Effect of Concurrent and Aerobic Exercise on VO2max, Strength, and Body Composition in Overweight and Obese Adults

Overview

Concurrent and aerobic physical exercise are recognized strategies for the treatment of overweight and obesity. The interventions of these modalities have been performed with cardiovascular machines or guided execution in their majority, making it possible to improve the health of this population; however, the studies have used high-cost equipment that is not very accessible to the general population. For this reason, we propose to compare the effects of two 12-week programs: concurrent vs. aerobic, using an innovative methodology with musicalized and outdoor activities, little approached by research. The polarized training intensity distribution model, usually used in sports and now applied to physical activity to improve VO2max, muscular strength, and body composition, will be used to determine which intervention is superior in improving these variables.

Twenty-eight people (women and men) will be randomly assigned to a concurrent exercise group (intervention group) and an aerobic exercise group (comparator group), with fourteen people per group. These interventions will be performed for 12 weeks, 3 times per week, with a duration of 60 minutes per session. The first 8 minutes will be of general and specific joint mobility preparing the participants for the central part which will be 47 minutes, and will end with 5 minutes of return to calm. The concurrent exercise group sessions will have two components, lasting 47 minutes. One of them will be strength exercises with a time of 23 minutes, to perform 7 exercises. In the first four weeks, it will be a general circuit, composed of 2 sets, 15 to 18 repetitions, for 60 seconds, with micro-pauses of 10 seconds between exercises, and 3 minutes between sets. In weeks 5 to 8, it will be a block circuit, consisting of 3 sets, 12 to 15 repetitions, for 45 seconds, with micro-pauses of 10 seconds between exercises and 70 seconds between sets. For weeks 9 to 12, it will be a concentrated circuit, consisting of 3 sets, 8 to 12 repetitions, for 35 seconds, with micro-pauses of 15 seconds between exercises and 110 seconds between sets. The aerobic component will have a duration equal to the strength component (24 minutes). A variable continuous method will be applied for the first 18 minutes through rumba-aerobic (ballroom and folkloric dance steps), at an intensity lower than the ventilatory threshold 1 (VT 1). For the remaining 6 minutes, an intervallic method will be used at an intensity \> VT 2, with combat gestures (fists, knees, and plantar flexions). Progression of the loads during the 12 weeks of intervention: Weeks 1 and 2: 5 loads of 30 seconds and 30 seconds of recovery. Weeks 3 and 4: 4 loads of 45 seconds and 45 seconds of recovery. Weeks 5 to 7: 5 loads of 50 seconds and 25 seconds of recovery. Week 8: 4 loads of 60 seconds and 30 seconds of recovery. Weeks 9 to 11: 3 loads of 70 seconds and 35 seconds of recovery. Week 12: 4 loads of 80 and 40 seconds of recovery. The aerobic group, will perform the same methods, rumba steps, combat gestures, intensities, and time of the central part of the aerobic component of the concurrent exercise group, but will be differentiated by performing in the continuous method for a duration of 36 minutes and in the interval method will have the following progression: Weeks 1 and 2: 2 blocks by 5 loads of 35 seconds and 35 seconds of recovery. Weeks 3 and 4: 2 blocks by 4 loads of 45 seconds and 45 seconds of recovery. Weeks 5 to 8: 2 blocks by 4 loads of 60 seconds and 30 seconds of recovery. Weeks 9 to 11: 2 blocks by 3 loads of 75 seconds and 37.5 seconds of recovery. Week 12: 2 blocks by 4 loads of 80 seconds and 40 seconds of recovery. All participants will have their maximal oxygen consumption, muscle strength, and body composition evaluated before the beginning of week 1 and at the end of week 12.