Smartphone-Assisted High-Intensity Interval Training in Inflammatory Rheumatic Disease Patients: Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Rheumatology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) often have reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) and physical activity levels.
• Supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can improve VO2max and cardiovascular health in IRD patients but is resource-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if self-administered 4x4-min HIIT via a smartphone app (Myworkout GO) can achieve similar improvements in VO2max and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as standard supervised HIIT.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of app-guided HIIT for IRD patients.

Main Methods:

• Forty IRD patients were randomized into a supervised group (SG) or an app-guided group (AG).
• Both groups performed 4x4-min intervals at high intensity (RPE 16-17) twice weekly for 10 weeks.
• VO2max and HRQoL (RAND-36) were measured pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Both SG and AG showed significant increases in VO2max (approx. 3.6-3.7 mL/kg/min) and oxygen pulse.
• No significant between-group differences were observed for VO2max or oxygen pulse improvements.
• Both groups reported significant improvements in HRQoL dimensions, including bodily pain, vitality, and social functioning, with no between-group differences.

Conclusions:

• Self-administered 4x4-min HIIT guided by the Myworkout GO app is as effective as supervised HIIT in improving VO2max and HRQoL in IRD patients.
• App-guided HIIT offers a cost-effective strategy to enhance cardiovascular health and quality of life in this population.
• This approach can help mitigate barriers to physical training for individuals with inflammatory rheumatic diseases.