Aerobic Exercise

Researchers are evaluating a digital, personalized exercise program designed to reduce disease activity in adults recently diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis axSpA. This controlled trial assesses whether remote exercise supervision through the SPARK app, combined with patient education videos, can improve health outcomes. The study compares this approach to usual care in patients who have not used biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and who have active disease. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups one receiving a personalized exercise program with remote coaching and another receiving usual care. The exercise program includes high intensity interval training HIIT, muscular strength exercises, and moderate aerobic activity spread over three days per week, with the goal of 20 minutes of HIIT weekly at 85-95% of maximal heart rate. The program is remotely delivered via the SPARK application, with weekly coaching sessions and exercise data tracked by a sports watch. Throughout the 6-month trial, participants undergo assessments including disease activity measures like ASDAS and BASDAI, physical fitness tests, psychological wellbeing scales, and safety evaluations with physical exams and MRI scans. Medication use and adverse events are also monitored. The primary outcome is disease activity at 3 months, with further evaluations at 6 months to measure the effects of the exercise intervention on health, wellbeing, and physical function.

Researchers are investigating whether drinking an energy drink containing caffeine and green tea extract before exercise can increase fat burning compared to a placebo drink. This study focuses on healthy, moderately active adults aged 18 to 45 and uses a double-blind, randomized, crossover design to compare effects during rest, exercise, and recovery periods. The study aims to understand how these ingredients influence fat oxidation during endurance cycling. Participants will attend three clinic visits over 3 to 5 weeks. The first visit determines their individual exercise intensity for maximizing fat use during cycling. In two later visits, participants will consume either two cans of the active energy drink or two cans of a placebo drink without caffeine and green tea extract before completing a 30-minute cycling session at their personalized exercise level. The study compares the effects of these drinks on fat and carbohydrate use and other physiological responses. During each visit, measurements will include fat oxidation, carbohydrate oxidation, respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate, blood pressure, and subjective responses, all assessed from baseline through 30 minutes after exercise using indirect calorimetry. Participants will be monitored closely, and the main outcome is fat oxidation from baseline to 30 minutes post-exercise. The total study participation spans three visits within a few weeks, providing detailed data on how caffeine and green tea extract affect metabolism during exercise.

This research aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an online training program designed to improve counseling skills related to physical activity and sedentary behavior among primary health care workers in Brazil. The study focuses on enhancing professional competencies to better support patients health through physical activity advice within primary health care settings. Health professionals working in selected municipalities will be invited to participate voluntarily. The intervention involves a self-directed, asynchronous online training program consisting of about 180 minutes of recorded video lessons and practical materials based on national and international guidelines. Participants have up to 30 days to enroll and an additional 30 days to complete the training. Those who enroll form the exposed group, while those who do not participate form a comparison group. Participants will be assessed on their counseling competencies and professional practices before the training, immediately afterward, and three months after completing the program. Data collection occurs across primary health care units in the selected municipalities, and the study monitors changes in counseling skills over time to evaluate the trainings effectiveness. Participation includes completing assessments and engaging with the online training materials within the specified timelines.

Researchers are studying physical activity levels and sleep patterns in children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years who have Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD. The study aims to understand how active these young patients are and whether they meet recommended physical activity guidelines. This observational study is conducted by the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and focuses on quality of life and disease impact in pediatric IBD patients. Participants will complete questionnaires about their physical activity, disease activity, and quality of life. They will also wear a wrist-based accelerometer for one week to monitor activity and sleep. During this period, they will keep a physical activity diary, food diary, and stool chart to provide detailed information about their daily habits and health. Throughout the study, researchers will assess moderate to vigorous physical activity and sedentary time over one week. Additional evaluations at baseline include disease activity, perceived physical activity, sleep quality, nutritional status, and growth measurements. Nutritional assessments will be repeated over a three-day period after the baseline visit. The total involvement includes wearing the device and completing diaries, with ongoing analysis of data to understand activity and health in pediatric IBD patients.

Research shows that women undergoing pelvic radiation therapy for endometrial cancer often experience fatigue that affects daily activities. Although exercise is known to help reduce fatigue in cancer patients and survivors, no studies have specifically focused on exercise for women receiving pelvic radiation therapy. This research aims to evaluate whether an activity coaching program can improve treatment-related fatigue in this group of women. Participants will join an exercise coaching program with ten weekly check-ins led by a certified exercise coach. They will set weekly activity goals and choose enjoyable, easy activities to increase their movement. Check-ins can be scheduled in person or virtually. All participants will receive a Fitbit to monitor their activity, heart rate, and steps. Two groups will be formed one starting the coaching during radiation therapy and continuing after, and another starting 6 to 8 weeks post-radiation and continuing for 16 to 19 weeks. The study will last about six months. During the study, participants will complete four surveys and undergo a 6-minute walking test four times to assess heart and lung response to exercise. An interview will be conducted at the end to gather feedback. Researchers will monitor adherence to coaching sessions as the main outcome and also assess changes in fatigue, bowel and urinary symptoms, quality of life, cognitive function, sexual satisfaction, self-efficacy, and walking distance. The study is sponsored by Inova Health Care Services and plans to enroll 16 patients.

