PMID 36612974

Research
All papers

Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Continuous Aerobic Training on Health-Fitness, Health Related Quality of Life, and Psychological Measures in College-Aged Smokers

Shandu NM, Mathunjwa ML, Shaw BS, Shaw I

Question

Do HIIT and continuous aerobic cycling training improve health-fitness, health-related quality of life, and psychological measures in college-aged smokers?

Summary

In physically inactive male college-aged smokers, 8 weeks of supervised cycling HIIT and continuous aerobic training improved several quality-of-life, hemodynamic, and lung-function measures. HIIT showed clearer improvements for some lung-function measures, but VO2max did not significantly improve and the study had notable attrition and reporting inconsistencies.

Methodology

  • 48 physically inactive male college-aged smokers completed analysis from 60 randomized.
  • 48 participants.
  • Stationary cycling.
  • Work intervals: 8 s sprint.
  • Recovery: 12 s passive rest.
  • Intensity: As much effort as possible during sprinting.
  • 33 min including warm-up and cool-down.
  • 3 sessions/week.
  • 8 weeks.
  • Randomized controlled trial with HIIT, continuous aerobic training, and sedentary control
  • HRQOL, Hemodynamics, Lung function, and VO2max were tracked.

Outcomes

HRQOL

Exercise groups improved HRQOL domains more than control.

Both HIIT and CAT showed significant domain improvements; CAT social relationships was not significant.

Improved

RHR

Resting heart rate improved in exercise groups compared with control.

Abstract: RHR improved in HIIT p=0.00 and CAT p=0.002; significant HIIT vs CAT difference reported.

Improved

Lung function

HIIT improved several spirometry measures, including FEF_75, more clearly than CAT.

FEF_75 measured improved in HIIT from 1.63 +/- 0.29 to 2.04 +/- 0.50 L/s, p=0.013; HIIT vs CAT p=0.04 in abstract.

Mixed

VO2max

Estimated VO2max did not significantly improve in any group.

HIIT p=0.123; CAT p=0.226; control p=0.437.

No clear change

Insights

  • Very short 8-second cycling sprints can be structured into a longer supervised micro-interval workout.
  • For smokers, screening for cardiovascular contraindications is essential.
  • Attrition and unclear safety reporting reduce confidence for direct app recommendations.

Limitations

  • Small homogeneous male college sample.
  • Findings may not generalize to other ages or women.
  • Unequal post-test group sizes may confound observations.
  • Satisfaction survey psychometrics were not validated.
  • Adverse-event reporting was not explicit.
  • Article has an internal inconsistency in attrition count.

Safety

  • Participants with major contraindications were excluded.
  • Adverse events and injuries were not explicitly reported.
  • 48 of 60 randomized participants completed post-testing; article text contains an inconsistent exclusion count.