Effect of continuous aerobic vs. interval training on selected anthropometrical, physiological and functional parameters of adults with Down syndrome

Abstract Background A large percentage of adults with Down syndrome (DS) are overweight and have extremely low aerobic capacities compared with the general population and persons with intellectual disability without DS. Previous aerobic training intervention studies showed limited potential to significantly ameliorate anthropometrical and cardiovascular variables. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of continuous aerobic training (CAT) vs. interval training (IT) on selected anthropometrical, health, physical and functional parameters of adults with DS. Methods Forty‐two adults with DS (25 men and 17 women) and a mean age of 33.8 (±8.6) years were randomly allocated to one of three groups (IT, CAT and control). Training was performed for 12 weeks. The IT group performed 10–30 s all out sprints with 90 s (1:3 work‐rest ratio) of low cadence, low intensity cycling or walking. The CAT group performed continuous cycling and walking at an intensity of 70–80% of VO 2 peak. Heart rate monitors were used for monitoring training intensities. After 6 weeks of training, the intensity of the CAT was increased to 85% of VO 2 peak, whilst the intensity of the IT group remained ‘all out’. An increase of 5 min in duration was implemented after 6 weeks for both training groups. To evaluate pre–post differences between groups, a repeated analysis of covariance with post hoc Bonferroni test was performed Results After 12 weeks of training, body weight and body mass index decreased significantly more in the IT group compared with control and CAT ( P < 0.05). Participants in the IT group decreased their body weight from 71.4 ± 8 to 69.4 ± 8 kg and their body mass index from 29.3 ± 4 to 28.5 ± 4 kg/m 2 . Significant ameliorations for functional parameters and leg strength were shown for CAT compared with control ( P < 0.05). Participants in the CAT group improved their performance in the 6 minute walk distance (499 ± 78 to 563 ± 75 m), 8‐ft up‐and‐go (5.9 ± 1.2 to 4.8 ± 0.9) and leg strength (13.1 ± 2 to 15.2 ± 2). VO 2 peak and time to exhaustion significantly improved in both the IT and CAT group compared with control ( P < 0.01). Moreover, a significant improvement for relative VO 2 peak was also determined for IT compared with CAT ( P < 0.05). Participants in the IT group increased their VO 2 peak from 32 ± 8 to 37 ± 8 mL/min/kg. Submaximal heart rate and VO 2 values improved significantly within both exercise groups ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Interval training and CAT can both be pursued by adults with DS to positively impact on various parameters of anthropometry, fitness and functional ability, with IT more appropriate for improving body weight and aerobic capacity.