The Efficacy of HIIT Programs for the Improvement of Aerobic Capacity and Functionality for Stroke Survivors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

240 Short-Term High-Intensity Interval Training and Continuous Moderate-Intensity Training Improve Maximal Aerobic Power and Diastolic Filling During Exercise

Exercise Modalities and Intensity to Improve Functional Capacity and Psychological/Mental Health in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Role for Nordic Walking?

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to compare the effects of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on blood pressure of hypertensive individuals. Continuous aerobic training programs are successful in health promotion and are effective in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) modulation. However, HIIT seems to be superior to MICT to improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness. PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched for randomized clinical trials that compared chronic effects of HIIT and MICT on BP in hypertensive subjects. Pre- and post-intervention changes in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) between MICT and HIIT were analyzed. Both interventions presented significant differences in SBP (MICT: mean difference (MD), 3.7mmHg [95% CI = 2.57, 4.82], p < 0.00001; and HIIT: MD, 5.64mmHg [95% CI = 1.69, 9.52], p = 0.005) and in DBP (MICT: MD, 2.41mmHg [95% CI = 1.09, 3.72], p = 0.0003; and HIIT: MD, 4.8mmHg [95% CI = 2.9, 6.7], p < 0.00001) compared with the control group. No differences were found in the SBP values (MD, 1.13mmHg [95% CI = - 0.01, 2.27], p = 0.05); however, differences were found between groups in DBP (MD, 1.63mmHg [95% CI = 0.83, 2.44], p = 0.0001). In the secondary outcome, both interventions increased VO2max in comparison with control groups (MICT: MD, 1.30ml/kg/min [95% CI = 0.92, 1.68], p < 0.00001; and HIIT: MD, 4.90ml/kg/min [95% CI = 3.77, 6.04], p < 0.00001), and HIIT promoted greater improvement than MICT (MD, 2.52ml/kg/min [95% CI = 1.90, 3.13], p < 0.0001). In conclusion, HIIT and MICT promote reduction in SBP in adults with hypertension, and HIIT showed a greater magnitude in DBP reduction. For hypertensive patients, HIIT may be associated with a greater improvement in VO2max than MICT might.

Physical Activity and Diabetes.

There has been recent interest in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as an alternative to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) to reduce body composition, adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in obese patients. Despite the promising evidence supporting HIIT in this population, there is limited research targeting women with abdominal obesity. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of MICT and energy-matched HIIT on cardiometabolic risk factors in women characterized by abdominal obesity. METHODS: Twenty abdominally obese women (age range, 28-56 years) were submitted to 12 weeks of intervention and were randomly allocated into 2 groups: MICT (n=10) and HIIT (n=10). The MICT group performed a 38 to 62-minute continuous exercise at 70 % of the maximal heart rate. The HIIT group training performed 3 to 6 sets of 4-minute bouts at a running velocity corresponding to 90 % maximal heart rate, interspersed by a 4-min active recovery period at 50 % maximal heart rate. Anthropometric parameters, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and cardiometabolic risk variables were measured at the beginning and after 12 weeks. Self-determined motivation toward physical activity was also evaluated with a validated questionnaire. RESULTS: MICT intervention led to significant improvements in VO2max (29.9 to 32.7 ml O2*kg-1*min-1, p=0.005), with no change in HIIT group. However, at the beginning of the study, VO2max was significantly lower in the MICT group when compared to the HIIT group (p=0.04). During the intervention, no significant difference was found in cardiometabolic risk factors in the MICT group. However, HIIT resulted in statistically significant reduction in triglycerides levels (1.91 to 1.58 mmol/l, p=0,046) even though waist circumference was significantly increased (98.0 to 100.7 cm, p=0.038) after the 12-week intervention program. In addition, the HIIT group increased self-determined motivation toward physical activity in a greater magnitude when compared with the MICT group (p=0.016). CONCLUSION: HIIT appears to provide greater benefits to MICT for improving triglyceride levels. In addition, as HIIT is associated with a greater improvement in self-determined motivation toward physical activity, HIIT could be associated with promising long-term adherence to exercise.

