Virtual Training Based on Supersets vs. Concurrent Training in Women.

The Effects of Eight Weeks of Virtual Training Based on Supersets vs. Concurrent Training on Muscle Strength, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Motivation, Adherence, and HRQL in Women With Low to Moderate Levels of Physical Activity.

There are different forms of physical activity proven to improve muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness. One of them is concurrent training, which is defined as the combination of two or more physical capacities in the same session (resistance and endurance training). Another modality is superset training, which is characterized by performing two or more exercises for the same muscle group, or a different muscle group, consecutively, with minimal recovery between them.

To date, the evidence has shown studies comparing different resistance training protocols, vs. aerobic training, and vs. concurrent training, performed in various ways, on muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness. Most of these studies involved men with resistance training experience, and little research linked women. It should be noted that no study found has used virtual training to test the effects of superset training compared to concurrent training in women with low to moderate levels of physical activity.

Therefore, this study aims to identify the effect of a superset training program vs. a concurrent training program on muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, motivation, adherence, and health-related quality of life in women with a low to moderate level of physical activity for eight weeks virtually.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy Volunteers
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Superset; Behavioral: Concurrent

Detailed Description

Sixty women will be randomly assigned to two groups (superset and concurrent). The interventions will be carried out virtually asynchronously, only sessions 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21 will be supervised synchronously. Follow-up will be done through WhatsApp messages. Both groups will have a training frequency of 3 times a week for eight weeks. In the training sessions, strength exercises with self-loading (crunches, one leg squat, side plank, push up, deadlift, lumbar extension stretch, row, glute bridge, front raise) and/or aerobic exercises (floor tape squat, jumping jacks, skaters). Each group will execute the same number of series and repetitions during the 8 weeks, the performance of strength exercises will be standardized at 45 bpm throughout the protocol, and aerobic exercises at 70 bpm. Intensity will be controlled by resting between sets, starting with 90 seconds in week one, decreasing by 15 seconds every two weeks until reaching 45 seconds.

Each participant will have initial and final evaluations to measure muscle strength in lower, middle, and upper kinetic chains. Queen's College test will be used to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, BREQ-2, and SF-12 questionnaires will be used to measure motivation and health-related quality of life respectively.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Colombia
  • Antioquia
    • Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
      • Universidad de Antioquia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 40 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy women
• Physical activity (<600 to ≤1500 MET/min/wk)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• History of cardiovascular disease
• History of coronary heart disease
• Osteoporosis
• Pregnancy
• Breast-feeding women
• Psychological, neuromotor, and/or osteo-muscular conditions that may affect participation in an exercise program.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Superset; This group will perform three strength circuit training. Each circuit training consists of three exercises (lower, middle, and upper body exercises) performed in a supersets fashion. This order makes it less complex, which is important given the characteristics of the population.	Behavioral: Superset; A strength circuit training will be performed in a supersets fashion. Three strength circuit training in three blocks.; One leg squat, side plank, and push up.; Deadlift, lumbar extension stretch, and row.; Glute bridge, crunches, and front raise.
Active Comparator: Concurrent; This group will perform six resistance exercises in a traditional fashion (three exercises for the lower body, three exercises for the upper body) and three aerobic exercises (floor tap squat, jumping jacks, and skaters).	Behavioral: Concurrent; Six resistance exercises in a traditional fashion: three exercises for the lower body (one leg squat, deadlift, and glute bridge). Three exercises for the upper body (push up, row, and front raise). And three aerobic exercises (floor tap squat, jumping jacks, and skaters).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in muscular strength	Test: One leg squat, leg lever, and push up. A maximum number of repetitions as possible to failure.	Baseline and 8-weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Cardiorespiratory fitness	Queens College Step Test The test consists of 3 minutes of stepping up and down on a 41.3 cm step at a set rate of 22 steps per minute for females and at 24 steps per minute for males. Estimation of VO2max can be calculated from the test results as follow: Men: VO2max(ml/kg/min) = 111.33 - (0.42 x heart rate (bpm) Women: VO2max(ml/kg/min) = 65.81 - (0.1847 x heart rate (bpm)	Baseline and 8-weeks
Health-related quality of life	Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12) Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12) Physical component score (PCS) 0-100 Mental component score (MCS) 0-100 The scores have a mean of 50 with a standard deviation of 10. Values above or below 50 indicate a better or worse state of physical or mental health.	Baseline and 8-weeks
Motivation to exercise	Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2). BREQ-2 has a Likert-type scale of 5 points, where 0 = not true for me and 4 = very true for me.	Baseline and 8-weeks
Exercise adherence	Attendance at exercise sessions	Baseline and 8-weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad de Antioquia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 12, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 26, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 26, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 26, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): May 2, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 21, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 19, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Concurrent training; Resistance training; Superset resistance training; Virtual training
• Other Study ID Numbers: Virtual Superset-UdeA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

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