Uni exercise project for stroke aid

A PROJECT led by the University of South Wales (USW) is set to explore whether high-intensity interval training (HITT) could be used to help stroke patients in their recovery.

Funded by the Welsh Government as part of the QuébecWales collaboration, Professor Damian Bailey, Professor of physiology and biochemistry at USW, will work closely with academics at McGill University and Université Laval in Canada, as well as colleagues at Cardiff Metropolitan University, on the project.

As the leading cause of disability in the UK, stroke accounts for the fourth-largest cause of death in Wales, and the third largest in Canada. It costs the NHS and other health systems across the world billions of pounds each year, and so finding effective strategies to address this financial burden has become increasingly important.

Accumulative evidence suggests that HIIT can improve cognitive function in older adults who are suffering from stroke, dementia and memory loss, having already been successful in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The benefits of HIIT are linked to the exercise-induced changes which improve blood flow to the brain, making it a time-efficient mode of training that could help boost the cardiopulmonary (heart and lungs) and cerebrovascular (brain) health in patients recovering from stroke – which are critical factors in the prevention of further stroke.

Prof Bailey said: “Since cures are currently unavailable, major efforts in improving brain health need to focus on prevention, with emphasis on modifiable risk factors such as promoting physical activity.

“Now is the time to explore the prescription of HIIT.”