This trial will examine whether interrupting 3.5 hours of sitting every 30 min with 6 min high intensity interval training (HIIT) breaks compared to light intensity interval training (LIIT) will improve brain health in cognitively normal older adults. This trial will test the feasibility of HIIT breaks to sitting. It will also address several important but unanswered questions: (1) Does interrupting sitting with short HIIT breaks improve frontoparietal function? (2) Can interrupting sitting with HIIT breaks improve cognitive functions?
The investigators are conducting an acute, single site randomized crossover trial testing two conditions lasting 3.5 hours each with a one to four-weeks washout period: (1) Interrupting sitting with 6 min of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) every 30 min, and (2) interrupting sitting with 6-min light-intensity interval training (LIIT) every 30 min. Investigators will administer the conditions in a counterbalanced order to 54 older adults (40-75 years). Brain function will be assessed using event-related brain potentials and measures of functional connectivity derived from electroencephalography. Cognitive functions will be assessed using a modified Eriksen flanker task and an antisaccade task. Investigators will measure episodic memory using a mnemonic discrimination task.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
54
HIIT Breaks: a 3.5-hour sitting will be interrupted every 30 min with 6-min HIIT Breaks. During sitting participants will engage in standardized sedentary activities. Each 6-min HIIT break comprises a one-minute warm-up, followed by a 2-minute high-intensity interval, one minute rest (sitting on a cycle ergometer) followed by another 2 minutes at high intensity.
LIIT Breaks: a 3.5-hour sitting will be interrupted every 30 min with 6-min LIIT Breaks. Each 6-min LIIT break comprises a one-minute warm-up, followed by a 2-minute light-intensity interval, one minute rest (sitting on a cycle ergometer) followed by another 2-minute light-intensity interval.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois, United States
RECRUITINGChange in task-evoked brain activity
EEG will be used to measure event-related brain potentials including the P3b-component during an inhibitory control task.
Time frame: Immediately before intervention, 2 x during the intervention (50 min and 120 min into the intervention), and immediately after the intervention
Change in cognitive functions
A modified Eriksen flanker task will be used to measure inhibitory control.
Time frame: Immediately before intervention, 2 x during the intervention (50 min and 120 min into the intervention), and immediately after the intervention
Change in cognitive functions
An antisaccade tasks will be used to measure inhibitory control. A mnemonic discrimination task will be used to measure episodic memory.
Time frame: Immediately before intervention and immediately after the intervention
Change in resting stated and task evoked brain activity
EEG will be used to measure functional connectivity at rest and during engagement in inhibitory control and episodic memory tasks.
Time frame: Immediately before intervention and immediately after the intervention
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