Reduced exertion high-intensity interval training is more effective at improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health than traditional moderate-intensity continuous training

Tom F. Cuddy, Joyce S. Ramos, Lance C. Dalleck

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    37 Citations (Scopus)
    141 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    This study sought to determine the effectiveness of an 8 wk reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) at improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and positively modifying cardiometabolic health in the workplace environment. Participants (n = 32) were randomized to two groups: (1) One group (n = 16) was prescribed an 8 wk REHIT program, and (2) one group (n = 16) was prescribed moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Cardiometabolic risk factors and CRF were measured at baseline and 8 wks. After 8 wks, changes in CRF (REHIT, 12%; MICT, 7%), systolic blood pressure (REHIT, −5%; MICT, −2%), waist circumference (REHIT, −1.4%; MICT, −0.3%), and metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity (MetS z-score: REHIT, −62%; MICT, 27%) were more favorable (p < 0.05) in the REHIT group relative to the MICT group. Interestingly, there was a significantly greater proportion of participants in the REHIT group (75%, 9/12) who had a favorable change in the MetS z-score (Δ > −0.60) relative to the MICT group (47%, 7/15). The main finding of the present study is that 8 wks REHIT elicited more potent and time-efficient improvements in CRF and cardiometabolic health when compared to traditional MICT. This study provides critical evidence for implementation of the sprint interval training (SIT) paradigm from the scientific literature into a real-world workplace setting.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number483
    Number of pages13
    JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
    Volume16
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 7 Feb 2019

    Bibliographical note

    © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access
    article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution
    (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

    Keywords

    • Cardiometabolic risk factor
    • Metabolic syndrome
    • Sprint interval training
    • Translational research

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Reduced exertion high-intensity interval training is more effective at improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health than traditional moderate-intensity continuous training'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this