Yahat Huseyin
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Oct 24;7:1655906. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1655906. eCollection 2025.
Excess body fat and weight are key risk factors for morbidity and mortality, particularly during adolescence. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) are both widely used strategies to improve body composition, yet limited evidence exists comparing their effects among sedentary, normal-weight adolescent males.
This randomized controlled study aimed to compare the effects of HIIT and MICT on body composition and cardiovascular fitness in sedentary male adolescents. Sixty normal-weight males aged 16-17 years were randomly assigned to one of three groups: HIIT ( = 20), MICT ( = 20), or control (CG; = 20). The HIIT protocol comprised six 30-second high-intensity running intervals (80%-90% HRmax) interspersed with 90 s of low-intensity walking (50% HRmax), totalling 20 min per session. The MICT protocol involved continuous running at 60%-70% HRmax for 30 min, inclusive of warm-up and cool-down. Both intervention groups trained four times weekly over 8 weeks, while the control group received no intervention. Pre- and post-intervention measurements included body fat percentage, body weight, skinfold thickness, and resting heart rate, analysed using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni comparisons. Given its shorter duration and comparable outcomes, HIIT appears time-efficient for school-based delivery in normal-weight adolescent males, addressing a population and setting under-represented in prior trials.
Significant reductions in body fat were observed in both the HIIT (-6.0%, < 0.001, ES = 0.97) and MICT (-5.7%, < 0.001, ES = 0.76) groups, with no meaningful change in the CG (-1.0%, > 0.05). Both HIIT and MICT groups also demonstrated significant weight loss (-7.45%, < 0.001), compared to a negligible change in CG (-0.89%, > 0.05). Skinfold thickness significantly decreased in HIIT (-24.70%, < 0.001) and MICT (-23.66%, < 0.001), with minor change in CG (-4.12%, > 0.05). Resting heart rate improved in HIIT (-9.14%, < 0.001) and MICT (-7.12%, < 0.001), whereas the CG experienced a slight increase (+0.026%, > 0.05).
Both HIIT and MICT are effective for improving body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary male adolescents. Given its shorter duration and comparable outcomes, HIIT may be a time-efficient option for integration into school-based physical education.
身体脂肪和体重超标是发病和死亡的关键风险因素，在青春期尤其如此。高强度间歇训练（HIIT）和中等强度持续训练（MICT）都是广泛用于改善身体成分的策略，但在久坐不动、体重正常的青少年男性中，比较它们效果的证据有限。
这项随机对照研究旨在比较HIIT和MICT对久坐不动的男性青少年身体成分和心血管健康的影响。60名年龄在16至17岁的体重正常男性被随机分为三组之一：HIIT组（n = 20）、MICT组（n = 20）或对照组（CG；n = 20）。HIIT方案包括六个30秒的高强度跑步间歇（80%-90%最大心率），中间穿插90秒的低强度步行（50%最大心率），每次训练总计20分钟。MICT方案包括以60%-70%最大心率持续跑步30分钟，包括热身和冷却。两个干预组每周训练四次，持续8周，而对照组不接受干预。干预前后的测量包括体脂百分比、体重、皮褶厚度和静息心率，使用单因素方差分析和Bonferroni比较进行分析。鉴于HIIT持续时间较短且结果相当，对于体重正常的青少年男性，HIIT似乎在学校实施时具有时间效率，填补了先前试验中代表性不足的人群和环境。
HIIT组（-6.0%，P < 0.001，效应量ES = 0.97）和MICT组（-5.7%，P < 0.001，效应量ES = 0.76）的体脂均显著降低，而CG组无显著变化（-1.0%，P > 0.05）。与CG组可忽略不计的变化（-0.89%，P > 0.05）相比，HIIT组和MICT组的体重也显著减轻（-7.45%，P < 0.001）。HIIT组（-24.70%，P < 0.001）和MICT组（-23.66%，P < 0.001）的皮褶厚度显著降低，而CG组变化较小（-4.12%，P > 0.05）。HIIT组（-9.14%，P < 0.001）和MICT组（-7.12%，P < 0.001）的静息心率有所改善，而CG组略有增加（+0.026%，P > 0.05）。
HIIT和MICT都能有效改善久坐不动的男性青少年的身体成分和心肺健康。鉴于其持续时间较短且结果相当，HIIT可能是纳入学校体育教育的一种高效选择。
