Effects of school-based high-intensity interval training on health-related fitness in adolescents

Rade Jovanović; Mladen Živković; Mima Stanković; Dajana Zoretić; Nebojša Trajković

doi:10.3389/fphys.2024.1487572

Effects of school-based high-intensity interval training on health-related fitness in adolescents

Front Physiol. 2024 Nov 15:15:1487572. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1487572. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Rade Jovanović^{1

2}, Mladen Živković², Mima Stanković², Dajana Zoretić³, Nebojša Trajković²

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Physical Education Department, Niš, Serbia.
² Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Niš, Department of Theoretical-Methodological subjects, Niš, Serbia.
³ Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.

Abstract

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) in school settings has been much less studied in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of HIIT on health-related fitness in adolescents.

Methods: The total sample consisted of 60 adolescents (age 16.33 ± 0.62 years) from secondary Grammar school, randomly divided into two groups: the experimental (EG) (30) and the control group (CG) (30). The experimental program (12-weeks; 2 times per week) involved two Tabata sessions during one physical education class lasting 4 min each. Participants were tested for health-related fitness components-cardiorespiratory fitness (The Shuttle Run Test (SRT) and strength, hand grip test, standing long jump (SLJ) and counter movement jump (CMJ).

Results: Both the EG and the CG experienced significant positive changes in SRT (meters) and VO_2max values compared to baseline value (p < 0.05), however, the increase in the EG was significantly higher than that in the CG (SRT - η_p ² = 0.111; VO_2max - η_p ² = 0.111, p < 0.01). The EG showed significant improvement in SRT (meters) and VO_2max values compared to the CG (p < 0.01). Regarding the hand grip test results, a significant time × group interaction was found only for right hand (p < 0.01). Moreover, the improvements in SLJ and CMJ values was greater in EG than that in the CG group (SLJ- η_p ² = 0.182; CMJ- η_p ² = 0.112, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Findings indicate that HIIT implemented into physical education classes can result in significant improvements in selected health related fitness components in adolescents.

Keywords: HIIT; cardiorespiratory fitness; class; intervention; youth.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research received no external funding.