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RCT to assess two exercise programme in bariatric patients


Chilean researchers have initiated a randomised clinical trial (RCT) to assess the effects of two types of exercise - moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) - on body composition, cardiopulmonary function and perceived quality of life in bariatric surgery patients. An outline of the study was featured in the paper, ‘Effect of physical exercise in bariatric surgery patients: protocol of a randomized controlled clinical trial’, published in BMC Trials.

The randomised controlled exploratory pilot trial will include 75 adults of both sexes scheduled for bariatric surgery. They will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) MICT, (2) HIIT, or (3) a control group. The intervention will occur two days a week for four months. Outcomes will be assessed one week before surgery, 21 days after surgery (baseline before the exercise program), eight weeks after beginning the exercise programme and one week after the end of intervention. The study will be carried out at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service in the San Juan de Dios Hospital, Curicó, Chile.

Primary outcomes include body composition, heart rate variability, and six-min walk test and quality of life scores. Secondary outcomes will be maximal respiratory pressure, flowmeter, hand dynamometry and 30-s sit-to-stand test results.

  • Participants allocated to the MICT and HIIT groups will perform two weekly sessions of supervised exercise for 16 weeks. Sessions will be divided into a three-week adaptation period and 13 weeks of formal training. All sessions will consist of:

  • Joint mobility (3 min): head and neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, and trunk.

  • Warm-up (7 min): treadmill walking at 1–2 km/h.

Aerobic component:

  • MICT group: 15 min on a cycle ergometer at moderate intensity (40–60% of heart rate reserve) or at a perceived exertion rating of 5–6 out of 10.

  • HIIT group: 8 min on a cycle ergometer, including a 60-s sprint at 90% maximal heart rate followed by a 60-s rest until four sets are completed.

  • Strength training: 15 min of exercise in the large muscle groups with weight machines or dumbbells, including 1–2 sets of 8–10 repetitions at 50–60% of one-repetition maximum strength (1RM).

  • Cool-down (5 min): proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation exercises for abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor will be performed on a mat. Stretching exercises for arm, leg, and trunk muscles will be performed in three 30-s sets. Hemodynamic variables will be checked to ensure that blood pressure and heart rate values return to baseline.

Trial recruitment began in December 2019 and is expected to be completed in December 2022.

Further information

To access this paper, please click here

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