An internet-delivered exercise intervention for workplace health promotion in overweight sedentary employees: a randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of structured vs. non-structured internet-delivered exercise recommendations on aerobic exercise capacity and cardiovascular risk profile in overweight sedentary employees.


METHODS
140 employees of an automobile company (11% female, median age 48 years (range 25-60), BMI 29.0 kg/m(2) (25.0-34.8)) were randomized in a 3:2 ratio to an intervention group receiving structured exercise schedules or a control group choosing workouts individually via an interactive website. The 12-week intervention took place in Munich, Germany, during summer 2008. Main outcome measure was performance at the lactate anaerobic threshold (P(AT)/kg) during ergometry.


RESULTS
77 participants completed the study. The intervention group (n=50) improved significantly in P(AT)/kg ((mean (SD)) 1.68 (0.31) vs. 1.81 (0.33) W/kg; p=0.002), VO(2)peak (3.21 (0.63) vs. 3.35 (0.74) L/min; p=0.04), and waist circumference (100.5 (7.9) vs. 98.0 (7.8) cm; p=0.001). The control group (n=27) improved significantly in P(AT)/kg (1.59 (0.38) vs. 1.80 (0.49); p<0.001) and waist circumference (101.9 (8.7) vs. 98.3 (8.5) cm; p<0.001), but not in VO(2)peak. No significant between group differences in these outcome measures were noted.


CONCLUSIONS
Structured, internet-delivered exercise recommendations are not superior to internet-delivered non-structured exercise recommendations in a workplace setting. Both lifestyle intervention strategies are, however, limited by high dropout rates.
Pressler
Axel
A
Department of Prevention and Sports Medicine, Technische Universität München, Connollystr. 32, 80809 München, Germany. pressler@sport.med.tum.de
Knebel
Uta
U
Esch
Sebastian
S
Kölbl
Dominik
D
Esefeld
Katrin
K
Scherr
Johannes
J
Haller
Bernhard
B
Schmidt-Trucksäss
Arno
A
Krcmar
Helmut
H
Halle
Martin
M
Leimeister
Jan Marco
JM
D000328:Adult; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D055105:Waist Circumference; D017132:Workplace