The Impact of Physical (In)Activity on Sleep Quality

The proposed research will examine the role of physical activity (PA) on altering sleep quality (SQ) while systematically examining novel mechanisms that may drive changes in SQ. Specifically, the study will examine how a 2 week reduction in PA alters sleep quality in young, healthy individuals. Additionally, during this reduction in PA, the study will examine changes in inflammation, oxidative stress, and sympathetic activity to identify potential mechanisms for alterations in sleep quality.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sleep
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Reduced Physical Activity

Detailed Description

Sleep, which makes up approximately one third of an individual's life, plays a vital role in normal bodily functioning by regulating metabolic and endocrine function. Disturbed sleep, defined as any alteration to normal sleep patterns, is highly prevalent, affecting 35% and 41% of the general population in the United States and has been linked to poor cardiovascular health, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Young adults are a population at high risk for disturbed sleep-related health outcomes due to negative lifestyle behaviors such as alcohol consumption, drug use, study patterns, and excessive screen time that remain with advancing age. Due to the importance of improving or maintaining health outcomes through adequate sleep quality (SQ), the proposed research will examine the role of physical activity (PA) on altering SQ while systematically examining novel mechanisms that may drive changes in SQ. Specifically, this study will examine how alterations (increases and decreases) in PA impact SQ and how these alterations modify inflammation, oxidative stress, and sympathetic stimulation in young adults.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 33
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Virginia
    • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23298
      • Virginia Commonwealth University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy individuals with average weekly step count greater than 7500
• Low risk of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic disease

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic disease
• Individuals taking medications that may affect cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic function
• Diet differs substantially from typical diet, significant calorie restriction, or vitamin/mineral deficiencies
• Pregnant women
• Prisoners

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Reduced Physical Activity; Participants will reduce their physical activity level by >5000 steps per day for two weeks.

Behavioral: Reduced Physical Activity; Preliminary Phase (Baseline to Day 7): Subjects will begin wearing an accelerometer for 7 days to track physical activity and sleep patterns. Experimental Phase 1 (Day 7 to Day 21): Participants will be required to reduce their step count by 5,000 steps per day and engage in no moderate-vigorous physical activity during this timeframe. Every 7 days subjects undergo the blood draw, vascular health measures and questionnaire assessments. Experimental Phase 2 (Day 21 to 28): During the week of assessment, subjects will be asked to return to their normal physical activity patterns.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in sleep quality (phase 1)	Evaluation of sleep efficiency (the ratio of total sleep time to the total time recorded in which the subject was not asleep (i.e. brief awakenings))	Day 7 to Day 21
Change in sleep quality (phase 2)	Evaluation of sleep efficiency (the ratio of total sleep time to the total time recorded in which the subject was not asleep (i.e. brief awakenings))	Day 21 to Day 28

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Level of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in blood	Measurement of inflammation with greater levels indicating more inflammation	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Level of Interleukin-6 in blood	Measurement of inflammation with greater levels indicating more inflammation	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Level of Interleukin-1 in blood	Measurement of inflammation with greater levels indicating more inflammation	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Level of Norepinephrine in blood	Measurement of catecholamine production with greater levels indicating more production	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Level of Epinephrine in blood	Measurement of catecholamine production with greater levels indicating more production	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Level of Lipid peroxidation in blood	Measurement of oxidative stress with greater levels indicating more oxidative stress	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Protein oxidation in blood	Measurement of oxidative stress with greater levels indicating more oxidative stress	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Change in Lower Limb Vascular Function	Measurement of popliteal artery dilation after 5 minutes of lower limb occlusion	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Change in Upper Limb Vascular Function	Measurement of brachial artery dilation after 5 minutes of lower limb occlusion	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28
Change in Leg Vascular Function	Measurement of leg blood flow during 1 minute of passive leg movement	Measured on Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, Day 28

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ryan Garten, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 20, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 30, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): September 30, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 20, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 20, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): May 3, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 10, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2020
• Last Verified: February 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: HM20012432

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No