Comparing the Effectiveness of High Intensity Interval Training vs Continuous Moderate Intensity Exercise on Physical Function Among Older Adults With HIV
Question
Is HIIT more effective than continuous moderate-intensity exercise for improving physical function in older sedentary adults with HIV when both groups also do resistance training?
Summary
In sedentary adults age 50 and older with well-controlled HIV, 16 weeks of supervised HIIT plus resistance training improved walking performance and strength, but it was not better than continuous moderate exercise plus the same resistance training. Adherence was high, and serious adverse events were monitored, but this was a clinical population with medical screening.
Methodology
- Sedentary adults age 50 and older with virologically suppressed HIV
- 111 participants.
- Aerobic HIIT plus resistance machines.
- Work intervals: 4 minutes.
- Recovery: 3 minutes at 50% HRR.
- Intensity: 90% HRR work bouts.
- 42 minutes aerobic plus resistance training.
- 3 times/week.
- 16 weeks.
- Parallel-group randomized superiority trial
- 400-meter walk time, Physical function, Strength, and Safety were tracked.
Outcomes
Walk time
Both HIIT and CME improved 400-meter walk time, with no significant between-group difference.
HIIT -5.9% and CME -4.6%; between-group p=.33
Function
Physical-function outcomes improved within groups but HIIT was not superior.
Secondary outcomes showed within-group improvements without significant arm differences.
Strength
Strength improved in both groups after shared resistance training.
Leg press, bench/chest press, and lateral pulldown improved in both arms.
Adherence
Visit attendance was high in both arms.
Median 46/48 visits in both groups
Insights
- For lay users, this supports exercise improving function in a supervised clinical context, not HIIT superiority.
- For generation, long-interval HIIT with 4-minute work and 3-minute recovery can be paired with strength training after familiarization.
- Older clinical populations need screening, AE monitoring, and conservative progression.
Limitations
- Clinical HIV population limits broad consumer generalization
- Resistance training was included in both arms
- Low female representation
- No evidence that HIIT outperformed continuous moderate exercise
Safety
- Six serious adverse events occurred during the trial period; four unrelated and two related.
- Two related serious adverse events were syncope events; participants resumed exercise after cardiology evaluation and close monitoring.
- One death from pulmonary embolism and pneumonia was considered unlikely study-related.