Strength Training in Young People with Congenital Heart Disease-v.1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Acute Response to Strength Training in Young People with Congenital Heart Disease
IRAS ID
351713
Contact name
Craig Williams
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 28 days
Research summary
Physical activity has played an important role in congenital heart disease (ConHD) rehabilitation. Strength training (ST), as a subset of physical activity, can promote health-related fitness in young people (i.e., muscle function and cardiorespiratory fitness), which are key pillars in ConHD rehabilitation and a healthy lifestyle. However, research on ST in young people with ConHD is limited. Therefore, this study aims to compare differences in acute muscular, physiological, and psychological responses to strength training in young people with ConHD and healthy young people.
Young people (age: 15-24 years) with ConHD will be recruited by a search of the Bristol Royal University Hospital Trust Epic electronic patient record, including people with New York Heart Association Class I (patients will not cause discomfort in normal daily activities) or II (patients will feel fatigue,shortness of breath, palpitations, and other symptoms, but it will not affect the quiet rest state), and then an invitation e-mail will be sent individually to participants. All the proposed procedures for this project will be conducted in two visits to a laboratory at the University of Exeter. Participants will complete body composition tests, muscle strength, 1 repetition maximum (RM) tests, and cardiopulmonary exercise tests in sequence at the first visit. Participants will complete a strength training session and acute response measurements at the second visit. The ST will consist of four exercises, three sets, each with an intensity of 40% 1RM (12 repetitions), 60% 1RM (8 repetitions), and 80% 1RM (5 repetitions), with a 60-second rest after each exercise and a 120-second rest after each set. The acute response measures will be 1) muscle strength, 2) muscle fatigue, 3) blood pressure, 4) heart rate, 5) rating of perceived exertion, 6) physical activity enjoyment scale, and 7) feeling scale. Overall, each participant will be visited twice, each time for no more than 90 minutes.
The results of this project will be compared with those obtained in healthy participants. The project will provide the first acute response assessment of strength training to deliver health-related fitness tests to young people with ConHD. It will provide supplementary recommendations for exercise guidelines for people with ConHD.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/WM/0137
Date of REC Opinion
19 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion