# High-Intensity Interval Training Improves Inhibitory Control and Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults

PMID: 40837518
Journal: Journal of Human Kinetics
Published: 2025-05-29
Authors: Yue T, Su H, Cheng MY, Wang Y, Bao K, Qi F

## Question

Does a single bout of cycling HIIT improve inhibitory control and working memory more than moderate interval exercise, moderate continuous exercise, or rest in healthy young adults?

## Summary

In a randomized crossover lab study, 25 healthy college students completed single sessions of HIIT, moderate-intensity interval exercise, moderate continuous exercise, and rest. After an 8-minute recovery, the HIIT session produced faster Stroop response times and more correct 2-back responses than several comparator sessions. This supports a short-term cognitive effect of acute cycling HIIT in healthy young adults, but it does not show long-term cognitive training effects.

## Population

- Healthy college students with exercise experience.
- Sample size: 25
- Age: 21.04 +/- 2.44 years
- Sex: 11 male, 14 female completers
- Fitness level: Healthy college students with exercise experience
- Health status: Free of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, sports injury in prior 6 months, color vision problems, and personal/family mental health difficulty

## Methodology

- Randomized within-subject crossover acute experiment
- Single acute session per condition with at least 1 week washout
- Laboratory cycle ergometer
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Acute cycling HIIT.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer.
- Work intervals: 3 minutes at 90% HRmax.
- Recovery: 2 minutes at 70% HRmax.
- Sets or repetitions: 3 work bouts with active recoveries.
- Intensity: Work at 90% HRmax; recovery at 70% HRmax.
- Session duration: 15 minutes cycling plus 2-minute warm-up and 8-minute post-exercise rest before cognitive testing.
- Frequency: Single acute session.
- Program length: Single session in crossover protocol.
- Progression: Not applicable.
- MIIT, MICT, and resting control.
- Modality: Cycle ergometer or seated rest.
- Work intervals: MIIT: 3 minutes at 70% HRmax; MICT: continuous.
- Recovery: MIIT: 2 minutes at 50% HRmax; MICT: none.
- Sets or repetitions: MIIT: 3 bouts; MICT: 15 minutes continuous; CON: seated on ergometer without pedaling.
- Intensity: MIIT 70%/50% HRmax; MICT 70% HRmax; CON rest.
- Session duration: 15 minutes plus 2-minute warm-up and 8-minute rest.
- Frequency: Single acute session per condition.
- Program length: Crossover sessions separated by at least 1 week.
- Progression: Not applicable.

## Outcomes

### Exercise manipulation
Status: improved
HR and RPE were highest in HIIT, confirming intensity separation from comparators.

### Stroop response time
Status: improved
HIIT improved Stroop response times versus selected comparator conditions.

Congruent HIIT vs CON p=.004; incongruent HIIT vs MICT p=.049 and vs CON p=.023; neutral HIIT vs MIIT p=.029 and vs CON p=.012.

### Stroop accuracy
Status: no clear change
Stroop accuracy did not show a significant session effect.

Session p=.445; interaction p=.321.

### 2-back hits
Status: improved
HIIT increased correct 2-back responses compared with MIIT, MICT, and rest.

HIIT vs MIIT p=.041; vs MICT p=.02; vs CON p=.006.

### Other 2-back metrics
Status: no clear change
Misses, false alarms, correction rejections, and response times did not differ between sessions.

All p>.05.

## Practical Insights

- A short acute HIIT bout may temporarily benefit executive-function task performance after a brief recovery.
- This evidence supports optional cognitive/alertness framing for acute sessions, but not claims of durable cognitive improvement.
- The protocol used cycle ergometry and HR targets, so app translation should use caution for bodyweight HIIT.

## Limitations

- Acute single-session design.
- Small sample of healthy young adults.
- Cognitive accuracy was mostly insensitive to session effects.
- No biochemical measures to test proposed mechanisms.
- Long-term HIIT effects were not studied.

## Safety And Adherence

- Two recruited male participants dropped out because previous injuries required surgery; this was not described as caused by the study sessions.
- The authors stated HIIT was well tolerated.
- No intervention adverse events were reported in the extracted text.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40837518/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/194498) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12360932/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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