The Effect of Sprint Interval Training on Body Composition of Postmenopausal Women

Introduction Menopause is accompanied by body composition changes that include a decrease in lean mass and aerobic fitness and an increase in fat mass. Sprint interval training (SIT) may be able to reverse these changes. Purpose To examine the effect of an 8-week SIT program on body composition and aerobic fitness of overweight postmenopausal women. Methods Forty postmenopausal women were randomised into SIT (n=20) or Control (n=20) groups. The SIT group completed three SIT sessions a week for 8 weeks with each session consisting of 20 minutes of alternating 8-second sprints and 12-seconds of light pedalling. Total mass, regional lean mass, and fat mass were assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Maximal oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2max) was predicted using a submaximal test. Results Total lean mass was significantly increased from pre-test (48.1±5.81 kg) to post-test (48.8±5.96 kg) and fat mass was significantly reduced (pre: 29.5±7.29 kg; post (29.1±7.61 kg) for the SIT group. Lean mass was mostly increased in the trunk (pre: 24.4±2.79 kg; post: 24.8±2.93 kg) and legs (pre: 15.6±2.31 kg; post: 15.9 ±2.34 kg). V[Combining Dot Above]O2max was significantly increased from pre (21.7±4.89 ml⋅kg-1⋅min-1) to post-test (24.4±4.96 ml⋅kg-1⋅min-1) for the SIT group only. Conclusions The SIT intervention increased total lean mass, decreased fat mass, and increased aerobic fitness of postmenopausal women after only 8 hours of actual exercise over 8 weeks. Address correspondence to: Yati N Boutcher, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia. E-mail: y.boutcher@unsw.edu.au None of the authors had a personal or financial conflict of interest. The study received no sources of funding. The results of the study are presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation. The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement by ACSM. Funding: The study received no sources of funding. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. Accepted for publication: 31 January 2019. © 2019 American College of Sports Medicine

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