Exploring the Effects of Aquatic Exercise on Cardiovascular Function in Older Adults (ACELA)

Sheffield Hallam University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cardiovascular Diseases

Treatments: Procedure: Aquatic exercise

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04308057

ER5320861

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cardiovascular ageing is implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aquatic exercise is being considered as a co-adjuvant form of rehabilitation, but there is limited evidence for its cardiovascular risk-reduction properties for older people. Our study aims to address this by exploring the cardiovascular effects of long-term aquatic exercise in older adults in comparison to those who are either inactive or engaged in land-based/mixed training by measurement of micro- and macro-circulation.

Enrollment: 100 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• being over 55 years of age and normotensive (e.g., <140/90 mm Hg).

Exclusion criteria

• any overt chronic disease which would affect microvascular functioning,
• anaemia (irrespective of whether an iron supplementation course is followed or not)
• a recent (3 months' ago) major surgery
• None of the participants were undertaking high intensity interval training of any form.

Trial design

100 participants in 4 patient groups

Aquatic Exercise

Description:

General inclusion criteria included being over 55 years of age and normotensive (e.g., \<140/90 mm Hg). Specifically for this group, we include participants engaging in swimming or other aquatic, primarily aerobic-based, training regimes for more than 2 times a week, for more than 6 months, at the time of the assessments.

Land-based exercise

Description:

General inclusion criteria included being over 55 years of age and normotensive (e.g., \<140/90 mm Hg). Specifically for this group, we include participants engaging in land-based, primarily aerobic training regimes (e.g. aerobic exercise) for more than 2 times a week, for a period longer than 6 months, at the time of the assessments.

Mixed exercise

Description:

General inclusion criteria included being over 55 years of age and normotensive (e.g., \<140/90 mm Hg). Specifically for this group, we include participants engaging in both land-based and aquatic, primarily aerobic, exercise regimes on an equal basis, for more than 6 months.

Sedentary.

Description:

General inclusion criteria included being over 55 years of age and normotensive (e.g., \<140/90 mm Hg). Specifically for this group, we include participants who are sedentary (e.g., defined as undertaking less than 60 min of structured/planned physical activity per week), for a period longer than 6 months.

Treatment:

Procedure: Aquatic exercise