Introduction: Aerobic exercise generates increased cardiorespiratory fitness, which results in a protective factor for cardiovascular disease. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) might produce higher increases on cardiorespiratory fitness in comparison with moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT); however, current evidence is not conclusive.Objective: To compare the effects of a low-volume HIIT and a MICT on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure during eight weeks in healthy men between 18 and 44 years of age.Materials and methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial. Forty-four volunteers were randomized to HIIT (n=22) or MICT (n=22). Both groups performed 24 sessions on a treadmill. The HIIT group completed 15 bouts of 30 seconds (90-95%, maximal heart rate, HRmax), while the MICT group completed 40 minutes of continuous exercise (65-75% HRmax). The study is registered as a clinical trial via clinicaltrials.gov with identifier number: NCT02288403.Results: Intra-group analysis showed an increase in VO2max of 3.5 ml/kg/min [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.02 to 4.93; p=0.0001] in HIIT and 1.9 ml/kg/min (95% CI -0.98 to 4.82; p=0.18) in MICT. However, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (1.01 ml/kg/min. 95% CI -2.16 to 4.18, p=0.52). MICT generated a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure compared to HIIT (median 8 mm Hg; p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were found between the groups for DBP.Conclusions: Results indicated no significant change in VO2max with a low-volume HIIT protocol versus MICT after 24 sessions. In contrast, MICT provided a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure compared to HIIT

Comparison of the effects of high-intensity interval and moderate-intensity continuous training on inflammatory markers, cardiorespiratory fitness, and quality of life in breast cancer patients

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of short-term high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiovascular function, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular force. Active, young (age and body fat = 25.3 ± 4.5 years and 14.3 ± 6.4%) men and women (N = 20) of a similar age, physical activity, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) completed 6 sessions of HIIT consisting of repeated Wingate tests over a 2- to 3-week period. Subjects completed 4 Wingate tests on days 1 and 2, 5 on days 3 and 4, and 6 on days 5 and 6. A control group of 9 men and women (age and body fat = 22.8 ± 2.8 years and 15.2 ± 6.9%) completed all testing but did not perform HIIT. Changes in resting blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), VO2max, body composition, oxygen (O2) pulse, peak, mean, and minimum power output, fatigue index, and voluntary force production of the knee flexors and extensors were examined pretraining and posttraining. Results showed significant (p < 0.05) improvements in VO2max, O2 pulse, and Wingate-derived power output with HIIT. The magnitude of improvement in VO2max was related to baseline VO2max (r = -0.44, p = 0.05) and fatigue index (r = 0.50, p < 0.05). No change (p > 0.05) in resting BP, HR, or force production was revealed. Data show that HIIT significantly enhanced VO2max and O2 pulse and power output in active men and women.

Although the effects of sub-maximal continuous aerobic training (SCT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are well studied in performance athletes and in several patient groups, there is not much evidence about the effects of these exercises in sedentary healthy young population. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of these two different types of aerobic exercises on respiratory parameters, aerobic capacity and perceived stress in healthy university students. Thirty-six healthy, young subjects with a mean age of 20.83±0.97 years were included in the study (N.=19 in HIIT and N.=17 in SCT). Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and respiratory muscle strength (RMS) assessments were done using a desktop spirometer. Aerobic capacity was estimated with the Bruce treadmill exercise test. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used for the assessment of stress perception. All participants exercised 3 times per week for 4 weeks (a total of 12 sessions). After 12 sessions, the peak expiratory flow parameter (a PFT value) of both groups showed significant increases, but there was no difference between the groups. The RMS of the subjects increased significantly in both the groups (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the groups. Both groups showed significant increases in terms of aerobic capacity (P>0.05), and the improvement was significantly higher in the HIIT group. Perceived stress values showed a significant increase in the SCT group. Based on the results of this study, the two exercise types were found to have similar effects on RMS. Also, when compared with SCT, HIIT was found to have more effect on aerobic capacity.

Objective:Sedentary behavior is one of the risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one effective way to reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. This research studies the effects of cycling-based HIIT on vascular function and cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary people.Methods:Twenty-two female participants were separated into two groups, including HIIT group who receive intervention and control group who did not receive the intervention. Each of the participants was interviewed to collect and record their medical history, and medical parameters including cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) were measured as a baseline pre-test. The intervention was a cycling-based HIIT lasting 6 weeks, with three sessions per week. During each session, the participant completed a set protocol consisting of 1 min on a cycle ergometer, cycling at 80–85% maximal heart rate, followed by a 1-min rest period. This sequence was repeated for a total of 5 times.Results:After 6 weeks of intervention, results showed that the HIIT group had significant improvements in CAVI (6.39 ± 0.76 vs. 5.91 ± 0.58), FMD (9.26 ± 6.5 vs. 14.01 ± 4.3%), and VO2max (20.10 ± 4.31 vs. 24.34 ± 5.71 ml/kg/min) values compared to the pre-test (P < 0.05). In addition, HIIT increased endothelial function as measured by FMD compared to the control group (14.01 ± 4.3 vs. 9.15 ± 4.16 %, P < 0.05).Conclusion:Six weeks of HIIT were found to improve vascular function and cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary people and demonstrated the benefits of HIIT as a time-efficient exercise strategy.

