Wednesday, April 27, 2011

UWS RESEARCH SUGGESTS A ROLE FOR HIGH INTENSITY EXERCISE IN IMPROVING HEALTH

UWS RESEARCH SUGGESTS A ROLE FOR HIGH INTENSITY EXERCISE IN IMPROVING HEALTH


06 April 2011



A study undertaken by University of the West of Scotland (UWS) could have major implications for the fight against teenage obesity having revealed that brief intense exercise can improve indices of health.

Exercise is important for preventing cardiovascular disease, especially in children and adolescents, but UWS research published today (6 April 2011 ) in the American Journal of Human Biology reveals that the intensity rather than the duration of physical exercise may be the key factor in improving health and well-being

The research involved the study of 57 fifth and sixth year pupils at Holy Cross High School, Lanarkshire. The forty seven boys and ten girls were randomly divided into three groups: moderate (MOD), high intensity (HIT) and a control group.

The two exercise groups performed three weekly exercise sessions over 7 weeks. The HIT group’s training consisted of a series of 20 metre sprints over 30 seconds. In contrast the MOD group ran steadily for a period of 20 minutes.

The study saw the researchers take baseline measures, which included biochemical measures from blood samples. Blood samples were then taken at the end of the seven weeks to evaluate biochemical changes as a result of the change in their exercise routine. Samples were analysed for total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, insulin, glucose, fibrinogen, adiponectin, hs-C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6. In addition a number of other measures were taken before each testing session including body mass, body mass index, skinfold measurements and blood pressure.

The results of this research reveal that both the HIT and MOD groups demonstrated improved cardiovascular fitness, however the total exercise time over seven weeks was six times higher for the MOD group compared to the HIT group.

Lead author Duncan Buchan of University of the West of Scotland’s Exercise and Health Sciences Research Unit said: “Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality throughout the world and its risk factors have their origins in childhood. Our research examines the effects of brief, intense exercise when compared to traditional endurance exercise on the markers of CVD in young people.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the effects of a high intensity exercise regime on both traditional and novel CVD risk factors in healthy adolescents. Although our intervention period was relatively short, our findings do suggest that high intensity exercise may provide a means of improving indices of health in young people.

“Nevertheless, larger scale and extended interventions must be undertaken so that the long-term impact and effects of high intensity exercise on indices of health may be investigated further.”

Professor Julien Baker, Head of University of the West of Scotland’s Exercise and Health Sciences Research Unit, has over 20 years of exercise and sports research experience.

Commenting on the research Julien Baker said: “There is a growing school of thought that intensity of exercise rather than duration is the key factor in improving fitness and health levels. Our Scottish Government research supports this view and we hope that it may be the catalyst for further research which could ultimately revolutionise the way in which PE is delivered in schools throughout the country.”


http://www.uws.ac.uk/news/response-news.asp?id=1273

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