While "conditioning" by exercise training has been widely evaluated, the available literature on "passive deconditioning" (i.e. forced deconditioning) is predominately limited to studies with or with almost complete mechanical and/or metabolic immobilization/sedation of the respective functional system (e.g. paralysis, bedriddenness). Vice versa, the effects of moderately long interruptions of dedicated types of exercise while maintaining everyday activity are rarely addressed. However, this topic is of high relevance, e.g. considering that breaks of health-related exercise programs due to increased family/occupational stress, vacation or temporary orthopedic limitation are rather frequent in everyday life. In the present project we aimed to determine the effects of 3 months of physical deconditioning due to COVID-19 induced lockdown after 13 month of high intensity endurance and resistance exercise in early postmenopausal women on parameters related to health and physical fitness.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
21
13 months of high intensity endurance and resistance exercise, 3x 45 min/week - 3 months of COVID-19 induced exercise break
Types of exercise (flexibility, relaxation) that did not affect the present outcomes
Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexanden University Erlangen-Nürnberg
Erlangen, Germany
Body composition
Body composition as determined by Dual-Energy x-Ray Absorptiometry
Time frame: From intervention end to 3 months FU
Hip-/Leg extension strength
Hip-/Leg extension strength as determined by an isokinetic leg press
Time frame: From intervention end to 3 months FU
Metabolic Syndrome
cardio-metabolic risk factors summarized in the Metabolic Syndrome Z-Score according to the definition of the International Diabetes Federation
Time frame: From intervention end to 3 months FU
Bone Mineral Density (BMD)
BMD at the lumbar spine and total hip as determined by Dual Energy x-Ray Absorptiometry
Time frame: From intervention end to 3 months FU
Menopausal symptoms
Menopausal symptoms as determined by the "Menopausal Rating Scale" (MRS) with a scale from 0 (no complaints) to 4 (very serious complaints).
Time frame: From intervention end to 3 months FU
Back and joint pain
Back and joint pain as determined by a standardized pain questionnaire with a scale from 0 (never) to 7 (permanent) for pain frequency or 0 (no pain) to 7 (extremely) for pain severity.
Time frame: From intervention end to 3 months FU
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