Liu Jianxiu, Zhang Yao, Li Xingtian, Wang Dizhi, Shi Bolan, You Yanwei, Min Leizi, Luo Bicheng, Li Yanchun, Di Qian, Ma Xindong
Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Division of Sports Science and Physical Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2022 Dec 14;13:1067890. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1067890. eCollection 2022.
The mental health of young adults is a global public health challenge. Numerous studies have demonstrated that exercise benefits mental health. However, it is still unclear which exercise mode is optimal for protecting mental health and its association with the immune system. This study aimed to compare the intervention effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity continuous training (MVCT) on mental health and assess the underlying mechanism of exercise interventions to improve the immune system, which facilitated the mental health status.
This is a double-blinded RCT study conducted from October 13, 2020 to January 25, 2021 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04830059). Ninety-three participants who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into the HIIT ( = 33), MVCT ( = 32), and control groups ( = 28) with a mean age of 25.26 (SD = 2.21), and 43% of males enrolled in the study. Professional coaches guided participants in HIIT and MVCT groups to perform 40 min of exercise training three times a week for 12-week while those in the control group received 1 h of health education twice a week. Questionnaires related to mental health status and blood samples of inflammatory factors, including immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), albumin (Alb), globulin (GLO), lymphocytes (LYM), and lymphocyte percentage (LYM) were assessed before and after the intervention.
We found that blood inflammation factors increased significantly in the control group during 12 weeks (ΔIgA = 0.16 g/L, ΔIgM = 0.092 g/L, ΔAlb = 2.59 g/L, ΔGlo = 3.08 g/L, ΔLYM = 0.36, and ΔLYM% = 3.72%, < 0.05), and both MVCT and HIIT intervention could effectively defend the increased inflammatory response compared with the control group (IgA: MVCT β = -0.14, < 0.001, HIIT β = -0.096, < 0.05; IgM: MVCT β = -0.12, < 0.001; HIIT β = -0.068, < 0.05; Alb: MVCT β = -1.64, < 0.05, HIIT β = -1.14, > 0.05; Glo: MVCT β = -3.17, < 0.001, HIIT β = -2.07, < 0.01; LYM: MVCT β = -0.34, < 0.05, HIIT β = -0.35, < 0.05). However, the MVCT intervention modality was more conducive to enhancing positive affect (β = 0.52, = 0.018) and well-being (β = 1.08, = 0.035) than HIIT. Furthermore, decreased IgA, Alb, and Glo were associated with improved mental health.
Both 12-week HIIT and MVCT are beneficial to the immune system. The MVCT intervention mode is recommended to prevent mental health problems and attenuate immune inflammation, and the immune system is a potential mechanism that exercises improving mental health.
[ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT04830059].
年轻人的心理健康是一项全球性的公共卫生挑战。众多研究表明，运动有益于心理健康。然而，对于哪种运动模式最有利于保护心理健康及其与免疫系统的关联仍不清楚。本研究旨在比较高强度间歇训练（HIIT）和中等强度到高强度持续训练（MVCT）对心理健康的干预效果，并评估运动干预改善免疫系统从而促进心理健康状况的潜在机制。
这是一项双盲随机对照试验研究，于2020年10月13日至2021年1月25日进行（ClinicalTrials.gov标识符：NCT04830059）。93名符合纳入标准的参与者被随机分为HIIT组（n = 33）、MVCT组（n = 32）和对照组（n = 28），平均年龄为25.26岁（标准差 = 2.21），参与研究的男性占43%。HIIT组和MVCT组的专业教练指导参与者每周进行3次40分钟的运动训练，持续12周，而对照组每周接受2次1小时的健康教育。在干预前后评估与心理健康状况相关的问卷以及炎症因子血液样本，包括免疫球蛋白A（IgA）、免疫球蛋白M（IgM）、白蛋白（Alb）、球蛋白（GLO）、淋巴细胞（LYM）和淋巴细胞百分比（LYM%）。
我们发现，对照组在12周内血液炎症因子显著增加（ΔIgA = 0.16 g/L，ΔIgM = 0.092 g/L，ΔAlb = 2.59 g/L，ΔGlo = 3.08 g/L，ΔLYM = 0.36，ΔLYM% = 3.72%，P < 0.05），与对照组相比，MVCT和HIIT干预均能有效抵御炎症反应的增加（IgA：MVCT β = -0.14，P < 0.001，HIIT β = -0.096，P < 0.05；IgM：MVCT β = -0.12，P < 0.001；HIIT β = -0.068，P < 0.05；Alb：MVCT β = -1.64，P < 0.05，HIIT β = -1.14，P > 0.05；GLO：MVCT β = -3.17，P < 0.001，HIIT β = -2.07，P < 0.01；LYM：MVCT β = -0.34，P < 0.05，HIIT β = -0.35，P < 0.05）。然而，MVCT干预方式比HIIT更有利于增强积极情绪（β = 0.52，P = 0.018）和幸福感（β = 1.08，P = 0.035）。此外，IgA、Alb和GLO的降低与心理健康改善相关。
12周的HIIT和MVCT均对免疫系统有益。推荐MVCT干预模式用于预防心理健康问题和减轻免疫炎症，且免疫系统是运动改善心理健康的潜在机制。
[ClinicalTrials.gov]，标识符[NCT04830059]
