Feasibility of incorporating high-intensity interval training into physical education programs to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory capacity of overweight and obese children: A systematic review

Cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory effects of high-intensity interval training in body fat responders and non-responders

This study aimed to investigate cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory adaptations to exercise intervention among participants who showed higher (responders-RSBFP) and lower (non-responders-NRSBFP) levels of body fat percentage (BFP) responsiveness. Adolescents (42.5% males) participated in a ten-week school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT), followed by a comparison of BFP, blood pressure (BP), and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). RSBFP age of 16.15 ± 0.36 years, body height 170.82 ± 8.16 cm, weight 61.23 ± 12.80 kg, and BMI 20.86 ± 3.29 kg/m2. Meanwhile, NRSBFP age of 16.04 ± 0.36 years, body height 168.17 ± 8.64 cm, weight 57.94 ± 8.62 kg, and BMI 20.47 ± 2.24 kg/m2. HIIT intervention impacted BFP, with a higher decrease in the RSBFP than the NRSBFP (ΔBFPRs = - 2.30 ± 3.51(10.34%) vs. ΔBFPNRs = 1.51 ± 1.54(6.96%) p < 0.001). The primary comparison showed a statistically significant interaction effect in relation to CRF (F(1,71) = 14.12; p < 0.001). Detailed comparisons showed large and significant CRF changes in RSBFP (7.52%; d = 0.86; p < 0.001) but not in NRSBFP (2.01%; d = 0.11; p = 0.576). In addition, RSBFP and NRSBFP benefited equally in SBP (5.49%, d = 0.75; p < 0.001; 4.95%, d = 0.74; p < 0.001, respectively). These findings highlight that exercise benefits on body fat may be mainly related to gains in CRF. Due to substantial intra-individual variability in adaptation, there is a need for personalized intervention tailored for those with different reaction thresholds in body mass components.

Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Examine the current state of literature related to the impact of obesity in children and adolescents on health-related physical fitness and the resultant cardiometabolic disease risk.

RECENT FINDINGS

Cardiorespiratory fitness of children and adolescents has declined over the past few decades which corresponds with an increase in obesity rates. Children with obesity are more likely to have low cardiorespiratory fitness which is associated with higher cardiometabolic disease risk and poorer mental health. The impact of obesity on muscular fitness in children and adolescents is more difficult to ascertain, but in general measures of physical function are lower in children with obesity which has also been associated with higher cardiometabolic disease risk. Components of health-related physical fitness are trending negatively in children and adolescents and appear to be related to the increase in prevalence of obesity. The resultant cardiometabolic disease risk has also risen which suggests a greater disease burden in the future. These disparaging findings highlight the need for aggressive interventions to improve physical fitness in children and adolescents.

Short-Term High-Intensity Rowing Ergometry Training Improves Rowing Performance Equally in Healthy Weight and Obese Adolescents

PURPOSE

Childhood obesity is a major health concern and physical activity is commonly proposed as an intervention strategy to combat the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in young people. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of high-intensity, supervised, rowing ergometer training on maximal and submaximal rowing performance in healthy weight and centrally obese adolescents (12-13 yr).

METHODS

Participants were randomized to either 6 wk of supervised rowing ergometry, comprising of 2 sessions per week with each session comprising of 2 × 3-min bouts of high-intensity rowing ergometry ( n = 57), or a control group who continued with their habitual activities ( n = 45). At baseline and follow-up, rowing performance was assessed via a submaximal test and a 3-min maximal test.

RESULTS

Six weeks of rowing ergometer training significantly improved maximal exercise performance; total distance rowed in a 3-min maximal effort improved by 19.7 m (2.7%) (time × group, P = 0.018) and produced a significant reduction in perceived effort in response to a set submaximal load (60 W) (time × group, P = 0.040). At baseline total distance rowed during the 3-min maximal test was significantly affected by body mass (main effect of body mass, P = 0.002), whereby a higher body mass was associated with enhanced rowing performance. However, the pattern of change over time was not different between healthy weight and centrally obese adolescents (time × group × waist centile, P = 0.577).

CONCLUSIONS

A 6-wk high-intensity rowing ergometry training intervention improved maximal rowing performance. This improvement was similar in healthy weight versus overweight and obese adolescents; yet overall overweight and obese adolescents had superior rowing performance compared to their healthy weight counterparts, suggesting that rowing may be an attractive exercise modality for interventions in overweight and obese young people.

Frontiers and hotspots of high-intensity interval exercise in children and adolescents: text mining and knowledge domain visualization

Background: During the past two decades, research on high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) in children and adolescents has steadily accumulated, especially on the subthemes of improving cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health. However, there is still little scientific understanding of using scientometric analysis to establish knowledge maps. Exploring the relationship between known and new emerging ideas and their potential value has theoretical and practical implications in the context of a researcher's limited ability to read, analyze, and synthesize all published works. Objective: First, this study aims to provide extensive information on HIIE research in children and adolescents, including authors, institutions, countries, journals, and references. Second, the objective is to use co-occurrence, burst, and co-citation analyses based on hybrid node types to reveal hotspots and forecast frontiers for HIIE research in children and adolescents. Methods: Using the bibliographic data of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) as the data source, publications, authors, and journals were analyzed with the help of bibliometric methods and visualization tools such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Pajek, and Bibliometrix R package. Authorial, institutional, and national collaboration networks were plotted, along with research hotspots and research frontiers based on keyword bursts and document co-citations. Results: This study found that executive function, high-intensity interval training, heart rate variability, and insulin resistance are emerging research topics; high-intensity training, mental health, exercise intensity, and cardiometabolic risk factors are continual frontier research areas in the subthemes. Conclusion: Our study has three novel contributions. First, it explicitly and directly reflects the research history and current situation of the HIIE intervention strategy in children and adolescents. This approach makes it clear and easy to trace the origin and development of this strategy in specific groups of children and adolescents. Second, it analyzes the research hotspots of HIIE in the field and predicts the research frontiers and development trends, which will help researchers get a deeper understanding of HIIE and pediatric health research. Third, the findings will enable researchers to pinpoint the most influential scholars, institutions, journals, and references in the field, increasing the possibility of future collaborations between authors, institutions, and countries.

Effect of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training on cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

In recent years, cardiovascular diseases in adolescents have become more serious. High intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate intensity continuous training (MICT) have been shown to improve cardiovascular diseases in adolescents. Meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effects of HIIT and MICT on cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents.

METHODS

Randomised controlled trials of HIIT and MICT for cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents up to January 2023 were searched using authoritative databases such as CNKI, Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCO. Data analysis was performed using Review Manage 5.4 and Stata 14.0.

RESULTS

A total of 12 studies involving 468 participants, mean age 15.19±4.35, were included in the study. The findings showed that compared with MICT, HIIT reduced adolescents' body weight (SMD=-0.18, 95 %CI=-0.58, 0.21) and increased maximal oxygen uptake (SMD=0.56, 95 %CI=0.20, 0.93) and high-density lipoprotein (SMD=-0.47, 95 % CI=-1.11, 0.17), and improved systolic blood pressure (SMD=-0.35, 95 %CI=-0.78, 0.09), glucose (SMD=-1.53, 95 %CI=-2.93, -0.13), and insulin (SMD=-0.66, 95 % CI=-1.73, 0.41), p<0.05. HIIT and MICT improved BMI, fat mass, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL, with no significant difference between these training types.

CONCLUSION

HIIT was better than MICT for improving cardiovascular health in adolescents, with better effects on body weight, BMI, fat mass, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, maximal oxygen uptake, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, glucose, and insulin levels.

Process evaluation of school-based high-intensity interval training interventions for children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Several systematic reviews have been published to investigate the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in schools. However, there has been limited attention given to understanding the functioning of the intervention processes, which is of paramount importance for interpreting and translating the intervention effectiveness. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the extent to which process evaluation is measured in school-based HIIT interventions and to explore the effects of process evaluation and intervention characteristics on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), body composition, muscular strength, and blood pressure.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted in SPORT Discus (EBSCOhost), Web of Science, Scopus, Medline (Ovid) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The extent to which process evaluation is measured was narratively reported, alongside with the guidance of process evaluation of complex interventions by UK Medical Research Council. Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were conducted to determine the effects of process evaluation and intervention characteristics to the intervention outcomes.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 77 studies reporting on 45 school-based HIIT interventions. In total, five interventions reported process evaluation in a section or in a separate study, and only one intervention adopted a process evaluation framework. On average, 6 out of 12 process evaluation measures were reported in all interventions. Subgroup analyses did not indicate any beneficial treatment effects for studies with process evaluation group, whereas all pooled data and studies without process evaluation group showed significant improvement for CRF and body composition.

CONCLUSION

Process evaluation is frequently omitted in the literature of school-based HIIT in children and adolescents. Although reporting of process evaluation measures may not directly associate with better intervention outcomes, it allows accurate interpretation of intervention outcomes, thereby enhancing the generalisability and dissemination of the interventions.

Effect of high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective

This meta-analysis aimed to examine the effect of high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity, and to explore the optimal dose of high-intensity interval training to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials on the effects of HIIT on cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity were retrieved from six electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP. The quality assessment of the included studies was conducted following the revised quality evaluation method based on the PRISMA principles. Keywords for literature search mainly include high-intensity interval, cardiorespiratory fitness, overweight, obese, children, and adolescent, etc.

Results

(1) A total of 18 studies, comprising 581 participants (288 in the intervention group and 293 in the control group), were included and all of them were of moderate to high quality. (2) HIIT had a positive effect on the cardiorespiratory fitness levels of in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity (SMD = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.15; p < 0.00001). (3) The improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness was more significant when the HIIT intervention lasted for more than 10 weeks (SMD = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.74, 1.34; p < 0.00001), was conducted 3 times per week, with 2 to 8 sets per session (SMD = 1.13; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.55; p < 0.00001), and maintained a ratio of approximately 1:1 between exercise and rest intervals (SMD = 1.11; 95% CI: 0.73, 1.50; p < 0.00001).

Conclusion and recommendations

(1) Long-term HIIT can improve cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity. (2) To achieve significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness in a short period, children and adolescents with overweight or obesity can engage in HIIT programs lasting for more than 10 weeks, conducted 3 times per week, with 2 to 8 sets per session, and a ratio of approximately 1:1 between exercise and rest intervals.

Systematic Review Registration

Identifier: INPLASY202350033.

Acute high-intensity interval exercise improves food-related cognition in young adults with obesity: An ERP study

Purpose Cognitive function, particularly food-related cognition, is critical for maintaining a healthy weight and preventing the acceleration of obesity. High-Intensity Interval Exercise (HIIE) is an increasingly popular form of exercise and has been shown to improve physical fitness and cognitive function. However, there is limited research on the effects and underlying mechanisms of HIIE on general and food-related cognition among adults with obesity. The aim of the current study was to examine the influence of a single bout of HIIE on food-related cognition among young adults with obesity. Methods Fifteen young men with obesity (BMI = 33.88 ± 4.22, age = 24.60 ± 5.29 years) were recruited. Participants took part in a HIIE condition consisting of 30 minutes of stationary cycle exercise (5-min warm-up, 20-min HIIE and 5-min cool down), and a control session consisting of a time and attention-matched period of sedentary rest in a counterbalanced order. Behavioral (reaction time and accuracy) and event-related potential measures (P3 and the late positive potential, LPP) elicited during a food-related Flanker task were measured after the HIIE and control session. Results Shorter response times were observed following HIIE, regardless of congruency or picture type, with no change in accuracy. Increased P3 and LPP amplitudes were observed following HIIE relative to the control session. Conclusion The findings suggest a single bout of HIIE has a beneficial effect on general and food-related cognition among young adults with obesity, with increased recruitment of cognitive resources to support cognitive control. Future research is warranted to examine the dose-response relationship between acute bouts or longer participation in HIIE on food-related cognition in obesity.

School-based high-intensity interval exercise program in children with overweight induce a greater improvements in body composition and physical fitness than moderate-intensity continuous exercise

BACKGROUND

High-intensity interval running exercise (HIIE) is emerging as a time-efficient exercise modality for improving body composition and fitness in comparison with moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise (MICE); however, existing evidence is still unclear in children with overweight and thus we compared the effects of HIIE and MICE on body composition, muscular, and cardiorespiratory fitness in children with overweight.

METHODS

In this randomized study, 40 male children with overweight aged 7-10 years were divided into an 8-week exercise regime: (1) HIIE group [n = 20; 2 sets of 15 × 20s at 85-95% maximal aerobic speed (MAS) separated by 15 × 20s recovery at 50% MAS, 3 days per week] and (2) MICE group [n = 20; 30 min at 60-70% MAS, 3 days per week]. Body composition, muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness were assessed before and after the 8-week intervention at similar times and conditions of the day.

RESULTS

Following the 8-week HIIE protocol, weight, BMI, and fat mass decreased significantly (weight: - 1.4% vs. 0.2%, p < 0.05; BMI: - 3.1% vs. - 0.7%, p < 0.05; fat mass: - 7.7% vs. - 1.6%, p < 0.01) as compared with MICE; while the VO2peak and MAS increased significantly in both groups, the increase in HIIE group was significantly greater than that of MICE group (VO2peak: 10.3% vs. 3.5%, p < 0.01; MAS:7.7% vs. 4.5%, p < 0.05). Although significant improvements in muscular fitness were observed in HIIE and MICE groups [counter movement jump (CMJ): 7.8% vs. 5.4%; sprinting ability: - 3.7% vs. - 1.7%], no significant differences were seen between them (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggested that school-based HIIE intervention was highly in improving body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness of children with overweight than the MICE regime; however, MICE still provided improvements over time that were just not to the same magnitude of HIIE.

Minimal Detectable Change in Resting Blood Pressure and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Secondary Analysis of a Study on School-Based High-Intensity Interval Training Intervention

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) effects on resting blood pressure (BP) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) have already been studied. Furthermore, the responses of responders and non-responders to HIIT in terms of these physiological outcomes have also been examined. However, the minimal detectable change (MDC) in BP and CRF has not been addressed yet. Therefore, the current study aimed to compare the MDC90 of BP (systolic and diastolic) and CRF (fitness index (FI) results) in the context of a school-based HIIT program for adolescents. Participants were adolescents, with an average age of 16.16 years (n = 141; 36.6% males). A preplanned secondary analysis was conducted using pre-post data from the control group to estimate MDC90. The MDC90 of SBP, DBP, and FI were 7.82 mm HG, 12.45 mm HG, and 5.39 points, respectively. However, taking into account the relative values of these changes, MDC90 required a greater change in DBP (17.27%) than FI (12.15%) and SBP (6.68%). Any training-induced physiological changes in the average values of the outcomes did not exceed MDC90. However, a comparison of the participants who exceeded and did not exceed MDC90 showed statistically significant differences. These findings reveal the huge variability in and insensitivity to the intervention effect for all measurements. This is likely because of the large subgroup of participants with low sensitivity to the physiological stimulus. As such, there is a considerable need to create individually tailored intervention programs.

