PMID 40687993

Research
All papers

A single HIIT session does not alter blood sphingolipid levels in healthy young adults: The SphingoHIIT randomized controlled trial

Angst T, Weber N, Fischer S, Lehmann J, Infanger D, Teav T, Schwendinger F, Streese L, Hinrichs T, Croci I, Schmied C, Gallart-Ayala H, Höchsmann C, Koehler K, Hanssen H, Schmidt-Trucksäss A, Ivanisevic J, Carrard J

Question

Does a single 4x4-minute HIIT session acutely alter circulating blood sphingolipid levels in healthy young adults compared with physical rest?

Summary

This tightly controlled randomized trial compared one supervised 4x4-minute cycling HIIT session with 30 minutes of seated rest in 36 healthy young adults. Despite repeated dried-blood-spot sampling and adjustment for key confounders, HIIT did not significantly change any measured sphingolipid species compared with rest.

Methodology

  • Healthy young adults aged 20-29 years from the Basel area
  • 36 participants.
  • Cycle ergometer.
  • Work intervals: 4 minutes.
  • Recovery: 3 minutes active recovery at RPE 11-13.
  • Intensity: 85-95% maximal heart rate.
  • 30 minutes.
  • Single session.
  • Acute intervention day.
  • Parallel randomized controlled trial
  • CERT ceramides, Other sphingolipids, and Harms were tracked.

Outcomes

CERT ceramides

HIIT did not significantly alter the four ceramides included in CERT1/CERT2 versus rest.

Adjusted linear mixed models found no significant group differences at post-intervention time points.

No clear change

Sphingolipid panel

No measured sphingolipid species differed significantly between HIIT and rest after the intervention.

47 species measured; no significant differences at 2, 15, 30, 60 minutes, or 24 hours after adjustment.

No clear change

Safety

No important harms or unintended effects were reported.

Descriptive safety reporting.

No clear change

Insights

  • A single 4x4 HIIT session did not acutely move the measured sphingolipid biomarkers in healthy active young adults.
  • This is useful biomarker context but not evidence that HIIT lacks cardiometabolic training benefits.
  • The 4x4 structure is reproducible but was delivered with screening, CPET, and supervision.

Limitations

  • Healthy active young adults only.
  • Acute single-session design.
  • Self-collected blood spots without supervision.
  • Possible unmeasured changes between 60 minutes and 24 hours.
  • Generalizability to older, lower-fitness, or clinical populations is limited.

Safety

  • No important harms or unintended effects were reported.
  • Participants were screened with resting ECG and CPET.
  • HIIT was supervised by exercise physiologists.