PMID 35198590

Research
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Changes in Appetite-Dependent Hormones and Body Composition After 8 Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training and Vitamin D Supplementation in Sedentary Overweight Men

Sheikholeslami-Vatani D, Rostamzadeh N

Question

Do 8 weeks of cycling HIIT and vitamin D3 supplementation, separately or together, change appetite hormones, appetite ratings, insulin, and body composition in sedentary overweight men?

Summary

In 48 overweight sedentary college men with vitamin D deficiency, 8 weeks of supervised cycling HIIT reduced weight, BMI, body fat, insulin, hunger, and desire to eat, while increasing PYY, satiety, and fullness. Vitamin D supplementation raised vitamin D levels and may have added some appetite benefit, but the main body-composition and insulin improvements appeared in both HIIT groups.

Methodology

  • Sedentary overweight male college students with vitamin D deficiency
  • 48 participants.
  • Cycling.
  • Work intervals: 1 minute.
  • Recovery: 1 minute active recovery at 15% VO2peak.
  • Intensity: 90% VO2peak weeks 1-4; 100% VO2peak weeks 5-8.
  • About 50 minutes including warm-up/cool-down.
  • 3 sessions/week.
  • 8 weeks.
  • Randomized controlled four-group intervention
  • Appetite hormones, Insulin and glucose, Body composition, and Appetite ratings were tracked.

Outcomes

PYY

PYY increased in both HIIT groups after 8 weeks.

Group x time F=36.5, p=0.001; HIIT groups p=0.001

Improved

insulin

Insulin decreased in HIIT plus vitamin D, HIIT plus placebo, and vitamin D-only groups.

Group x time F=110.53, p=0.001

Improved

body composition

Weight, BMI, and body fat percentage decreased in both HIIT groups compared with vitamin D-only and control groups.

Reported p=0.001 for HIIT-group changes and group comparisons

Improved

appetite ratings

Hunger and desire to eat decreased while satiety and fullness increased in both HIIT groups.

Group x time interactions p=0.001

Improved

Insights

  • One-minute cycling intervals with equal active recovery have evidence for appetite and body-composition shifts in overweight sedentary men.
  • The long warm-up/main/cool-down structure may be more suitable for a training plan than a quick workout.
  • Supplement status should be treated as context, not as part of workout generation.

Limitations

  • Men only
  • Overweight college sample with vitamin D deficiency
  • No clear adverse-event reporting
  • Supplement co-intervention
  • Lab-supervised cycling limits home translation

Safety

  • The article did not report adverse events, injuries, symptoms, or a dropout/adherence rate.
  • Participants completed health history, drug and dietary supplement use, and exercise-history questionnaires before eligibility; they were informed of risks and gave written consent.
  • HIIT sessions were supervised by a research-team member and heart rate was controlled with a Polar RS400 monitor; pre/post tables retained n=12 per group but no attrition narrative was provided.