The Prevalence of Responders and Non-Responders for Body Composition, Resting Blood Pressure, Musculoskeletal, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness after Ten Weeks of School-Based High-Intensity Interval Training in Adolescents

Many observations have demonstrated great heterogeneity in the magnitude of the response to the physical exercise stimulus. Only a few studies have investigated the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on the prevalence of non-responders (NRs) in adolescents while considering health-related fitness measurements and other co-variables. Therefore, the aim of the current work was twofold: (1) to assess the effects of ten weeks of school-based HIIT on the prevalence of responders (Rs) and NRs for body composition, resting blood pressure (BP), cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness, and (2) to assess the relationship of this prevalence with sex, body mass category, and biological maturation status, while estimating the likelihood of a response. Adolescents aged 16 years (n = 73) were included in the study. Waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage (BFP), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), BP, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and musculoskeletal fitness were the primary outcomes. Co-variables included sex, body mass index (BMI), and maturity offset. The percentages of the Rs and NRs were analyzed based on changes (Δ) between post-intervention and pre-intervention values. The typical error (TE) method was used to identify Rs and NRs. Results showed a variation in the relative size of changes (% of changes) depending on the variable and sex. The greatest changes were observed in females' abdomen muscle strength (Δ% = 23.89%), and the difference from that of males (Δ% = 5.98%) was statistically significant (p < 0.001) with very large effect size of (Cohen's d = 0.941). Similar significant differences in relative changes were observed in body composition, but in the reverse direction. Males gained more from HIIT in the decrease in the body fat percentage (Δ% = -8.24%) and increase in skeletal muscle mass (Δ% = 3.38%) comparing to females (Δ% = 0.46, p = 0.040 and Δ% = 1.06%, p = 0.007, respectively). Effect size for body fat was small (Cohen's d = 0.469), and for skeletal muscle mass it was moderate (Cohen's d = -0.659). The results also showed positive significant differences in the prevalence of Rs compared to NRs in BFP, SMM, systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), CRF, and abdominal muscular strength (ABS) (p = 0.047, p = 0.047, p < 0.001, p = 0.003, p = 0.014, and p = 0.014, respectively). The effect was greatest and largest for SBP (Cohen's ω = 0.67). Sex was related to the prevalence of Rs for ABS and close to significance for SMM. More males than females benefited from HIIT in SMM (p = 0.058), but more females than males had ABS benefits (p = 0.050). Males were more likely (2.5-fold) to be Rs than females in SMM. BMI was not related to the prevalence of Rs and NRs. Biological maturation was related to the prevalence of Rs and NRs in SMM (p = 0.036) and SBP (p = 0.016). In SBP, 100% of the early matured derived benefit from HIIT, but the effect size was small (Cramer's V = 0.27). Those who maturated later were more likely (almost 70%) to be Rs. Thus, the HIIT program introduced to a typical physical education (PE) lesson can be considered partially effective. Therefore, there is a need to continue the search for an optimal and effective program for all health-related parameters. The close relationship between analyzed values and sex and biological maturation, but not BMI, indicates that the intervention programs should be tailored specifically for males and females.

Assessment of the Impact of Increased Physical Activity on Body Mass and Adipose Tissue Reduction in Overweight and Obese Children

(1) Background: Within the last 30 years, growing rates of child overweight and obesity have been observed as a very concerning phenomenon in most countries worldwide. The research aim was to assess what effect increased physical activity has on reducing body mass and adipose tissue in children between 10 and 11 years of age as well as to answer the question of whether physical activity could be considered as a factor in preventing child overweight and obesity when maintaining their existing diet and lifestyle. (2) Material and methods: There were 419 sports class primary school pupils in the experimental group who, in addition to four obligatory weekly physical education hours, attended six training hours. The control group comprised 485 children from parallel non-sports classes. In all pupils, height and weight measurements as well as physical fitness measurements were taken twice, at the beginning and end of the school year. Cole's method was used to assess the children's normal body weight. With the help of this method, children with excessive body weight were selected from the entire study group (N = 904), who additionally had skinfolds and adipose tissue measured using the BIA electrical bioimpedance method. The obtained results were interpreted using the variance analysis for repeated measurements and LSD test. (3) Results: The number of children with excessive body mass after 10 months of increased physical activity decreased (in the case of overweight: p = 0.0014, obesity: p = 0.0022), as did their skinfolds (p ≤ 0.001) and body fat (p ≤ 0.001), while their physical fitness considerably improved compared to the control group. (4) Conclusions: The introduction of increased physical activity in the experimental group children when maintaining their existing diet and lifestyle contributed to reducing their obesity and overweight and, at the same time, proved to be an effective factor in the process of decreasing their excessive body mass.

Integration of Obese Children in Physical Education Sessions: An Exploratory Study

We investigated the effect of the role of the joker in children with obesity (OCs) on integration and physio-psychological responses during small-sided games (SSG) training programs. Sixteen OC students (age 13.8 ± 0.73 years) performed training programs consisting of two sessions a week for three weeks. The experimental protocol consisted of 16 teams of 4 children (3 of normal weight and 1 OC). The 16 teams were divided into 2 groups, one with an OC playing as the joker (SSG-J) and the other group with OC playing as non-joker (SSG-NJ). Maximum heart rates (HRmax), blood lactate concentration [La] and OMNI-Child perceived exertion were measured at the end of each SSG. A physical activity enjoyment Scale (PACES) was accomplished during physical activity for the evaluation of feelings in OCs. Additionally, the profile of mood states (POMS) was measured before and after the SSG-J and SSG-NJ programs. HRmax, [La], perceived exertion, and PACES scores were significantly higher after the SSG-J compared with SSG-NJ (increments of 6.4%, 31.7%, 19.5% and 18.1%, respectively). The score of the POMS variables was positively increased in the presence of jokers. The vigor score increased by 30%, while tension and total mood disturbance scores decreased by 27.6% and 4.5%, respectively. These findings suggest that the joker role could be effective in improving integration, physical enjoyment, physiological responses and mood states in OCs when a team game is used during PE sessions. PE teachers could then program joker exercises with the aim of improving OCs' physical commitment willingness to play.

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN ADOLESCENTS AFTER HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING

ABSTRACT Introduction Exercise intensity can approach an individual’s maximum capacity rapidly. High-intensity exercise can improve aerobic capacity in obesity, overweight, heart disease, and diabetes. Knowledge of the physiological and biochemical changes in the post-workout period could provide safety indexes for a scientific basis. Objective To evaluate the immediate physiological and biochemical changes in adolescents submitted to high-intensity sports training. Methods The article selects several young athletes for research. They were randomly divided into two groups. Group A did high-intensity exercise, and group B did regular exercise. A statistical analysis of physiological and biochemical indicators of athletes before and after exercise is done. Results The vital capacity in the two groups was significantly different. However, no significant differences were found between the biochemical indicators collected before and after training. Conclusion High-intensity sport can improve cardiopulmonary function with low impact on biochemical indicators. These findings indicate high-intensity physical training can improve sports performance without compromising the health of adolescents. Evidence Level II; Therapeutic Studies - Outcome Research.

Differential effects of intermittent energy restriction vs. continuous energy restriction combined high-intensity interval training on overweight/obese adults: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Intermittent energy restriction (IER) and continuous energy restriction (CER) are increasingly popular dietary approaches used for weight loss and overall health. These energy restriction protocols combined with exercise on weight loss and other health outcomes could achieve additional effects in a short-term intervention.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effects of a 4-week IER or CER program on weight, blood lipids, and CRF in overweight/obese adults when combined with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

METHODS

Forty-eight overweight/obese adults [age: 21.3 ± 2.24 years, body mass index (BMI): 25.86 ± 2.64 kg⋅m-2] were randomly assigned to iER, cER, and normal diet (ND) groups (n = 16 per group), each consisting of a 4-week intervention. All of the groups completed HIIT intervention (3 min at 80% of V̇O2max followed by 3 min at 50% of V̇O2max ), 30 min/training sessions, five sessions per week. iER subjects consumed 30% of energy needs on 2 non-consecutive days/week, and 100% of energy needs on another 5 days; cER subjects consumed 70% of energy needs; and ND subjects consumed 100% of energy needs. Body composition, waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were measured before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

Of the total 57 participants who underwent randomization, 48 (84.2%) completed the 4-week intervention. After intervention body composition and body circumference decreased in three groups, but no significant differences between groups. The iER tends to be superior to cER in the reduction of body composition and body circumference. The mean body weight loss was 4.57 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.1-5.0, p < 0.001) in iER and 2.46 kg (95% CI, 4.1-5.0, p < 0.001) in iER. The analyses of BMI, BF%, WC, and HC were consistent with the primary outcome results. In addition, TG, TC, HDL-c, and CRF improved after intervention but without significant changes (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Both IER and CER could be effective in weight loss and increased CRF when combined with HIIT. However, iER showed greater benefits for body weight, BF%, WC, and HC compared with cER.

Integrating High-Intensity Interval Training into a School Setting Improve Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Physical Activity in Children with Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiorespiratory fitness and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in children with obesity. A total of 40 students (11.0 ± 0.6 years; 20 boys) were randomized into an intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). The IG group performed a 12-week HIIT intervention with three sessions per week. Each session included 18 min of training (three sets of eight bouts of 15 s run at 100% maximal aerobic speed (MAS) separated by eight bouts of 15 s recovery run at 50% MAS) in PE class; the CG group were instructed to continue their normal behaviors. All subjects had indices of body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM), body fat percentage (%BF), fat free mass (FFM), VAT, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) measured at baseline and post-intervention. The cooperation of students was high, and all 40 students were included in the final analysis. A significant group−time interaction was determined in body composition (p < 0.05), with a significant decrease in BM (−3.4 ± 1.4 kg, p = 0.001; η2 = 0.63), BMI (−1.7 ± 0.5, p = 0.001; η2 = 0.58), %BF (−3.3 ± 1.4, p = 0.001; η2 = 0.54), and FM (−3.2 ± 1.4 kg, p = 0.001; η2 = 0.69), and VAT (−22.4 ± 9.8 cm2; p = 0.001; η2 = 0.61) in the IG. Furthermore, VO2max exhibited a significant increase in the IG (4.5 ± 1.6 mL/kg/min, p = 0.001; η2 = 0.84) and CG groups (1.7 ± 1.1 mL/kg/min, p = 0.001; η2 = 0.44). Integrating regular school-based HIIT sessions is a suitable method to improve body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and physical activity in students with obesity. Trial Registration: ChiCTR2100048737.

Closed Home Physical Education Teaching Model and Response Strategies Based on Big Data Technology

Online teaching is carried out nationwide in the context of the new crown epidemic prevention and control, and physical education, as one of the compulsory courses in schools and universities, is included within the content of online line lessons. Online physical education teaching is a new approach and attempt to switch from an auxiliary teaching tool to the main teaching tool. The subject matter, target audience, teaching methods, and content of physical education classes have changed dramatically. The development of online physical education has played an important role in popularizing the concept of "sports for life" and establishing the concept of lifelong exercise. Through the analysis and research on the characteristics of online physical education, we propose the measures to promote the overall online teaching ability and level of physical education teachers in the postepidemic period, gradually promote the reform of online and offline physical education, and promote the integration of school physical education and social sports, as well as to build a physical education teacher training system that integrates online and offline development and improve and strengthen the management of Internet physical education resources. Since the teaching effect of online teaching is limited by the teaching means and content, which leads to the low accuracy of the evaluation of online sports teaching effect, for this reason, this paper designs a model based on big data technology and artificial intelligence algorithm for enhancing closed home sports teaching, obtains the overall situation of online physical education by using convolutional neural network to process physical education video sequences, and improves the system performance by embedding the algorithm into the big data framework, to avoid the interference of teaching environment and complete the evaluation of high precision online sports teaching effect. The experimental results show that the proposed method evaluation can improve the computing rate based on ensuring the high accuracy evaluation of physical education online teaching effect.

Effects of six weeks outdoor versus treadmill running on physical fitness and body composition in recreationally active young males: a pilot study

Background

Running as exercise may be performed either on an outdoor surface or treadmill surface. However, previous research has indicated that the nature of both the surfaces differ significantly and therefore the training outcomes from running in these surfaces may also vary.

Aim

Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to compare the effects of 6-weeks of supervised outdoor running (OT) vs treadmill running (TT) on physical fitness and body composition in recreationally active young males.

Methods

Participants (age: 19.82 ± 1.28 years, height: 172.6 ± 4.9 cm, body mass: 64.3 ± 8.7 kg) were randomly assigned to OT (n = 14) or TT (n = 14), and assessed for physical fitness, i.e., 50 m sprint, cardiorespiratory endurance (i.e., 1,600 m run time-trial), standing long jump (SLJ), flexibility (i.e., sit-and-reach test), and upper-body muscle endurance (i.e., push-ups repetitions), alongside body composition, i.e., body mass, body mass index (BMI), fat percentage, fat free mass, and leg skeletal muscle mass (SMM). A two (pre-post intervention) by two (OT, TT) mixed ANOVA analysed exercise-specific effects. For significant group-by-time interactions, Bonferroni adjusted paired (within-group) and independent (between-group comparisons at post) t-tests were used for post-hoc analyses.

Results

Significant time-effect was found in all physical fitness variables (all p < 0.001, η_p ² = 0.67-0.91), body mass (p = 0.23, η_p ² = 0.18), BMI (p = 0.009, η_p ² = 0.24), body fat percentage (p = 0.001, η_p ² = 0.38), and leg SMM (p = 0.002-0.007, η_p ² = 0.25-0.33). Significant group-by-time interaction was found for 50 m sprint (p = < 0.001, η_p ² = 0.74), 1,600 m run (p = 0.001, η_p ² = 0.35), and SLJ (p < 0.001, η_p ² = 0.43), favouring OT. Group-specific post-hoc tests showed improvements in all physical fitness variables after OT (p = < 0.001-0.001, g = 0.69-2.32, %Δ = 3.0-12.4) and TT (p = < 0.001-0.017, g = 0.15-0.65, %Δ = 0.9-11.7), and fat percentage after OT and TT (p = 0.002-0.041, g = 0.14-0.26, %Δ = 4.3-6.0). However, leg SMM decreased in TT (p = 0.001-0.004, g = 0.14-0.15, %Δ = 6.2-6.7).

Conclusions

Both OT and TT improved physical fitness and decreased fat percentage. However, compared to TT, the OT intervention preserved leg SMM and induced greater physical fitness improvements.

Effects of Sand-Based Plyometric-Jump Training in Combination with Endurance Running on Outdoor or Treadmill Surface on Physical Fitness in Young Adult Males

This study aimed at examining the effects of nine weeks of sand-based plyometric-jump training (PJT) combined with endurance running on either outdoor or treadmill surface on measures of physical fitness. Male participants (age, 20.1 ± 1.7 years) were randomly assigned to a sand-based PJT combined with endurance running on outdoor surface (OT, n = 25) or treadmill surface (TT, n = 25). The endurance running intervention comprised a mixed training method, i.e., long slow distance, tempo, and interval running drills. A control group was additionally included in this study (CG, n = 25). Participants in CG followed their regular physical activity as OT and TT but did not receive any specific intervention. Individuals were assessed for their 50-m linear sprint time, standing long jump (SLJ) distance, cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e., Cooper test), forced vital capacity (FVC), calf girth, and resting heart rate (RHR). A three (groups: OT, TT, CG) by two (time: pre, post) ANOVA for repeated measures was used to analyze the exercise-specific effects. In case of significant group-by-time interactions, Bonferroni adjusted paired (within-group) and independent (between-group comparisons at post) t-tests were used for post-hoc analyses. Significant group-by-time interactions were found for all dependent variables (p < 0.001 - 0.002, ɳ_p ² = 0.16 - 0.78). Group-specific post-hoc tests showed improvements for all variables after OT (p < 0.001, Hedges'g effect size [g] = 0.05 - 1.94) and TT (p < 0.001, g = 0.04 - 2.73), but not in the CG (p = 0.058 - 1.000, g = 0.00 - 0.34). Compared to CG, OT showed larger SLJ (p = 0.001), cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.004), FVC (p = 0.008), and RHR (p < 0.001) improvements. TT showed larger improvements in SLJ (p = 0.036), cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.001), and RHR (p < 0.001) compared with CG. Compared to OT, TT showed larger improvements for SLJ (p = 0.018). In conclusion, sand-based PJT combined with either OT or TT similarly improved most measures of physical fitness, with greater SLJ improvement after TT. Coaches may use both concurrent exercise regimes based on preferences and logistical constrains (e.g., weather; access to treadmill equipment).

School-based high-intensity interval training programs in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

1) To investigate the effectiveness of school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions in promoting health outcomes of children and adolescents compared with either a control group or other exercise modality; and 2) to explore the intervention characteristics and process outcomes of published school-based HIIT interventions.

METHODS

We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science from inception until 31 March 2021. Studies were eligible if 1) participants aged 5-17 years old; 2) a HIIT intervention within a school setting ≥ 2 weeks duration; 3) a control or comparative exercise group; 4) health-related, cognitive, physical activity, nutrition, or program evaluation outcomes; and 5) original research published in English. We conducted meta-analyses between HIIT and control groups for all outcomes with ≥ 4 studies and meta-regressions for all outcomes with ≥ 10 studies. We narratively synthesised results between HIIT and comparative exercise groups.

RESULTS

Fifty-four papers met eligibility criteria, encompassing 42 unique studies (35 randomised controlled trials; 36 with a high risk of bias). Meta-analyses indicated significant improvements in waist circumference (mean difference (MD) = -2.5cm), body fat percentage (MD = -1.7%), body mass index (standardised mean difference (SMD) = -1.0), cardiorespiratory fitness (SMD = +1.0), resting heart rate (MD = -5bpm), homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (MD = -0.7), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (SMD = -0.9) for HIIT compared to the control group. Our narrative synthesis indicated mixed findings between HIIT and other comparative exercise groups.

CONCLUSION

School-based HIIT is effective for improving several health outcomes. Future research should address the paucity of information on physical activity and nutrition outcomes and focus on the integration and long-term effectiveness of HIIT interventions within school settings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42018117567.

Prevalence of Positive Effects on Body Fat Percentage, Cardiovascular Parameters, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness after 10-Week High-Intensity Interval Training in Adolescents

Simple Summary

In this study, we aimed to analyze the prevalence of positive effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body composition, cardiovascular parameters, and cardiorespiratory fitness among adolescents. We investigated 52 boys and 89 girls from a secondary school, separated into an experimental group (EG) with HIIT intervention and a control group (CG). The measured parameters were body fat % (BFP), resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and fitness index (FI). The results indicate that positive HIIT-induced changes in SBP, DBP, and FI were most common among boys, especially those with low body mass index. Our study also revealed relationships between changes in FI and BFP and BP parameters. The effectiveness of HIIT was confirmed concerning the prevalence of the positive changes in measured parameters. We suggest that HIIT should be implemented in PE lessons, although there is a need to look for a more efficient method for girls.

Abstract

Analysis of the interventions on cardiovascular disease risk factors focuses on quantitative changes, omitting assessment of positive effect frequency in individuals. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of positive effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body composition, cardiovascular parameters, and cardiorespiratory fitness among adolescents. A total of 52 boys and 89 girls from a secondary school were separated into an experimental group (EG) with HIIT and a control group (CG). Body fat % (BFP), resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and fitness index (FI) changes were calculated. We assessed the influence and interaction of three factors: intervention (INT), sex (SEX), and body mass index (BMI_status) on the ratio of individuals with and without positive changes. We used log-linear models for interactions and multivariate correspondence analysis (MCA). The results indicate that HIIT affects the prevalence of positive changes in SBP, DBP, and FI. Interactions between factors suggest boys with low BMI get more benefit from the intervention than girls. The MCA indicates a relationship between FI and BFP and between BP parameters. The effectiveness of HIIT was confirmed concerning the prevalence of the positive changes in measured parameters. We suggest that HIIT should be implemented in PE lessons, although there is a need to look for a more efficient method for girls.

Effects of school-based high-intensity interval training on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic markers in adolescent boys with obesity: a randomized controlled trial

Background

With accumulating evidence suggesting that CVD has its origins in childhood obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a real-world school-based high-intensity interval training intervention on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic markers in obese boys aged 10 to 13 years.

Methods

Forty-five adolescent boys with obesity (age = 11.2 ± 0.7 years, BMI = 24.2 ± 1.0 kg/m²), were randomized to high-intensity interval training group (HIIT, n = 15), moderate-intensity continuous training group (MICT, n = 15), or a control group (CON, n = 15). The intervention groups performed three weekly exercise sessions over 12 weeks. HIIT group performed two sets of eight bouts of 15 s run at high-intensity [90 ~ 100% maximal aerobic speed (MAS)] separated by eight bouts of 15 s recovery run at low-intensity (50% MAS), MICT group performed 30 min run at moderate intensity (60 ~ 70% MAS) and CON group were instructed to continue their normal behaviors. All participants had indices of body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and cardiometabolic markers measured at baseline and post-intervention. Statistical differences between and within groups were determined by use of two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures.

Results

Following the school-based training program, BMI and body fat mass decreased (BMI: − 1.8 kg/m² vs. – 1.2 kg/m², P < 0.01; FM: − 1.6 kg, P < 0.05 vs. -3.7 kg, P < 0.01) in HIIT and MICT group, but there was no significant difference between the two interventions; \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\dot{\mathrm{V}}{\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathrm{peak}}$$\end{document}V˙O2peak both increased significantly in two intervention groups, and the increment of HIIT group was significantly greater than that of MICT (6.1 mL/kg/min vs. 3.8 mL/kg/min, P < 0.01), Visceral adipose tissue was significant decrease in HIIT group (− 53 g vs. -17 g, P < 0.01) whilst the MICT group experienced a significant decrease in body fat percentage (− 3.1 ± 1.0 kg, P < 0.01), but there were no significant difference between the two interventions. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased only in HIIT group (− 17.2%, P < 0.05). Significant decrease in the usual index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) occurred in HIIT and MICT groups (− 27.3 and − 28.6%, respectively; P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that high-intensity interval training based on running can be used to improve the physical health of obese adolescents in school. Further investigations involving a larger cohort of participants, taken from different schools, is recommended.

