# HIIT the Road Jack: An Exploratory Study on the Effects of an Acute Bout of Cardiovascular High-Intensity Interval Training on Piano Learning

PMID: 33013550
Journal: Frontiers in psychology
Published: 2020
Authors: Swarbrick D, Kiss A, Trehub S, Tremblay L, Alter D, Chen JL

## Question

Does an acute bout of cycling HIIT after piano melody practice enhance retention or transfer of explicit motor sequence learning compared with low-intensity interval cycling?

## Summary

In 25 healthy non-musicians, one cycling HIIT bout after piano practice did not improve retention of the learned melody compared with low-intensity intervals, but it showed tentative transfer benefits one week later. Five of 13 HIIT participants could not complete the full protocol due to exhaustion.

## Population

- Healthy right-handed non-musicians aged 18-35 years.
- Sample size: 25
- Age: 18-35 years eligible; group ages not extracted
- Sex: Mixed sex; 40% male noted in discussion
- Fitness level: Generally low-to-moderate fitness; after early failures, exercising less than once per week became an exclusion criterion.
- Health status: Healthy; cardiovascular/neurological conditions, BMI >30, sensory deficits, relevant medications, and amusia were excluded.

## Methodology

- Exploratory single-blind pseudo-randomized active-control study
- Acute intervention with retention up to 7 days
- University laboratory
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Acute cycling HIIT.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer.
- Work intervals: 3 min at 90% Wmax.
- Recovery: 2 min at 60% Wmax.
- Sets or repetitions: 3 repetitions.
- Intensity: 90% Wmax work and 60% Wmax low intervals.
- Session duration: 19 min.
- Frequency: Single bout.
- Program length: Single acute session.
- Progression: None.
- Low-intensity interval training.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer.
- Work intervals: 3 min at 12% Wmax.
- Recovery: 2 min at 8% Wmax.
- Sets or repetitions: 3 repetitions.
- Intensity: Low-intensity active comparator.
- Session duration: 19 min.
- Frequency: Single bout.
- Program length: Single acute session.
- Progression: None.

## Outcomes

### Retention
Status: no clear change
HIIT did not improve pitch or rhythm retention versus LIIT.

Pitch group x session p=0.334; rhythm group x session p=0.905.

### Transfer
Status: mixed
HIIT showed modest transfer advantages, but effects were small and not consistently sustained.

Pitch group x block p<0.001; block 5 p=0.044, block 6 p=0.072; rhythm group x block p<0.001 but no significant pairwise differences.

### Completion
Status: worse/safety concern
Five HIIT participants did not complete the full protocol.

5/13 failed due to volitional exhaustion; incomplete participants averaged RPE 18.4 and HRmax 184.2.

## Practical Insights

- Protocol completion is a key safety/tolerability endpoint for high-intensity cycling intervals.
- High active recovery at 60% Wmax may be unsuitable for low-fitness users.
- Claims about cognitive transfer should be tentative.

## Limitations

- Small exploratory sample
- Underpowered for retention effects
- Experimenter not blinded
- Five incomplete HIIT sessions
- No multiple-comparison corrections
- Ceiling effects and high variability

## Safety And Adherence

- No adverse medical events were reported.
- Five of 13 HIIT participants failed to complete the prescribed protocol due to volitional exhaustion.
- After two early failures, the researchers added an exclusion criterion for people exercising less than once per week; GXT instructions included stopping for chest pain, dizziness, or faintness.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33013550/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02154) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7511539/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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