The Effects of High-intensity Interval Training on Mental Health and Inflammation

NCT04118309 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 13-508
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The present study investigated the effects of high-intensity interval exercise training and placebo-exercise on mental health and inflammation using a randomized control trial. The study also examined how anxiety symptoms prior to high-intensity interval training may influence improvements in fitness. Inactive young adults underwent nine weeks of either high-intensity interval training or their regular routine. Questionnaires, a blood draw and a maximal exercise test were conducted the week before and week after the intervention. It was hypothesized those who underwent high-intensity interval training would experience greater reductions in their depression, anxiety, and inflammation than those who were in the placebo control group. It was also hypothesized those who had high anxiety symptoms at the start of high-intensity interval training would experience smaller improvements in fitness than those who had low anxiety symptoms.

Conditions

Anxiety; Depressive Symptoms; Inflammation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in mental illness symptoms (anxiety, depression) from baseline to post-intervention

  The 21-items of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck, Brown, Epstein \& Steer, 1998) are summed to produce a total score from 0-63, with a higher score reflecting more severe anxiety symptoms. The 21-items of the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Steer, \& Brown, 1996) are summed to produce a total score from 0-63, with a higher score reflecting more severe depressive symptoms.

  11 weeks

• Change in concentration of circulating proinflammatory cytokines (Interleukin-6, Interleukin-1 beta, Tumour necrosis factor alpha) from baseline to post-intervention

  Picogram measured from venous blood sample

  11 weeks

• Change in cardiorespiratory fitness from baseline to post-intervention

  VO2peak test (ml/min/kg)

  11 weeks

Study Arms (2)

High-intensity interval training

EXPERIMENTAL

Three sessions of high-intensity interval training per week for nine weeks. Following a three minute warm up, a session contained twenty minutes of alternating between a sprint (80% of maximum workload, 90-95% of maximum heart rate) and active rest (30% of maximum workload) at a one minute to one minute ratio. Every session ended with a two and a half minute cool down.

Behavioral: Exercise

Placebo exercise group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

No changes in physical activity behaviour occurred (already engaging in less than 150 minutes per week, instructed to maintain their current inactivity). They were told they needed to stay inactive since they were part of an 'acute' exercise group, aiming to see how long the effects of their baseline maximal exercise test would last. Thus, the cover story gave them the impression they were also in an exercise group, as oppose to a non-exercise control group.

Other: Placebo

Interventions

Exercise BEHAVIORAL

High-intensity interval training

Placebo OTHER

Placebo exercise group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Full-time student at McMaster University
• Speak, read and understand English

You may not qualify if:

• Exercising for more than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McMaster University: lead
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada: collaborator

Related Publications (3)

• Paolucci EM, Loukov D, Bowdish DME, Heisz JJ. Exercise reduces depression and inflammation but intensity matters. Biol Psychol. 2018 Mar;133:79-84. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.01.015. Epub 2018 Feb 3.

  PMID: 29408464 BACKGROUND

• Reiss S, Peterson RA, Gursky DM, McNally RJ. Anxiety sensitivity, anxiety frequency and the prediction of fearfulness. Behav Res Ther. 1986;24(1):1-8. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(86)90143-9. No abstract available.

  PMID: 3947307 BACKGROUND

• Stubbs B, Rosenbaum S, Vancampfort D, Ward PB, Schuch FB. Exercise improves cardiorespiratory fitness in people with depression: A meta-analysis of randomized control trials. J Affect Disord. 2016 Jan 15;190:249-253. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.10.010. Epub 2015 Oct 23.

  PMID: 26523669 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Inflammation

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Jennifer Heisz, PhD

  McMaster University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 3, 2019
• First Posted: October 8, 2019
• Study Start: September 14, 2015
• Primary Completion: April 8, 2016
• Study Completion: April 8, 2016
• Last Updated: October 8, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share