The effect of home-based low-volume, high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and cardiometabolic health in women of normal body mass and those with overweight or obesity: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Emmanuel Frimpong; Chloe Dafkin; Janine Donaldson; Aletta Maria Esterhuyse Millen; Rebecca Mary Meiring

doi:10.1186/s13102-019-0152-6

The effect of home-based low-volume, high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and cardiometabolic health in women of normal body mass and those with overweight or obesity: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2019 Dec 30:11:39. doi: 10.1186/s13102-019-0152-6. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Emmanuel Frimpong¹, Chloe Dafkin¹, Janine Donaldson², Aletta Maria Esterhuyse Millen³, Rebecca Mary Meiring^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ 1Movement Physiology Research Laboratory, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
² 2Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Laboratory, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
³ 3Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
⁴ 4Department of Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Building 907-228, Suiter Street, Newmarket, Auckland, 1023 New Zealand.

Abstract

Background: There is a high prevalence of women in South Africa with overweight and obesity which is associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Perceived barriers such as lack of time and motivation reduce engagement in beneficial activity behaviours for health. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient and effective way to improve cardiometabolic risk profile regardless of a loss in body mass or change in body composition. This randomized controlled trial aims to determine the effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and cardiometabolic health and feasibility of a home-based 14-week HIIT program in women with overweight/obesity or normal body mass.

Methods: One hundred and twenty women (18-40 years old) with a body mass index between 20 and 35 kg/m², will be stratified according to their BMI (normal, BMI 20-24.9 kg/m²; or high BMI ≥25 kg/m²) and randomized into a HIIT exercising group (HIIT) or a non-exercising control group (CON). HIIT participants will perform exercises for 11 min/session six times per week for a period of 14 weeks. The 2 × 4 HIIT protocol will require a work phase of own-body weight exercise lasting 2 minutes (85% VO₂peak), repeated four times and separated by a one-minute active rest phase (65% VO₂peak). CON participants will be asked to maintain their normal habitual lifestyle. Outcomes of cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, echocardiography, central blood pressure, arterial stiffness and biomarkers of cardiometabolic health will be measured before and after the 14-week intervention. Every 4 weeks during the intervention, an objective estimation of compliance to the study protocol will be assessed by measuring participant physical activity over 7 days using an Actigraph GT3X accelerometer.

Discussion: Supervised laboratory-based HIIT interventions are effective in improving cardiometabolic health. More pragmatic exercise protocols may however show to be successful for mitigating barriers to the engagement in physical activity and exercise resulting in positive benefits to health. Investigation into home-based HIIT regimens are important in women, where globally the rising trend of overweight and obesity overshadows that of men. The results from this study may therefore inform future research on effective exercise prescription for women's health.

Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (www.pactr.org - id no: PACTR201806003434299), 6th June 2018.

Keywords: Body composition; Cardiometabolic health; Exercise; High intensity low-volume interval training; Obesity; Overweight; Physical activity; Women.