Abstract
The effects of circuit-like functional high-intensity training (CircuitHIIT) alone or in combination with high-volume low-intensity exercise (Circuitcombined) on selected cardio-respiratory and metabolic parameters, body composition, functional strength and the quality of life of overweight women were compared. In this single-center, two-armed randomized, controlled study, overweight women performed 9-weeks (3 sessions·wk−1) of either CircuitHIIT (n = 11), or Circuitcombined (n = 8). Peak oxygen uptake and perception of physical pain were increased to a greater extent (p < 0.05) by CircuitHIIT, whereas Circuitcombined improved perception of general health more (p < 0.05). Both interventions lowered body mass, body-mass-index, waist-to-hip ratio, fat mass, and enhanced fat-free mass; decreased ratings of perceived exertion during submaximal treadmill running; improved the numbers of push-ups, burpees, one-legged squats, and 30-s skipping performed, as well as the height of counter-movement jumps; and improved physical and social functioning, role of physical limitations, vitality, role of emotional limitations, and mental health to a similar extent (all p < 0.05). Either forms of these multi-stimulating, circuit-like, multiple-joint training can be employed to improve body composition, selected variables of functional strength, and certain dimensions of quality of life in overweight women. However, CircuitHIIT improves peak oxygen uptake to a greater extent, but with more perception of pain, whereas Circuitcombined results in better perception of general health.
Highlights
Programs designed to improve cardiovascular, metabolic, and psychological health have begun to replace low-intensity exercise by repeated short-to-long bouts of high-intensity exercise with intervals of recovery [referred to as high-intensity interval training (HIIT)] (Kessler et al, 2012; Little and Francois, 2014; Elliott et al, 2015; Gielen et al, 2015; Schmitt et al, 2016)
The major findings of this comparison of several psychophysiological responses of overweight women to 9 weeks of either CircuitHIIT or Circuitcombined were as follows: (1) With CircuitHIIT, perception of physical pain and peak oxygen uptake both rose to a greater extent
Peak oxygen uptake was improved after 9 weeks with 3 weekly sessions of either CircuitHIIT (10.1%) or Circuitcombined (4.4%)
Summary
Programs designed to improve cardiovascular, metabolic, and psychological health have begun to replace low-intensity exercise by repeated short-to-long bouts of high-intensity exercise with intervals of recovery [referred to as high-intensity interval training (HIIT)] (Kessler et al, 2012; Little and Francois, 2014; Elliott et al, 2015; Gielen et al, 2015; Schmitt et al, 2016). In contrast to the traditional endurance-based HIIT, a relatively novel variation called functional training/fitness incorporates multi-stimulating, circuit-like, multiple-joint, highintensity training (CircuitHIIT), and becoming of increasing interest to fitness enthusiasts (Buckley et al, 2015) Such exercise more related to strength can improve body composition (Sillanpää et al, 2009; Neves et al, 2017), as well as cardiovascular (Shaw and Shaw, 2009; Ho et al, 2012a,b), metabolic (Schumann et al, 2014; Neves et al, 2017) and functional fitness (Neves et al, 2017) in physically inactive individuals and, in addition, at least in older individuals, certain aspects of quality of life (Sillanpää et al, 2012). Due to the different responses evoked, functional strength training in the form of CircuitHIIT combined with low-intensity endurance exercise (Circuitcombined) may lead to synergistic improvements in cardio-respiratory and metabolic parameters, body composition, functional strength and quality of life, which, to the best of our knowledge, has not yet been investigated in detail with respect to overweight women
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