Overweight, Sedentary
Conditions
Keywords
physical activity, females, body composition
Brief summary
The investigators goal is to optimise physical activity interventions to help previously inactive women improve their body shape and composition. Many people seeking to lose weight or improve body composition initiate an exercise programme. The most common recommendation of an exercise intervention for someone attempting to manage their weight, has been to 'prescribe' the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week (World Health Organisation), often using one mode of exercise. An alternative approach might be to offer a portfolio of activities, from which the exerciser can pick and choose, to facilitate greater amounts of physical activity. The problem with this is how do you account for the different intensities of walking, washing the car, playing badminton, cycling, jogging, etc? In this study, the investigators will try to overcome this barrier by allocating a number of physical activity points to each activity. Using this physical activity points system, participants will be provided with a points target that they can meet using any combination of activities. The investigators research aim is therefore to compare this points-based system against the traditional 5x30minute prescription (and sedentary control) for their ability to help previously inactive women to drop a dress size, increase fat burning, positively change their body composition and tone their tummy.
Interventions
OTHERExercise
Sponsors
Cereal Partners Worldwide
University of Birmingham
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
25 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Female * Aged 25-50 years old * Inactive (less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week) * BMI 25-35 kg/m2 * Good general health, as assessed by the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences' General Health Questionnaire * Willing to strictly comply with all study procedures and restrictions * Willing to participate, as demonstrated by voluntary written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Positive result from the urine sample pregnancy test * Currently breast feeding * Currently participating in another clinical trial deemed to potentially interfere with this study * Current or recent (within the last 30 days) smoker * Currently taking prescription or non-prescription medication that may interfere with metabolism (including beta-blockers, insulin, bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory agents, thyroxine and medication/supplements that in the opinion of the investigators may affect metabolism).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in body composition (fat and fat-free mass in kg) | 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Maximal aerobic capacity | 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks |
| Perceived body shape | 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks |
| Fat oxidation rates | 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks |
| Body tone | 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks |
Other
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Psychological measures of attitudes towards exercise and physical activity | 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks |
| Psychological measures relating to perceived body image | 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks |
| Blood-borne markers of metabolic health | 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed