PMID 36160857

Research
All papers

Physiological responses to acute resistance high-intensity interval exercise and cycling high-intensity interval exercise in healthy active men

Mao J, Wang T, Zhang L, Li Q, Bo S

Question

How do acute cycling HIIT and resistance-exercise HIIT differ in physiological, metabolic, hormonal, autonomic, and perceptual responses in healthy active men?

Summary

In healthy active young men, an acute cycling HIIT session produced higher oxygen consumption and total energy expenditure than a resistance-squat HIIT session, while resistance HIIT produced greater glycolytic contribution and post-exercise lactate. Heart rate, testosterone, cortisol, HRV, and RPE were broadly similar. This is acute physiology evidence, not training-adaptation evidence.

Methodology

  • Healthy active men completing both cycling and resistance HIIT conditions.
  • 12 participants.
  • Cycle ergometer.
  • Work intervals: 60 seconds.
  • Recovery: 60 seconds active recovery.
  • Intensity: 90% peak power output for work bouts; 25% peak power output for recovery.
  • 19-minute intervention after warm-up.
  • One acute session.
  • Acute crossover condition.
  • Randomized crossover acute exercise study
  • Oxygen consumption, Energy expenditure, Blood lactate, and Hormones and HRV were tracked.

Outcomes

VO2

Cycling HIIT elicited higher oxygen consumption than resistance HIIT.

VO2peak 38.9 +/- 4.0 vs 36.4 +/- 4.4, p=0.022; VO2mean 29.6 vs 25.1, p<0.001.

Improved

Energy expenditure

Cycling HIIT had higher total and aerobic energy expenditure, while resistance HIIT had higher anaerobic glycolytic energy.

Aerobic EE 205.8 vs 174.4 kcal, p<0.001; anaerobic glycolytic EE 9.0 vs 11.7 kcal, p=0.002; total EE 214.7 vs 186.1 kcal, p=0.001.

Mixed

Heart rate

Peak and mean HR were not significantly different between modalities.

HRpeak 178.0 vs 182.4 bpm, p=0.218; HRpeak percent 91.8 vs 93.9, p=0.216; HRmean p=0.070.

No clear change

Hormones and HRV

Testosterone, cortisol, HRV, and RPE did not differ clearly between conditions.

Abstract and results report no significant between-condition differences in testosterone, cortisol, HRV, and RPE.

No clear change

Insights

  • Cycling and resistance HIIT can produce similar HR strain while stressing different metabolic pathways.
  • Squat-based resistance HIIT may create higher glycolytic/lactate stress at lower total energy expenditure.
  • Acute equivalence in HR or RPE should not be interpreted as equivalent training adaptation.

Limitations

  • Small sample of 12 active men.
  • Acute crossover design only.
  • No women, sedentary adults, or clinical participants.
  • Laboratory outcomes do not establish long-term adaptations.
  • Resistance HIIT used barbell squats with researcher assistance, limiting home translation.

Safety

  • All 12 participants completed both acute sessions.
  • No adverse events were reported in the the paper.
  • Barbell squat intervals required researcher assistance for safe bar placement/removal.