PMID 34276412

Research
All papers

Protein Composition of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles Immediately Changed by Particular Short Time of High-Intensity Interval Training Exercise

Kobayashi Y, Eguchi A, Tamai Y, Fukuda S, Tempaku M, Izuoka K, Iwasa M, Takei Y, Togashi K

Question

How does a single 4-minute cycling HIIT exercise session change circulating extracellular vesicle number and protein composition in young men?

Summary

In 17 physically active young male baseball players, one 4-minute Tabata-style cycling HIIT session acutely raised pulse rate and systolic blood pressure and changed circulating extracellular vesicle number and protein composition, but it was a mechanistic acute study rather than a training trial.

Methodology

  • Physically active young male university baseball players.
  • 17 participants.
  • Cycle ergometer.
  • Work intervals: 20 s at 140% VO2max workload.
  • Recovery: 10 s rest.
  • Intensity: 140% VO2max workload.
  • 4 min HIIT plus 10 min warm-up and 5 min rest.
  • Single acute session.
  • Single session.
  • Prospective single-arm acute exercise study
  • Extracellular vesicle number, Extracellular vesicle proteins, and Blood pressure were tracked.

Outcomes

Pulse/BP

Pulse and systolic blood pressure rose immediately; diastolic blood pressure did not rise immediately and was lower at 30 min.

Pulse p<0.001; systolic BP p<0.05; diastolic BP at T30 p<0.05.

Mixed

EV number

EV number was reduced at 30 and 120 min, while 11 of 17 participants showed immediate increases.

T30 vs pre p<0.01; T120 vs pre p<0.05.

Mixed

EV proteins

Twenty EV proteins changed, including proteins related to coagulation, antioxidant response, and acid-base balance.

Selected proteins changed with p values from <0.05 to <0.0001.

Mixed

Insights

  • A 4-minute Tabata-style session is enough to cause measurable acute biological changes.
  • Acute EV and proteomic findings should not be converted into claims about fitness or health outcomes.
  • Short supramaximal intervals need screening and monitoring.

Limitations

  • Acute-only study
  • No control group
  • Small young male athletic sample
  • Proteomics subset included only three selected responders
  • Surrogate mechanistic outcomes

Safety

  • No adverse events or injuries were reported.
  • Pulse rate and systolic/diastolic blood pressure were measured before and after HIIT; pulse and systolic blood pressure increased immediately post-exercise.
  • The study was limited to active young men, so safety cannot be generalized to sedentary or higher-risk users.