# Experimental research of impact on psychological state for adolescents with high-intensity interval training intervention

PMID: 40417018
Journal: Frontiers in psychology
Published: 2025
Authors: Li YT, Zhou Y

## Question

Does an 8-week HIIT intervention improve adolescent psychological state more than moderate-intensity continuous training?

## Summary

This randomized school-based study compared 8 weeks of short HIIT with moderate continuous training in adolescents from Handan City Sports School. HIIT produced larger improvements in negative affect domains such as tension, depression, and anger and increased self-esteem more than the moderate group. The protocol was brief, frequent, and heart-rate monitored, but the article contains internal reporting inconsistencies and the population was sports-school students rather than a general adolescent sample.

## Population

- Sports-school high school students in Handan, China.
- Sample size: 60
- Age: 16-18 years in methods; abstract says 14-18 years
- Sex: Reported as 30 boys and 30 girls, equalized across groups; table labels inconsistent.
- Fitness level: Sports-school students with regular activity.
- Health status: No major disease, recent major sports injury, or diagnosed psychiatric disorder per criteria.

## Methodology

- Randomized controlled school-based exercise intervention.
- 8 weeks
- Handan Sports School, Yongnian District, China.
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Adolescent school HIIT.
- Modality: Running and school exercise movements.
- Work intervals: About 30 s; <60 s high-intensity periods.
- Recovery: Recovery until HR <120 bpm; examples include 30 s rest.
- Sets or repetitions: Two sets reported.
- Intensity: 172 +/- 10 bpm or 85-95% HRmax.
- Session duration: About 15 min.
- Frequency: 5 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.
- Moderate continuous training.
- Modality: Continuous exercise.
- Work intervals: Continuous 15 min.
- Sets or repetitions: 1 bout.
- Intensity: 132 +/- 10 bpm or 65-75% HRmax.
- Session duration: 15 min.
- Frequency: 5 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.

## Outcomes

### Tension, depression, anger
Status: improved
HIIT significantly reduced negative affect domains.

Tension delta 2.1 p=0.002; depression delta 1.5 p=0.008; anger delta 1.9 p=0.001.

### Self-esteem
Status: improved
HIIT increased self-esteem.

Delta 1.7 p=0.004.

### Between-group psychological effects
Status: improved
HIIT was superior to continuous training for tension and depression.

Tension delta 1.8 p=0.00; depression delta 0.8 p=0.017.

### Control group affect
Status: mixed
Moderate training showed modest tension and depression improvements but weaker/non-significant effects for anger and self-esteem.

Tension delta 0.9 p=0.03; depression delta 0.6 p=0.04.

## Practical Insights

- Short adolescent HIIT may support mood/self-esteem outcomes, but use conservative claims because reporting quality is uneven.
- For youth, recovery HR thresholds and individual adaptation are important.
- A 5-days/week protocol is not directly comparable to most consumer HIIT schedules.

## Limitations

- Internal inconsistencies in age, sex table labels, and session-count arithmetic
- Sports-school sample
- No long-term follow-up
- Adverse events not clearly reported
- Single location

## Safety And Adherence

- No specific adverse events were reported.
- Safety screening, HR monitoring, RPE, and HR recovery thresholds were described.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40417018/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567003) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12100283/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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