Background-Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been linked with an increased risk of developing cancer; however the association between MetS and cancer mortality remains less clear. Little research has focused on pre-cancer risk factors that may affect the outcome of treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between MetS and all-cancer mortality in men.Methods-The participants included 33,230 men aged 20-88 years who were enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study and free of known cancer at baseline.Results-At baseline 28% of all the participants had MetS. During an average of 14 years followup there were a total of 685 deaths due to cancer. MetS at baseline was associated with a 56% greater age-adjusted risk in cancer mortality.Conclusion-These data show that MetS is associated with an increased risk of all-cause cancer mortality in men. Based on these findings it is evident that successful interventions should be identified to attenuate the negative effects of MetS.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training among self-reported mood disturbances, perceived stress, frequency of self-reported symptoms, and symptom distress in a sample of HIV+ adults. For this purpose, 49 participants were randomly assigned into an exercise (EX) or control (CON) group. Those in the EX group completed 50 min of supervised aerobic and resistance training at a moderate intensity twice a week for 6 weeks. The CON group reported to the university and engaged in sedentary activities. Data were collected at baseline before randomization and 6 weeks post intervention. Measures included the symptom distress scale (SDS), perceived stress scale (PSS), profile of mood states (POMS) total score, and the POMS sub-scale for depression and fatigue. A 2 way ANOVA was used to compare between and within group interactions. The EX group showed a significant decrease in reported depression scores (p=0.03) and total POMS (p=0.003). The CON group reported no change in POMS or SDS, but showed a significant increase in PSS. These findings indicate that combination aerobic and resistance training completed at a moderate intensity at least twice a week provides additional psychological benefits independent of disease status and related symptoms.

With life expectancy increasing and the symptomatology of HIV being altered since the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART), we now have begun to see metabolic changes with negative implications among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Some of these changes include increased blood lipids, central fat accumulation, lipodystrophy, and decreased aerobic capacity. All of which are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. A common practice among healthy and other clinical populations to help modify these risk factors is some form of aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, or a combination of both. It has been demonstrated that PLWHA could respond in a similar manner, which in turn may enhance life expectancy and/or quality of life. The purpose of this literature review was to examine the evidence of health benefits of routine exercise training among PLWHA since the advent of ART. Although limited in strength because of small sample sizes and limited intervention durations, there is overall consistency in the general findings. An overview of the findings would indicate that physical activity and exercise are both safe and effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness, metabolic profile, and quality of life among PLWHA.

Stretching before performance is a common practice among athletes in hopes of increasing performance and reducing the risk of injury. However, cumulative results indicate a negative impact of static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on performance; thus, there is a need for evaluating other stretching strategies for effective warm-up. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences between two sets of ballistic stretching and two sets of a dynamic stretching routine on vertical jump performance. Twenty healthy male and female college students between the ages of 22 and 34 (24.8 +/- 3 years) volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects completed three individual testing sessions on three nonconsecutive days. On each day, the subjects completed one of three treatments (no stretch, ballistic stretch, and dynamic stretch). Intraclass reliability was determined using the data obtained from each subject. A paired samples t-test revealed no significant difference in jump height, force, or power when comparing no stretch with ballistic stretch. A significant difference was found on jump power when comparing no stretch with dynamic stretch, but no significant difference was found for jump height or force. Statistics showed a very high reliability when measuring jump height, force, and power using the Kistler Quattro Jump force plate. It seems that neither dynamic stretching nor ballistic stretching will result in an increase in vertical jump height or force. However, dynamic stretching elicited gains in jump power poststretch.