Objectives: A systematic review and meta-analysis is conducted to compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with fasting (HIIT + fasting) and other interventions (HIIT alone, fasting alone, or normal intervention) in adults with overweight and obesity on body composition (body mass, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percent fat mass (PFM), fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM)), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak), and glucose metabolism (fasting plasma glucose (FPG)), fasting plasma insulin (FPI)). Methods: The databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embace, Web of Science, CNKI, Wangfang Data, and CBM were searched from their inception to February 2022. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of HIIT + fasting and other interventions on adults with overweight and obesity were included in this meta-analysis. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The effect size was completed by using mean difference (MD) and standard deviation. If there were varying units or large differences among the included studies, the standardized mean difference (SMD) would be used. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Results: Nine randomized controlled trials with 230 overweight and obese adults were conducted in accordance with our inclusion criteria. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that compared to the control group HIIT + fasting had better effects on the body mass, WC, FM, and VO2peak, while there were no significant differences in PFM, FFM, FPG, and FPI. Conclusions: Despite the number of included trials being small and the GRADE of all outcomes being very low, HIIT + fasting has a positive effect on the body composition of overweight and obese adults, and significantly improves VO2peak. For adults with overweight and obesity who have long-term comorbidity, HIIT + fasting was a better way to improve FPG than HIIT alone or fasting alone. More studies are required to investigate different combinations of HIIT + fasting; and the safety of HIIT + fasting intervention on overweight and obese adults.

This study evaluated the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) incorporating Fartlek and change-of-direction (COD) components on aerobic and anaerobic capacities in young soccer players. Fifteen 18-year-old male soccer players from a football academy participated in an 8-week intervention as a single test group. The training consisted of two weekly sessions, each involving two series of seven 200-m circuits (total distance: 2800 m per session), with varying running speeds and COD angles (45–90°). Each circuit was completed in 60 seconds, with segment distances and times as follows: 20 m in 2.6 s, 70 m in 20 s, 35 m in 7 s, and 75 m in 31.3 s. A 5-minute recovery period separated the two series (1400 m each). Aerobic capacity was assessed using the Astrand 6-minute cycle ergometer test (Monark 839), anaerobic capacity with the Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST, 6 × 35 m), and endurance with the Cooper Test. Statistical analyses revealed significant improvements. The Cooper Test showed a pre-test mean distance of 228.59 m, with a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.79). The Astrand Test indicated a pre-test mean VO2max of 50.86 mL/kg/min and a post-test mean of 59.74 mL/kg/min, yielding a mean improvement of 8.88 mL/kg/min (17.46% increase), a 95% confidence interval of [7.63, 10.13], and a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 4.19). The RAST Test demonstrated a pre-test mean fatigue index of 4.33 and a post-test mean of 2.52, with a mean improvement of -1.81, a 95% confidence interval of [-2.65, -0.97], and a large effect size (Cohen’s d = -1.16). In conclusion, HIIT with Fartlek and COD significantly enhances VO2max and anaerobic capacity in 18-year-old soccer players, offering a practical training strategy for improving performance in youth soccer.

This systematic review with meta-analysis (SRMA) was conducted to assess the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programmes on men soccer players’ aerobic fitness (maximal oxygen uptake and aerobic performance), repeated sprint ability (RSA), vertical jump height (VJH), and linear sprinting time (ST). An electronic search yielded 1,714 articles, 33 of which were included in the present study. Meta-analyses revealed significant benefits of HIIT compared to controls in maximal oxygen uptake (p = 0.018), AP (p = 0.041), and RSA (p = 0.049). No significant effects were found in terms of ST (p = 0.080). The meta-analyses of non-controlled studies revealed significant improvements after HIIT in maximal oxygen uptake (p = 0.001), AP (p = 0.007), RSA (p = 0.001), and ST (p < 0.001). However, no significant improvements in VHJ were found (p = 0.063). Furthermore, no significant differences were found in sub-group analysis (comparisons between HIIT types). In conclusion, HIIT is effective for improving maximal oxygen uptake, AP, and RSA regardless of the HIIT type. For VHJ and ST outcomes, it seems reasonable to complement the HIIT since it might not be enough to achieve significant changes.

