Comparing short sprint cycling vs moderate continuous cycling to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension

Clinical Trial in Hypertensive Patients Comparing Two Cardiorespiratory Exercise Protocols, Low-volume Sprint Interval Training (SIT) Versus Moderate-intensity Continuous Training (MICT), to Evaluate Decreases in Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Other Clinical Variables.

This trial tests whether brief, intense sprint cycling or longer moderate cycling better lowers 24-hour blood pressure in adults aged 30–59 with hypertension.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Ages: 30 Years to 59 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Unidad Enfermedades Cardiometabolicas- Hospital Interzonal General Agudos San Martin de La Plata (other)
• Locations: 1 site (La Plata, Buenos Aires)
• Trial ID: NCT07229196 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized trial will enroll adults 30–59 years with diagnosed hypertension and no high cardiovascular risk, randomizing them after a two-week familiarization to either low-volume Sprint Interval Training (SIT) or Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT). Interventions last 12 weeks with three supervised cycling sessions per week; SIT sessions use 2–4 maximal 20–30 second sprints with recovery (≤15 minutes total) while MICT sessions use 15–30 minutes at 50–70% VO₂max. The primary outcome is change in 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure measured after 12 weeks, with secondary outcomes including diastolic/daytime/nighttime BP, body composition, metabolic profile, VO₂max, hemodynamic measures, handgrip strength, and serum myokines (IL-6 and α-CGRP). All visits and supervised sessions are conducted at the Cardio-Metabolic Disease Unit of Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos San Martín in La Plata, Argentina.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 30–59 with diagnosed hypertension (treated or untreated) who are free of high cardiovascular risk conditions and meet the trial's BMI and office blood pressure limits.

Not a fit: Patients with high cardiovascular risk (for example diabetes, CKD, coronary or cerebrovascular disease), very high office BP (≥160/100 mmHg), or extreme BMI (<18.5 or ≥35) are unlikely to qualify or benefit from these protocols.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a time-efficient exercise option that lowers 24-hour blood pressure and improves metabolic and vascular health for people with hypertension.

How similar studies have performed: Prior studies in other populations have shown SIT can improve fitness and some cardiometabolic markers, but few randomized trials have tested SIT in hypertensive patients using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients of both sexes between 30-59 years of age who meet the definition of hypertension.

Hypertension will be defined as:

1. Those patients who report a history of hypertension and are under pharmacological treatment for it (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists/Calcium Channel Blockers/Thiazide Diuretics/Beta Blockers) at the time of the evaluation.

   OR
2. Patients who report a history of hypertension during the evaluation and who, without pharmacological treatment, have average levels ≥140/90 mmHg will also be considered hypertensive.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Extreme body mass index (BMI) \<18.5 and ≥35.
* Patients with office blood pressure readings ≥160/100 mmHg.
* Patients with high cardiovascular risk conditions such as type II diabetes, chronic kidney disease (\<60 milliseconds), history of cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, or heart failure (Framingham Criteria clinical diagnosis).
* Pregnant or postpartum women up to 3 months old.
* Patients with psychophysical limitations that make exercise difficult.
* Patients with a history of active malignant neoplastic disease under treatment.

Elimination Criteria

-Patients whose pharmacological treatment is initiated or modified during the follow-up after 3 months.

Where this trial is running

La Plata, Buenos Aires

• Hospital Interzonal General San Martin La Plata — La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Walter Espeche — Hospital Interzonal General San Martin
• Study coordinator: Julian Minetto, Physican

Conditions: Hypertension, hypertension, exercise, low-volume sprint interval training, moderate-intensity continuous training, High-Intensity Interval Training