Effects of high-intensity interval training on subjective sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial

This study aimed to verify the effect of 12 weeks of HIIT on the perceived sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). For this, a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, including 36 adults with moderate-severe OSA (19 males; 52.2 +/- 9.8 years; body mass index = 34.2 +/- 5.8; AHI = 42.0 +/- 22.9 e/h) was performed. Participants were randomly assigned to HIIT [5 periods of 4 min of walking or running on a treadmill at 90-95 % of maximum heart rate (HRmax) interspersed with 3 min of walking at 50-55 % of HRmax performed three times per week for 12 weeks] or a control group (CG; stretching exercises performed two times per week for 12 weeks). Specific domains of subjective sleep quality and EDS were assessed at baseline and post 12 weeks. Generalized estimated equation were used to verify between groups and times differences. There were no group x time interactions for the domains sleep duration (0.416), sleep efficiency (0.198), sleep disturbance (0.523), and sleep medications (0.915). However, significant group x time interactions were observed for global sleep score (0.022), and for the domains sleep quality (0.001), sleep latency (0.029), and daytime dysfunction (0.012). In addition, there was a significant group x time interaction for EDS (HIIT = -3.4 +/- 0.9; CG change = -1.0 +/- 1.0; p = 0.023). Thus, in patients with OSA, 12 weeks of HIIT improves perceived sleep quality and daytime sleepiness.