The Resistance Exercise Training for Worry Trial: Replication and Expansion

Summary

This protocol details the full methods of a ten-week moderate-to-high intensity, guidelines-based resistance exercise training intervention compared to a low intensity sham attention control among young adult women with analogue Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Conditions

• Analogue Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Moderate-to-High Intensity Resistance Exercise Training

Resistance exercise training was designed in accordance with World Health Organization and American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. The eight-week, twice-weekly intervention was designed such that moderate-to-high intensity participants could achieve two sets of 8-12 repetitions of the eight exercises before volitional fatigue, a deterioration in lifting form, or failure to complete a repetition, using loads of approximately 70-80% of their estimated one-repetition maximum. Completed in the following order, the exercises were: barbell back squat, barbell bench press, hexagon bar deadlift, barbell bent over row, dumbbell lunges, seated dumbbell lateral raises, weighted or unweighted abdominal crunches, and seated dumbbell bicep curls. There was one minute of rest between each set, and two minutes of rest between each exercise. If participants could complete two sets of 12 repetitions, load was increased gradually by approximately 5% in the following session.

BEHAVIORAL

Low Intensity SHAM Resistance Exercise Training Attention Control

The low intensity SHAM condition was matched all features of engagement with the moderate-to-high intensity intervention apart from load, and load progression. Low intensity SHAM participants completed the same program with loads of approximately 20% of their estimated one-repetition maximum. To maintain low intensity, repetitions completed on the main, heavier lifts (i.e., back squat, bench press, deadlift, bent over row) were increased from 10 in one session to 12 in the next; load was then increased by approximately 10% in the following session, and 10 reps were performed again. On the remaining lighter, assistance lifts, eight repetitions were performed per set, then one repetition was added to both sets in each session, and load was increased by the smallest increment possible when two sets of 12 repetitions were performed. Borg's 6-20 rating of perceived exertion scores were used to monitor intensity, such that if scores exceeded 11, load and reps were not progressed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of Limerick

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Matthew P. Herring, PhD · University of Limerick

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

40 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-10-09

Primary Completion

2025-01-05

Completion

2025-01-05

Countries

• Ireland

Study Locations