Precision Of Exercise Prescription In Oncology: An Updated Systematic Review Of The Implementation Of Resistance Training Principles

Though there is evidence that resistance training can improve health outcomes in cancer, the effectiveness of these interventions may be diminished through improper application/reporting of exercise prescription principles (i.e. progression and overload). PURPOSE: To update our prior review evaluating the reporting of the key principles of exercise training (specificity, progression, overload) and their quality. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted across the electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL (EBSCO) and SPORTDiscus, identifying studies published from June 2016-May 2023. RCT’s of resistance exercise in individuals with cancer following treatment were eligible for inclusion. Data was extracted regarding reporting of principles of training. “Yes” or “No” was assigned to studies that reported use of a principle or not, respectively. Further, quality of reporting was ranked on a 3-point Likert type scale ranging from 1 = low (i.e. brief/vague mention of principle) to 3 = high (i.e. clear/detailed reporting of the principle). A chi-square analysis was used to compare the proportion of studies that reported these principles in this review compared to our prior review. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies were identified and included in this review. A significant increase in the percentage of studies that reported progression (65% vs. 91%, p < 0.05) was found for studies published after May 2016 compared to older studies. There was no statistically significant change in overload (74% vs 76%) and specificity (94% vs 100%). The quality assessment for progression is as follows: 31% low, 31 % moderate, and 38% high whereas overload reported: 35% low, 23% moderate, and 42% high. CONCLUSION: Though reporting certain exercise prescription principles has improved from our prior review, the quality of reporting remains low-moderate. Better detail in reporting exercise prescription principles is critical to improve the interpretation of exercise oncology study results.