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Microcurrent and Aerobic Exercise Effects in Abdominal Fat

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Obesity, Abdominal
Interventions
Device: Transcutaneous microcurrent
Device: Aerobic exercise
Registration Number
NCT02110927
Lead Sponsor
Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study was to analyze microcurrent short term effects used with aerobic exercise on abdominal fat.

Detailed Description

Nutritional patterns have been changed during twenty-first century with sugar and fat's high proportions that allied to sedentary lifestyle increased body fat. There is already a well establish relationship between total body fat excess, cardiometabolic diseases and increased mortality, knowing that abdominal fat (android pattern), different from body index, presents an additional influence to health risks. Women with their abdominal adipocytes (visceral fat) show an increased lipolytic activity that releases free fat acids to the systemic and portal circulation leading to a metabolic syndrome, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Aerobic exercise is a way to decrease fat as it stimulates lipolysis through an increase in catecholamine's level resulting from a sympathetic system nervous activity raise. The most used exercise for lipid elimination is the prolonged aerobic moderate exercise with a minimum of 30 minutes.

Nevertheless aerobic exercise practice reduce globally lipidic sources and not locally .

Electrolipolysis using microcurrent has been used in clinical practice as a technique to reduce abdominal fat. This technique can be applied transcutaneously or percutaneously seeming that the former is not so effective as skin can be an obstacle to the current effect on visceral and subcutaneous fat .

Abdominal fat excess is associated with cardiometabolic diseases and can be prevented using microcurrent and aerobic exercise to stimulate lipolysis.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
100
Inclusion Criteria
  • age between 18 and 30 years.
Exclusion Criteria
  • submitted to other fat reduce procedure, to show cardiovascular risk factors or diseases and/or any physical condition limiting aerobic exercise. To present any contraindications to microcurrent and/or aerobic exercise, to take medication that influence lipid metabolism, and to be pregnant.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Transcutaneous microcurrentAerobic exerciseThis group performed aerobic exercise just after microcurrent in the abdominal region with four transcutaneous electrodes in a parallel position, intensity below the sensitivity threshold and a maximum of 1 milliampere (mA). Every 20 minutes changed from 25 hertz (Hz) to 10 Hz
Transcutaneous microcurrentTranscutaneous microcurrentThis group performed aerobic exercise just after microcurrent in the abdominal region with four transcutaneous electrodes in a parallel position, intensity below the sensitivity threshold and a maximum of 1 milliampere (mA). Every 20 minutes changed from 25 hertz (Hz) to 10 Hz
Control groupAerobic exerciseControl group performed aerobic exercise just after microcurrent in the abdominal region with four transcutaneous electrodes in a parallel position, but microcurrent device was switched off.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in electromyographic activity5 minutes before and after microcurrent

Recording the surface electrical activity produced by rectus abdominis and external oblique in front bridge and side bridge exercise, respectively.

Change in catecholamines and glycerol concentrations10 minutes before the interventions, after interventions (duration of interventions - 90 minutes) and after 24 hours

Blood analysis collection was carried out with help from an clinical analysis technician. The volunteers were not fasting.

Change in proportion of energy sourceImmediately before (for 3 minutes) and during exercise (duration of exercise - 50 minutes)

K4b2 (COSMED ®) was used for analysis of cardiopulmonary gas exchange in real time.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Suprailiac, vertical and horizontal abdominal skinfolds20 minutes before the interventions

Suprailiac, vertical and horizontal abdominal skinfolds were performed two times in right hemi body, by caliper.

Perimeters measurements20 minutes before the interventions

The perimeters measurements were done, at the end of expiration, at waist level (below last rib), at navel level, at the point immediately above the iliac crests and at trochanters level. The waist-hip ratio was calculated using the waist level perimeter.

divided by trochanters level perimeter.

Subcutaneous abdominal fat and visceral abdominal fat20 minutes before the interventions

Ultrasound was performed at the end of expiration to measure subcutaneous abdominal fat between xiphoid apophysis and navel, below navel, and above left and right anterior superior iliac spine. Between xiphoid apophysis and navel was also measured visceral abdominal fat. Abdominal fat analyzed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Change in cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose concentrations10 minutes before the interventions, after interventions (duration of interventions - 90 minutes)

Blood analysis collection was carried out with help from an clinical analysis technician. The volunteers were not fasting.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Andreia Noites

🇵🇹

Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal

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