Effect of 6-Week High Intensity Interval Training on VO2max, Physical Competence and Sleep Quality in Sedentary Male University Students

This study aims to investigate the effects of a 6-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention on physical fitness, cardiorespiratory capacity (VO2max), and sleep quality among sedentary male college students. Through a randomized controlled trial, we seek to examine whether HIIT, as a time-efficient exercise modality, can effectively improve these health-related outcomes in young adults who maintain predominantly sedentary lifestyles. This research will provide evidence-based insights into the effectiveness of HIIT as a potential intervention strategy to address the physical and physiological consequences of prolonged sitting behavior among university students.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: University Students; Sedentary Students
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: High intensity interval training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 56
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • None Selected
    • Hong Kong, None Selected, Hong Kong
      • SSPE, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. university students;
2. daily sedentary time > 8 hours;
3. healthy individuals who are capable of physical tests or HIIT;
4. no regular exercise habits;
5. can understand English or Chinese.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. self-reported history of neurological, psychiatric, or medical diseases;
2. current intake of medications and/or recreational drugs that could affect the central nervous system and/or the ability to learn.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) group; A 6-week HIIT exercise plan (running). Duration: Each session consists of 10 x 1-minute high-intensity bouts interspersed with 10 x 1-minute recovery periods. Adding the 3-minute warmup and 3-minute cool-down, each session totals approximately 26 minutes. This protocol is followed for 6 weeks. Intensity: High-intensity bouts are performed at 80-90% of HRmax (RPE 15-18). Recovery periods are at 40-50% of HRmax (RPE 11-13). Warm-up and cool-down are at 50% HRmax (RPE 11-13). Modality: Running, jogging, or brisk walking, either on a treadmill or outdoors. Supervision: The first three sessions are supervised in a laboratory setting. Subsequent sessions are unsupervised and performed at home with heart rate monitoring and remote data tracking via Polar Flow for Coach.	Other: High intensity interval training; A 6-week HIIT exercise plan (running). Duration: Each session consists of 10 x 1-minute high-intensity bouts interspersed with 10 x 1-minute recovery periods. Adding the 3-minute warmup and 3-minute cool-down, each session totals approximately 26 minutes. This protocol is followed for 6 weeks. Intensity: High-intensity bouts are performed at 80-90% of HRmax (RPE 15-18). Recovery periods are at 40-50% of HRmax (RPE 11-13). Warm-up and cool-down are at 50% HRmax (RPE 11-13). Modality: Running, jogging, or brisk walking, either on a treadmill or outdoors. Supervision: The first three sessions are supervised in a laboratory setting. Subsequent sessions are unsupervised and performed at home with heart rate monitoring and remote data tracking via Polar Flow for Coach.
No Intervention: Control; Keep the usual life style without intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
VO2max	Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run 20-m (measured in laps)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Sleep Quality	Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (scored from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Handgrip	Handgrip dynamometer (measured in kilograms)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Core strength	Plank test (measured in second)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Balance	Unipedal stance test (measured in second)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Agility	Agility T-test (measured in second)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Flexibility	Sit and Reach Test	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Body composition (measured in centimeter)	Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device (MC-780MA)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Carbohydrate Intake	Daily carbohydrate consumption measured by validated 3-day food diary (measured in grams/day)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Fat Intake	Daily fat consumption measured by a validated 3-day food diary (measured in grams/day)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Protein Intake	Daily protein consumption measured by a validated 3-day food diary (measured in grams/day)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion
Physical Activity Level	International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) long form (measured in MET-minutes/week, range: 0 to no upper limit, with higher scores indicating higher levels of physical activity)	Baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after 6-week intervention completion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ma Ruisi

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Yano A, Hidaka E, Fujiwara K, Iimoto M. Induction of primary root curvature in radish seedlings in a static magnetic field. Bioelectromagnetics. 2001 Apr;22(3):194-9. doi: 10.1002/bem.38.
• Eather N, Riley N, Miller A, Smith V, Poole A, Vincze L, Morgan PJ, Lubans DR. Efficacy and feasibility of HIIT training for university students: The Uni-HIIT RCT. J Sci Med Sport. 2019 May;22(5):596-601. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.11.016. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): January 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 20, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 1, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 1, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; High-Intensity Interval Training
• Other Study ID Numbers: SBRE-23-0914

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No