Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot study

Background: Poor sleep quality is associated with adverse effects on health outcomes. It is not clear whether exercise can improve sleep quality and whether intensity of exercise affects any of the effects. Methods: Fifteen healthy, non-obese (body mass index = 24.4 ± 2.1 kg/m2, mean ± SD), sedentar...

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Main Authors: Xuewen Wang, Shawn D. Youngstedt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2014-12-01
Series:Journal of Sport and Health Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254614000039
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spelling doaj-6cd629281bd642138703464bc1231e542020-11-24T20:54:17ZengElsevierJournal of Sport and Health Science2095-25462014-12-013433834210.1016/j.jshs.2013.11.004Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot studyXuewen Wang0Shawn D. Youngstedt1Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USADepartment of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USABackground: Poor sleep quality is associated with adverse effects on health outcomes. It is not clear whether exercise can improve sleep quality and whether intensity of exercise affects any of the effects. Methods: Fifteen healthy, non-obese (body mass index = 24.4 ± 2.1 kg/m2, mean ± SD), sedentary (<20 min of exercise on no more than 3 times/week) older women (66.1 ± 3.9 years) volunteered for the study. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) was evaluated using a graded exercise test on a treadmill with a metabolic cart. Following a 7-day baseline period, each participant completed two exercise sessions (separated by 1 week) with equal caloric expenditure, but at different intensities (60% and 45% VO2peak, sequence randomized) between 9:00 and 11:00 am. A wrist ActiGraph monitor was used to assess sleep at baseline and two nights following each exercise session. Results: The average duration of the exercise was 54 and 72 min, respectively at 60% (moderate-intensity) and 45% VO2peak (light-intensity). Wake time after sleep onset was significantly shorter (p = 0.016), the number of awakenings was less (p = 0.046), and total activity counts were lower (p = 0.05) after the moderate-intensity exercise compared to baseline no-exercise condition. Conclusion: Our data showed that a single moderate-intensity aerobic exercise session improved sleep quality in older women.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254614000039ActigraphyActivity countsExerciseOlder adultsSleep qualityWake after sleep onset
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Xuewen Wang
Shawn D. Youngstedt
spellingShingle Xuewen Wang
Shawn D. Youngstedt
Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot study
Journal of Sport and Health Science
Actigraphy
Activity counts
Exercise
Older adults
Sleep quality
Wake after sleep onset
author_facet Xuewen Wang
Shawn D. Youngstedt
author_sort Xuewen Wang
title Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot study
title_short Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot study
title_full Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot study
title_fullStr Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot study
title_full_unstemmed Sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: Results from a pilot study
title_sort sleep quality improved following a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in older women: results from a pilot study
publisher Elsevier
series Journal of Sport and Health Science
issn 2095-2546
publishDate 2014-12-01
description Background: Poor sleep quality is associated with adverse effects on health outcomes. It is not clear whether exercise can improve sleep quality and whether intensity of exercise affects any of the effects. Methods: Fifteen healthy, non-obese (body mass index = 24.4 ± 2.1 kg/m2, mean ± SD), sedentary (<20 min of exercise on no more than 3 times/week) older women (66.1 ± 3.9 years) volunteered for the study. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) was evaluated using a graded exercise test on a treadmill with a metabolic cart. Following a 7-day baseline period, each participant completed two exercise sessions (separated by 1 week) with equal caloric expenditure, but at different intensities (60% and 45% VO2peak, sequence randomized) between 9:00 and 11:00 am. A wrist ActiGraph monitor was used to assess sleep at baseline and two nights following each exercise session. Results: The average duration of the exercise was 54 and 72 min, respectively at 60% (moderate-intensity) and 45% VO2peak (light-intensity). Wake time after sleep onset was significantly shorter (p = 0.016), the number of awakenings was less (p = 0.046), and total activity counts were lower (p = 0.05) after the moderate-intensity exercise compared to baseline no-exercise condition. Conclusion: Our data showed that a single moderate-intensity aerobic exercise session improved sleep quality in older women.
topic Actigraphy
Activity counts
Exercise
Older adults
Sleep quality
Wake after sleep onset
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254614000039
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