# Combined high-intensity interval training and green tea supplementation enhance metabolic and antioxidant status in response to acute exercise in overweight women

PMID: 32586268
Journal: The journal of physiological sciences : JPS
Published: 2020 Jun 25
Authors: Ghasemi E, Afzalpour ME, Nayebifar S

## Question

Does combining 10 weeks of HIIT with green tea supplementation improve SIRT1, PGC-1alpha, catalase, body composition, and acute exercise responses more than HIIT or green tea alone in overweight women?

## Summary

Thirty sedentary overweight young women were randomized to HIIT plus green tea, HIIT plus placebo, or green tea only for 10 weeks. The HIIT protocol used 30-second maximal shuttle runs with 30-second active rests, progressing from 4 to 8 repetitions. The combined HIIT plus green tea group showed the largest improvements in SIRT1, PGC-1alpha, catalase, body composition, and VO2max markers.

## Population

- Sedentary overweight young women aged 20-30 years with BMI >=25 kg/m2
- Sample size: 30
- Age: 20-30 years
- Sex: Female
- Fitness level: Sedentary; not meeting physical activity guidelines and no prior physical activity history before study
- Health status: Overweight without chronic disease or musculoskeletal problems

## Methodology

- Randomized placebo-controlled training and supplementation study
- 10 weeks
- University exercise and laboratory setting in Iran
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Progressive 30:30 shuttle-run HIIT plus green tea.
- Modality: 40-m shuttle run.
- Work intervals: 30 seconds.
- Recovery: 30 seconds active rest.
- Sets or repetitions: 4-8 repetitions.
- Intensity: 90% estimated HRmax.
- Session duration: 24-28 minutes including warm-up/cooldown.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 10 weeks.
- Progression: Repetitions increased every two weeks from 4 to 8.
- HIIT plus placebo or green tea only.
- Modality: HIIT plus placebo used same shuttle-run HIIT; green tea group did not train.
- Work intervals: 30 seconds for HIIT plus placebo.
- Recovery: 30 seconds active rest for HIIT plus placebo.
- Sets or repetitions: 4-8 repetitions for HIIT plus placebo.
- Intensity: 90% estimated HRmax for HIIT plus placebo.
- Session duration: 24-28 minutes for HIIT plus placebo.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week for HIIT plus placebo; green tea daily.
- Program length: 10 weeks.
- Progression: Same progression for HIIT plus placebo.

## Outcomes

### SIRT1
Status: improved
SIRT1 increased after 10 weeks, with greatest increase in HIIT plus green tea.

P<=0.0001 for baseline serum changes; acute response p<=0.01.

### PGC-1alpha
Status: improved
PGC-1alpha increased after 10 weeks and was higher in the combined group.

P<=0.0001 reported.

### Catalase
Status: improved
Catalase increased after 10 weeks and acute response improved.

Baseline change P<=0.0001; acute response P<=0.002.

### Body/VO2
Status: improved
Authors reported improved body composition and VO2max, especially with combined HIIT and green tea.

## Practical Insights

- A 30:30 shuttle-run format can progress from 4 to 8 intervals over 10 weeks.
- Supplement co-interventions complicate translation of results to exercise-only programming.

## Limitations

- Small sample
- All young overweight women
- No catechin concentration measured
- Limited adverse-event reporting
- No HIIT-only group without placebo/supplement framing

## Safety And Adherence

- Authors stated the combined approach had no adverse cardiovascular effect, but detailed adverse-event data were not extracted.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32586268/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12576-020-00756-z) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10718018/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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