Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Feb 20;10(2):e034733.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034733.

Improving reproductive function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome with high-intensity interval training (IMPROV-IT): study protocol for a two-centre, three-armed randomised controlled trial

Ida Almenning Kiel  1   2 , Sofie Lionett  1   2   3 , Evelyn Bridget Parr  3 , Helen Jones  4 , Maria Aurora Hernandez Røset  2   5 , Øyvind Salvesen  6 , Eszter Vanky  2   5 , Trine Moholdt  7   2
Affiliations

Improving reproductive function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome with high-intensity interval training (IMPROV-IT): study protocol for a two-centre, three-armed randomised controlled trial

Ida Almenning Kiel et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and the leading cause of anovulatory infertility. Women with PCOS have a 15-fold higher prevalence of infertility, compared with women without PCOS, independent of body mass index (BMI). A healthy lifestyle is recommended to improve overall health and fertility in PCOS but there is limited evidence on the isolated effects of exercise, especially for reproductive outcomes. Previous findings indicate superior metabolic health benefits after vigorous compared with moderate-intensity exercise. Our primary aim is to determine the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIT) on menstrual frequency, as a proxy of reproductive function, in women with PCOS.

Methods and analysis: The study is a two-centre, randomised, controlled trial with three parallel groups. Women (n=64) from Trondheim (Norway) and Melbourne (Australia) with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria will be randomly allocated (1:1:1) to high-volume HIT, low-volume HIT or a control group with no exercise after stratifying for BMI < or ≥ 27 kg/m2 and study centre. Measurements for study end points will be undertaken at baseline, after a 16 week exercise intervention and at 12 months following baseline assessments. The primary outcome measure is menstruation frequency, measured as the number of self-reported menstrual bleedings divided by the number of expected menstrual bleedings during a 12-month period. Secondary outcome measurements include markers of cardiovascular, metabolic and reproductive health, as well as quality of life and adherence to and enjoyment of exercise.

Ethics and dissemination: The Regional Committee Medical Research Ethics, Norway, and The Australian Catholic University Human Research Ethics Committee, Australia, have approved the trial protocol. This trial will provide new insight regarding the impact of exercise on fertility in PCOS. We expect this trial to contribute to new therapeutic exercise strategies as part of clinical care for women with PCOS.

Trial registration number: Clinical trial gov NCT02419482.

Keywords: Subfertility; clinical trials; reproductive medicine; sports medicine.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Consort flow diagram. BMI, body mass index; HV-HIT, high-volume high-intensity interval training; LV-HIT, low-volume high-intensity interval training.
Figure 2
Figure 2
HIT protocol. Panel A: low-volume hit; Panel B: high-volume hit. HIT, high-intensity interval training.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Yildiz BO, Bozdag G, Yapici Z, et al. Prevalence, phenotype and cardiometabolic risk of polycystic ovary syndrome under different diagnostic criteria. Hum Reprod 2012;27:3067–73. 10.1093/humrep/des232 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lim SS, Hutchison SK, Van Ryswyk E, et al. Lifestyle changes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019;3:Cd007506 10.1002/14651858.CD007506.pub4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bozdag G, Mumusoglu S, Zengin D, et al. The prevalence and phenotypic features of polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod 2016;31:2841–55. 10.1093/humrep/dew218 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Teede H, Misso M, Costello M, et al. International evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome 2018. Melbourne, Australia: Monash University, 2018.
    1. Goodarzi MO, Dumesic DA, Chazenbalk G, et al. Polycystic ovary syndrome: etiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2011;7:219–31. 10.1038/nrendo.2010.217 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data