Short-Term, Significant Gains from a 10-Day Field-Based Multi-Modal Outdoor Activity Camp with Time-Restricted...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Nutritional Science
• Behavioral Health

Background:

• Optimizing body composition is crucial for overall health and athletic performance.
• Interventions combining physical activity and dietary changes show promise for improving health outcomes.
• The impact of intensive, nature-based programs on body composition requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of a 10-day outdoor camp intervention on body composition in healthy undergraduates.
• To assess whether improvements in body composition measures persist at a three-month follow-up.
• To determine the efficacy of a combined physical activity and time-restricted feeding approach.

Main Methods:

• A single-arm, pre-post intervention study design was employed.
• Forty healthy undergraduates participated in a 10-day camp featuring mixed-modality physical activities and a 13-hour time-restricted feeding window.
• Body composition metrics including body fat percentage, skeletal muscle percentage, and visceral fat level were measured using InBody 270 at baseline, post-camp, and three-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions were observed in body fat percentage (β = -1.63, p < 0.001) and visceral fat level (β = -0.72, p = 0.001).
• Significant increases were noted in skeletal muscle percentage (β = 1.02, p < 0.001), skeletal muscle index (β = 0.30, p < 0.001), and total body-water percentage (β = 1.19, p < 0.001).
• No significant differences were found between baseline and three-month follow-up measurements, indicating a lack of sustained benefits without continued intervention.

Conclusions:

• A brief, intensive, nature-based intervention can rapidly enhance multiple body composition parameters.
• The observed improvements in body composition are not sustained at three months post-intervention.
• Structured maintenance strategies are necessary to preserve the positive effects of such interventions on body composition.