Aging
Conditions
Keywords
High-intensity interval training, Sitting, Executive functions, Inhibitory control, Episodic memory, Event-related potentials, Functional connectivity
Brief summary
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?
Detailed description
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.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHigh-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Breaks to Sitting
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.
BEHAVIORALLight-Intensity Interval Training (LIIT) Breaks to Sitting
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.
Sponsors
Northeastern University
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
40 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Age 40-75 years 2. BMI \<40 kg/m2 3. Sedentary (≥ 6 h/day sitting by a survey question) 4. Physically inactive adults based on the CSEP-PATH: Physical Activity and Sedentayr Behaviour Questionnaire (PASB-Q) Adult (low or medium physical activity range equivalent to less than 300 min of moderate intensity physical activity per week) 5. Capable of exercising vigorously based on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ+) 6. Has a medical clearance for maximal exercise and HIIT from a physician 7. Normotensive or participant's blood pressure is controlled 8. Intelligence quotient (IQ) ≥85 9. Fasting plasma glucose \<126 mg/dL 10. Good or corrected vision and hearing 11. Right-handed 12. No significant abnormalities on the ECG during the maximal exercise test 13. No signs and symptoms that suggest an underlying cardiovascular disease as recorded during the maximal exercise test by a study physician. 14. No indications to prematurely stop the maximal exercise test as outlined by the ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription 15. Concussion if more than 12 months before the study screening. 16. History of cancer but in full remission for at least 12 months and no history of chemotherapy, signed off by the physician or an oncologist
Exclusion criteria
1. Physical disability or musculoskeletal disease prohibitive to vigorous exercise 2. Learning disabilities 3. Cognitive impairment (MoCA \<26) 4. Type 1 or 2 diabetes 5. Neurological condition (e.g., Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson, Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment) 6. Color blindness 7. Brain injury (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, concussion) 8. Migraine headaches 9. Presence of other health conditions that may be exacerbated by exercise 10. History of heart disease 11. High cholesterol not controlled by medication 12. Signs and symptoms indicative of underlying cardiovascular disease 13. A chronic pulmonary disease 14. Emphysema 15. Pulmonary embolus 16. Asthma 17. History of renal disease 18. History of seizures 19. A neuropsychiatric disorder 20. Osteoporosis if it interferes with an individual's ability to exercise 21. Severe back problems 22. Severe arthritis if it interferes with an individual's ability to exercise 23. Thyroid disorder not controlled by medication 24. Polyneuropathy 25. Sleep disorders 26. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) 27. Hepatitis C 28. History of long Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 29. History of cancer if not in full remission for at least 12 months and if a participant had the history of chemotherapy 30. Current or past smoking \<12 months 31. Corticosteroid intake \< 31 days before screening 32. Opioids taken \< 6 months from screening 33. Anabolic androgens taken \< 31 days before screening 34. A serious illness or hospitalization in the last six months 35. Currently taking medications that can affect the central nervous system (except for anxiolytics) 36. Current participation in an ongoing trial likely to influence exercise ability or cognitive function
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in task-evoked brain activity | Immediately before intervention, 2 x during the intervention (50 min and 120 min into the intervention), and immediately after the intervention | EEG will be used to measure event-related brain potentials including the P3b-component during an inhibitory control task. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in cognitive functions | Immediately before intervention, 2 x during the intervention (50 min and 120 min into the intervention), and immediately after the intervention | A modified Eriksen flanker task will be used to measure inhibitory control. |
| Change in resting stated and task evoked brain activity | Immediately before intervention and immediately after the intervention | EEG will be used to measure functional connectivity at rest and during engagement in inhibitory control and episodic memory tasks. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactDominika M Pindus, Ph.D.
Outcome results
None listed