# High Intensity Interval Training and Ultrasound Therapy for the Reduction of Body Fat Mass and Improvement of Physical Fitness in Overweight Women

PMID: 31695621
Journal: Frontiers in Physiology
Published: 2019
Authors: Hausswirth C, Marquet LA, Nesi X, Slattery K

## Question

Does adding low-frequency ultrasound to short-term HIIT improve body composition, lipid markers, and fitness in overweight sedentary women?

## Summary

In sedentary overweight women, 2 weeks of supervised cycling HIIT improved VO2max, maximal aerobic power, and lower-limb force. When low-frequency ultrasound was turned on during the same HIIT sessions, women also showed greater reductions in body weight, body fat, waist/hip measures, triglycerides, NEFA, glycerol, and fasting glucose than the placebo-ultrasound group.

## Population

- Sedentary overweight women
- Sample size: 20
- Age: 20-49 years
- Sex: Female
- Fitness level: Sedentary; self-reported no more than 15 minutes moderate aerobic exercise per week
- Health status: Overweight, otherwise screened as healthy

## Methodology

- Randomized placebo-controlled parallel-group trial
- 2-week intervention within a 4-week study schedule
- Supervised laboratory cycling sessions
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Cycling HIIT with active low-frequency ultrasound.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer with ultrasound belt at waist.
- Work intervals: 2, 3, or 4 minutes depending on session block.
- Recovery: 2 minutes active recovery at 60% HRmax.
- Sets or repetitions: Sessions 1-2: 8 x 2 minutes; sessions 3-4: 6 x 3 minutes; sessions 5-6: 5 x 4 minutes.
- Intensity: 90% HRmax during work intervals; 60% HRmax for warm-up, recovery, and cool-down.
- Session duration: 45 minutes.
- Frequency: 3 sessions per week.
- Program length: 2 weeks; 6 sessions.
- Progression: Longer work intervals and fewer repetitions over the 6 sessions.
- Cycling HIIT with inactive ultrasound belt.
- Modality: Same cycle ergometer sessions with belt switched off.
- Work intervals: Same as intervention.
- Recovery: Same as intervention.
- Sets or repetitions: Same as intervention.
- Intensity: Same as intervention.
- Session duration: 45 minutes.
- Frequency: 3 sessions per week.
- Program length: 2 weeks.
- Progression: Same as intervention.

## Outcomes

### VO2max
Status: improved
Both groups improved VO2max similarly.

Active ultrasound 24.7 +/- 5.4 to 28.1 +/- 5.5 mL/kg/min (+13.6%, P < 0.01); placebo 28.4 +/- 5.9 to 31.4 +/- 5.5 (+10.4%, P < 0.01); between-group P = 0.72

### Body fat
Status: improved
Body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, waist, and hip measures improved in the active-ultrasound group but not placebo.

Active group body fat 32.7 +/- 3.2% to 31.2 +/- 3.0%; waist 95.8 +/- 9.6 to 89.3 +/- 8.9 cm

### Lipids
Status: improved
Triglycerides, NEFA, and glycerol decreased in the active-ultrasound group.

Triglycerides active group -29.2%, interaction P < 0.05

### Glucose
Status: improved
Fasting glucose decreased in the active-ultrasound group.

Active group -5.9%; placebo no significant change

## Practical Insights

- A six-session, HR-guided cycling HIIT protocol improved fitness rapidly in sedentary overweight women.
- The added ultrasound device drove many of the body-composition and lipid differences, so those outcomes should not be attributed to HIIT alone.
- The protocol used longer intervals over time while maintaining a 90% HRmax target.

## Limitations

- Small sample and women-only population.
- Very short 2-week training duration.
- No ultrasound-only or non-exercise control group.
- Diet was not strictly controlled; hunger and hormones were not recorded.
- Body composition used bioelectrical impedance rather than DXA.
- No longer follow-up.

## Safety And Adherence

- Three participants withdrew due illness; relationship to intervention not reported.
- No detailed adverse-event reporting found in extracted text.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31695621/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.01307) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6818470/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.