Effect of high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise on blood pressure, heart rate variability, and respiratory function in people with methamphetamine use disorder

Background: Recently, many studies have confirmed the effects of different forms of aerobic exercise on the withdrawal syndrome of people with drug use disorders, but few studies report the health promotion benefits of high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise on people with methamphetamine use disorders. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, 54 methamphetamine (MA) dependencies were randomly assigned to the control group and aerobic exercise group. The aerobic exercise group received high-intensity intermittent aerobic calisthenics intervention (75% to 85% maximal heart rate, HR_max) 40 min/time three times a week, while the control group only performed routine forced withdrawal life. The blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory function of people with methamphetamine use disorder were tested at baseline, 8th week, and 12th week. Results: (1) Throughout the intervention process, the exercise group's systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were not significantly different from those of the control group, but in the 12th week, the exercise group's SBP and DBP were significantly lower than the values at the 8th week. (2) The exercise group's standard deviation of normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) and root mean square of successive interval difference (RMSSD) were significantly higher than those of the control group at the 8th week and the 12th week, and the exercise group's SDNN and RMSSD at the 8th week were significantly higher than their respective baseline levels. (3) The exercise group's low-frequency power in normalized units (LFn) continued to decline during the intervention and was significantly lower than the control group at the 12th week, while the high-frequency power in normalized units (HFn) continued to rise during the intervention and was significantly higher than the control group at the 12th week. (4) After exercise intervention, the exercise group's maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max), peak oxygen pulse (VO_2/HR_peak), and anaerobic threshold (AT) were significantly higher than those of the control group, but there was no significant difference between maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) and the control group. Conclusions: 12-week high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise could effectively improve the physical function of people with methamphetamine use disorder and has strong health promotion benefits.