# Mediterranean Style Dietary Pattern with High Intensity Interval Training in Men with Prostate Cancer Treated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial

PMID: 35565100
Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health
Published: 2022 May 7
Authors: Baguley BJ, Adlard K, Jenkins D, Wright ORL, Skinner TL

## Question

Does a Mediterranean-style diet with added HIIT improve cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, fatigue, and quality of life compared with usual care in men with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy?

## Summary

Twenty-three men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy were randomized to usual care or 20 weeks of Mediterranean diet support, with supervised cycling HIIT added during weeks 12-20. The combined diet plus HIIT intervention improved VO2peak and body mass versus usual care, preserved lean mass after earlier diet-related weight loss, had high interval-intensity adherence, and was reported as safe and feasible.

## Population

- Men with prostate cancer treated with androgen deprivation therapy for at least 3 months.
- Sample size: 23
- Age: 65.9 +/- 7.8 years
- Sex: Men only
- Fitness level: Clinical cancer population; baseline fitness low enough to allow meaningful VO2peak gains
- Health status: Prostate cancer on ADT >=3 months; BMI 29.6 +/- 2.7 kg/m2

## Methodology

- Two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial
- 20 weeks total; HIIT during weeks 12-20
- University exercise laboratory and dietitian consultations
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Mediterranean diet plus cycling HIIT.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer.
- Work intervals: 4 minutes.
- Recovery: 3 minutes active recovery.
- Sets or repetitions: 4 intervals.
- Intensity: 85-95% HRpeak for intervals; 50-70% HRpeak recovery.
- Session duration: About 38 minutes plus unreported cool-down.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week during weeks 12-20.
- Program length: 20 weeks total; 8 weeks HIIT.
- Usual care.
- Modality: Usual medical care.
- Program length: 20 weeks.

## Outcomes

### VO2peak
Status: improved
Intervention improved cardiorespiratory fitness versus usual care at 20 weeks.

+4.9 mL/kg/min, p<0.001.

### Body mass
Status: improved
Intervention reduced body mass versus usual care.

-3.3 kg, p<0.001.

### Quality of life/fatigue
Status: mixed
Some SF-36 domains improved significantly, and FACIT changes were clinically meaningful but not always statistically significant at 20 weeks.

Vitality +16.2, p=0.002; mental health composite +4.1, p=0.042.

### Safety/feasibility
Status: improved
Authors reported the intervention was safe and feasible with high HIIT time-in-zone adherence among eligible participants.

86.5% of each interval >=85% HRpeak.

## Practical Insights

- In clinical populations, 4 x 4 HIIT should include pre-session HR/BP screening and cardiac-risk exclusion.
- Time in HR zone is useful for fidelity reporting.
- Diet co-interventions can mask or plateau later body-composition effects from added HIIT.

## Limitations

- Small pilot sample
- Target sample size not reached
- Combined diet and exercise intervention
- Cannot isolate HIIT-only effect
- Baseline time since diagnosis differed

## Safety And Adherence

- One intervention participant deemed ineligible for HIIT due to high cardiac risk.
- Adverse events were monitored, but specific event counts were not reported in extracted text.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35565100/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095709) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9099512/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.