The Health Effects of 14 Weeks of Physical Activity in a Real-Life Setting for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Background. The life expectancy of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) is reduced compared to the general population, and one of the main contributors to earlier death is inactivity. Aim. To investigate how 14 weeks of physical activity (PA) in a real-life setting affects cardiovascular fitness, body composition and bone health of adults with ID. Methods. Adults with ID were recruited into a PA-group (N = 52) or a control group (CON, N = 14). The PA-group participated in 14 weeks of PA, and body composition, cardiovascular fitness and bone health were assessed before and after the intervention. Outcomes and Results. Cardiovascular fitness and body composition improved from pre to post within the PA-group: Heart rates (HR) during the last 30 seconds of two increments of a treadmill test, were reduced (3.2 km/h: −4.4 bpm, $p<0.05$ ; 4.8 km/h: −7.5 bpm, $p<0.001$ ) and fat mass was reduced (−1.02 kg, $p<0.05$ ). A between-group difference in favour of the PA-group, were observed in whole body bone mineral density (BMD) (0.024 g/cm2, $p<0.05$ ). Conclusions and Implications. Fourteen weeks of PA performed in a real-life setting increased cardiovascular fitness, reduced fat mass and improved BMD in the weight-bearing skeleton in the PA-group. Increased and regular PA seems to be a promising tool to promote physical health in adults with ID.