Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to find out whether the COVID pandemic has affected participants' current physical activity, fitness, blood pressure, sleep, and mental stress to better understand its long-term health effects. To complete this study, participants will visit the Neurovascular Physiology Laboratory (NVPL) at the Indiana University School of Public Health Bloomington two times, requiring a total commitment of about 6 hours.
Visit 1 involves completing screening questionnaires, a consent document, and additional questionnaires about participant health behaviors (e.g., sleep and physical activity) and general mental and physical health. After the visit, participants will also start tracking their sleep and physical activity using wearable devices for 14 days, diet for at least 3 days, and blood pressure and urine for 24 hours.
Visit 2 is a second data collection visit, where participants will return the wearable devices. The investigators will measure participants' body composition, take measures of their cardiovascular health, and participants will complete a fitness test on a stationary cycle (exercise bike). The investigators will collect a 24 hour urine sample and take a blood sample to measure participants' blood glucose, electrolytes, hydration biomarkers, and markers of inflammation, as well as to study immune cells. The investigators will take participants' blood pressure at rest and during a hand-in-cold water test, which helps assess how participants' nervous system responds to stress. A full-body scan will measure participant body composition including bone density, muscle mass, and body fat percentage. Finally, participants will complete a cycling test that gradually increases in intensity to measure cardiovascular fitness.
Risks involve potential pain or bruising from blood draws, discomfort from blood pressure cuffs, stress from vigorous cycling, and psychological stress from questionnaires. There's also a slight risk of severe cardiovascular events occurring during exercise and loss of data confidentiality. Finally, the cold water test may result in a rare but noted situation where the body's nervous system overreacts to the cold stimulus, leading to a drop in blood pressure and heart rate. Participants will be monitored by trained staff during all procedures to ensure safety.