Alternative Physical Activity Strategies for Breast Cancer Survivors

Summary

The primary aim of this study is to compare the acute glycemic effects of two novel, alternative physical activity (PA) strategies (dispersed post-meal PA, PA snacks) to a no PA condition and to exercise sessions representing the PA guidelines (standard 30-minute walking bout performed under fasting and under postprandial conditions and a standard 30-minute resistance training session) among sedentary breast cancer survivors who are currently receiving hormone therapies and age- and BMI-matched postmenopausal women without a history of cancer. The secondary aim is to determine whether the alternative PA strategies are acceptable and feasible in the free-living setting. An exploratory aim is to determine whether the outcomes differ between women with and without a history of breast cancer and use of aromatase inhibitors.

The investigators hypothesize that:

1. Dispersed PA and PA snacks will result in greater reductions in 24-hour glucose and postprandial glucose compared to the no-PA baseline and similar reductions to a standard 30-minute bouts of walking;
2. The alternative PA strategies will be more feasible and have greater acceptability by cancer survivors compared to the standard 30-minute bout of walking or resistance training; and
3. The different PA strategies will have similar effects on glycemic outcomes for both breast cancer survivors and cancer-free controls. The resistance exercise session is an exploratory trial as the effects of it on acute glycemic control are understudied.

Conditions

• Breast Cancer
• Insulin Resistance
• Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Standard Physical Activity - Fasted

30 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace that they must have completed 15 minutes prior to consumption of first meal in the morning.

BEHAVIORAL

Standard Physical Activity - Post-Meal

30 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace to start 30 minutes after the start of the first meal in the morning.

BEHAVIORAL

Dispersed Physical Activity

10 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace to start 30 minutes after the start of each main meal throughout the day (i.e., three bouts total).

BEHAVIORAL

Physical Activity Snacks

2 minutes of walking or marching on the spot at a self-selected pace every 30 minutes throughout the day for 7.5 waking hours.

BEHAVIORAL

Muscle Strengthening

30 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises targeting the major muscle groups of the whole body, to start 30 minutes after the start of the first meal in the morning.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Toronto

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-10-22

Primary Completion

2026-04-30

Completion

2026-07-01

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations