength may contribute to greater cardiovascular overload after exercise. Furthermore, lower HGS (weight: -0.176) and low levels of MVPA (weight: -0.128) were directly associated with higher resting BP levels, which in turn, was the variable with the greatest direct association with BP immediately after exercise (weight: 0.581), suggesting an indirect association through resting BP. Centrality measures highlighted the 6minWT, the 30s-SST, and sedentary time as potential intervention points. MVPA emerged as a central variable in the network, while HGS was highly connected to other nodes. Conclusion: The results reveal a complex network of interactions, both direct and mediated by resting BP, between physical fitness, movement patterns, and the BP response to exercise in older adults. Interventions aimed at increasing MVPA, improving cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength, and reducing sedentary time may be promising strategies for mitigating the immediate post-exercise BP elevation in this population.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2682821 - EDUARDO CALDAS COSTA
Externo ao Programa - 3138718 - RICARDO SANTOS OLIVEIRA - UFRNExterno à Instituição - BRENO QUINTELLA FARAH - UFRPE