The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Cognitive Performance-A Multidisciplinary Intervention in Young Healthy Adults
Question
Does 10 weeks of supervised HIIT improve cognitive performance in healthy young adults, and does moderate alcohol intake blunt any cognitive effect?
Summary
In a 10-week BEER-HIIT trial, 74 healthy young adults completed final cognitive analyses after allocation to non-training control, HIIT with moderate alcohol, or HIIT without alcohol. Cognitive scores improved over time in all groups, but HIIT and moderate alcohol did not produce between-group cognitive differences; larger VO2max gains were associated with better processing speed, inhibitory control, and verbal fluency.
Methodology
- Healthy young adults allocated to non-training control or supervised HIIT with alcohol or non-alcohol beverages.
- 74 participants.
- Bodyweight/TRX circuit.
- Recovery: Passive rest between exercises and active rest between sets at RPE 6.
- Intensity: RPE 8-9 familiarization, then RPE 10; active rest RPE 6.
- 40, 50, then 65 min/week split across two sessions.
- 2 sessions/week.
- 10 weeks.
- Registered controlled multidisciplinary intervention with preference-based HIIT versus non-training allocation and randomized beverage suballocation
- Cognitive performance, and Fitness-cognition association were tracked.
Outcomes
Cognition
Cognitive improvements occurred in all groups and were not significantly different between HIIT and non-training groups.
Adjusted between-group differences for cognitive outcomes were all p>0.05.
VO2max association
Greater relative VO2max gains were associated with better processing speed, inhibitory control, and verbal fluency changes.
All beta>0.249 and p<0.034.
Alcohol moderation
Moderate alcohol did not significantly alter cognitive outcomes in the HIIT participants.
No beverage interaction was observed for any outcome.
Insights
- Do not use this study to claim HIIT independently improves cognition in healthy young adults.
- The protocol shows a progressive RPE-based bodyweight/TRX HIIT model with a familiarization phase.
Limitations
- Training allocation was preference-based
- Control group maintained an active lifestyle
- Physical activity monitoring was self-reported
- Sample size was limited
- Alcohol assignment was not fully double-blind placebo-controlled
Safety
- No adverse events were reported in this cognitive-outcome paper.
- Participants completed medical screening before enrollment.