# The effect of acute high-intensity interval training and Tabata training on inhibitory control and cortical activation in young adults

PMID: 37781251
Journal: Frontiers in Neuroscience
Published: 2023-09-14
Authors: Shao X, He L, Liu Y, Fu Y

## Question

What are the acute effects of cycling HIIT and whole-body Tabata training on inhibitory control performance and prefrontal cortical activation in young adults?

## Summary

In healthy young adults, one acute 12-minute session of cycling HIIT or whole-body Tabata did not produce clear improvements in inhibitory-control task performance versus control. However, fNIRS showed altered prefrontal activation patterns after HIIT and Tabata. The Tabata protocol used no equipment and reached vigorous intensity, making it relevant for acute cognitive-mechanism context but not evidence for lasting fitness or cognitive benefit.

## Population

- Forty-two healthy right-handed normal-weight college students aged 18-22: HIIT n=14, Tabata n=15, control n=13; 21 female and 21 male overall. Participants had normal or corrected vision, no exercise-limiting disease, no neurological/psychiatric/major medical disorder, no strenuous activity or alcohol 24 h before testing, and no medication at measurement.
- Sample size: 42
- Age: Mean 19.36 +/- 1.36 years; range 18-22
- Sex: 21 female, 21 male
- Fitness level: Healthy college students; IPAQ assessed
- Health status: Healthy, right-handed, normal weight; no major exercise-limiting, neurological, psychiatric, or medical disorders

## Methodology

- Randomized acute three-group experimental study
- Single acute session with 48 h between visits
- Laboratory
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Acute cycling HIIT or whole-body Tabata; details: HIIT: 2 min cycling warm-up at 50 W, then 8 min of 8 x 30 sec at 80% MAP and 90-100 rpm with 30 sec recovery at 40% MAP and 55-60 rpm, followed by 2 min cool-down. Tabata: 2 min dynamic warm-up, then 8 min no-equipment whole-body Tabata with two 4-min circuits; each circuit used eight 20 sec work/10 sec rest activities, followed by 2 min stretching cool-down.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer HIIT and whole-body Tabata.
- Work intervals: HIIT 30 sec; Tabata 20 sec.
- Recovery: HIIT 30 sec active recovery; Tabata 10 sec rest.
- Sets or repetitions: HIIT: 8 cycling repetitions; Tabata: two 4-min circuits of 8 activities.
- Intensity: HIIT 80% maximal aerobic power at 90-100 rpm; Tabata 80-95% HRmax.
- Session duration: 12 min for HIIT and Tabata interventions.
- Program length: Single acute session.
- Progression: No progression; acute bout only.
- Sedentary sports-documentary control; details: Sedentary control watched a sports documentary sitting for 10 min and then rested 2 min before post-testing.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer HIIT and whole-body Tabata.
- Work intervals: HIIT 30 sec; Tabata 20 sec.
- Recovery: HIIT 30 sec active recovery; Tabata 10 sec rest.
- Sets or repetitions: HIIT: 8 cycling repetitions; Tabata: two 4-min circuits of 8 activities.
- Intensity: HIIT 80% maximal aerobic power at 90-100 rpm; Tabata 80-95% HRmax.
- Session duration: 12 min for HIIT and Tabata interventions.
- Program length: Single acute session.
- Progression: No progression; acute bout only.

## Outcomes

### Exercise intensity
Status: mixed
Mean HR and RPE during HIIT were 168.89 +/- 9.33 bpm and 7.79 +/- 1.96; during Tabata 168.78 +/- 10.38 bpm and 8.00 +/- 1.79, consistent with vigorous intensity.

### Stroop task performance
Status: no clear change
Stroop task showed no significant condition x time x group interaction for reaction time or accuracy.

### Simon task performance
Status: no clear change
Simon task showed no significant condition x time x group interaction for reaction time or accuracy.

### Stroop-related prefrontal oxygenation
Status: mixed
HIIT altered Stroop-related oxy-Hb responses in right DLPFC, right VLPFC, and left DLPFC.

### Simon-task prefrontal activation
Status: improved
Tabata increased DLPFC activation during the congruent Simon task, but not incongruent Simon activation.

## Practical Insights

- Whole-body Tabata can be delivered without equipment and reach vigorous intensity in young adults.
- Do not claim acute Tabata improves inhibitory-control performance based on this study; performance outcomes were null.
- Cognitive/neural activation findings are mechanistic and should be presented cautiously.

## Limitations

- Practice effects may have occurred despite familiarization.
- Arousal/mood was not measured.
- fNIRS could not detect deeper regions such as ACC.
- Young adult sample limits generalizability.
- Only 48 h separated visits, so participants may have remained familiar with tasks.

## Safety And Adherence

- No adverse events were reported in the extracted text.
- Authors stated they did not elevate participants' heart rates to near-maximal levels for safety reasons.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37781251/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1229307) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10536150/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.