Cardiovascular Health Does Not Change Following High-Intensity Interval Training in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Ida Almenning Kiel; Helen Jones; Sofie Lionett; Ragnhild Røsbjørgen; Stian Lydersen; Eszter Vanky; Trine Moholdt

doi:10.3390/jcm11061626

Cardiovascular Health Does Not Change Following High-Intensity Interval Training in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

J Clin Med. 2022 Mar 15;11(6):1626. doi: 10.3390/jcm11061626.

Authors

Ida Almenning Kiel^{1

2}, Helen Jones³, Sofie Lionett^{1

2}, Ragnhild Røsbjørgen¹, Stian Lydersen⁴, Eszter Vanky^{2

5}, Trine Moholdt^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, 7030 Trondheim, Norway.
³ Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 5UX, UK.
⁴ Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
⁵ Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.

Abstract

Introduction: polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. First-line therapy for PCOS is lifestyle changes including exercise. We compared CVD risk factors between women with and without PCOS and examined the responses to high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Methods: women with PCOS were randomized to HIIT (n = 41) or a non-exercise control group (n = 23) for 16 weeks. Women without PCOS (n = 15) were age- and BMI-matched to participants with PCOS and completed 16 weeks of HIIT. CVD markers included blood pressure, heart rate, flow mediated dilatation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and circulating concentrations of lipids, glucose, insulin, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9).

Results: resting heart rate was higher in women with PCOS than without PCOS (p =0.011) and was reduced after HIIT in women with PCOS (-2.8 beats/min, 95% CI: -5.4, -0.2, p = 0.037). FMD was not significantly different between women with PCOS (5.5%, SD 4.1) and those without PCOS (8.2%, SD 3.9) at baseline. HIIT reduced time-to-peak dilatation of the brachial artery in women with PCOS compared with women without PCOS (-55 s, 95% CI: -96, -13, p = 0.012).

Conclusions: we found little difference in CVD risk factors between women with and without PCOS at baseline, but some indications of endothelial dysfunction in women with PCOS.

Keywords: HIIT; PCOS; cardiovascular disease; exercise; flow-mediated endothelial function; matrix metalloproteinase-9.

Grants and funding

2014/23166 and 2017/29014/The Liaison Committee for education, research and innovation in Central Norway, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Australian Catholic University.