Efficacy of interval training on cardiorespiratory function and muscle force in obese women

Methods

Summary

Sedentary, obese women ages 18-50 yr will be randomized into 1 of 2 6 wk training regimes, low-volume HIIT or periodized HIIT.  Outcome measures will include VO2max, cardiac output, muscle force, and body composition as well as various perceptual measures including affect and enjoyment.

Challenges

The training regime is relatively brief so it is not too cumbersome to reduce participant interest.  However, participant adherence may be a challenge which we will attempt to overcome through use of dynamic training regimes as well as weekly emails and texts to continually encourage participants to adhere.

Pre Analysis Plan

One initial hypothesis is that periodized HIIT will elicit superior increases in VO2max compared to low-volume HIIT, as we recently demonstrated in active men and women (Astorino et al. 2017).  Data will be analyzed using mixed ANOVA with repeated measures.  Variance in our data will be minimized by only recruiting women who are sedentary, and ensuring that prospective participants meet our very strict inclusion criteria.