Intensity training and cardiovascular health in Colombian adults: results from HIIT-Heart Study and Cardiometabolic HIIT-RT Study

Abstract

The current Ph.D. dissertation revolves around the relationship between exercise intensity and improvement cardiometabolic health. It has been suggested that high intensity interval training and also moderate or resistance training generate positive effects on metabolic risk factors. For these reasons, it is necessary to clarify which type of training, is more effective to improve cardiometabolic health in Latin American population. This doctoral thesis is based on 6 scientific studies that have been published or submitted for publication in scientific international journals. The first study (Chapter 2), we aimed to determine the effects of moderate- versus high-intensity interval exercise training on vascular function parameters in physically inactive adults. The second study (Chapter 3) to compare the effects of high-intensity interval training and steady-state moderate-intensity training on clinical components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in healthy physically inactive adults. The third study (Chapter 4), we investigated the effect of moderate versus high-intensity interval exercise training on the HRV indices in physically inactive adults. Study five (Chapter 6) are Lab-based studies to evaluate the chronic impact of MCT or HIT on biomarkers of endothelial function, arterial stiffness and heart rate variability parameters postprandially after a high-fat meal. The last study of the current Ph.D. dissertation we aimed to investigate whether 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), resistance training (RT), concurrent training (CT=HIII+RT) or nutritional guidance (NG) induced improvements in metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors, vascular function parameters and ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) in sedentary and overweight adults, and to compare the training adaptations between intervention groups. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02738385 registered on March 23, 2016 and ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02715063 First registered on March 22, 2016.