Trial registration

title Effect of High Intensity Interval Training on Obese Children and Adolescents, time 16/12/2017, IDChiCTR-IOR-17013992, websitehttp://www.chictr.org.cn

The Mediation Role of Fatness in Associations between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Blood Pressure after High-Intensity Interval Training in Adolescents

BACKGROUND

Low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), elevated blood pressure (BP), and high fatness are cardiovascular disease risk factors. It remains unknown how fatness affects the influence of CRF on BP. Therefore, the aim was to examine whether the associations between baseline CRF and HIIT-postintervention resting BP were mediated through fatness in adolescents.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The sample (n = 64) comprised 28 boys 36 girls aged 16 years. The analysed factors were fitness index- reflecting CRF, body fat mass (BFM), fat mass index (FMI), and body mass index (BMI). Bootstrapped mediation procedures were performed. The mediation analysis was conducted concerning the sex moderation effect.

RESULTS

The mediation effect of sex was confirmed; therefore, mediations models were designed separately for boys and girls. The results showed a statistically significant inverse relationship between baseline CRF and post-intervention systolic blood pressure (SBP) in both sexes (boys: B = -0.603, p = 0.010; girls: B = -0.394, p = 0.037). The relations between CRF and SBP revealed the mediation effect of the BFM and the FMI only in boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatness mediated associations between CRF and SBP in boys. Therefore, both CRF and fatness are necessary to maintain positive results of the BP revealed in normal SBP ranges after HIIT.

Sex Moderated Mediation of the Musculoskeletal Fitness in Relationship between High-Intensive Interval Training Performing during Physical Education Classes and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Healthy Boys and Girls

High-intensive interval training (HIIT) is indicated as a means of improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and musculoskeletal fitness (MSF). The relationship between CRF and MSF was examined too. Little is known about gaining CRF from HIIT independence of MSF in adolescents. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating whether MSF mediated the relationship between HIIT and CRF and whether sex moderate this relation. The study sample included 122 individuals (45 boys, 77 girls) 16.12 ± 0.38 years of secondary school age. Participants were assigned to the HIIT intervention or control groups. The intervention lasted 14 minutes during one physical education lesson per week for ten weeks. Outcome and potential mediator were residual changes calculated from pre- and postintervention results of MSF components: handgrip (HG), sit-ups (ABS), sit-and-reach (FL), vertical jump (VJ), and Harvard step-test representing cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). MSF index (MSFI) was calculated as a construct, agglomerating all MSF, and tested its usefulness. HIIT significantly impacted CRF in boys and girls (B = 2.32, p = 0.032; B = 2.28, p = 0.005, respectively). The impact of the HIIT program on the ABS and FL was observed only in girls. The moderation effect of sex was confirmed. Significant effect of HIIT on CRF decreased (B_direct < B_total) and was no significant after including FL (B = 1.46, p = 0.62)—complete mediation, but no ABS (B = 2.97, p = 0.001)—partial mediation. CRF was mediated by changes in ABS (B = 2.28, p < 0.001) and FL (4.18, p < 0.001). MSFI was not mediating; its usefulness was limited. HIIT is an effective tool in the development of CRF in both sexes. MSF played a limited role in the relationship between HIIT and CRF. It suggested different mechanisms in both sexes: girls who performed better to the HIIT had better values of FL and ABS, but not boys. HIIT intervention involved modifications in ABS or FL, which also influenced the increase of CRF.

Bone Response to High-Intensity Interval Training versus Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training in Adolescents with Obesity

INTRODUCTION

Since adolescents with obesity are prone to bone fragility during weight loss, the aim was to compare the impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) versus moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on bone density, geometry, and strength.

METHODS

Sixty-one adolescents were randomly assigned to 2 cycling trainings (HIIT and MICT) and a control (CTR, without training) group. Anthropometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with hip structural analysis and the trabecular bone score (TBS) were assessed before and after the 16-week intervention.

RESULTS

Body mass index (BMI) and fat mass (FM) percentage decreased at T1 versus T0 in both training groups (p < 0.001 for HIIT, p = 0.01 for MICT), though to a larger extent in HIIT (p < 0.05). Total body bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) increased in both training groups (p < 0.001), but to a greater extent in HIIT for BMC (p < 0.05). Lumbar spine BMD and BMC increased in both training groups (p < 0.001 for HIIT, p < 0.01 for MICT), with a time × group interaction between HIIT and CTR (p < 0.05) only. TBS increased in both training groups (p < 0.01 for HIIT, p < 0.05 for MICT). Hip BMD and BMC increased in both HIIT (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01) and MICT (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05). At the narrow neck (NN), endocortical diameter, width (p < 0.01), cross-sectional moment of inertia, and section modulus (Z) (p < 0.05) increased only in the HIIT group, such as BMD and Z (p < 0.05) at the intertrochanteric region (IT) and average cortical thickness (p < 0.001) and width (p < 0.05) at the femoral shaft. At the NN and IT, the buckling ratio decreased only in the HIIT group (p < 0.05), predicting higher resistance to fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to inducing greater BMI and FM percentage decreases in comparison to MICT, HIIT improves multisite bone density, geometry, and strength, which heighten the justification for HIIT as part of weight loss interventions in adolescents with obesity.

Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Overweight and Obesity Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: The purpose of this review was to compare the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on cardiometabolic risk factors of obese children and adolescents. Methods: Relevant studies published in PubMed, MEDLINE and Web of Science databases were searched. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effect of HIIT and MICT on children and adolescents with obesity were included. Meta-analyses were conducted to determine the effect of HIIT on cardiometabolic risk factors using STATA software and potential moderators were explored (i.e., study duration, training modalities, work/rest ratio and work duration time). Results: Twelve RCTs involving 325 participants were included in the meta-analysis. HIIT showed more positive effects on maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max; SMD = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.39 to 1.35, p = 0.000) and systolic blood pressure (SBP; SMD = -0.64, 95% CI: -1.05 to -0.22, p = 0.003) than MICT. However, when compared with MICT, HIIT caused no significant differences in body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, diastolic blood pressure and glycolipid metabolism markers. Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed that the effects of HIIT on VO2max and SBP were significantly different regarding protocol factors, such as modality, duration, training time, training settings, work/rest ratio and work duration. Conclusions: HIIT has a positive role in promoting cardiometabolic risk factors in obese children and adolescents. Moreover, when compared with MICT, HIIT had a more significant effect on improving cardiorespiratory fitness and systolic blood pressure. The factors of HIIT protocol had an important influence on the intervention effects of childhood obesity.

Exercise Intervention for Academic Achievement Among Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES

Physical inactivity is an important health concern worldwide. In this study, we examined the effects of an exercise intervention on children's academic achievement, cognitive function, physical fitness, and other health-related outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based cluster randomized controlled trial among 2301 fourth-grade students from 10 of 11 public primary schools in 1 district of Ulaanbaatar between February and December 2018. Schools were allocated to an intervention or control group with 5 schools each by using urban and mixed residential area stratified block randomization. The intervention group received a 3-minute high-intensity interval exercise program that included jumps, squats, and various steps implemented twice weekly over 10 weeks for 10 to 25 minutes per session. The control group received the usual physical education class. The primary outcome was academic achievement assessed by scores on the national examination. A linear mixed-effects model was applied. The difference between preintervention and post intervention was compared by least-squares means, estimated on the basis of the interaction of group, measurement time point, and school location. Only 1 statistician, responsible for the analysis, was blinded.

