Psychological Determinants Of Eating Behavior In A Randomized Controlled Trial Of High-intensity Interval Training

Abstract

Psychological factors related to eating behavior including components of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and the Power of Food Scale (PFS) may predict some of the variance in changes in weight and energy intake in response to a behavioral intervention. The ability of high intensity interval training (HIIT) to influence these variables is unknown, but evidence suggests that HIIT may offer similar or superior health benefits with decreased time commitment versus continuous aerobic exercise. PURPOSE: To examine changes in these psychological constructs in response to HIIT and determine if they are related to changes in body composition and energy intake. METHODS: Active participants were either randomized to a control (n = 17) or one of three HIIT regimes (n = 27) for 6 weeks. Controls maintained their activity whilst participants in HIIT completed 3 d·wk-1 of training. Before and after training, participants completed the TFEQ, PFS, and a 4-day food record. HIIT groups were pooled for this analysis. Repeated-measures ANOVA for time, group, and sex were used to analyze data. RESULTS: Complete survey data were available from all controls and 19 experimental subjects (17 W and 19 M). No main effects of group were observed (p>0.05), but a main effect of time (p<0.05) for Disinhibition and a group*time interaction for Hunger (p<0.05) were observed. Disinhibition decreased over time (p<0.05) whilst hunger decreased from baseline in the HIIT group (p<0.05). For a subsample (13 M and 12 W), Flexible Restraint and Internal Disinhibition decreased over time (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Data suggest that an HIIT intervention does not significantly impact eating behavior at a group level, though a slight reduction in susceptibility to hunger was observed. Individual variability in psychological measures of eating behavior may be linked to changes in energy intake and body weight.