Enhancing cardiovascular fitness can lead to substantial health benefits. High-intensity interval training (HIT) is an efficient way to develop cardiovascular fitness, yet comparisons between this type of training and traditional endurance training are equivocal. Our objective was to meta-analyse the effects of endurance training and HIT on the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) of healthy, young to middle-aged adults. Six electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, CINAHL and Google Scholar) for original research articles. A search was conducted and search terms included 'high intensity', 'HIT', 'sprint interval training', 'endurance training', 'peak oxygen uptake', and 'VO2max'. Inclusion criteria were controlled trials, healthy adults aged 18-45years, training duration ≥2weeks, VO2max assessed pre- and post-training. Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. This resulted in 723 participants with a mean±standard deviation (SD) age and initial fitness of 25.1±5years and 40.8±7.9mL·kg(-1)·min(-1), respectively. We made probabilistic magnitude-based inferences for meta-analysed effects based on standardised thresholds for small, moderate and large changes (0.2, 0.6 and 1.2, respectively) derived from between-subject SDs for baseline VO2max. The meta-analysed effect of endurance training on VO2max was a possibly large beneficial effect (4.9mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); 95% confidence limits ±1.4mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)), when compared with no-exercise controls. A possibly moderate additional increase was observed for typically younger subjects (2.4mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±2.1mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) and interventions of longer duration (2.2mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±3.0mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)), and a small additional improvement for subjects with lower baseline fitness (1.4mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±2.0mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)). When compared with no-exercise controls, there was likely a large beneficial effect of HIT (5.5mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.2mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)), with a likely moderate greater additional increase for subjects with lower baseline fitness (3.2mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.9mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) and interventions of longer duration (3.0mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.9mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)), and a small lesser effect for typically longer HIT repetitions (-1.8mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±2.7mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)). The modifying effects of age (0.8mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±2.1mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) and work/rest ratio (0.5mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.6mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) were unclear. When compared with endurance training, there was a possibly small beneficial effect for HIT (1.2mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±0.9mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) with small additional improvements for typically longer HIT repetitions (2.2mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±2.1mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)), older subjects (1.8mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.7mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)), interventions of longer duration (1.7mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.7mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)), greater work/rest ratio (1.6mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.5mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)) and lower baseline fitness (0.8mL·kg(-1)·min(-1); ±1.3mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)). Endurance training and HIT both elicit large improvements in the VO2max of healthy, young to middle-aged adults, with the gains in VO2max being greater following HIT when compared with endurance training.

The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HI) to mild-intensity endurance training (ME), combined with a high-fat diet (HFD) or control diet (CD) on metabolic phenotype and corticosterone levels in rats. Fifty-three rats were randomized to 6 groups according to diet and training regimen as follows: CD and sedentary (CS, n = 11), CD and ME (CME, n = 8), CD and HI (CHI, n = 8), HFD and sedentary (HS, n = 10), HFD and ME (HME, n = 8), and HFD and HI (HHI, n = 8). All exercise groups were trained for 10 weeks and had matched running distances. Dietary intake, body composition, blood metabolites, and corticosterone levels were measured. Histological lipid droplets were observed in the livers. The HFD led to hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and higher body fat (all, P < 0.01, η2 > 0.06), as well as higher corticosterone levels (P < 0.01, η2 = 0.09) compared with the CD groups. Exercise training improved fat weight, glucose, and lipid profiles, and reduced corticosterone levels (P < 0.01, η2 = 0.123). Furthermore, body and fat weight, serum glucose and triglycerides, lipid content in the liver, and corticosterone levels (P < 0.05) were lower with HI training compared to ME training. Reductions in HFD-induced body weight gain, blood glucose and lipid profiles, and corticosterone levels, as well as improvements in QUICKI were better with HHI compared to HME. Correlation analyses revealed that corticosterone levels were significantly associated with phenotype variables (P < 0.01). Corticosterone level was inversely correlated with QUICKI (r = −0.38, P < 0.01). Altogether, these results indicate that HFD may elicit an exacerbated basal serum corticosterone level and thus producing a metabolic imbalance. Compared with ME training, HI training contributes to greater improvements in metabolic and corticosterone responses, leading to a greater reduction in susceptibility to HFD-induced disorders.