Changes in Fitness-Fatness Index following a Personalized, Community-Based Exercise Program in Physically Inactive Adults: a Randomised Controlled Trial

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 1418-1429, 2022. Fitness-fatness index (FFI) is used to identify those at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events. It is measured as the ratio between an individual’s cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and waist-to-height ratio. Studies suggest that CRF and waist-to-height ratio are modifiable and can be improved by exercise. However, there is limited evidence surrounding a personalized approach to exercise prescription. This study investigated the impact of a 12-week personalized exercise program on FFI among sedentary individuals. It was hypothesized that the intervention would be effective in improving FFI in this cohort. One hundred and forty-two participants were randomized into two groups: i) personalised community-based intervention (n = 70); or ii) control (n = 72). Both groups underwent baseline anthropometric testing and a submaximal ‘talk-test’ to determine individual exercise intensities and baseline FFI. During the intervention, the control group underwent normal activities, whilst the treatment group received a 12-week personalised exercise program based on the American Council on Exercise (ACE) Integrated Fitness Training (IFT) guidelines. After 12-weeks, the treatment group demonstrated a significant increase in FFI (+13%), whilst the control group (-2%) showed a slight decrease (between-group difference, p = \u3c 0.001). Both CRF (+12%) and waist-to-height (-2%) also showed significant favourable changes in the treatment group, with no change in the control group (between group difference, p = 0.01). These findings indicate that a personalised approach to exercise prescription using the ACE IFT guidelines are beneficial in reducing FFI. Consequently, FFI could be implemented within standardized approaches to exercise to help reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions

Changes in the Second Ventilatory Threshold Following Individualised versus Standardised Exercise Prescription among Physically Inactive Adults: A Randomised Trial

The second ventilatory threshold (VT2) is established as an important indicator of exercise intensity tolerance. A higher VT2 allows for greater duration of higher intensity exercise participation and subsequently greater reductions in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of standardised and individualised exercise prescription on VT2 among physically inactive adults. Forty-nine physically inactive male and female participants (48.6 ± 11.5 years) were recruited and randomised into a 12-week standardised (n = 25) or individualised (n = 24) exercise prescription intervention. The exercise intensity for the standardised and individualised groups was prescribed as a percentage of heart rate reserve (HRR) or relative to the first ventilatory threshold (VT1) and VT2, respectively. Participants were required to complete a maximal graded exercise test at pre-and post-intervention to determine VT1 and VT2. Participants were categorised as responders to the intervention if an absolute VT2 change of at least 1.9% was attained. Thirty-eight participants were included in the analysis. A significant difference in VT2 change was found between individualised (pre vs. post: 70.6% vs. 78.7% maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max)) and standardised (pre vs. post: 72.5% vs. 72.3% VO2max) exercise groups. Individualised exercise prescription was significantly more efficacious (p = 0.04) in eliciting a positive response in VT2 (15/19, 79%) when compared to the standardised exercise group (9/19, 47%). Individualised exercise prescription appears to be more efficacious than standardised exercise prescription in eliciting a positive VT2 change among physically inactive adults. Increasing VT2 allows for greater tolerance to higher exercise intensities and therefore greater cardiovascular health outcomes

Is Moderate Intensity Exercise Training Combined with High Intensity Interval Training More Effective at Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness than Moderate Intensity Exercise Training Alone?

© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine / The authors Deposited to the Flinders Academic Commons in accordance with publisher's policyThe purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of either continuous moderate intensity exercise training (CMIET) alone vs. CMIET combined with a single weekly bout of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiorespiratory fitness. Twenty nine sedentary participants (36.3 ± 6.9 yrs) at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease were recruited for 12 weeks of exercise training on a treadmill and cycle ergometer. Participants were randomised into three groups: CMIET + HIIT (n = 7; 8-12 x 60 sec at 100% VO2max, 150 sec active recovery), CMIET (n = 6; 30 min at 45-60% oxygen consumption reserve (VO2R)) and a sedentary control group (n = 7). Participants in the CMIET + HIIT group performed a single weekly bout of HIIT and four weekly sessions of CMIET, whilst the CMIET group performed five weekly CMIET sessions. Probabilistic magnitude-based inferences were determined to assess the likelihood that the true value of the effect represents substantial change. Relative VO2max increased by 10.1% (benefit possible relative to control) in in the CMIET + HIIT group (32.7 ± 9.2 to 36.0 ± 11.5 mL·kg-1·min-1) and 3.9% (benefit possible relative to control) in the CMIET group (33.2 ± 4.0 to 34.5 ± 6.1 mL·kg-1·min-1), whilst there was a 5.7% decrease in the control group (30.0 ± 4.6 to 28.3 ± 6.5 mL·kg-1·min-1). It was ‘unclear’ if a clinically significant difference existed between the effect of CMIET + HIIT and CMIET on the change in VO2max. Both exercising groups showed clinically meaningful improvements in VO2max. Nevertheless, it remains ‘unclear’ whether one type of exercise training regimen elicits a superior improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness relative to its counterpart

Zumba Gold®: Are The Physiological Responses Sufficient to Improve Fitness in Middle-Age to Older Adults?

Zumba® is currently one the most popular group-based exercise classes in the world with an estimated 12 million people of all shapes and sizes participating in Zumba classes on a weekly basis (Luettgen et al., 2012). Previous research by Luettgen and colleagues (2012) has found Zumba to be a highly effective workout for young women of various fitness levels. It was reported that participation in a single Zumba exercise class burned on average 360 calories and elicited a heart rate response equivalent to 80% of maximal heart rate (Luettgen et al., 2012). Zumba Gold® is a modified form of Zumba that was designed to meet the anatomical, physiological, and psychological needs of seniors. However, to our knowledge there is no research examining the physiological responses to Zumba Gold in the older-adult population. Understanding the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to exercise is essential for designing safe and effective physical activity and rehabilitation programs. For example, it would be beneficial to understand the metabolic equivalent (MET) value associated with a Zumba Gold exercise class. A MET value would allow the quantification of Zumba Gold exercise intensity as low, moderate, or vigorous in nature, and hence, aid in establishing a safe and effective target workload. The lack of research concerning the physiological responses to Zumba Gold in middle-aged and older adult populations coupled with its increasing popularity prompted the present study. Therefore, the purpose of this study was (a) to assess the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to Zumba Gold and (b) to determine if Zumba Gold meets current guidelines for improving and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness. Sixteen men and women participated in this study. All descriptive characteristics of the participants are presented in Table 1. This study was approved by the Human Research Committee at Western State Colorado University. Prior to participation, each participant signed an informed consent form and underwent baseline testing. All measurements were obtained on non-consecutive testing days. Day 1 consisted of the collection of individual physical and physiological measures and measurement of resting metabolic rate and the maximal exercise test. Day 2 consisted of assessment of the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to a 45-minute Zumba Gold exercise class led by a certified Zumba Gold instructor. Testing sessions were separated by 2 days to 2 weeks. Resting metabolic rate and oxygen uptake during the Zumba Gold exercise class and maximal exercise test were measured using an Oxycon Mobile portable calorimetric measurement system. Continuous HR measurements were obtained using a Polar F1 heart rate monitor interfaced with the Oxycon Mobile system. Cardiovascular and metabolic responses (mean ± SD) to the Zumba Gold exercise class session are presented in Table 2. Overall heart rate for the 45-min Zumba Gold exercise class session was 114 ± 14 beats/min, which corresponded to 50.1 ± 10.1% HRR and 49.6 ± 8.4% VO2R. Absolute exercise intensity in METs was 4.3 ± 0.4. Total energy expenditure for the Zumba Gold exercise class was 197.9 ± 38.0 kcal/session. The main finding of the present study is that participation in a single exercise class of Zumba Gold in middle age and older adults elicits cardiovascular and metabolic responses that fulfill exercise intensity guidelines for improving and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness (Bryant and Green, 2010; Pescatello, 2014). Exercise intensity is arguably the most critical component of the exercise prescription model. Failure to meet minimal threshold values may result in lack of a training effect, while too high of an intensity could lead to over-training and negatively impact adherence to an exercise program (Franklin, 2007). Results from the present study indicate Zumba Gold exercise can be classified as “moderate” according to various organizations definition of physical activity intensity (Bryant and Green, 2010; Pescatello, 2014). In both the U.S. Surgeon General report on physical activity (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996) and elsewhere (Pescatello, 2014), moderate-intensity physical activity in metabolic terms has been classified as 3 to 6 METS. In the present study, the MET response to Zumba Gold exercise averaged 4.4 and ranged from 2.1 to 6.9. Thus, participants in the present investigation exercised at workloads during the Zumba Gold exercise class that elicited metabolic responses within the accepted moderate-intensity range. This is an important finding given the fact that moderate-intensity exercise has been widely recommended for health benefits (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). MET values described in the present study compare favorably to more traditional and non-traditional exercise values. For instance, treadmill and over ground walking at 3.0 miles per hour is an equivalent moderate-intensity physical activity at 3.3 METS. Likewise, Guderian and colleagues (2010) recently reported that playing Wii Fit video games is a feasible alternative to more traditional aerobic exercise modalities for middle-aged and older adults that elicit a 3.5 mean MET value response. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the cardiovascular and metabolic responses to Zumba Gold exercise in middle-aged and older adults. Findings from the present study support Zumba Gold exercise as a feasible alternative to traditional exercise modalities for older adults that fulfills guidelines for improving and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness. This is critical, as low cardiorespiratory fitness may contribute to premature mortality in this segment of the population and contribute to a reduction in physiological functional capacity and eventually can result in loss of independence (Fitzgerald et al., 1997). Overall, these findings are important for exercise professionals, physical therapists, and others who design exercise programs for older adult populations

