NCT04991337

Effects of Detraining in Endurance Athletes With Atrial Fibrillation

Effects of Detraining in Endurance Athletes With Atrial Fibrillation (NEXAF Detraining)

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 120 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Vestre Viken Hospital Trust · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects more than 43 million people worldwide, but specific exercise recommendations do not exist for this group of patients. Despite a lack of evidence, athletes are often advised to reduce exercise intensity (detraining) after being diagnosed with AF. This randomized controlled trial will be the first study that investigates effects of detraining in endurance athletes. Participants will be randomized to an intervention group that will be instructed to refrain from high intensity exercise, and a control group. The study aims to clarify whether detraining might reduce the burden of AF and has the potential to guide development of exercise guidelines for AF patients.

Detailed description

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects more than 43 million people worldwide, but specific exercise recommendations do not exist for this group of patients. Despite a lack of evidence, athletes are often advised to reduce exercise intensity (detraining) after being diagnosed with AF. This randomized controlled trial will be the first study that investigates effects of detraining in endurance athletes. Participants will be included at Bærum Hospital, St.Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Baker Institute, Melbourne, Leuven University Hospital, Antwerp University Hospital, AZ Jan Palfijn Gent and Jessa Hospital Hasselt, Belgium. In total 120 participants will be monitored with a chest-strap heart rate (HR) monitor and sportswatch (exercise intensity), and an Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM, AF burden). Participants will be randomized to an intervention group (n=60) that will be instructed to refrain from high intensity exercise (H) \>75% of maximal HR (HRmax)) for a period of 16 Weeks, or a control group (n=60) that will be instructed to perform at least three weekly sessions of high intensity training (HR ≥85% of HRmax. The primary endpoint will be AF burden, as measured by continuous monitoring with ICMs and calculated as the cumulative duration of all AF episodes lasting ≥30sec divided by total duration of monitoring. The study aims to clarify whether detraining might reduce the burden of AF and has the potential to guide development of exercise guidelines for AF patients. The investigators will also study exercise-induced cardiac remodeling, aiming to improve the understanding of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms for AF.

Conditions

• Atrial Fibrillation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Detraining group	Detraining is defined as exercise corresponding to a heart rate ≤75% of maximum heart rate and ≤80% of the self-reported average weekly amount of exercise (hours/week) during the past six months, for a period of 16 weeks.
BEHAVIORAL	Control group	At least three weekly sessions of high intensity exercise, corresponding to a heart rate ≥85% of maximum heart rate, and otherwise continue endurance exercise as usual.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-01-05
• Primary completion: 2024-01-01
• Completion: 2024-01-01
• First posted: 2021-08-05
• Last updated: 2022-12-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Norway