PMID 27973594

Research
All papers

Enjoyment for High-Intensity Interval Exercise Increases during the First Six Weeks of Training: Implications for Promoting Exercise Adherence in Sedentary Adults

Heisz JJ, Tejada MG, Paolucci EM, Muir C

Question

How does enjoyment of high-intensity interval training change across the first six weeks of training compared with moderate continuous training in sedentary young adults?

Summary

Sedentary young adults did six weeks of supervised cycling HIT or energy-matched moderate continuous cycling. HIT was more strenuous, but enjoyment rose over the six weeks and became higher than MCT by weeks five and six; increases in workload predicted increases in enjoyment.

Methodology

  • Sedentary healthy young adults from McMaster University
  • 40 participants.
  • Cycle ergometer.
  • Work intervals: 1 min at workload to elicit 90-95% peak HR.
  • Recovery: 1 min at 30% PPO, minimum 50 W.
  • Intensity: 90-95% peak HR; RPE about 15-16.
  • 25 min including 3-min warm-up and 2-min cool-down.
  • About 3 sessions/week.
  • 6 weeks.
  • Randomized parallel-group training study
  • Enjoyment, Training strain, Fitness, and Stress marker were tracked.

Outcomes

Enjoyment

HIT enjoyment increased over time and exceeded MCT late in training.

Group x week F(5,170)=3.54, p<0.05; week 5 p<0.05, d=0.9; week 6 p<0.01, d>1.

Improved

Workload

Workload increased across training and predicted enjoyment change.

Workload week effect p<0.001; regression DeltaF(1,32)=10.46, p<0.01.

Improved

Fitness

Both protocols improved VO2peak and PPO with no group difference.

VO2peak pre/post F(1,34)=17.93, p<0.001; PPO F(1,34)=57.69, p<0.001; no group interaction.

Improved

RPE

HIT was more strenuous than MCT but enjoyment still increased.

HIT elicited higher workload, HR, and RPE than MCT, all p<0.001.

Mixed

Cortisol

Morning cortisol, body mass, and BMI did not significantly change.

All p>0.05.

No clear change

Insights

  • Enjoyment may improve when users see their interval workload increase.
  • Early challenging HIT does not necessarily reduce enjoyment among healthy sedentary young adults.

Limitations

  • Short six-week duration
  • Incentivized supervised setting
  • No long-term adherence endpoint
  • Some missing enjoyment data and HIT exclusions

Safety

  • One HIT participant had a noxious response during the first exercise session.
  • Another HIT participant did not complete because of scheduling conflict.