Changes in metabolic syndrome severity following individualized versus standardized exercise prescription: A feasibility study

This study sought to investigate the efficacy of standardized versus individualized exercise intensity prescription on metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity following a 12-week exercise intervention. A total of 38 experimental participants (47.8 ± 12.2 yr, 170.7 ± 8.0 cm, 82.6 ± 18.7 kg, 26.9 ± 6.7 mL·k·min) were randomized to one of two exercise interventions (exercise intensity prescribed using heart rate reserve or ventilatory threshold). Following the 12-week intervention, MetS z-score was significantly improved for the standardized (-2.0 ± 3.1 to -2.8 ± 2.8 [ = 0.01]) and individualized (-3.3 ± 2.3 to -3.9 ± 2.2 [ = 0.04]) groups. When separating participants based on prevalence of MetS at baseline and MetS -score responsiveness, there were six and three participants in the standardized and individualized groups, respectively, with three or more MetS risk factors. Of the six participants in the standardized group, 83% (5/6) of the participants were considered responders, whereas 100% (3/3) of the individualized participants were responders. Furthermore, only 17% (1/6) of the participants with MetS at baseline in the standardized group no longer had symptoms of MetS following the intervention. In the individualized group, 67% (2/3) of participants with baseline MetS were not considered to have MetS at week 12. These findings suggest that an individualized approach to the exercise intensity prescription may ameliorate the severity of MetS

Personalized moderate-intensity exercise training combined with high-intensity interval training enhances training responsiveness

This study sought to determine if personalized moderate-intensity continuous exercise training (MICT) combined with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) was more effective at improving comprehensive training responsiveness than MICT alone. Apparently healthy, but physically inactive men and women (n = 54) were randomized to a non-exercise control group or one of two 13-week exercise training groups: (1) a personalized MICT + HIIT aerobic and resistance training program based on the American Council on Exercise guidelines, or (2) a standardized MICT aerobic and resistance training program designed according to current American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. Mean changes in maximal oxygen uptake (VO ) and Metabolic (MetS) z-score in the personalized MICT + HIIT group were more favorable (p 4.9%) and MetS z-score (∆ ≤ −0.48) in 100% (16/16) of participants in the personalized MICT + HIIT group. In the present study, a personalized exercise prescription combining MICT + HIIT in conjunction with resistance training elicited greater improvements in VO, MetS z-score reductions, and diminished inter-individual variation in VO and cardiometabolic training responses when compared to standardized MICT