We are looking for males between 18 and 45 years of age who do not practice any kind of regular physical activity. If you think you are suitable and are interested in finding out more, please read the information below carefully.
What is the aim of the project?
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of two different types of cognitive tasks on physical exercise-related physiological responses in physically-inactive people.
What types of participants are needed?
We are looking for males between 18 and 45 years of age who do not practice any kind of regular physical activity. To take part in this study you should be free of any injury or health condition, which might make it difficult for you to carry out testing.
What will participants be asked to do?
Should you agree to take part in this project, you will be asked to visit the testing venue on Medway campus (Medway Building, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences) on 23 occasions (28 hours in total) over an eight-week period. Your testing visits will be scheduled at the same time of day (±2 hours). You should not drink alcohol for at least 24 hours before all visits and you should avoid caffeine for at least 12 hours. You should also avoid food for three hours before all exercise tests.
This is what will be done on each visit:
Testing 1: After an initial screening which will assess your general health and readiness to undertake the exercise tests and training involved in this project, we will ask you to complete a physical test on a cycle ergometer in our lab. The intensity on the cycle ergometer will be gradually increased until you can no longer maintain the pace. Pulmonary gas exchange will be measured throughout the entire test. To do so, you will be required to wear a face mask that will cover your mouth and nose. Before and after the exercise testing you will be asked to complete some questionnaires. This visit will take no longer than three hours.
Testing 2 (Familiarisation): You will be familiarised with exercise and cognitive testing protocols, questionnaires/scales and training protocol.
Testing 3: During this visit you will be asked to perform a cycling test until exhaustion. We will ask you to cycle at the same cadence until you can no longer maintain the pace.
Small signals produced by the brain and the muscles will be collected during the exercise test. In order to measure your brain activity we will ask you to wear a specific cap, where we will attach some small electrodes. In order to measure your muscle activity we will attach some electrodes to both your thighs. These are non-invasive, harmless procedures. Before and after the test small blood samples from your finger will be collected in order to analyse the concentration of lactate in your blood. Before and after the exercise testing you will also be asked to complete some questionnaires. This visit will take no longer than three hours.
Six-Week Training Programme: Following visits 1 and 2, you will be asked to join a six-week training programme. Training will take place in the psychobiology laboratory (Medway Building, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences) on 18 separate occasions (three times per week). Each training session will last 60. Depending on the group you are assigned to, you will be asked to perform one of the two cognitive tasks we want to study.
Testing 4 and 5: These visits will be identical to Testing 1 and 3.
To assure that meals eaten, hydration status and sleep will not affect your training programme we will ask you to maintain your habitual diet throughout the day, to drink an amount of water equal to 35 ml per each kg of your body weight per day and to sleep at least seven hours per night. The day before each visit you should refrain from the consumption of alcohol and avoid any vigorous exercise. In the 12 hours before testing, you should also avoid any caffeine and nicotine.
Risks associated
The risks involved with exercise and cognitive testing in a controlled laboratory environment are minimal. Possible adverse effects due to exercise include muscle soreness, nausea, vomiting, loss of balance and in exceptionally rare cases cardiac dysfunction. Every effort will be made to minimise the above risks by thorough instruction and observation of symptoms during the visits. You will immediately be asked to stop any test in case of any abnormal physiological value. Possible adverse effects due to capillary blood samples might include some light discomfort and bruising. In order to minimise that, samples will be collected by experienced researchers. A considerable risk might be associated with a fatigued state following the training sessions. For this reason, we will ask you not to drive. Any travel expense will be refunded.
Are there any benefits involved in taking part?
To thank you for the time you devoted to our study you will be offered an amount of £200. Moreover, the three best performances pre-training and those post-training (measured as the sum of the cycling times during visits 1, 3 and 4, 5) will receive a prize of £300, 200 and 100 (first, second and third best, respectively). Travel expenses will be in addition to the £200.
Can participants change their mind and withdraw from the project?
You may withdraw participation at any time without any disadvantage to yourself. You may also be withdrawn by the researchers if your health is compromised. In both cases you will receive £5 for each hour spent on this experiment.
What use will be made of data or information?
All data will be looked after in line with the Data Protection Act (1998). Participant questionnaires and signed consent forms will be kept for one year and then destroyed. Electronic data will be stored on computer in coded form and individual results will remain confidential. Hard data will be stored in a key-operated locker or filing cupboard at the University. Results of this study may be published but any data included will in no way be linked to any specific person.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our project, either now or in the future, please feel free to contact:
Chiara Gattoni
Email: cg380@kent.ac.ukmailto: cg380@kent.ac.uk
Professor Samuele Marcora
Email: s.m.marcora@kent.ac.uk
This project has been reviewed and approved by the Sport and Exercise Sciences Ethics Committee, University of Kent.