The Impact of High Intensity Exercise Upon EPC Number and Function in Young Women

The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of different exercise intensity training programs upon blood vessel function and circulating blood cells involved in blood vessel repair in young women. The long term effects of exercise may be beneficial to cardiovascular health and it is important to understand the training methods that are the most beneficial. In particular we aim to determine if brief maximal exercise improves the function and stiffness of blood vessels and enhance blood vessel repair. Two methods of exercising are being compared, exercise bouts involving intermittent exercise and exercise completed all at once, but at a very high intensity.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Exercise Anaphylaxis
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Sprint interval exercise; Behavioral: Maximal continuous exercise

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 12
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Karen M Birch, BSc PhD; Phone Number: +44(0)1133436713; Email: k.m.birch@leeds.ac.uk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Mark Rakobowchuk, BSc MSc PhD; Phone Number: +44(0)1133431669; Email: m.e.rakobowchuk@leeds.ac.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • West Yorkshire
    • Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS2 9JT
      • University of Leeds
      • Contact: Karen M Birch, BSc PhD; Phone Number: +44(0)1133436713; Email: k.m.birch@leeds.ac.uk
      • Contact: Mark Rakobowchuk, BSc MSc PhD; Phone Number: +44(0)1133431669; Email: m.e.rakobowchuk@leeds.ac.uk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 25 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Young healthy females
• Between 18-25 years old
• No on medication (this includes contraceptives)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Medication use (including oral contraceptives)
• Amenorrhoea
• High blood pressure
• Very active (>3 hours per week of organized physical activity)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Interval maximal exercise; Interval exercise involving repeated Wingate tests (30s durations of maximal exercise on a cycle ergometer).	Behavioral: Sprint interval exercise; 3 session per week of exercise on a exercise cycle ergometer. Each session involves 30s of maximal exercise followed by 4.5 min of easy cycling at 10W. This is repeated 4 times at each exercise session.; Other Names: high intensity exercise training
Experimental: Continuous maximal exercise; Continuous exercise of maximal exertion that has been work matched to an initial bout of interval exercise of 4 x 30s of maximal exercise. This exercise is performed on a cycle ergometer.	Behavioral: Maximal continuous exercise; 3 sessions per week of an exercise intervention involving maximal cycling until the participant has completed an amount of work equivalent to a sprint interval training session. This exercise lasts between 3 and 3.5 minutes.; Other Names: high intensity exercise training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal oxygen uptake	A measure of aerobic capacity determined during an incremental exercise test to volitional fatigue on an exercise ergometer.	4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Heart rate variability		4 weeks
Endothelial progenitor cell function	measures of in vitro cell migratory ability, adhesion and classification of endothelial progenitor cells	4 weeks
Flow mediated dialtion	Measure of vascular endothelial function determined non-invasively at the brachial artery	4 weeks
Arterial stiffness	The stiffness of the carotid artery is measured using a combination of ultrasound imaging and non-invasive blood pressure measurements. Lower degrees of stiffness are more favourable.	4 weeks
Circulating angiogenic cell numbers	These cells are involved in vascular repair and proliferation and may be measured using flow cytometric methods. Specifically cells with CD34 and CD309 antigens are enumerated.	4 weeks
Endothelial progenitor cell function	Measure of in vitro migratory, adhesion and classification of endothelial progenitor cells.	4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Leeds
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Karen M Birch, BSc PhD, University of Leeds

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): September 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Anticipated): November 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 11, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): March 14, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 14, 2011
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2011
• Last Verified: March 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Endothelial function; Arterial stiffness; Aerobic capacity; endothelial progenitor cells; Vascular health; Circulating angiogenic cells; High intensity exercise training; Traditional and emerging cardiovascular disease risk factors
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Immune System Diseases; Hypersensitivity, Immediate; Hypersensitivity; Anaphylaxis
• Other Study ID Numbers: BIOSCI-10-007