RESULTS

Of 2301 students, 2101 (1069 intervention; 1032 control) were included in the analysis. Intervention group members in an urban area showed an 8.36-point improvement (95% confidence interval: 6.06 to 10.66) in academic scores when compared with the control group, whereas those in a mixed residential area showed a 9.55-point improvement (95% confidence interval: 6.58 to 12.51). No intervention-associated injuries were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The exercise program significantly improved children's academic achievement.

Effekte von hochintensivem Intervalltraining (HIIT) auf Body-Mass-Index (BMI) und Körperfettanteil von übergewichtigen und adipösen Kindern – eine systematische Übersichtsarbeit

Hintergrund Mehr als 340 Millionen Kinder gelten weltweit als übergewichtig oder adipös, ihre Anzahl nahm in den letzten Jahren – auch durch die Coronapandemie – erheblich zu. Eine alternative Behandlung zur Reduzierung des Übergewichts, die in den Empfehlungen bisher keine große Beachtung findet, stellt das sogenannte hochintensive Intervalltraining (HIIT) dar.

Ziel Darstellung der Wirksamkeit von hochintensivem Intervalltraining auf den BMI und Körperfettanteil übergewichtiger und adipöser Kinder im Alter von 6–13 Jahren.

Methode Die Erstellung der systematischen Übersichtsarbeit orientierte sich an den PRISMA-Guidelines. Für die Literaturrecherche wurden die Datenbanken MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, Sports Medicine & Education Index und Web of Science nach Studien mit hochintensivem Intervalltraining für übergewichtige und adipöse Kinder durchsucht. Die Bewertung der methodischen Studienqualität erfolgte mittels PEDro-Skala, MINORS und Risk of Bias. Die Berichtsqualität wurde anhand von CONSORT und TREND bewertet.

Ergebnisse Es wurden 6 randomisierte kontrollierte Studien und 2 kontrollierte klinische Studien mit 479 HIIT-Teilnehmenden betrachtet. Diese zeigten, dass hochintensives Intervalltraining positive Auswirkungen auf den BMI und Körperfettanteil übergewichtiger und adipöser Kinder hat.

Schlussfolgerung Hochintensives Intervalltraining ist eine kinderfreundliche und zugleich effektive Alternative zur Behandlung von übergewichtigen und adipösen Kindern. Weitere klinische Studien sind erforderlich, um die Ergebnisse zu bekräftigen.

Physiotherapy and related management for childhood obesity: A systematic scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Despite targeted efforts globally to address childhood overweight/obesity, it remains poorly understood and challenging to manage. Physiotherapists have the potential to manage children with obesity as they are experts in movement and physical activity. However, their role remains unclear due to a lack of physiotherapy-specific guidelines. This scoping review aims to explore existing literature, critically appraising and synthesising findings to guide physiotherapists in the evidence-based management of childhood overweight/obesity.

METHOD

A scoping review was conducted, including literature up to May 2020. A review protocol exists on Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/fap8g/. Four databases were accessed including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Medline via OVID, with grey literature searched through google via "file:pdf". A descriptive synthesis was undertaken to explore the impact of existing interventions and their efficacy.

RESULTS

From the initial capture of 1871 articles, 263 intervention-based articles were included. Interventions included qualitative focused physical activity, quantitative focused physical activity and multicomponent interventions. Various outcome measures were utilised including health-, performance- and behaviour-related outcomes. The general trend for physiotherapy involvement with children who are obese appears to favour: 1) multicomponent interventions, implementing more than one component with environmental modification and parental involvement and 2) quantitative physical activity interventions, focusing on the quantity of bodily movement. These approaches most consistently demonstrated desirable changes across behavioural and health-related outcome measures for multicomponent and quantitative physical activity interventions respectively.

CONCLUSION

When managing children with obesity, physiotherapists should consider multicomponent approaches and increasing the quantity of physical activity, given consistent improvements in various obesity-related outcomes. Such approaches are well suited to the scope of physiotherapists and their expertise in physical activity prescription for the management of childhood obesity. Future research should examine the effect of motor skill interventions and consider the role of environmental modification/parental involvement as factors contributing to intervention success.

Indices of Cardiovascular Health, Body Composition and Aerobic Endurance in Young Women; Differential Effects of Two Endurance-Based Training Modalities

Endurance training (ET) has multiple beneficial effects on cardiovascular health (CVH), but there is an evident lack of knowledge on differential effects of various types of ET on indices of CVH in women. The aim of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of two different types of ET on changes in indicators of CVH in apparently healthy adult women. The sample included 58 women (24 ± 3 years; height: 165 ± 6 cm, mass: 66.7 ± 7.2 kg, BMI: 24.3 ± 2.5 kg/m², at baseline) divided into one control non-exercising group (n = 19), and two exercising experimental groups (EE). The first EE participated in choreographed aerobic-endurance training (CAT; n = 19), while the second participated in treadmill-based endurance exercise (TEE; n = 20) during the experimental protocol (8 weeks, 24 training sessions). The testing included pre- and post-exercise protocols and measures of anthropometric/body composition indices, lipid panel, and endurance capacity. Two-way analysis of variance for repeated measurements with consecutive post hoc analysis was applied to the “group” and “measurement” variables. The main significant ANOVA effects found for measurement, and “Group x Measurement” interaction (p < 0.05) were found for all variables but body height. The EE induced positive changes in lipid panel variables, anthropometric/body-build status, and endurance capacity. However, TEE improved endurance capacity to a greater extent than CAT. The results suggest that that the optimal exercise intensity and self-chosen type of physical-activity may result in positive effects on indices of CVH, even in women of young age and good health status.

Optimal Values of Body Composition for the Lowest Risk of Failure in Tabata Training's Effects in Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Background

The optimal body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index (FMI) values for a positive change or the lowest risk of no positive change after high-intensity interval training (HIIT) using the Tabata protocol remain unclear. This study is aimed at establishing these optimal BMI and FMI values for the lowest risk of failure of aerobic performance in adolescents.

Methods

A 10-week HIIT programme was introduced into the physical education of 73 students. BMI was calculated using height and weight. Bioelectrical impedance analysis measured body fat, and the InBody apparatus generated the FMI. Based on BMI and FMI, the participants were divided into four groups. Pre- and post-HIIT intervention analyses were carried out using the Harvard step test, which was used to determine the physical efficiency index (PEI).

Results

The Youden index confirmed that the risk of no positive effects in PEI was the lowest for the second BMI interval (19.01-22.00 kg/m²) and FMI Q₂₋₃ (7.96-8.91 kg/m²). The optimal BMI value for the lowest risk of no change in PEI was 20.60 kg/m², and the optimal FMI value was 8.84 kg/m².

Conclusion

A comparison of the two indices shows that FMI had stronger effects on PEI than BMI. In addition, the model obtained for FMI had higher accuracy. Identifying at-risk individuals, those in need of improving health-related fitness (H-RF), and those with a low risk of poor H-RF allows for efficient planning of individual intervention services and training programmes.

Associations between gender, school socioeconomic status, and cardiorespiratory fitness among elementary and middle school students

Background

Schools play an important role in providing access to physical activity opportunities for children. There are common economic and gender disparities in physical activity and health-related fitness among children, which may inform a school’s programming needs. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding about gender, school-level socioeconomic status, and children’s cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods

This observational study used 2017–2018 school year data from schools in the Dallas Metropolitan area participating in the Healthy Zone School (HZS) program. Three data sources were integrated: 1) FitnessGram® data, 2) school-level data from the Texas Education Agency, and 3) HZS survey data. Being in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) for aerobic capacity was the dependent variable, and gender and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students (at the school-level) were key independent variables. Mixed-effects logistic regression models examined associations between dependent and independent variables. Final models were adjusted for age and type of aerobic test.

