Habitual Physical Activity In Hiv-1 Infected Individuals

PURPOSE: Determine the characteristics of habitual physical activity in HIV-1 infected individuals. METHODS: Volunteers were constituted by 62 HIV-1 infected individuals, aged from 22 to 67 years-old (x: 39.02 ± 9.66 years) of the Secondary Immunodeficiency Ambulatory from Hospital das Clínicas (Faculty of Medicine-USP). Clinical diagnosis time of infection was 5.06 ± 5.17 years and for the AIDS was 4.62 ± 4.02 years. All volunteers have been submitted to the high-activity antiretroviral therapy in the last 4.75 ±3.15 years. Physical activity was determined through Baecke questionnaire (Baecke JA, etal., Am J Clin Nutr, 1982; 36: 936–42) and separated according to the occupational, and leisure time and locomotion physical activity, as well as physical exercises in leisure time. RESULTS: The most of HIV-1 infected individuals (66.1% [< 3 METs]) reported to perform light occupational physical activity, whilst 27.4% and 6.4% described to participate in moderate (3–6 METs) and vigorous (> 6 METs) occupational physical activity, respectivelly. In order, the occupational activities most frequently described were trader, hairdresser, secretary and teacher. About 51.1% of volunteers reported to execute leisure time and locomotion activities more than 45 minutes per day. Physical exercise was practiced in leisure time by 37.1%, and 47.8% described to engage in vigorous exercises, whilst 13.0% in light exercises. In order, the activities most frequently reported were resistance training, walking and swimming. CONCLUSIONS: The results permit to conclude that the most of volunteers execute occupational activity of light intensity, while the vigorous exercises were more frequently performed in leisure time, suggesting that probably the adherence to the exercises of high intensity in leisure time represent a compensatory phenomenon. On the other hand, there was surprise with the fact that the volunteers reported to engage mainly in resistance training program.