Clinical Research Directory

Aerobic Exercise-induced Effect on Endothelial Function in Patients With Ischaemic Heart Disease

Endothelial dysfunction is one of the aetiological factors in ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Aerobic exercise is effective in improving endothelial function, as measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), in patients with IHD. Within the aerobic exercise methods, there is evidence showing that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) increases FMD to a greater extent than moderate-intensity training (MIT) in these patients. Notably, in a recent review, our research group found that only studies performing long bouts of HIIT (long HIIT: higher than 1 min) found a greater effect on FMD, while no differences were found in those studies using short bouts of HIIT (short HIIT: ≤ 1 min) and MIT. However, no experimental studies comparing the effect of long HIIT, short HIIT, and MIT on endothelial function, as well as other predictors of mortality, such as cardiorespiratory fitness, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels or parasympathetic branch activity, have been performed. Therefore, the main objective of this project will be to compare the effect of the three aerobic exercise methods on endothelial function, as measured by FMD, in patients with IHD. Complementarily, the effect of aerobic exercise, depending on the exercise method, on different mortality predictors will be compared. For this purpose, a multicentre randomised study will be carried out (2 hospitals in Elche and one in Alicante). Assessors will be blinded to the patients allocation. Participants will be aware about their allocation in the experimental groups due to the nature of the study. A total of 132 men and women with IHD (66 per sex), diagnosed between three and 12 months before the start of the intervention, aged between 45 and 75 years, and without limitations for the practice of exercise training, will be recruited. All patients will train 3 days a week for 12 weeks. Participants will be assessed before the intervention (i.e., pre), at 6 weeks of training (i.e., mid) and after the intervention (i.e., post). Physiological and psychological variables will be registered in the assessment periods. Training intensity will be individually prescribed based on the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Intensity exercise will be adapted after the first part of the intervention. Analysis of covariance will be used to compare the values of the three groups after the intervention for the continuous variables, including the pre-intervention value as a covariate, while a logistic regression model will be used for the categorical variables.

Effect of Tele-exercise on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Paediatrics

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if telemedicine exercise programme can improve the cardiorespiratory fitness (how well your body delivers oxygen to muscles and organs) and insulin resistance in Asian children with low cardiorespiratory fitness levels. The main questions it aims to answers are: * Does telemedicine exercise programme improve the number of 20-metre laps the participant is able to run? * Does telemedicine exercise programme improve the insulin sensitivity using the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) formula? Researchers will compare the telemedicine exercise programme to current active lifestyle programme (e.g., daily step count monitoring) to see if telemedicine exercise programme is more effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness. Participants will: * participate in weekly telemedicine exercise programme or adhere to current active lifestyle recommendations through daily step count reporting for 10 weeks * visit the clinic for pre- and post-programme cardiorespiratory fitness assessments and blood taking

A Study on Cardiopulmonary Exercise Tolerance Standards for Healthy Chinese Population

This project intends to conduct a large-sample, prospective, multicenter clinical cohort study in healthy populations. By utilizing a digital cardiopulmonary rehabilitation clinical data research platform, The investigators aim to achieve automated, standardized, and uniform collection, analysis, and AI modeling of large-scale cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) data. The ultimate goals are: To establish reference standards for cardiopulmonary exercise capacity in the Chinese healthy population. To develop machine learning-based predictive models for key CPET variables (e.g., peak VO₂) tailored to Chinese demographics. To compare performance differences between domestically produced and imported CPET devices.

REmotely Monitored, Mobile Health Supported Multidomain Rehabilitation Program With High Intensity Interval Training for COVID-19

Multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial providing mobile health supported physical rehabilitation to 120 patients who have been critically ill with COVID-19 and who complete at least one exercise session.

Remotely Monitored, Mobile Health-supported, High Intensity Interval Training Before Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how a remotely monitored high-intensity interval training (REMM-HIIT) affects the cardiorespiratory fitness and physical function for patients planning to undergo stem cell transplantation. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is there a change in the participant's cardiorespiratory fitness level? Is there a change in the participant's physical function? Researchers will compare the REMM-HIIT program to a control group of participants who do not take part in the training program to see if REMM-HIIT helps improve stem cell transplantation outcomes. Participants will: * Complete cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) 4 times during the study * Do basic tests to measure physical function 6 times during the study * Answer questions about their life and how they are feeling 6 times during the study * Wear a device to keep track of step counts and heart rate daily * Keep a log of every time they exercise throughout the study * Optionally, provide blood and stool samples 6 times during the study

Response Variability to Exercise

In this proposal, the investigators challenge the assumption that following the physical activity guidelines implies benefit for ALL adults, and that if benefit is not achieved in response to first line therapy, it will be by simply exercising more. Thus, for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic risk factors, unanswered questions include: 1) To what extent, regardless of increasing exercise intensity or amount, is exercise not associated with benefit? Demonstration of a resistance to benefit through exercise in a substantial number of adults would be a novel and important finding, would counter the assumptions of many if not most health care practitioners, and could have immediate and direct application in all health care settings. 2) To what extent will non-responders to first line therapy (150 min/wk) be required to increase exercise intensity or amount to achieve benefit? 3) To what extent will failure to improve CRF segregate (be associate with) with cardiometabolic risk factors? The investigators propose that adults who remain exercise resistant for improvement in CRF and cardiometabolic risk despite increasing amount or intensity are at high risk of metabolic disease and consequently, are candidates for alternative treatment strategies.

