With World Kidney Day being celebrated tomorrow, University of Queensland researchers are investigating the health effects of intense interval training in people with chronic kidney disease, with the aim to reduce the high mortality rate associated with the disease.
The research, conducted at the Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health (CRExPAH) based at UQ’s School of Human Movement Studies, will compare high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training with participants who have stages 3-4 chronic kidney disease.
Intense interval training has been shown to have health-enhancing benefits in metabolic syndrome patients and cardiovascular disease populations, but is yet to be studied in kidney disease.
Lead study investigator and UQ PhD student Kassia Weston said the results would help shape the most effective exercise requirements for people with kidney disease.
“We know fitness is strongly related to health outcomes in kidney disease, so if we can find the best way to improve fitness levels we can hopefully reduce the high mortality rate associated with this disease,” she said.
High-intensity interval training has gained rapid appreciation among clinicians due to its superiority in increasing fitness in a shorter amount of time than moderate-intensity continuous training.
Ms Weston will be expanding on her research when she travels to Norway to collaborate with the world’s leading researchers in high-intensity interval training.
“High-intensity interval training is only beginning to be explored in chronic diseases and I hope to bring home knowledge and experience that will help future researchers add to knowledge in this field,” Ms Weston said.
“The research in Norway will be focused on using muscle biopsy to investigate the effects of this type of training on muscle function, a significant determinant in muscle wasting which is associated with the chronic kidney disease population.
“The analysis will provide a measure of the metabolic pathways that are damaged in kidney disease and will provide significant insight into why muscle wasting is associated with kidney disease.”
Ms Weston was the recipient of the 2013 HMS Alf Howard AO International Scholarship award, which enables recipients to improve the quality of research in their area of expertise.
Other researchers involved in the study include Professor Jeff Coombes, Dr Jonathon Peake, Professor Nikky Isbel, Dr Erin Howden and Professor Rob Fassett.
For more information, visit the CRExPAH and World Kidney Day websites.
Media Contact: Kirsten O’Leary, Media and Communications Officer, Faculty of Health Sciences, 07 3346 4713 or Kirsten.oleary@uq.edu.au
