Sousa, Maria Bernardete Cordeiro deSoares, Fabiano Henrique Rodrigues2019-08-162019-06-28SOARES, Fabiano Henrique Rodrigues. Perfil autonômico, variáveis antropométricas e respostas psicofisiológicas agudas ao exercício aeróbico em intensidade autosselecionada em mulheres obesas. 2019. 98f. Tese (Doutorado em Ciências da Saúde) - Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 2019.https://repositorio.ufrn.br/jspui/handle/123456789/27542The prevalence of obesity has increased worldwide in the first decades of the 21st century. The burden of obesity-related diseases is different between genders since obesity and its degree of severity are higher in women than in men considering all age groups. Imbalances in autonomic modulation and chronic systemic inflammation associated with obesity are at the basis of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Regular physical activity is one of the pillars of the behavioral treatment of obesity. However, overweight and obese individuals tend to avoid physical activity, not attending to the imposed regimes, with drop rates ranging from 71% to almost 100%. Physical activity performed at self-selected intensity could represent a valid alternative to the imposed regimes to improve adherence. The objective of this research was to identify associations between anthropometric variables and the presence of autonomic imbalances in cardiac control and to identify whether obese women reach international recommendations for physical activity when exercising at self-selected intensity. Initially, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study to investigate the extent to which obesity could identify autonomic dysfunctions of cardiac control with 65 sedentary women (age 18-45), categorized as being eutrophic, overweight or obese. This observational study generated an article that demonstrated that body mass index is associated with heart rate variability (HRV) and autonomic imbalances of cardiac control. Then, a blinded randomized clinical trial with obese women was conducted to evaluate the acute effects of aerobic exercise with self-selected intensity on psychophysiological markers, stress, inflammation, muscle injury and pain in a parallel design. Two articles were produced from this research. Inactive and healthy young women with obesity (n = 46, 18-45 years) exercised for 60 min in a treadmill at an imposed or self-selected, rate that could be changed every 5 minutes. The results showed that the experimental group reaches moderate to the vigorous intensity when exercising at a self-selected pace, feeling pleasure throughout the session. There is a decrease in stress and a peak of muscle damage associated with muscle pain 24 hours after the intervention. It was concluded that the body mass index identifies the presence of autonomic imbalances in cardiac control and that obese women reach the international recommendations of physical activity when exercising in self-selected intensity.Acesso AbertoObesidadeExercício aeróbicoIntensidade autosselecionadaAfetoInflamaçãoDano musculardoctoralThesisCNPQ::CIENCIAS DA SAUDE