The effect of HIT in patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot project to assess the effect of High-Intensity Interval Training in patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/Steatohepatitis
IRAS ID
178932
Contact name
Niels Vollaard
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease affects up to 30% of people in the western world, and is associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. It can develop into the more severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Currently, there is no licenced drug treatment, and management is based on lifestyle adaptations such as weight loss and dietary change. Although exercise can be beneficial, few succeed in achieving national guidelines for physical activity.
High-intensity interval training is an alternative approach to exercise, shown to be as effective as endurance training in sedentary adults and patients with Type 2 diabetes but with a much briefer time commitment.
Therefore, this project aims to investigate whether high-intensity interval training is an effective treatment option for patients diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis. It is hypothesised that twice weekly training sessions of high-intensity training involving 6 second bouts of activity followed by a rest of up to one minute repeated 6 times per session initially but increasing gradually over the six-week duration of the study to 10 repetitions, will result in improved measurements of liver function, glucose, weight, blood pressure and body fat. It is also hypothesised that the study protocol will improve the patient’s general fitness, feeling of general well-being and cognitive function.REC name
Scotland A: Adults with Incapacity only
REC reference
15/SS/0108
Date of REC Opinion
24 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion