# Effects of high-intensity interval training on improving arterial stiffness in Chinese female university students with normal weight obese: a pilot randomized controlled trial

PMID: 35109880
Journal: Journal of translational medicine
Published: 2022 Feb 2
Authors: Hu J, Liu M, Yang R, Wang L, Liang L, Yang Y, Jia S, Chen R, Liu Q, Ren Y, Zhu L, Cai M

## Question

Can short-term HIIT improve body composition, blood pressure, lipid metabolism, and arterial stiffness indices in Chinese female university students with normal-weight obesity?

## Summary

Chinese female university students with normal-weight obesity completed four weeks of coach-guided bodyweight HIIT five times per week. Compared with health-education control, HIIT improved body composition, blood pressure, lipids, and noninvasive arterial-stiffness indices, with no adverse exercise events reported.

## Population

- Chinese female university students with normal-weight obesity
- Sample size: 40
- Age: Control 20.20 +/- 0.40; HIIT 19.20 +/- 1.10 years at randomization
- Sex: Female
- Fitness level: Structured exercisers excluded
- Health status: BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 with body fat percentage >30%

## Methodology

- Pilot randomized controlled trial
- 4 weeks after 1-week acclimatization
- Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences exercise setting
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Bodyweight combined-motion HIIT.
- Modality: Bodyweight circuit.
- Work intervals: 40 s per movement.
- Recovery: 20 s between movements; 1 min between bouts.
- Sets or repetitions: 3 bouts of 9-min circuits.
- Intensity: 90% HRmax.
- Session duration: 10-min warm-up + 3 x 9-min circuits with rests + 10-min stretching.
- Frequency: 5 sessions/week.
- Program length: 4 weeks after acclimatization.
- Progression: 1-week acclimatization before intervention.
- Health education.
- Modality: Education control.
- Sets or repetitions: One health education session per week.
- Frequency: 1 session/week.
- Program length: 4 weeks.

## Outcomes

### Body composition
Status: improved
HIIT improved multiple body-composition indices including BMI, body fat, skeletal muscle mass, fat-free mass, and InBody score.

Article reports statistically significant improvements after 4 weeks; exact p values by variable in tables.

### Blood pressure
Status: improved
HIIT decreased resting HR and BP.

Article reports statistically significant decreases.

### Lipids
Status: improved
HIIT reduced TC, TG, LDL, and TC/HDL and increased HDL.

Article reports significant improvements and normalization of several lipid indices.

### Arterial stiffness
Status: improved
AVI and API decreased after HIIT, suggesting lower arterial-stiffness propensity.

Article reports AVI and API were markedly/significantly decreased to normal ranges.

### Safety
Status: no clear change
No adverse exercise events were observed.

## Practical Insights

- A 40/20 bodyweight circuit can be delivered with an onboarding week and HR monitoring.
- High-frequency HIIT should include screening, warm-up, cooldown, and coach oversight.

## Limitations

- Small pilot sample
- Higher control attrition
- Dietary intake not monitored
- No DXA
- No endothelial function/female hormone measures
- Fingerstick lipids instead of lab blood testing

## Safety And Adherence

- No muscle injury, overfatigue, syncope, palpitation, angina, abnormal BP fluctuation, nausea, vomiting, or dyspnea occurred during HIIT.
- Exercise risk assessment and acclimatization were emphasized.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35109880/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-022-03250-9) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8809004/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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