Effect of an adapted physical activity program on the cardiorespiratory performance of soldiers of the Kinshasa Garrison: a randomized controlled study

Context and objectives. The health services of the army are essential in promoting the physical condition for operational troops. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of adapted physical activity (APA) on VO2max level and cardiorespiratory performance of soldiers. Methods. An Open, parallel, randomized controlled trial, was carried out at CECVK (Camp Lt-Colonel Kokolo, Kinshasa) from June 2016 to October 2017 in 226 sedentary soldiers assigned for 8 weeks to APA (n=119) or control (n=107). Randomization used permuted blocks of four consecutive participants. Primary endpoint: Baseline-adjusted between group difference in VO2max and cardio-respiratory performance. Results. In 122 participants (Control 42; active 80) who fully adhered to the protocol, VO2max at the end of follow-up increased from 31.4 (95% CI: 27.7-37.5) to 34.7 (30.3-37.5) ml/min/kg (control group) and from 25.8 (23.1-30.9) to 47.5 (42.4-51.1) ml/min/kg (active group); between group difference: 18.4 (15.9-18.9) ml/min/kg. Compared to the control group, VO2max in the active group was significantly improved in all categories of participants at the end of follow-up. The rate of good performance increased from 14.3 to 23.8% (p=0.069) in the control group, from 25.3 to 71.0% (p<0.001) in the active group; between group difference: 36.1(24.8 -39.6) %. The probability of achieving good performance was greater for subjects <50 years (RRa: 2.04 [95% CI]; p=0.046), non-diabetics (1.94 [1.49-2.79]; p=0.031), without subclinical atherosclerosis (1.67[1.27-2.68]; p=0.039) and those allocated to APA (3.43[1.96-4.98]; p<0.001). VO2max and BP changes were negatively correlated. Conclusion. By improving the cardio-respiratory performance of sedentary soldiers, the APA strengthened their physical condition. Received: June 19th, 2024 Accepted: September 30th, 2024 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i1.2