Results

There were 67 schools and 15,052 students included in the analysis. When testing main effects, girls had lower odds for being in the HFZ for aerobic capacity than boys (OR = 0.54, CI = 0.47–0.62). Additionally, having a greater percentage of students who were economically disadvantaged was associated with lower odds for being in the HFZ for aerobic capacity (0.98, CI = 0.98–0.99). There was a significant interaction between gender and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Results indicated girls had even lower odds (than boys) for being in the HFZ in schools with 90% economically disadvantaged students (OR = 0.44, CI = 0.35–0.55) versus in schools with 15% economically disadvantage students (OR = 0.62, CI = 0.51–0.76).

Conclusions

Results suggest girls in Healthy Zone Schools have lower odds to meet aerobic capacity fitness standards than boys. Additionally, boys and girls in schools serving a greater percentage of economically disadvantaged students have lower odds to meet aerobic capacity fitness standards. Last, girls have even lower odds of meeting HFZ standard when attending a school serving a greater percentage of economically disadvantaged students. Thus, schools need to provide more programs for girls targeting aerobic physical activity. This is especially important for schools serving a high percentage of low-income students.

Obesity does not modulate men's eating behavior after a high intensity interval exercise session: an exercise trial

BACKGROUND

We investigated the impact of obesity on responses to high intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on hunger and energy intake (EI) in young men.

METHODS

Ten men with obesity (OB) (Body Mass Index [BMI]: 34.6±4.4 kg/m²) and 10 with normal weight (CG) (BMI: 23.1±3.9 kg/m²) participated in a HIIE session. The session consisted of 6 rounds performed at 100% of maximum aerobic velocity (MAV) for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of active recovery at 50% MAV and concluded with 4 minutes of passive recovery. This was repeated three times. EI was estimated at baseline and 24 h-post-HIIE. Hunger was measured at baseline, 2 h- and 24 h-post HIIE.

RESULTS

Carbohydrate (CHO) intake increased in both groups (P<0.01). Hunger feelings (19.5 [0-50] mm at baseline to 50 [9-73] mm post-2 h and 60 [8-92] mm in post-24 h [group: P=0.71, time: P<0.01, group × time: P=0.06]) and a desire to eat (34 [1-89] ±36.0 mm at baseline to 63 [11-86] mm post-2 h and 51 [7-84] mm post-24 h [group: P=0.65, time: P<0.01, group × time: P=0.29]) increased in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Weight status does not modulate hunger and EI post-HIIE. However, the compensatory increase in CHO intake and hunger feelings is particularly noteworthy for health professionals.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) in Healthy, Overweight and Obese Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Studies

Background: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a sustainable and effective method for improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) in adolescents. HIIT is proven to produce equal or greater improvements in CRF when compared to moderate intensity continuous exercise (MICE) in adolescents. Methods: The studies included were considered eligible if: (1) Participants were adolescents (11–18 years old); (2) Examined changes in CRF measured either directly or indirectly; (3) Included a non-exercising control group or MICE comparison group; (4) Participants were matched at enrolment; (5) Reported HIIT protocol information; (6) Provided HIIT intensity. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of HIIT on CRF. Meta-regression and moderator analyses were performed out to quantitatively examine moderators of protocol design on CRF improvements. Results: HIIT displays a moderate effect to improve CRF (g = 0.86, 95% CI 0.518–1.106, p < 0.001). Neither study duration (weeks), nor total or weekly accumulated HIIT volume (min) displayed any significant moderation effect on pooled improvement on CRF (p > 0.05). Conclusions: HIIT is an effective method to improve CRF in adolescents, irrespective of body composition. Notably, meta regression analysis identified that prolonged high volume HIIT programs are similarly effective to short term low volume HIIT programs. This becomes of particular interest for those involved in school curricula, where short HIIT exercise may provide a pragmatic adjunct to the health benefits of Physical Education (PE) lessons.

Endurance Training vs. Circuit Resistance Training: Effects on Lipid Profile and Anthropometric/Body Composition Status in Healthy Young Adult Women

Background: Endurance training (ET) and resistance training (RT) are known to be effective in improving anthropometric/body composition and lipid panel indicators, but there is an evident lack of studies on differential effects of these two forms of physical exercise (PE). This study aimed to evaluate the differential effects of 8-week ET and RT among young adult women. Methods: Participants were women (n = 57; age: 23 ± 3 years; initial body height: 165 ± 6 cm; body mass: 66.79 ± 7.23 kg; BMI: 24.37 ± 2.57 kg/m²) divided into the ET group (n = 20), RT group (n = 19), and non-exercising control group (n = 18). All participants were tested for cardiovascular risk factors (CRF), including total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, glucose, and anthropometric/body composition (body mass, body mass index, skinfold measures, body fat %) at the beginning and at the end of the study. Over the 8 weeks, the ET group trained three times/week on a treadmill while the RT group participated in equal number of circuit weight training sessions. Both types of training were planned according to participants’ pre-study fitness status. Results: A two-factor analysis of variance for repeated measurements (“group” × “measurement”) revealed significant main effects for “measurement” in CRF. The “group × measurement” interaction was significant for CRF. The post-hoc analysis indicated significant improvements in CRF for RT and ET. No significant differential effects between RT and ET were evidenced. Conclusions: The results of this study evidence improvements of CRF in young adult women as a result of 8-week ET and RT. The lack of differential training-effects may be attributed to the fact that all participants underwent pre-study screening of their fitness status, which resulted in application of accurate training loads.

Response of obese schoolchildren to high-intensity interval training applied in the school context

BACKGROUND

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been widely used to fight cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents and adults, but no data are available on its applicability in children.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of HIIT on different anthropometric and cardiovascular parameters of overweight and obese children aged 7-9 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Four groups were formed: 1) an overweight control group (OWCG, n=30, BMI=21.60±3.72kg/m²); 2) an obesity control group (OCG, n=34, BMI=23.92±3.11kg/m²); 3) an overweight intervention group (OWIG, n=69, BMI=20.01±1.88kg/m²), and 4) an obesity intervention group (OIG, n=141, BMI=24.12±2.66kg/m²). BMI, body fat (BF), waist circumference, height-waist ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were assessed before and after intervention.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in BMI (P<.001), BF (P<.001), and CRF (P<.001) between the groups (control vs. intervention) before and after intervention (OWCG vs. OWIG and OCG vs. OIG). BMI decreased in the OWIG (BMI, 20.01±1.88 at baseline vs. 19.00±2.02 after HIIT, P<.001) and OIG (BMI, 24.12±2.66 at baseline vs. 23.23±3.23 after HIIT, P<.001) groups. Similarly, BF decreased in the OWIG (BF, 21.84±4.97 at baseline vs. 19.55±4.81% after HIIT, P<.001) and OIG (BF, 30.26±11.49 at baseline vs. 26.81±6.80% after HIIT, P<.001) groups. CRF improved in both intervention groups (P<.001). There was a significant decrease in the prevalence rate of schoolchildren with obesity (from 66.4% to 49.6%) (P<.001).

CONCLUSION

The intervention conducted in the school setting improved the anthropometric and cardiovascular parameters of schoolchildren, and also allowed for reducing the proportion of schoolchildren with obesity.