Breaking Sitting With High-intensity Interval Training for Brain Health

Aging Clinical Trial

— HIIT2SITLess  

Official title:

Breaking Prolonged Sitting With High-intensity Interval Training to Improve Cognitive and Brain Health in Older Adults: A Pilot Feasibility Trial.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Not yet recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06243016
• Other study ID #: 23938
• Secondary ID: 1R21AG080411-01A
• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: January 31, 2024
• Est. completion date: May 31, 2026

Study information

• Verified date: January 2024
• Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Contact: Dominika M Pindus, Ph.D.
• Phone: 217-300-7317
• Email: pindus[@]illinois.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This trial will examine whether interrupting 3.5 hours of sitting every 30 min with 6 min high intensity interval training (HIIT) breaks compared to light intensity interval training (LIIT) will improve brain health in cognitively normal older adults. This trial will test the feasibility of HIIT breaks to sitting. It will also address several important but unanswered questions: (1) Does interrupting sitting with short HIIT breaks improve frontoparietal function? (2) Can interrupting sitting with HIIT breaks improve cognitive functions?

Description:

The investigators are conducting an acute, single site randomized crossover trial testing two conditions lasting 3.5 hours each with a one to four-weeks washout period: (1) Interrupting sitting with 6 min of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) every 30 min, and (2) interrupting sitting with 6-min light-intensity interval training (LIIT) every 30 min. Investigators will administer the conditions in a counterbalanced order to 54 older adults (60-75 years). Brain function will be assessed using event-related brain potentials and measures of functional connectivity derived from electroencephalography. Cognitive functions will be assessed using a modified Eriksen flanker task and an antisaccade task. Investigators will measure episodic memory using a mnemonic discrimination task.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Enrollment: 54
• Est. completion date: May 31, 2026
• Est. primary completion date: May 31, 2026
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 60 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 60-75 years

2. BMI <40 kg/m2

3. Sedentary (= 6 h/day sitting by a survey question)

4. Not exercising regularly (i.e., not exercising at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes)

5. Capable of exercising vigorously based on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ+)

6. Has a medical clearance for maximal exercise and HIIT from a physician

7. Normotensive or participant's blood pressure is controlled

8. Intelligence quotient (IQ) =85

9. Fasting plasma glucose <126 mg/dL

10. Good or corrected vision and hearing

11. Right-handed

12. No significant abnormalities on the ECG during the maximal exercise test

13. No signs and symptoms that suggest an underlying cardiovascular disease as recorded during the maximal exercise test by a study physician.

14. No indications to prematurely stop the maximal exercise test as outlined by the ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Physical disability or musculoskeletal disease prohibitive to vigorous exercise

2. Learning disabilities

3. Cognitive impairment (MoCA <26)

4. Type 1 or 2 diabetes

5. Neurological condition (e.g., Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson, Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment)

6. Color blindness

7. Brain injury (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, concussion)

8. Migraine headaches

9. Presence of other health conditions that may be exacerbated by exercise

10. History of heart disease

11. High cholesterol not controlled by medication

12. Signs and symptoms indicative of underlying cardiovascular

13. A chronic pulmonary disease

14. Emphysema

15. Pulmonary embolus

16. Asthma

17. History of renal disease

18. History of seizures

19. A neuropsychiatric disorder

20. Osteoporosis if it interferes with an individual's ability to exercise

21. Severe back problems

22. Severe arthritis if it interferes with an individual's ability to exercise

23. Thyroid disorder not controlled by medication

24. Polyneuropathy

25. Sleep disorders

26. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

27. Hepatitis C

28. History of long Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

29. History of cancer

30. Current or past smoking <12 months

31. Corticosteroid intake < 31 days before screening

32. Opioids taken < 6 months from screening

33. Anabolic androgens taken < 31 days before screening

34. A serious illness or hospitalization in the last six months

35. Currently taking medications that can affect the central nervous system (except for anxiolytics)

36. Current participation in an ongoing trial likely to influence exercise ability or cognitive function

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Aging

Intervention

Behavioral:
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Breaks to Sitting
HIIT Breaks: a 3.5-hour sitting will be interrupted every 30 min with 6-min HIIT Breaks. During sitting participants will engage in standardized sedentary activities. Each 6-min HIIT break comprises a one-minute warm-up, followed by a 2-minute high-intensity interval, one minute rest (sitting on a cycle ergometer) followed by another 2 minutes at high intensity.
• Light-Intensity Interval Training (LIIT) Breaks to Sitting
LIIT Breaks: a 3.5-hour sitting will be interrupted every 30 min with 6-min LIIT Breaks. Each 6-min LIIT break comprises a one-minute warm-up, followed by a 2-minute light-intensity interval, one minute rest (sitting on a cycle ergometer) followed by another 2-minute light-intensity interval.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Urbana	Illinois

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	National Institute on Aging (NIA), Northeastern University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in task-evoked brain activity	EEG will be used to measure event-related brain potentials including the P3b-component during an inhibitory control task.	Immediately before intervention, 2 x during the intervention (50 min and 120 min into the intervention), and immediately after the intervention
Secondary	Change in cognitive functions	A modified Eriksen flanker task will be used to measure inhibitory control.	Immediately before intervention, 2 x during the intervention (50 min and 120 min into the intervention), and immediately after the intervention
Secondary	Change in cognitive functions	An antisaccade tasks will be used to measure inhibitory control. A mnemonic discrimination task will be used to measure episodic memory.	Immediately before intervention and immediately after the intervention
Secondary	Change in resting stated and task evoked brain activity	EEG will be used to measure functional connectivity at rest and during engagement in inhibitory control and episodic memory tasks.	Immediately before intervention and immediately after the intervention