Effects Of A Progressive Indoor Climbing Intervention On Cardiometabolic Health In Inactive Young Adults

Approximately 41.3% of men and 28.7% of women aged 18-34 years do not meet minimum physical activity (PA) recommendations and often engage in high amounts of sedentary behaviors (SB), increasing their risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). An increasingly popular form of PA, indoor climbing, is characterized by intermittent bouts of isometric and dynamic movements in multiple planes and may be exceptionally beneficial to cardiovascular health as it relies on both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the effects of a progressive, indoor climbing intervention on CMD risk factors, PA and SB in inactive young adults with no climbing experience. METHODS: A pilot sample (n = 2; 50% male; age: 21.5 ± 0.7 y; BMI: 22.1 ± 2.8 kg/m2 ) of young, physically inactive, generally healthy young adults that had no experience climbing were recruited to participate in a 12-week indoor climbing intervention. Participants climbed 2 times per week for 60 min for the first 4 weeks, progressing to 3 times per week for the last 8 weeks. Capillary blood sampling was used to measure lipids, glucose, and hemoglobin A1c. Research grade PA monitors were used to objectively measure PA and SB variables over 7 days. Measurements were taken pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Descriptive statistics were used to present preliminary results after 6-weeks of climbing. RESULTS: On average, CMD risk factors changed pre- to mid-intervention as follows: systolic blood pressure decreased (127 ± 16 to 119 ± 19 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure decreased (76 ± 11 to 64 ± 7 mmHg), resting heart rate decreased (70 ± 3 to 63 ± 3 bpm), total cholesterol decreased (144 ± 29 to 130 ± 43 mg/dL), HDL-c decreased (53 ± 23 to 45 ± 27 mg/dL), LDL-c decreased (80 ± 6 to 73 ± 13mgdL), and HbA1c increased (5.0 ± 0% to 5.4 ± 0.2%). Objectively measured PA and SB changed slightly for moderate-to-vigorous PA (pre: 51.9 ± 31.4; mid: 42.5 ± 25.5 min/d), steps per day (pre: 8274 ± 1585; mid: 8220 ± 1704), and SB (pre: 439.4 ± 76.1; mid: 506.8 ± 24.9 min/d). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in CMD risk factors indicate a positive trend in overall health throughout the first half of the intervention. Further research with a larger sample size is required to determine if a progressive indoor climbing intervention is beneficial for CMD risk factors and PA behaviors. Supported by: Northern Michigan University Faculty Research Grant; Northern Michigan University CHSPS Grant