The effect of high intensity interval training on body composition, metabolic, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in adolescents with obesity
Question
What are the effects of a 12-week HIIT program on body composition, metabolic hormones, insulin resistance, lipid profile, inflammation, and oxidative stress markers in adolescents with obesity?
Summary
In adolescents with obesity, a 12-week supervised cycling HIIT program after a 3-week adaptation phase improved body composition, glucose/insulin markers, lipids, inflammatory markers, and antioxidant capacity compared with control, but the study was small and diet was not monitored.
Methodology
- Adolescents aged 13-18 years with obesity.
- 32 participants.
- Cycling/pedaling.
- Work intervals: 30 s at 90-95% HRR.
- Recovery: 60 s active rest at 40-60% HRR.
- Intensity: HRR-prescribed, monitored by Polar device.
- 12-16 min including warm-up and cooldown.
- 3 sessions/week.
- 12 weeks after 3-week adaptation.
- Randomized controlled pre-post exercise intervention
- Body composition, Glucose/insulin, Lipids, and Inflammation/redox were tracked.
Outcomes
Body composition
BMI, waist and hip circumferences, and body fat decreased; lean and muscle mass increased.
Group-time effects reported p<0.05; waist circumference reduction about 6 cm discussed.
Glucose/insulin
Glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, leptin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL decreased; adiponectin increased.
HOMA-IR and triglyceride group-sex-time interactions p<0.001.
Inflammation
hs-CRP, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 decreased after HIIT.
Group-time interactions reported p<0.05.
Redox markers
AGEs decreased and FRAP increased, while ROS increased and TBARS was unchanged.
Pro-oxidant status group-time effect p<0.05; TBARS no significant change.
Insights
- For adolescents with obesity, use medical screening, adaptation weeks, and short supervised sessions.
- A 30 s hard / 60 s easy cycling structure can be progressed by repetitions.
- Claims should be limited by missing diet monitoring and no long-term follow-up.
Limitations
- Dietary intake was not monitored or reported
- Small sample
- No long-term follow-up
- Pubertal status was not assessed
- Sex-specific analyses were exploratory
- Only selected inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were assessed
Safety
- No adverse events were reported.
- Before HIIT, participants underwent health checks, risk analyses, resting ECG, and one week of resting blood pressure monitoring.
- All HIIT sessions were supervised and heart rate was monitored with personalized HRR targets.