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.

Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) often face difficulties in accessing exercise programs tailored to their needs due to limited mobility, lack of suitable options, and restricted physiotherapy access. Regular exercise is important for improving physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life, but many adults with CP do not have structured opportunities for physical activity. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility of delivering an accessible online exercise program designed specifically for adults with CP, focusing on demand, practicality, acceptability, and potential benefits to physical, mental, and social health. The study will recruit 60 adults with CP who will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will participate in an 8-week online exercise and education program that includes weekly online exercise classes targeting strength, balance, and range of movement, along with educational materials covering topics like exercise, nutrition, fatigue, bone health, pain management, mental health, and sleep. The other group will receive the same educational materials over 8 weeks without the exercise classes and will be informed about the home exercise program after the intervention period. Participants will be monitored throughout the study with data collected on attendance, completion rates, engagement with exercises, and any adverse events. Health-related surveys will be completed before and after the program to assess changes in physical function, mobility, pain, fatigue, sleep, self-efficacy, depression, and participation. Selected participants will also provide feedback through interviews. The study duration includes rolling recruitment over 1.2 years and outcome measurements over 2 years, aiming to support the development of effective online exercise programs for adults with CP.

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.

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.

Fatigue is a common side effect for women undergoing pelvic radiation therapy for endometrial cancer, often making daily activities more difficult. While exercise has been recommended to help with fatigue in cancer patients, there is limited research on its role during pelvic radiation therapy. This trial aims to evaluate whether an activity coaching program can improve treatment-related fatigue in women receiving this therapy. Participants will take part in an exercise coaching program involving ten weekly check-ins with a certified exercise coach. They will set weekly activity goals based on what is easy and enjoyable for them, with check-ins available in person or virtually. Participants will be randomly assigned to start the program either immediately during radiation therapy or after radiation therapy has ended, with the study lasting about six months. All participants will receive a Fitbit to monitor activity, heart rate, and steps. Throughout the study, participants will complete four surveys and perform a 6-minute walk test four times to assess heart and lung response to exercise. At the end of the trial, an interview will be conducted to gather feedback on the program. Researchers will monitor adherence to coaching sessions as the primary outcome, along with changes in fatigue, bowel and urinary symptoms, quality of life, cognitive function, sexual function, self-efficacy, and walking distance. The study aims to follow participants for up to 24 months.

Researchers are studying the effects of physical exercise as a treatment for college students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study aims to see if sprint interval training (SIT) can improve executive functioning skills such as sustained attention and working memory in students with ADHD compared to those without ADHD. This research is exploratory and may lead to larger studies to assess both immediate and long-term benefits of exercise for ADHD, offering a potentially low-cost and low-risk alternative to current treatments. Participants will be college students aged 18 to 29 from the University of Wyoming or Laramie County Community College. They will take part in two in-lab sessions: one involving sprint interval training and one without exercise, with the order randomized. During the exercise session, participants warm up with stretches and low-intensity cycling, then complete eight 20-second high-intensity cycling intervals with rest periods. Cognitive tests assessing attention and working memory are done after each session. Researchers monitor heart rate and perceived exertion to ensure exercise intensity. Throughout the study, participants undergo health screenings to confirm eligibility and safety for exercise. They complete cognitive tasks during each session and fill out mood and ADHD symptom questionnaires the following day. The study measures changes in cognitive test performance between sessions and tracks mood and symptom changes. Data analysis will compare results between ADHD and non-ADHD groups, looking at effects of exercise on executive functioning. Participation lasts about two weeks, including experimental sessions and follow-up assessments.

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.

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.

Migraine is a neurological disorder that causes significant disability and affects sensory processing, musculoskeletal function, and psychosocial health. Researchers are evaluating how combining supervised aerobic exercise with pain neuroscience education compares to general physical activity recommendations in women aged 18 to 48 diagnosed with migraine. The study aims to better understand the effects on sensory perception, musculoskeletal changes, and migraine-related symptoms. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will attend a single pain neuroscience education session followed by supervised aerobic exercise on a treadmill three times a week for 16 weeks, with exercise intensity tailored to each person's heart rate reserve. The control group will receive guidance to increase physical activity independently at home, aiming for 10,000 steps daily or at least 150 minutes weekly, without supervision or structured education during the same 16-week period. Participants will undergo assessments before and after the 16-week intervention, including migraine-related disability, sensory sensitivity, self-reported symptoms, quality of life, psychosocial factors, and musculoskeletal function using questionnaires and physical tests. A follow-up at six months will collect self-reported outcomes. Researchers will monitor adherence, and the findings may help develop accessible, low-risk non-drug treatment options for migraine.

Researchers are studying the effects of different aerobic exercise methods on endothelial function in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). The study focuses on comparing long high-intensity interval training (HIIT), short HIIT, and moderate-intensity training (MIT) to evaluate their impact on blood vessel health, cardiorespiratory fitness, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and parasympathetic nervous system activity. This multicenter randomized trial will include 132 men and women aged 45 to 75 years, diagnosed with IHD between three and twelve months prior, and without exercise limitations. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: moderate-intensity continuous cycling (MIT), short HIIT involving 1-minute intense intervals, or long HIIT with 4-minute intense intervals. Each participant will exercise on a cycle ergometer three times per week for 12 weeks, totaling 36 supervised sessions. Exercise intensity will be individually set based on cardiopulmonary exercise testing and adjusted midway through the program. Participants are asked to avoid additional exercise training but may engage in light physical activity as recommended. Assessments will occur before the intervention, at 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks, measuring physiological and psychological variables. Researchers will evaluate changes in endothelial function, aerobic efficiency, cardiopulmonary performance, BDNF levels, pulmonary function, heart rate variability, echocardiographic markers, body composition, and cognitive abilities. The study includes careful monitoring and comparison of these health indicators to understand how exercise type influences outcomes in IHD patients.