# Effects of 10-Week Online Moderate- to High-Intensity Interval Training on Body Composition, and Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance during the COVID-19 Lockdown

PMID: 38200944
Journal: Healthcare
Published: 2023-12-23
Authors: Rodríguez-García L, Ceylan HI, Silva RM, Silva AF, Guadalupe-Grau A, Liñán-González A

## Question

Can a 10-week online moderate-to-high-intensity interval training program improve body composition and aerobic/anaerobic performance in sedentary women during lockdown?

## Summary

During COVID-19 lockdown, a 10-week online moderate-to-high-intensity interval program for sedentary young women improved weight, BMI, VO2max, and cycle power outputs compared with a control group. The program used mostly home bodyweight/calisthenic sessions plus one outdoor walking/running session each week. Intensity was guided by perceived exertion rather than heart-rate monitoring.

## Population

- Forty-eight physically sedentary women: exercise group n=24 and control group n=24. Mean age was about 21.2 years in the exercise group and 20.5 years in control; BMI was about 22.7-23.0. Inclusion required sedentary activity levels, no injuries, consent, and at least 90% session participation.
- Sample size: 48
- Age: Exercise 21.21 +/- 2.15; control 20.50 +/- 1.29 years
- Sex: 48 women
- Fitness level: Physically sedentary
- Health status: No injuries reported by inclusion criteria

## Methodology

- Parallel two-group longitudinal randomized/matched pre-post study
- 10 weeks
- Online home/outdoor training during COVID-19 lockdown
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Online moderate-to-high-intensity interval training; details: Ten-week online program, 3 sessions/week. Two weekly sessions used HIIT/Tabata-style bodyweight functional movements inside the home without equipment; one weekly session used moderate-intensity outdoor running/walking. Sessions included 10-15 min warm-up, 35 min main work, and 10 min cooldown. Tabata used 20 sec work/10 sec recovery, with technical difficulty, volume, and RPE target increasing across the program.
- Modality: Home calisthenics/bodyweight HIIT and Tabata plus outdoor running/walking.
- Work intervals: 20 sec for Tabata work bouts.
- Recovery: 10 sec for Tabata recovery bouts.
- Sets or repetitions: Two weekly HIIT/Tabata sessions plus one moderate continuous outdoor session.
- Intensity: Weeks 1-4 RPE 12-13, weeks 5-8 RPE 15-16, weeks 9-10 RPE 18-19.
- Session duration: About 60 min.
- Frequency: 3.
- Program length: 10 weeks.
- Progression: Technical difficulty and volume increased; RPE progressed from 12-13 to 15-16 to 18-19.
- Maintain usual routines; details: Control group maintained usual routines during lockdown.
- Modality: Home calisthenics/bodyweight HIIT and Tabata plus outdoor running/walking.
- Work intervals: 20 sec for Tabata work bouts.
- Recovery: 10 sec for Tabata recovery bouts.
- Sets or repetitions: Two weekly HIIT/Tabata sessions plus one moderate continuous outdoor session.
- Intensity: Weeks 1-4 RPE 12-13, weeks 5-8 RPE 15-16, weeks 9-10 RPE 18-19.
- Session duration: About 60 min.
- Frequency: 3.
- Program length: 10 weeks.
- Progression: Technical difficulty and volume increased; RPE progressed from 12-13 to 15-16 to 18-19.

## Outcomes

### Adherence was 96.3% +/- 2.2% and no withdrawals were reported.
Status: mixed
Adherence was 96.3% +/- 2.2% and no withdrawals were reported.

### Weight, BMI, fitness, and power
Status: mixed
Group-by-time interactions were significant for weight, BMI, VO2max, power W/kg, and power W; p=.001.

p=.001

### Body weight
Status: improved
Exercise group weight decreased significantly with an effect size reported as d=-0.96 and about 3.22% loss versus control.

### VO2max
Status: improved
Exercise group VO2max improved significantly; discussion reported +15.94%.

### Power output
Status: no clear change
Exercise group power output in W/kg and W improved; control showed no significant changes.

## Practical Insights

- No-equipment remote HIIT/Tabata can be translated into app-based programming with progressive RPE targets.
- A mixed weekly structure may combine two higher-intensity home sessions with one moderate outdoor session.
- Claims should remain limited to young sedentary women and short-term outcomes.

## Limitations

- Cycle ergometer test may not fully reflect running/jumping/calisthenic training.
- RPE was used without HR monitoring.
- Other lifestyle factors were not fully controlled.
- Sample was limited to young women.
- No detailed adverse-event reporting.

## Safety And Adherence

- No adverse events were reported.
- Intensity monitoring relied on RPE rather than heart rate or power.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38200944/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010037) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10778575/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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