Gender Specific Responses of Overweight and Obese Adults to Sprint Interval Training
Condition: Overweight and Obesity
MeSH terms: Overweight
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Overweight and Obesity is a growing health problem worldwide. Lifestyle changes such as
      decreased physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour and unhealthy eating habits has
      contribute to this problem. According to World Health Organization (2016), more than 1.9
      billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight (39% of men and 40% of women).Regular
      exercise is the key contributor to energy expenditure and is essential for energy balance and
      weight control. Interval training (IT) has been commonly used for decades with purpose to
      improve body health and reduce weight loss and this exercise differs from the conventional
      aerobic exercise and endurance exercise as IT typically involves repeated bouts of relatively
      intense exercise interspersed by periods of lower- intensity effort or complete rest for
      recovery. One of the most common type of IT is sprint interval training (SIT). SIT involves
      'supramaximal' effort (>100% VO2max) work bouts, traditionally structured as four to six 30s
      all-out effort and each round separated by 4 minutes of recovery period of a low intensity
      exercise. Potential physiological adaptation of SIT are highlighted by various studies
      reporting cardiovascular, skeletal muscle adaptations, increase fat oxidation that facilitate
      increases in both aerobic and anaerobic performance. In addition, SIT is able to improve
      maximal rate of oxygen consumption (VO2max), at the same time improving the peripheral
      vascular structure and function, enzymes of fat metabolism and increases insulin sensitivity.
      Previous SIT studies have included young healthy men and women, healthy obese young women,
      all of which have shown that SIT is effective for fat loss and improvement of some health
      parameters. However, whether SIT protocol is equally effective in improving the
      anthropometric measures in men and women remain unknown.
    

Detailed description: 
      Total of 80 eligible male (n=40) and female (n=40) young adults will be equally recruited
      using block randomization and chosen based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Before
      the study, all participants will be informed of the potential risks and benefits of the
      study. During the study period, participants will be instructed to avoid any form of physical
      activity besides the study protocol. Both groups will perform SIT protocol on a
      electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer three times per week for 6 weeks. Every session,
      participants start with a 5 minutes warm up at 50- 60% of heart rate maximum (HRmax) and
      follow by four 30-s all out bouts intersperse with 4 minutes of recovery (passive or no load
      cycling). For confirmation of all-out effort, participant are required to maintain his or her
      cycling cadence at least 60 rpm or above. Intervention will end with a 5 minutes cool down at
      50- 60% of HRmax. Total duration for each session will be 28 minutes. If a participant misses
      fewer than three sessions per week non- consecutively, the sessions missed will be replace at
      the end of period. However, if participants misses three or more sessions, he or she will be
      excluded from the study. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and at end of 6 weeks
      of intervention.
    

Intervention name(s): SIT
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Sprint interval training of 4*4, with 30 seconds of all out workout followed by 4 minutes of active recovery for 4 cycles.
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment