NCT01291758

Exercise in Gulf War Illness (GWI)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 50 (actual)
• Sponsor: Georgetown University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 38 Years – 86 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if submaximal exercise by bicycle stress tests with pulmonary measurement of VO2MAX plus maximal isometric hand grips on 2 consecutive days causes a higher level of "exertional exhaustion" in GWI compared to healthy veterans (HVets).

Detailed description

Subjects sat on upright bicycles for preexercise symptoms, respiratory gases, EKG, and vital sign measurements. Submaximal exercise began at low resistance with increases every 30 to 60 seconds until 70% predicted heart rate was reached by 5 minutes. Subjects maintained their pace until 25 minutes, then resistance was increased incrementally to increase to 85% predicted heart rate (approximately sufficient to reach anaerobic threshold). Symptoms, respiratory gases, EKG, and vital signs were measured every 5 minutes, at peak of exercise, and 5 minute intervals after exercise. The identical exercise protocol was used approximately 24 hr later. Secondary outcomes were assessed by comparisons from before exercise to after the second bicycle exercise stress test.

Conditions

• Gulf War Illness
• Persian Gulf Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Submaximal bicycle exercise stress tests performed 24 hr apart	Submaximal bicycle exercise stress tests were performed for 25 min at 70% predicted heart rate, then ramped up to 85% predicted heart rate. Subjects could stop when they felt they had reached their maximum effort if before reaching 85% predicted heart rate.

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-07-01
• Primary completion: 2012-09-01
• Completion: 2012-09-01
• First posted: 2011-02-08
• Last updated: 2019-08-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States