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High-intensity interval training showed greater health benefits compared with moderate-intensity continuous training for college students with obesity.

The authors of a study published in Scientific Reports aimed to compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on weight, body composition, blood lipid indicators, and metabolic status in college students with obesity.

“HIIT involves alternating periods of high-intensity and low-intensity exercise to enhance cardiovascular function and raise metabolic rates. On the other hand, MICT involves relatively steady moderate-intensity aerobic exercise over longer durations to stimulate fat oxidation and cardiovascular health,” wrote Xu Song and coauthors. “These two training approaches exhibit distinct differences in exercise intensity, duration, and recovery time, thereby prompting research into their distinct effects on college students living with obesity.”

The researchers recruited 40 participants (20 men and 20 women) aged 18 to 25 and randomly assigned them to either the HIIT or MICT group. Both groups underwent an 8-week intervention with three sessions per week on alternate days.

The MICT group performed continuous aerobic exercise for 35 minutes at 60% to 70% of their maximum heart rate, while the HIIT group engaged in 28 minutes of alternating high-intensity (85% to 90% of maximum heart rate) and low-intensity (50% to 60% of maximum heart rate) exercise, with 4-minute high-intensity phases followed by 3-minute recovery periods, repeated four times. To ensure accuracy, the investigators measured participants’ heart rates before and after exercise sessions.

Participants were further divided into subgroups based on gender: Male HIIT (n=10), Female HIIT (n=10), Male MICT (n=10), and Female MICT (n=10).

The HIIT group exhibited a more favorable decline in body morphology and composition compared with the MICT group, particularly in body fat percentage (BF%). The reductions in BF% were as follows: Male HIIT (-23.71%), Female HIIT (-26.76%), Male MICT (-9.81%), and Female MICT (-7.16%). Women participating in HIIT experienced the most significant reduction.

Significant intergroup differences in BF% were found between male MICT and HIIT groups (P<0.05) and between female MICT and HIIT groups (P<0.01). Biochemical indicators also showed more favorable declines in the HIIT group, especially in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and uric acid.

“Overall, for college students living with obesity, both HIIT and MICT have shown positive effects. Among these, HIIT demonstrates greater effectiveness compared to MICT in BF% and biochemical markers,” the researchers concluded.