The effect of high-intensity interval training on inhibitory function in overweight female college students: the mediating role of body composition
Question
Does 8 weeks of HIIT improve inhibitory function in overweight female college students, and is the effect mediated by body composition?
Summary
This article combined a cross-sectional study and an 8-week randomized HIIT trial in overweight and normal-weight female college students. The trial reported faster inhibitory-control reaction times and better body-composition measures after supervised Tabata-style HIIT, with fat content proposed as a mediator, but the NXML contains inconsistent sample-size reporting across methods and results tables.
Methodology
- Female college students, with the intervention focused on overweight participants.
- 64 participants.
- Jumping jacks, kickbacks, knee drops, underarm claps, mountain climbers, squat jumps, high knees, and sidekicks.
- Work intervals: 20 seconds.
- Recovery: 10 seconds rest; 4 minutes active rest between sets.
- Intensity: 85-95% HRmax, monitored by Polar watch.
- 30 minutes.
- 3 sessions per week.
- 8 weeks after a 1-week adaptation period.
- Two-part study: cross-sectional cognitive/body-composition comparison and randomized controlled HIIT intervention.
- Inhibitory function, Body composition, and Mediation were tracked.
Outcomes
Reaction time
HIIT shortened GO and Flanker reaction times compared with control.
GO RT, consistent RT, and inconsistent RT differences reported p<0.05.
Body composition
HIIT group showed lower BMI and fat content and higher fat-free weight, muscle content, and basal metabolic rate at post-test.
BMI p=0.020; fat content p=0.013; fat-free weight p=0.011; muscle content p=0.023; BMR p=0.022.
Fat percentage
Body-fat percentage and waist-hip ratio did not differ significantly in the post-test body-composition table.
Body-fat percentage/WHR not significant; WHR p=0.078.
Mediation
Fat content was proposed as a mediator for consistent-condition reaction time, but model reporting was unusual.
Fat to consistent RT beta=4.096, p=0.012; HIIT to consistent RT direct path p=0.084; CFI reported as 0.416.
Insights
- A 30-minute bodyweight Tabata format can be adapted directly for young-adult users when supervised or well screened.
- Use caution when making cognition claims; the outcomes were laboratory reaction-time tasks.
- Include a familiarization/adaptation week before high-intensity work.
Limitations
- Female college sample only.
- Behavioral cognition measures only, without electrophysiology or imaging.
- Fixed task order may have practice effects.
- No dose-response evaluation.
- Sample-size reporting was inconsistent across methods and results tables.
Safety
- No adverse events were reported.
- Professional supervision and an adaptation week were used to reduce injury/emergency risk.
- Heart rate was monitored with a Polar watch.