The aim of this randomized controlled intervention study is to examine the minimum exercise intensity that has an effect on cardiorespiratory fitness and/or cardiometabolic risk factors in sedentary adults. In addition, the study seeks to examine which background factors explain individual differences in exercise responses.
The study consists of a 2-week baseline period followed by two 6-week intervention periods. The study will compare changes in the predefined outcome variables between the exercise intervention groups and the control group that does not perform any exercise training. In addition to intensity prescribed relative to oxygen uptake reserve, exercise intensity will be retrospectively analyzed in relation to the first ventilatory threshold in order to examine the lowest effective intensity using this method as well. Among background factors, possible modifiers assumed on the basis of previous literature, will be analyzed to assess their contribution to inter-individual differences in the outcome responses. Potential main contributors are considered to be sex, the basal value of the outcome, nutritional habits, physical activity and stationary behavior outside the prescribed training, and non-invasive indicators of stress.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
100
6 weeks of 3 x 30 min/week supervised cycle ergometer training and 6 weeks of 3 x 40-50 min/week supervised cycle ergometer training
UKK institute for Health Promotion Research
Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland
RECRUITINGPaavo Nurmi Centre
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland
RECRUITINGMaximal oxygen consumption
Assessed with step-ramp-step protocol
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Ventilatory thresholds
Assessed with step-ramp-step protocol
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Pmax
Maximum power of the ramp cycle ergometer test
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of LDL cholesterol
Fasting state blood sample
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of HDL cholesterol
Fasting state blood sample
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of total cholesterol
Fasting state blood sample
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of triglycerides
Fasting state blood sample
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of blood glucose
Fasting state blood sample
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
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Concentration of insulin
Fasting state blood sample
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
HOMA-IR
(Insulin × Glucose) / 22.5
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
HbA1c
Fasting state blood sample
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Blood pressure
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Resting heart rate
In sitting position
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Resting heart rate variability
Root mean square of successive differences in sitting position
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Gross efficiency
Gross efficiency during standard load
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Body weight
Measured using an electronic scale.
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Waist circumference
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)