Little but Intense: Using a HIIT-Based Strategy to Improve Mood and Cognitive Functioning in College Students
Question
Does an acute low-volume cycling HIIT session affect mood and cognitive performance in college students?
Summary
A single cycling HIIT session in 25 active male college students temporarily worsened fatigue and confusion immediately after exercise, but mood improved 30 minutes later and digit-span working memory improved after the session. There was no control condition, so the findings are exploratory.
Methodology
- Healthy active male college students.
- 25 participants.
- Cycle ergometer.
- Work intervals: 1 minute.
- Recovery: 1 minute passive rest.
- Intensity: Power at VO2peak.
- About 20 minutes excluding assessments.
- Single session.
- Single session.
- Single-group acute pre-post study
- Mood, Working memory, and Exercise intensity were tracked.
Outcomes
Mood
Fatigue and confusion worsened immediately after HIIT, but overall mood improved by 30 minutes.
Significant time effects reported for POMS subscales.
Working memory
Digit span forward and total improved immediately post-HIIT, and total remained elevated at 30 minutes.
Significant pre-post improvements reported.
Intensity
The session reached high perceived and heart-rate intensity.
HRmax increased to 177.8 +/- 10.9 bpm; RPE increased to 18.5 +/- 1.8.
Insights
- Hard intervals may feel worse immediately but better after a short recovery period.
- Brief 1-minute cycling intervals are a practical timing pattern, but lab-calibrated intensity is not app-native.
- Mood claims should distinguish immediate from 30-minute post-exercise effects.
Limitations
- No control group.
- Small homogeneous male active-student sample.
- Only acute effects were measured.
- Only verbal working memory was assessed.
- Expectations and individual mood factors could affect self-report.
Safety
- No adverse events were reported.
- Mean blood pressure was checked after the fifth repetition.