Li Yu-Tong, Zhou Yang
The Central Academy of Drama, Beijing, China.
Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Front Psychol. 2025 May 9;16:1567003. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567003. eCollection 2025.
Rising social pressures have exacerbated adolescent mental health challenges, evidenced by increasing prevalence of anxiety, depression, and related disorders. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), characterized by short bursts of intense exercise interspersed with recovery periods, has emerged as a time-efficient intervention for psychological well-being. This study quantitatively evaluated the efficacy of HIIT in improving adolescent mental health using the Multidimensional Scale of Adolescent Psychological State (MSAPS), which assesses seven domains: self-esteem, energy, tension, anger, depression, fatigue, and confusion.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 adolescents (aged 14-18 years) from Handan City Sports School. Participants were equally divided into an experimental group (HIIT intervention) and a control group (moderate-intensity continuous training). The HIIT protocol involved heart rate zones of 172 ±10 bpm, while the control group trained at 132 ± 10 bpm. Both interventions lasted 8 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention psychological assessments were performed using MSAPS, with statistical analyses employing paired t-tests for within-group comparisons and ANCOVA for between-group effects.
The HIIT group demonstrated significant reductions in negative affect: tension (Δ = 2.1, = 0.002), depression (Δ = 1.5, = 0.008), and anger (Δ = 1.9, = 0.001), alongside a substantial increase in self-esteem (Δ = 1.7, = 0.004). The control group showed modest improvements in tension (Δ = 0.9, = 0.03) and depression (Δ = 0.6, = 0.04), but effects were weaker and non-significant for anger and self-esteem. Between-group analyses revealed HIIT's superiority in tension (Δ = 1.8, = 0.00) and depression (Δ = 0.8, = 0.017) compared to continuous training.
HIIT's dual mechanism-stimulating endorphin/dopamine release and enhancing physical efficacy-likely underpins its psychological benefits. The findings support HIIT as a viable school-based intervention for mitigating anxiety/depression and boosting self-esteem in adolescents. These results provide empirical groundwork for integrating HIIT into physical education curricula and mental health promotion strategies, offering a practical alternative to traditional exercise modalities.
社会压力的不断增加加剧了青少年心理健康挑战，焦虑、抑郁及相关障碍的患病率不断上升便是明证。高强度间歇训练（HIIT）的特点是短时间高强度运动与恢复期交替进行，已成为一种提高心理健康水平的高效干预方式。本研究使用青少年心理状态多维量表（MSAPS）对HIIT改善青少年心理健康的效果进行了定量评估，该量表评估七个领域：自尊、活力、紧张、愤怒、抑郁、疲劳和困惑。
对邯郸市体育运动学校的60名青少年（年龄14 - 18岁）进行了一项随机对照试验。参与者被平均分为实验组（HIIT干预）和对照组（中等强度持续训练）。HIIT方案的心率区间为172±10次/分钟，而对照组的训练心率为132±10次/分钟。两种干预均持续8周。干预前后使用MSAPS进行心理评估，统计分析采用配对t检验进行组内比较，采用协方差分析进行组间效应比较。
HIIT组的负面影响显著降低：紧张感（Δ = 2.1，p = 0.002）、抑郁（Δ = 1.5，p = 0.008）和愤怒（Δ = 1.9，p = 0.001），同时自尊大幅提高（Δ = 1.7，p = 0.004）。对照组在紧张感（Δ = 0.9，p = 0.03）和抑郁（Δ = 0.6，p = 0.04）方面有适度改善，但对愤怒和自尊的影响较弱且不显著。组间分析显示，与持续训练相比，HIIT在缓解紧张感（Δ = 1.8，p = 0.00）和抑郁（Δ = 0.8，p = 0.017）方面具有优势。
HIIT的双重机制——刺激内啡肽/多巴胺释放和提高身体效能——可能是其产生心理益处的基础。研究结果支持将HIIT作为一种可行的校内干预措施，用于减轻青少年的焦虑/抑郁并提高自尊。这些结果为将HIIT纳入体育课程和心理健康促进策略提供了实证依据，为传统运动方式提供了一种实用的替代方案。
