PMID 36429371

Research
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Prognostic Potential of the Body Composition Indices in Predicting Positive Changes in Resting Blood Pressure after High-Intensity Interval Training in Adolescents

Domaradzki J, Koźlenia D, Popowczak M

Question

Can body-composition indices predict positive resting blood-pressure changes after a 10-week school-based HIIT intervention in adolescents?

Summary

In 16-year-old school adolescents, replacing one weekly physical education lesson with a 10-week bodyweight Tabata-style HIIT lesson was associated with much more frequent resting blood-pressure improvement than standard PE. Skeletal-muscle and muscle-to-fat indices predicted systolic blood-pressure improvement better than BMI or fat-mass index.

Methodology

  • Apparently healthy 16-year-old adolescents from one secondary school.
  • 141 participants.
  • Bodyweight exercises.
  • Work intervals: 20 seconds.
  • Recovery: 10 seconds active recovery.
  • Intensity: 75-80% HRmax.
  • 45-minute PE lesson with 14-minute HIIT main block.
  • 1 session per week.
  • 10 weeks.
  • Randomized controlled school-based intervention with pre/post measurements and prediction analyses.
  • Resting systolic blood pressure, and Body-composition predictors were tracked.

Outcomes

SBP response

HIIT participants improved SBP much more often than controls in both sexes.

Males 83.87% EG vs 38.10% CG; females 83.33% EG vs 38.30% CG; p<0.001; OR 8.45 in males and 8.05 in females.

Improved

BP parameters

Benefits extended to DBP in females, PP in males, MBP in both sexes, and MAP in females.

Direction and significance varied by BP parameter and sex.

Mixed

Prediction

SMI and MFR predicted SBP improvement better than BMI or FMI, but several ROC models were underpowered.

Male SMI AUC=0.82, p<0.001; male MFR AUC=0.70, p=0.039; female MFR AUC=0.72, p=0.035.

Mixed

Insights

  • A 14-minute bodyweight Tabata block can be delivered inside a regular PE class.
  • Blood-pressure improvements may occur without relying on BMI or fat-mass change.
  • Lean-mass related baseline measures may help personalize expectations.

Limitations

  • Single-school adolescent sample with narrow age range.
  • Sex-stratified ROC analyses had limited power.
  • Body-composition predictors were correlated, which may overestimate prognostic ability.
  • Adherence, enjoyment, and adverse events were not reported in detail.

Safety

  • No adverse events or injuries were reported in the the paper.
  • Heart rate was monitored to support the prescribed intensity range.