Can 16 Minutes of HIIT Improve Attentional Resources in Young Students?

Andrade-Lara KE, Latorre Román PÁ, Párraga Montilla JA, Cabrera Linares JC

Question

Does a single 16-minute HIIT session improve selective attention and visuoperceptual ability in young students?

Summary

In 134 school students, one supervised 16-minute bodyweight-style HIIT session improved selective attention and visuoperceptual test scores compared with watching a documentary. The study was acute and did not report adverse events or adherence beyond completing the single class session.

Methodology

134 adolescent students randomized by cluster to HIIT or documentary control.
134 participants.
Bodyweight circuit and 20 m sprints.
Work intervals: 30 s.
Recovery: 30 s.
Intensity: Borg RPE >6/10; achieved 7.52 +/- 1.54.
16 min main set plus 5 min warm-up.
Single session.
Single acute session.
Quasi-experimental cluster-randomized acute controlled study
Selective attention, and Perceived exertion were tracked.

Outcomes

Attention

HIIT improved hits, ICI, and attentional efficacy and reduced errors and omissions.

Time x group interactions: hits F=194.98, mistakes F=24.71, omissions F=83.92, ICI F=62.71, AE F=195.16; p<=0.001.

Improved

RPE

HIIT produced much higher perceived exertion than documentary control.

HIIT 7.52 +/- 1.54 vs control 1.04 +/- 1.05; p<0.001.

Mixed

Insights

A 16-minute 30:30 circuit can be delivered in a school setting with simple supervision.
RPE can confirm that students reached a high perceived intensity.
Use caution applying acute cognition findings to long-term learning claims.

Limitations

Single acute session.
No adverse-event reporting.
No objective heart-rate intensity monitoring.
Baseline activity differed between groups.
Reported sex totals appear internally inconsistent.

Safety

No adverse events, injuries, or symptom events were reported in the reviewed article text.