The Effects of High-intensity Interval Training on Mental Health and Inflammation

McMaster University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depressive Symptoms; Inflammation; Anxiety

Treatments: Behavioral: Exercise; Other: Placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04118309

13-508

Details and patient eligibility

About

The present study investigated the effects of high-intensity interval exercise training and placebo-exercise on mental health and inflammation using a randomized control trial. The study also examined how anxiety symptoms prior to high-intensity interval training may influence improvements in fitness. Inactive young adults underwent nine weeks of either high-intensity interval training or their regular routine. Questionnaires, a blood draw and a maximal exercise test were conducted the week before and week after the intervention. It was hypothesized those who underwent high-intensity interval training would experience greater reductions in their depression, anxiety, and inflammation than those who were in the placebo control group. It was also hypothesized those who had high anxiety symptoms at the start of high-intensity interval training would experience smaller improvements in fitness than those who had low anxiety symptoms.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Full-time student at McMaster University
• Speak, read and understand English

Exclusion criteria

• Exercising for more than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

High-intensity interval training

Experimental group

Description:

Three sessions of high-intensity interval training per week for nine weeks. Following a three minute warm up, a session contained twenty minutes of alternating between a sprint (80% of maximum workload, 90-95% of maximum heart rate) and active rest (30% of maximum workload) at a one minute to one minute ratio. Every session ended with a two and a half minute cool down.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exercise

Placebo exercise group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

No changes in physical activity behaviour occurred (already engaging in less than 150 minutes per week, instructed to maintain their current inactivity). They were told they needed to stay inactive since they were part of an 'acute' exercise group, aiming to see how long the effects of their baseline maximal exercise test would last. Thus, the cover story gave them the impression they were also in an exercise group, as oppose to a non-exercise control group.

Treatment:

Other: Placebo