Official Title
Effects of Three Months of COVID-19 Lockdown Induced Deconditioning After 13 Months of High Intensity Exercise Training in Early Postmenopausal Women
Brief Summary

While "conditioning" by exercise training has been widely evaluated, the available literature on "passive deconditioning" (i.e. forced deconditioning) is predominately limited to studies with or with almost complete mechanical and/or metabolic immobilization/sedation of the respective functional system (e.g. paralysis, bedriddenness). Vice versa, the effects of moderately long interruptions of dedicated types of exercise while maintaining everyday activity are rarely addressed. However, this topic is of high relevance, e.g. considering that breaks of health-related exercise programs due to increased family/occupational stress, vacation or temporary orthopedic limitation are rather frequent in everyday life. In the present project we aimed to determine the effects of 3 months of physical deconditioning due to COVID-19 induced lockdown after 13 month of high intensity endurance and resistance exercise in early postmenopausal women on parameters related to health and physical fitness.

Completed
Exercise
Detraining
Muscle Weakness
Muscle Atrophy

Other: HIT-exercise

13 months of high intensity endurance and resistance exercise, 3x 45 min/week - 3 months of COVID-19 induced exercise break

Other: Sham intervention

Types of exercise (flexibility, relaxation) that did not affect the present outcomes

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

- (early)postmenopausal women, ( normal menopause, 1-5 years post)

- Osteopenia and osteoporosis (Bone Mineral Density <-1.0 SD T-Score)

Exclusion Criteria:

- BMD <-4.0 SD T-Score

- Prevalent clinical, low-trauma fractures

- Diseases and drugs with relevant effects on bone and muscle metabolism (e.g.
glucocorticoids >7.5 mg/d or bisphosphonate therapy); individual case assessment

- Diseases and drugs with relevant effects on cardiometabolic risk factors (e.g. severe
hypertension with corresponding medical therapy); individual case assessment

- Severe cardiovascular events (e.g. stroke, coronary infarction) in the past.

- Other conditions, diseases that exclude exercise training or testing

Eligibility Gender
Female
Eligibility Age
Minimum: 48 Years ~ Maximum: 60 Years
Countries
Germany
Locations

Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexanden University Erlangen-Nürnberg
Erlangen, Germany

Michael Hettchen, MSc, Principal Investigator
Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg

University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School
NCT Number
MeSH Terms
Muscle Weakness
Muscular Atrophy