Walking Football as a Supportive Medicine for Patients With Prostate Cancer

Is the Walking Football a Feasible Approach to Improve Health-related Quality of Life in Men With Prostate Cancer Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy? the PROSTATA_MOVE Randomized Controlled Trial.

Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, E.P.E., University of Beira Interior, Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, University Institute of Maia, Câmara Municipal de Gaia

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is widely used in men with prostate cancer (PCa) to delay disease progression and enhance survival. The use of ADT is often associated with a vast spectrum of side effects that considerably reduce quality of life. Exercise has been proposed as a non-pharmacological strategy to counter some adverse effects of ADT among patients with PCa. Particularly, recreational football-based interventions have been suggested as an enjoyment approach to involve patients with PCa in regular exercise practice. Given its intermittent nature and vigorous efforts, adverse events associated with recreational football practice have been reported. To handle this issue and to involve patients with PCa in recreational football practice, walking football has emerged as a more suitable exercise modality

This study was design as a randomized controlled trial, with two study arms, which aims to analyse the feasibility, safety of a supervised walking football program in patients with PCa. Moreover, the effects on health-related quality of life; bone mineral density; body composition; physical fitness; physical activity levels; inflammatory and metabolic profile; cognitive function; and cost-effectiveness will be complementarily analysed. Recruitment will be conducted by invitation of Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho (CHVNG/E; Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, E.P.E) oncologists and urologists. Patients who agree to participate in this study will be referred to a study coordinator (medical oncologist) and will be randomly allocated (1:1 ratio) to one of the two study-arms. In addition to standard PCa care, patients in the interventional group (IG) will perform 3 times per week a supervised Walking Football Program over 16 weeks and plus 16 additional weeks. Patients allocated to control group (CG) will receive standard PCa medical care and will be instructed to maintain daily-life routines. After the first 16 weeks, the control group patients' will be invited to join and preform the exercise intervention (additional 16 weeks). Walking football exercise sessions will be conducted on an indoor sports hall, supervised by one exercise physiologist and a football coach. Exercise intensity will be monitored through heart rate and rated perceived exertion.

Intervention will involve 3 sessions per week of a structured and supervised walking football program over 16 weeks. Each session will include a warm-up, followed by the practice of specific exercises where specific technical skills (pass, dribble, shot), motor skills (agility, coordination, balance) and physical fitness (cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal capacity) will be enhanced, ending with a structured game (7x7) of walking football and a cooldown.

Assessed by the self-reported exercise sessions' enjoyment using a likert scale (1 [lowest] to 5 [highest] points).

Inclusion Criteria: Patients diagnosed with PCa Under castration therapy for more than 3 months Planned to be under castration for more than 6 months Follow-up at the Medical Oncology department and/or Urology department of the Hospital Center Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho. Exclusion Criteria: Medical or surgical contraindications for exercise. T-score < -2.5