# High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training on Ventricular-Arterial Coupling (VAC) in Young Women With Obesity

PMID: 41259067
Journal: Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.y.)
Published: 2025-11-19
Authors: Simões CF, Okawa RTP, Locatelli JC, de Oliveira GH, Reck HB, Bohn L, Mota J, Lopes WA

## Question

Do 8 weeks of HIIT and MICT improve ventricular-arterial coupling in young women with obesity, and do PWV/GLS and Ea/Ees methods show similar changes?

## Summary

In 24 young women with obesity who completed an 8-week supervised walking/running program, both HIIT and isocaloric MICT improved ventricular-arterial coupling measured by the PWV/GLS ratio. Only HIIT significantly reduced the elastance-derived Ea/Ees ratio and improved body weight, BMI, body fat, and VO2peak. The sample was small and limited to young women with obesity but without other cardiometabolic disease.

## Population

- 24 women with class I-II obesity completed all assessments; HIIT n=11 and MICT n=13. The study initially enrolled and randomized 44 women.
- Sample size: 24
- Age: HIIT 29.5 +/- 4.9 years; MICT 27.1 +/- 5.1 years
- Sex: Women only
- Fitness level: Physically inactive by IPAQ; baseline VO2peak about 27 mL/kg/min
- Health status: BMI 30-39.9 kg/m2 without endocrine, vascular, cardiac disease, other cardiovascular risk factors aside from obesity, medication use, or recent exercise/diet intervention

## Methodology

- Randomized controlled supervised exercise study
- 8 weeks
- Supervised walking/running exercise program with cardiovascular screening and laboratory assessment
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Walking/running HIIT.
- Modality: Walking/running.
- Work intervals: 4 min at 85-95% HRmax.
- Recovery: 3 min active recovery.
- Sets or repetitions: 4 bouts.
- Intensity: 85-95% HRmax.
- Session duration: 40 min including 10-min warm-up and 5-min cool-down.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.
- Progression: No progression reported.
- Isocaloric MICT.
- Modality: Continuous walking/running.
- Work intervals: 41 min continuous walking/running.
- Sets or repetitions: One continuous bout.
- Intensity: 65-75% HRmax.
- Session duration: 48 min including 5-min warm-up, 41-min continuous training, and 2-min cool-down.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.
- Progression: No progression reported; standardized to be isocaloric with HIIT.

## Outcomes

### PWV/GLS ventricular-arterial coupling
Status: improved
Both HIIT and MICT significantly improved PWV/GLS ratio.

HIIT -0.35 +/- 0.07 to -0.31 +/- 0.05 m/s%, p=0.005; MICT -0.35 +/- 0.07 to -0.30 +/- 0.04, p=0.003; between-group relative change p=0.884

### Ea/Ees ventricular-arterial coupling
Status: mixed
Only HIIT significantly reduced the Ea/Ees ratio.

HIIT 0.88 +/- 0.07 to 0.80 +/- 0.09, p=0.024; MICT 0.90 +/- 0.12 to 0.89 +/- 0.18, p=0.435

### Body composition and VO2peak
Status: improved
Only HIIT showed significant improvements in weight, BMI, body fat, and VO2peak.

Weight 90.7 +/- 14.07 to 88.8 +/- 13.05 kg, p=0.002; BMI 34.1 +/- 3.9 to 33.4 +/- 3.5, p=0.002; body fat 44.1 +/- 3.6 to 41.2 +/- 3.7%, p<0.001; VO2peak 27.5 +/- 3.7 to 29.4 +/- 4.9, p=0.024

### Target intensity
Status: improved
Both groups consistently achieved target HR zones.

HIIT 92 +/- 2% HRmax; MICT 73 +/- 2% HRmax

## Practical Insights

- A 4 x 4-min walking/running HIIT protocol can be HR-monitored and standardized for young women with obesity.
- VAC results are mechanistic/surrogate and should not be used as direct consumer-facing outcome claims.
- Medical screening was extensive, which matters for translating high-intensity programs in obesity.

## Limitations

- Small final sample and high non-completion from initial enrollment.
- Women with obesity only, without other obesity-related comorbidities.
- Exploratory PWV/GLS outcome with limited external comparators.
- Elastance method is not a true gold standard.
- No adverse event or detailed adherence reporting located.

## Safety And Adherence

- Participants underwent extensive cardiovascular screening before eligibility. No adverse event reporting was located in the article text.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41259067/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1111/echo.70355) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12629268/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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