PMID 36673761

Research
All papers

The Effect of Aerobic Fitness on Psychological, Attentional and Physiological Responses during a Tabata High-Intensity Interval Training Session in Healthy Young Women

Reppa CM, Bogdanis GC, Stavrou NAM, Psychountaki M

Question

Do healthy young women with higher versus lower aerobic fitness differ in physiological, affective, and cognitive responses during a Tabata HIIT session?

Summary

In 28 healthy young women split by aerobic fitness, a single 30-minute bodyweight Tabata workout produced high heart rates, high lactate, rising perceived exertion, and declining affect during exercise. Higher- and lower-fitness groups responded similarly on most physiological and affective measures, while the higher-fitness group had better concentration scores overall.

Methodology

  • Healthy young adult women split into higher- and lower-aerobic-fitness groups.
  • 28 participants.
  • Bodyweight exercises.
  • Work intervals: 20 seconds.
  • Recovery: 10 seconds passive rest; 1 minute passive rest between rounds.
  • Intensity: High intensity; mean HR peaked at about 89.6% HRpeak.
  • 30 minutes main workout.
  • Single acute session.
  • Single session.
  • Acute comparative exercise study using fitness-level groups
  • Heart rate, Blood lactate, Affect, and Concentration were tracked.

Outcomes

Heart rate

Heart rate increased across rounds and did not differ significantly by fitness group.

Time p<0.001; no time x fitness interaction p=0.182.

Mixed

Lactate

Lactate increased substantially over time with no significant group difference.

Time p<0.001; no interaction p=0.475.

Mixed

Affect

Feeling Scale declined and fatigue increased as the workout progressed.

Feeling Scale time p=0.002; fatigue POMS time p<0.001.

Safety concern

Concentration

Higher-fitness women had better concentration scores overall, but exercise did not significantly change scores over time.

Fitness-level main effect p=0.050.

Mixed

Insights

  • A 30-minute bodyweight Tabata class can be genuinely high intensity.
  • Affective decline during the session should be expected and managed.
  • Fitness level alone may not predict who will feel better during a fixed Tabata session.

Limitations

  • Acute-only study.
  • Small sample of healthy young women.
  • VO2max estimated rather than directly measured.
  • Non-random volunteer sample.

Safety

  • No adverse events were reported in the viewed article text.
  • The acute protocol caused high exertion and worsening affect during exercise.