High Intensity Training – A HIT for improved functions and health among older people?
Description: Alarming reports are showing that only less than one third of people aged 75 or over meets the global recommendations for physical activity. In recent years, the concept of extremely short-duration High-Intensity Training (HIT) intervals has been developed showing improved health in young and middle-aged people. Currently it is still not known whether HIT also is effective for older adults. We have after extensive piloting developed a safe and enjoyable HIT program for older adults. This novel program is now, for the first time, ready to be tested in a high quality randomized controlled study. To achieve this, and to properly evaluate the effects of HIT, we have gathered a multi-professional research alliance with experts in physiotherapy, cognitive neuroscience and cardiology.Sixty older people, aged 65 and over, will be randomized to HIT or low-intensity control training. Each HIT session will consist of 10 repeated 6-seconds regulated high-intensity cycling sprints against an individualized load. HIT-sessions will be performed twice weekly for 12 weeks. The RCT will evaluate the effects on 1) Cardiovascular function, 2) Brain health, 3) Muscular function, 4) Metabolic health, and 5) Examine the feasibility (attendance, achieved intensity, adverse events) as well as the experiences of HIT. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 3, and 6 months by blinded assessors. This project has the unique potential to provide evidence if HIT intervals is effective for older people.
Funder: Vetenskapsrådet
Amount: SEK 3,450,000
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Project grant
Start date: 2018-01-01
End date: 2020-12-31
Investigator: Erik Rosendahl
Institution: Umeå University
Funded outputs count: 9
Funder award ID: 2017-00912
OpenAlex ID: G6694535917