Development & Validation of Preoperative Objective Physiological Evaluation

This study will compare the measured oxygen consumption (VO2) obtained during sub-maximal exercise testing with the estimated VO2 derived from a non-exercise questionnaire.

Insomnia´s Impact on DNA Stability, Cardio-metabolic Health and Lifestyle Behaviors

Insomnia is a highly prevalent sleep disorder worldwide, with an increasing incidence in athletes, older adults, university students, and individuals with metabolic syndrome. This disorder has been associated with metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular diseases, and genetic instability. Recent evidence suggests that insomnia negatively impacts cardiorespiratory fitness, insulin sensitivity, and overall health through mechanisms involving neuroendocrine dysregulation, oxidative stress, and alterations in energy metabolism. However, the specific biological and environmental factors that contribute to its prevalence and health consequences remain poorly understood, particularly across different populations. Understanding these associations is crucial for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate the long-term impact of insomnia. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of insomnia on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, metabolic flexibility, and DNA integrity, across populations with high prevalence of insomnia, including athletes, older adults, university students, and individuals with metabolic syndrome. This study will also investigate which biological and lifestyle behaviors contribute to insomnia and its health consequences. By doing so, this work will provide critical insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms that link insomnia with metabolic and cardiovascular dysfunction, contributing to the development of targeted interventions for at-risk populations

Effects of Exercise Snacks and Sprint Interval Training in Overweight Adults

Exploring the efficacy and acceptability of exercise snacks (ES) and sprint interval training (SIT) could provide time-efficient, low-barrier alternatives for individuals, especially those who, due to 'lack of time, environment, and equipment,' struggle to meet traditional physical activity recommendations. This research aims to investigate the effects of ES and SIT, of equal exercise volume, on overweight adults.

Effects of Aerobic and Diaphragmatic Exercises on Choir Singers

The goal of this randomized-controlled study is to compare the effects of diaphragmatic breathing exercise training provided by a physiotherapist and aerobic exercise training applied in addition to diaphragmatic breathing exercise training provided by a physiotherapist on respiratory functions and voice performance in choir singers. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Is diaphragmatic breathing exercise training provided by a physiotherapist effective in improving the respiratory functions of choir singers? * Is diaphragmatic breathing exercise training provided by a physiotherapist effective in improving the vocal performance of choir singers? * Does aerobic exercise training applied in addition to diaphragmatic breathing exercise training provided by a physiotherapist have a greater effect on improving the respiratory functions of choir singers compared to diaphragmatic breathing exercise training applied alone? * Does aerobic exercise training applied in addition to diaphragmatic breathing exercise training provided by a physiotherapist have a greater effect on improving the vocal performance of choir singers compared to diaphragmatic breathing exercise training applied alone? The research data are going to be collected by Sociodemographic Information Form, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, Self-Performance Evaluation Questionnaire, Vocal Fatigue Index, Singing Voice Handicap Index, measurement of maximum phonation time, pulmonary function test, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure measurement, and 6-minute walk test.

School-based HIIT and Dose-Response Effects

There are experimental evidences of the importance of high intensity exercises in health outcomes improvement. However, there are limited knowledge about possibility to affect health outcomes in adolescents through exercises programs introduced into physical education (PE) lesson. Moreover, there is lack of the studies identifying people who do not respond to stimuli, as well as examining potential determinants of non-responsiveness. Thirdly, there are no studies examining the modification of exercise dose that should be reflected in the response in such individuals. Aim of this human experiment is to examine the effects of one cycle of 8-weeks high-intensity interval training (HIIT) implemented in physical education lesson on: (1) body composition (proportions of the body fat to the body muscles), (2) resting blood pressure, (3) physical efficiency. Study are conducted for two years (two cycles). Each year 300 students of two secondary schools, are involved in project: 15-16-year-olds in first year, 18-19-year-olds in second year. Students are divided in experimental groups -performing 8-weeks (twice a week) cycle of HIIT implemented into PE lesson, and the control groups - students following a typical PE programme. Each cycle consists of two parts. First part is related to the 8 weeks of HIIT training, while second part is related to the dose-expose study. All participants are examined during project before (Pre), after (Post) and Follow-Up intervention. Second part is planned after a break of several months. Persons who do not respond to the exercise stimulus in the first part will follow individually modified programmes. They will be measured before and after this additional training. To examine the assumed HIIT-induced changes in participants the investigators will apply: (1) anthropometric measurements: body height and weight, and BMI will be calculated, (2) body mass composition (fat and muscle mass), (3) resting blood pressure, (4) beep test which is field motor specific test to assess physical efficiency. The results of this project will help to answer the fundamental questions about HIIT induced morphological and physiological effects in adolescents, what is important from scientific and public health point of view. Particularly, in view of the growing pandemic of obesity, common elevated blood pressure and steadily declining physical fitness in children and adolescents.

Combating Physical Inactivity Pandemic in Kindergartens

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a kindergarten-based, parent-involved intervention during the upper kindergarten year (K3) on physical activity and physical fitness in preschool children.