# Acute effects of high-intensity interval training on adiponectin isoforms in inactive young adults: a quasi-experimental study

PMID: 41469733
Journal: BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Published: 2025-12-30
Authors: Alvarado-Carrasco D, González-Maraboli A, Reyes-Montalva M, Videla-Aguilar J, Bentes A, Peñailillo L, Sandoval V, Martínez-Huenchullán S

## Question

Does one treadmill HIIT session acutely change circulating adiponectin isoforms in inactive young adults?

## Summary

Inactive young adults completed one supervised treadmill HIIT session. No adverse events occurred, lactate increased, and medium-molecular-weight adiponectin increased acutely, but the small no-control design makes the finding hypothesis-generating.

## Population

- Inactive or insufficiently active young adults.
- Sample size: 21
- Age: 22.7 +/- 1.5 years
- Sex: 11 women, 10 men
- Fitness level: Inactive/insufficiently active.
- Health status: No positive PAR-Q&YOU; no cardiometabolic disease.

## Methodology

- Quasi-experimental single-arm pre/post study
- Single acute session
- Controlled laboratory treadmill setting

## Protocol

- 80% HRR treadmill HIIT.
- Modality: Treadmill.
- Work intervals: 3 min targeting 80% HRR.
- Recovery: 3 min slow walking targeting about 20% HRR.
- Sets or repetitions: 6 intervals.
- Intensity: Karvonen 80% HRR work target.
- Session duration: 36 min interval block.
- Frequency: Single session.
- Program length: Acute.

## Outcomes

### MMW adiponectin
Status: improved
MMW adiponectin increased acutely.

About +19%, p<0.05, dz=0.49.

### LMW/HMW adiponectin
Status: no clear change
LMW and HMW adiponectin did not significantly change.

### Lactate
Status: improved
Lactate increased, confirming metabolic stress.

2.3 +/- 1.5 to 5.9 +/- 2.7 mmol/L, p<0.05.

### Adverse events
Status: improved
All participants completed HIIT without adverse events.

21/21 completed.

## Practical Insights

- The 3-min hard / 3-min easy HRR-guided structure is translatable, but the biomarker result is not a user-facing outcome.
- No-control acute biomarker evidence should be framed cautiously.

## Limitations

- Small sample.
- No non-exercise control.
- No longer post-exercise follow-up.
- Diet, fasting duration, menstrual cycle, and contraceptive use were not controlled.
- No hemoconcentration correction.

## Safety And Adherence

- No adverse events occurred during the supervised treadmill HIIT session.
- Participants were screened with PAR-Q&YOU and monitored with HR, RPE, muscle oxygenation, oxygen saturation, BP, and lactate.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41469733/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-025-01433-7) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12755020/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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