Effects of Weekend Warrior Exercise on Aerobic Capacity and Skeletal Muscle Strength in Sedentary Female University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 尚未招募
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 60
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Change in Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO2peak)
研究概览
简要总结
This single-center, single-blind, three-arm randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of weekend-concentrated exercise, regularly distributed exercise, and usual lifestyle on aerobic capacity and skeletal muscle strength in sedentary female university students. Sixty participants aged 18 to 25 years will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to a weekend warrior group, a regular exercise group, or a control group.
The intervention will last 8 weeks. Both exercise groups will complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, combining resistance exercise and jogging, but the exercise sessions will be distributed differently across the week. The control group will maintain its usual lifestyle without receiving the prescribed exercise intervention.
The primary outcomes are peak oxygen uptake and isokinetic peak torque. Secondary outcomes include body composition, maximal heart rate, maximal power and time to exhaustion, 12-minute run performance, isokinetic mean torque, physical activity, sleep quality, exercise self-efficacy, emotional status, cognitive function, adherence, feasibility, and exercise-related adverse events.
详细描述
This study is designed to test whether concentrating the recommended weekly exercise volume into a weekend pattern produces comparable benefits to a regularly distributed exercise pattern in sedentary female university students. The intervention emphasizes a dose-matched comparison in which both exercise groups complete the same total weekly exercise duration, while the distribution of exercise sessions differs.
After baseline screening and assessment, participants will be assigned to one of three parallel groups using a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. The weekend warrior group will complete two consecutive exercise days per week, whereas the regularly distributed exercise group will complete three exercise days per week. Both exercise programs will last 8 weeks and include resistance exercise combined with moderate-intensity jogging.
Resistance exercise will primarily target the lower limbs, core, and major muscle groups. Exercises may include squats, lunges, glute bridges, calf raises, and planks, using body weight, elastic bands, or light equipment as appropriate. Jogging may be performed as continuous jogging or a run-walk format according to individual fitness level. Exercise intensity will be monitored using heart rate and rating of perceived exertion. Jogging intensity will generally be maintained at approximately 60% to 75% of maximal heart rate or a rating of perceived exertion of 12 to 14. Each session will include warm-up, supervised exercise, and cool-down activities.
The main contrast between the two exercise interventions is the weekly distribution of exercise rather than total weekly duration. The control group will maintain usual study and lifestyle habits during the 8-week period. Study staff will monitor adherence, perceived exertion, discomfort, and exercise-related events during the intervention. Outcome assessors will be blinded to group allocation when feasible.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
盲法说明
Due to the nature of the exercise interventions, participants and exercise supervisors cannot be blinded. Outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to group allocation.
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 25 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- Female
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Female university students aged 18 to 25 years.
- •Self-reported sedentary time of at least 6 hours per day, further assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ).
- •No cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, metabolic, or musculoskeletal diseases.
- •Relatively regular menstrual cycles.
- •Able to understand the study procedures, willing to complete the intervention and assessments, and willing to provide written informed consent.
排除标准
- •Any condition identified through clinical assessment or health screening that makes participation in moderate-intensity exercise or exercise-to-exhaustion testing inappropriate.
- •Participation in regular exercise training, a systematic weight-loss or body-shaping program, or another exercise intervention study within the previous 3 months.
- •Recent substantial body-weight fluctuations that may affect body-composition assessment.
- •Cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, metabolic, or musculoskeletal diseases, or current use of medications that may affect exercise performance, heart-rate responses, or muscle function.
- •Irregular menstrual cycles.
- •Inability to complete the 8-week intervention, post-intervention assessments, or required study records.
研究组 & 干预措施
Weekend Warrior Exercise Group
Participants will complete an 8-week weekend-concentrated exercise program. They will exercise on two consecutive days per week, completing 30 minutes of resistance exercise and 45 minutes of jogging on each exercise day, for a total of 75 minutes per day and 150 minutes per week.
干预措施: Weekend Warrior Exercise (Behavioral)
Regular Exercise Group
Participants will complete an 8-week regularly distributed exercise program. They will exercise on three days per week, completing 20 minutes of resistance exercise and 30 minutes of jogging during each session, for a total of 50 minutes per session and 150 minutes per week.
干预措施: Regularly Distributed Exercise (Behavioral)
Control Group
Participants will maintain their usual study and lifestyle habits during the 8-week study period and will not receive the exercise intervention prescribed by the study. Their participation in additional structured exercise will be monitored.
结局指标
主要结局
Change in Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO2peak)
时间窗: Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8)
Peak oxygen uptake will be assessed during a graded cardiopulmonary exercise test. VO2peak will be recorded in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body mass per minute (mL/kg/min). The change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention will be compared among the three study groups.
Change in Isokinetic Peak Torque
时间窗: Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8)
Skeletal muscle peak torque will be assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer and recorded in Newton-meters (N·m). The change from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention will be compared among the three study groups.
次要结局
- Change in Body Weight(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Body Mass Index(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Body Fat Percentage(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Waist-to-Hip Ratio(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Maximal Heart Rate(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Maximal Power at Exhaustion(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Time to Exhaustion(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in 12-Minute Run Distance(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Isokinetic Mean Torque(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Change in Physical Activity Level Assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire(Baseline (week 0) and post-intervention (week 8))
- Exercise Adherence(Throughout the 8-week intervention)
研究者
Ziren Zhao
Graduate Student
Chongqing Normal University