High Intensity Training – A HIT for improved function and health among older people?

Physical activity plays a key role in maintaining mental and physical health among older people, but only about one-third of people over the age of 65 meet the recommendations for physical activity.Extremely short duration High-Intensity Training (HIT) is a novel training method that shows improved health in young and middle-aged people.

It is still unknown whether HIT is also feasible and effective for older people.

After extensive pilot studies, we have developed a HIT program adapted for older people with individually tailored exercise load, which is now being evaluated in an ongoing randomized controlled study (data collection will finalize during 2020).

Here, we apply for funding for analysis and publishing of results, and implementing the training method.The project will evaluate the feasibility of HIT in terms of attendance, achieved intensity and adverse events, and explore older people´s experiences of HIT through interviews.

We will also evaluate the effects on cardiovascular function; brain health; muscle function; metabolic health; and psychological health.

Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 9 months by blinded assessors.Sixty-eight older women and men, who did not engage in regular exercise, were randomized to HIT or moderate intensive continuous exercise (MICT). Each HIT session consisted of 10 repeated 6-second controlled sprints. Each MICT session consisted of 30 minutes of continuous training at moderate intensity.

HIT and MICT sessions were conducted on training bikes twice a week for 12 weeks, in supervised groups of 8-10 people.For the conduction of the project we have formed an interdisciplinary research group with experts in physiotherapy, cognitive neuroscience, cardiology and social work. We collaborate with representatives from, for example, senior and sports organizations.

This project thus has the potential to provide evidence of whether HIT is safe and effective for older people and to contribute to a broad implementation.