PMID 41199311

Research
All papers

The impact of 4-week high-intensity interval training on mental health and sleep quality in female college students with normal weight obesity: a randomized controlled trial

Fu J, Zhang W, Xu X, Mao X, Wang L, Cai M, Yang R

Question

Does a 4-week high-intensity interval training program improve depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in female college students with normal weight obesity compared with health education/no training?

Summary

Female college students with normal weight obesity who completed a 4-week supervised bodyweight HIIT program improved depression, anxiety, and sleep-quality questionnaire scores compared with a health-education control group. The HIIT sessions were frequent, five times per week, and included 40-second bodyweight exercises with 20-second rests. The study was short, all participants were young women from one university, and adverse events were monitored generally but not reported in detail.

Methodology

  • Female college students with normal weight obesity.
  • 35 participants.
  • Opening/closing jumps, squats, push-ups, bent-knee raises, step jumps, abdominal rolls, hip bridges, burpees, lunge squats.
  • Work intervals: 40 s.
  • Recovery: 20 s.
  • Intensity: >90% VO2max target.
  • About 34 min.
  • 5 sessions/week.
  • 4 weeks.
  • Randomized controlled trial with pre/post assessment.
  • Depression symptoms, Anxiety symptoms, and Sleep quality were tracked.

Outcomes

PHQ-9 depression score

HIIT reduced PHQ-9 while control did not change.

HIIT 5.8 +/- 4.2 to 3.2 +/- 2.7; time x group F=7.180, p=0.011; adjusted p=0.005.

Improved

GAD-7 anxiety score

HIIT reduced GAD-7 while control did not change.

HIIT 5.1 +/- 5.3 to 2.8 +/- 2.9; time x group F=8.333, p=0.007; adjusted p=0.014.

Improved

PSQI sleep quality

HIIT improved PSQI score while control did not.

HIIT 5.1 +/- 3.4 to 3.5 +/- 2.5; time x group F=11.692, p=0.002; adjusted p=0.007.

Improved

Insights

  • A 40/20 bodyweight format is easy to translate into guided workouts.
  • Frequent HIIT may support self-reported sleep and mood in a narrow young-adult group.
  • The evidence is not sufficient to make clinical mental-health treatment claims.

Limitations

  • Small sample.
  • Short 4-week intervention.
  • Self-report outcomes.
  • No long-term follow-up.
  • Unclear intensity and attendance fidelity.

Safety

  • Professional coaches supervised sessions.
  • Trained personnel monitored participants in real time.
  • No specific adverse events were reported.