The aim of this pilot study is to determine the effects of a 12-week indoor rock climbing training program on heart health, mental health, and behavioral health in generally healthy adults aged 18-35 years old who do not exercise. Participants will learn to rock climb using ropes on an indoor rock climbing wall and participate in the training program 2-3 days per week for 60 minutes each session over 12 weeks. Health outcomes will be measured at 4 time points over the course of the study (pre-intervention, 6-weeks/mid-intervention, 12-weeks/post-intervention, and 24-weeks post-intervention).
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a 12-week progressive, supervised indoor rock climbing intervention on physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes in physically inactive adults. This will be a pilot study used for informing a larger, randomized controlled trial. Measurements include: cardiometabolic disease risk factors (e.g., blood pressure, fasting glucose and lipids, hemoglobin a1c), health-related components of physical fitness (e.g., cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, dynamic balance, body composition), health-related quality of life, and behavior change variables (e.g., attitudes toward physical activity, self-efficacy for exercise, objective physical activity and sedentary behavior). The majority of rock climbing-related studies focus on enhancing performance in high-level climbing athletes and very little research has examined the specific impact of climbing physical activity on cardiovascular health parameters. Indoor climbing has demonstrated to be an activity that is safe for many individuals and does not require a high level initial fitness to partake in the activity. This study will engage generally healthy, physically inactive adults (aged 18-35 y) in an indoor rock climbing program 2 times per week for 60 minutes for the first 4 weeks and progressing to 3 times per week for 60 minutes for the last 8 weeks. Participants will partake in top-rope style rock climbing and bouldering. Data collection will occur over three visits to the School of Health and Human Performance Research Lab at four time points throughout the course of the study (baseline/pre-intervention, 6-weeks/mid-intervention, 12-weeks/post-intervention, 24-weeks post-intervention; total of 12 data collection visits).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
12
Training will occur 2-3 days per week for 60 minutes; ratings of perceived exertion between 3-7 on a scale of 0-10 will be targeted for the desired intensity throughout the program. Minutes of rock climbing will also be monitored to develop the progression strategy.
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan, United States
RECRUITINGFasting lipids
HDL-c; LDL-c; total cholesterol, triglycerides measured via capillary blood sample and point-of-care testing
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Fasting glucose
glucose (mg/dL) measured via capillary blood sample and point-of-care testing
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Hemoglobin a1c
Glycosylated hemoglobin (%) measured via capillary blood sample and point-of-care testing
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Physical activity and sedentary behavior
Objectively monitored light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity minutes per week
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Sedentary behavior bouts (30 min, 60 min, >60 min)
Objectively monitored number of bouts of sedentary behavior occurring in bouts of 30 minutes or less, 30-60 minutes, and greater than 60 minutes
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Cardiorespiratory fitness
VO2max (mL/kg/min) measured via expired air analysis
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Muscular fitness
Maximal isometric handgrip strength (kg) using an electronic handgrip dynamometer
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Handgrip strength asymmetry
Maximal isometric handgrip strength measured using an electronic handgrip dynamometer on both hands
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Lower-body dynamic balance
Lower-quarter y-balance test distance (cm) on each leg, in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions.
Time frame: 0, 12 weeks
Health-related quality of life using CDC Health-Related Quality of Life Scale
Core healthy days module, activity limitations module. Core healthy days module measures the number of days over the past 30 days where injury, mental health, was not good and kept individuals from performing usual activities. Activity limitations asks if individuals are limited by any health problems, how many days they are limited by health problems, and if needs are impaired. Healthy days symptom module asks if pain, depression, anxiety and sleep were an issue on any number of days over the past 30 days. Additionally, how many days individuals felt healthy and full of energy over the past 30 days.
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Exercise self-efficacy measured via Self-efficacy for exercise scale
Self-efficacy for exercise scale is 9 items representing various scenarios that are measured on a scale of 1 (not confident) to 10 (very confident) a participant feels to exercise in that scenario. Higher scores represent higher self-efficacy for exercise participation.
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Perceptions of exercise measured via Views and Attitudes Toward Exercise Scale
Views and attitudes towards exercise scale is 15 items measured on a 7-point Likert scale from strongly disagree (lowest) to strongly agree (highest). Sum up all responses, higher scores are better perceptions of exercise.
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Perceived stress
Perceived stress scale items are scored from adding up each alternative over 10 items: 0=never, 1=almost never, 2=sometimes, 3=fairly often, 4=very often. 0-13=low stress, 14-26=moderate stress, 27-40=high perceived stress.
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Blood pressure
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) measured via automated blood pressure cuff.
Time frame: 0, 6, 12, 24 weeks
Body composition
Fat free mass, fat mass in kg using Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry
Time frame: 0, 12, 24 weeks
Bone density
Total bone density (g/cm3) using Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry
Time frame: 0, 12, 24 weeks
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