Effects of Exercise Snacks on Physical Health and Cognitive Function in Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

NCT07759232 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: BSE-1553-2026
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder accompanied by sedentary lifestyles, which worsens cognitive function and physical health. Short-duration high-frequency exercise snacks (ES) may be a feasible intervention for adults with ID. This randomized controlled crossover study aims to explore the acute effects of exercise snacks, conventional HIIT and daily routine control on cognitive function, stereotyped behaviors and prefrontal cortex activation in adults with mild to moderate ID. All participants will receive three intervention conditions with a 1-week washout period between each trial. Neurophysiological indicators including EEG and heart rate variability will be measured to reveal the underlying mechanisms.

Conditions

Intellectual Disability

Keywords

Exercise Snacks; High-intensity Interval Training; Cognitive Function; Physical Activity; Prefrontal Cortex; Neurodevelopmental disorders; intellectual disability

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in cognitive function assessed by cognitive test battery

  Changes in cognitive performance measured after each intervention condition, including attention and executive function.

  Baseline and immediately after the acute intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Prefrontal cortex activation measured by electroencephalography (EEG)

  Baseline and immediately after the acute intervention

Study Arms (3)

Arm 1

NO INTERVENTION

Participants maintain their usual daily activities without additional prescribed exercise. Daily physical activity will be recorded throughout the intervention period.

Arm 2（Exercise Snacks）

EXPERIMENTAL

Twice-daily short-bout exercise snacks. Each session includes 5 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest between sets.

Behavioral: Exercise Snacks

Arm 3（High-Intensity Interval Training ）

EXPERIMENTAL

One intervention session scheduled in the afternoon. The protocol consists of 10 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise, separated by 9 seconds of rest between sets.

Behavioral: High-Intensity Interval Training

Interventions

High-Intensity Interval Training BEHAVIORAL

Acute high-intensity interval training protocol: 10 × 6 s high-knee exercise with 9 s rest between sets, completed in a single afternoon session.

Arm 3（High-Intensity Interval Training ）

Exercise Snacks BEHAVIORAL

Twice-daily short-bout exercise snacks. Each session includes 5 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest between sets.

Arm 2（Exercise Snacks）

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18-35 years old;
• Clinically diagnosed mild to moderate intellectual disability;
• Able to follow simple verbal instructions and complete exercise protocols;
• No contraindications for moderate physical activity confirmed by medical inquiry;
• Participants or legal guardians provide written informed consent;
• Maintain stable daily routine and do not participate in other structured exercise programs during the trial.

You may not qualify if:

• Severe physical disabilities, orthopedic injury or neurological disorders that restrict movement;
• History of cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension or other exercise contraindications;
• Current psychiatric medication that significantly affects motor or cognitive function;
• Inability to cooperate with EEG and physiological signal collection;
• Pregnancy;
• Participation in other interventional studies within the past 3 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Macau: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hangzhou First Social Welfare Institute

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Intellectual Disability; Motor Activity; Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Interventions

High-Intensity Interval Training

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Zhaowei Kong, PhD

  University of Macau

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Yuping Zhou, master

CONTACT

+86-18811611796; yc57146@um.edu.mo

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 29, 2026
• First Posted: August 12, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): November 16, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 18, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 8, 2027
• Last Updated: August 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Data and supporting materials will be available starting 6 months following the publication of primary study outcomes, and remain accessible for up to 5 years thereafter.
• Access Criteria: Qualified researchers who submit a methodologically sound research proposal. Requests need to be sent to the corresponding investigator and a data use agreement must be signed.

Locations

CN (1)