This research aims to understand how two types of exercise, Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise MICE and High-Intensity Interval Exercise HIIE, affect key body responses linked to fat loss in young women with overweight or obesity. The study focuses on how these exercises impact levels of catecholamines hormones involved in fat metabolism, oxygen use, fat burning, and appetite regulation. Overweight and obesity are important health issues connected to heart disease, and finding the best exercise approach can help improve weight management and metabolic health. Participants will take part in two different exercise sessions HIIE involves a warm-up followed by ten one-minute intervals at high intensity alternating with recovery periods, while MICE consists of a warm-up followed by continuous moderate exercise for a longer duration. Both sessions are designed to use the same amount of energy. The study will measure physiological responses during exercise and for two hours afterward. During the study, researchers will collect data on oxygen consumption at rest, during warm-up, exercise, and recovery, along with blood samples to measure catecholamine levels before, during, and after exercise. They will also assess fat and carbohydrate use, as well as appetite and energy intake in the 24 hours following exercise. This detailed monitoring will help clarify how different exercise types influence fat loss mechanisms in this population.

Researchers are evaluating whether breathing oxygen in a pressurized chamber after intense cycling exercise can help competitive male cyclists recover better and improve their performance the next day. The study focuses on healthy male road cyclists aged 18 to 40 who compete at the national level in Belgium. Despite widespread use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in sports recovery, clear scientific evidence of its benefits after a single session of strenuous endurance exercise is lacking. Participants complete a fatiguing cycling session then are randomly assigned to one of four groups receiving different oxygen levels during recovery. Two groups breathe pure oxygen at increased pressures of 2.5 or 1.4 atmospheres absolute inside a hyperbaric chamber. Another group breathes pure oxygen at normal atmospheric pressure, and the fourth receives a sham treatment that mimics the chamber environment without extra oxygen. The study is double-blind, so neither participants nor assessors know who receives which treatment. During the study, researchers measure next-day endurance performance by assessing the decline in time to exhaustion relative to baseline. Blood samples and physiological data are also collected to understand recovery mechanisms. Participation involves one hour of oxygen exposure after exercise, and the study spans about 18 months to capture these effects. Safety and recovery responses are closely monitored throughout.

The trial investigates the immediate effects of inspiratory muscle training with and without visual feedback using a mobile application in patients undergoing lobectomy via video-assisted thoracic surgery for lung cancer. It aims to assess how visual feedback influences exercise motivation, patient adherence, perception of breathlessness, usability, and patient satisfaction during postoperative recovery. The study focuses on clinically stable lung cancer patients aged 18 to 75 years scheduled for lobectomy. Participants perform two sessions of inspiratory muscle training on postoperative day 1. One session involves conventional training without visual feedback, and the other uses a smart adaptor connected to a mobile app to provide visual feedback. Both sessions use a threshold-loading device set at 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure, with three sets of ten breaths each. The order of these sessions is randomized, and a rest period of at least two hours separates them. Before surgery, participants undergo assessments including respiratory muscle strength measurement and clinical data collection. On the day of training, exercise motivation, dyspnea perception, patient satisfaction, and usability of the mobile app are evaluated immediately after each session. Data from the mobile application, such as successful breaths and training duration, are also recorded. The study measures immediate impacts to guide future integration of technology-supported pulmonary rehabilitation after lobectomy.

This research aims to evaluate how well patients with various musculoskeletal conditions follow personalized home-based exercise programs prescribed by their physicians. It focuses on patients with degenerative, orthopedic, or neurological disorders undergoing rehabilitation. The study seeks to identify differences in adherence across these groups and explore factors such as demographics, clinical status, psychosocial elements, and physical function that might influence exercise compliance. Participants will receive customized home exercise programs designed by physical therapy and rehabilitation physicians based on their specific clinical needs. These exercises complement clinic-based treatments and are tailored to individual conditions within three subgroups chronic degenerative disorders, post-operative orthopedic rehabilitation, and neurological rehabilitation following conditions like stroke or hemiplegia. The home programs will last six weeks, with clear instructions and printed materials provided to support correct performance. During the study, patients adherence and clinical progress will be assessed at the beginning and end of the six-week program using standardized tools such as the Exercise Adherence Rating Scale, Beck Depression Index, Visual Analog Scale for pain, Barthel Index for daily living activities, Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale, and Health Assessment Questionnaire. Researchers will monitor mood, functional status, pain levels, and fear of movement to understand adherence patterns. The study will also evaluate patients satisfaction and factors influencing their commitment to the home exercises, aiming to improve future rehabilitation strategies.

Low Anterior Resection Syndrome LARS is a frequent complication after sphincter-preserving rectal cancer surgery that can worsen bowel function and quality of life. Researchers are evaluating the effects of an aerobic exercise program combined with guided imagery on bowel symptoms, quality of life, physical activity, functional capacity, and psychological well-being in patients with LARS after rectal cancer surgery. This randomized controlled multicenter trial aims to provide evidence for rehabilitation strategies to improve outcomes for these patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups one will receive a structured aerobic exercise program along with guided imagery in addition to standard postoperative care, while the other will receive only standard postoperative care. The exercise includes structured walking at the clinic and outside for at least three days per week, and guided imagery will be practiced for at least three days during the intervention period. During the study, participants will be assessed at the start and after eight weeks using validated clinical and patient-reported measures including the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome scoring system, quality of life questionnaires, and a 6-minute walking test. Additional evaluations include distress inventories, physical activity questionnaires, anxiety and depression scales, and pelvic floor muscle function. The study will monitor changes in bowel symptoms, quality of life, and physical and psychological health throughout the intervention period.