Comparison of High-Intensity Interval Training and Medium-Intensity Interval Training in Athletes

February 23, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Comparison of High-Intensity Interval Training and Medium-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiopulmonary Fitness, Strength and Agility in Athletes

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Medium-Intensity Interval Training (MIIT) are popular training methods known for enhancing athletic performance. HIIT is characterized by short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by brief recovery periods. This training approach typically involves exercising at 80-95% of maximum heart rate for intervals ranging from 20 seconds to a few minutes, followed by rest or lower-intensity activity. Moderate-Interval Training (MIIT), on the other hand, involves moderate-intensity exercise performed at 60-75% of maximum heart rate. The primary objective is to determine how HIIT and MIIT differ in improving CPF, strength, and agility among athletes. A randomized clinical trial will be conducted with a sample size of 80 athletes, divided into two groups. Participants will undergo 45-minute training sessions three times a week for six weeks, followed by pre- and post-intervention assessments using Cooper's 12-Minute Run/Walk Test, T-Test for agility, and Active Force 2 muscle tester for strength. Statistical analyses will be conducted to compare pre- and post-intervention results between the two groups, determining the significance of differences in CRF fitness, strength and agility outcomes.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is a single-blinded randomized clinical trial designed to compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and medium-intensity interval training (MIIT) on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and agility among trained athletes. The study will be conducted at the Pakistan Cricket Board National Cricket Academy and Hafeez Qadeer Cricket Academy, Lahore, and will be completed within 12 months following synopsis approval. A total of 80 athletes aged 20-30 years will be recruited using non-probability purposive sampling, with 40 participants allocated to each group after accounting for a 10% attrition rate. Eligible participants will include male and female athletes with a BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m² and a minimum of three years of regular sports training. Athletes with a history of fractures, neurological or musculoskeletal disorders, systemic illnesses, sleep disorders, or use of medications affecting cardiovascular or neurological function will be excluded. Participants will be randomized using concealed allocation, and outcome assessment will be performed by a blinded assessor to minimize bias.

Although both HIIT and MIIT have been shown to independently improve physical performance, there is a notable lack of direct comparative evidence evaluating their relative effectiveness in athlete populations. To address this gap, participants will undergo supervised training sessions lasting 45 minutes per day, three days per week, for six weeks. Group A will receive a structured HIIT program involving high-intensity cardio intervals, progressive strength exercises, and agility drills, while Group B will follow a MIIT program consisting of moderate-intensity cardio intervals, strength training, and agility exercises with gradual progression. Outcome measures will be assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Cooper's 12-minute run/walk test for cardiorespiratory fitness, the T-test for agility, and the Active Force 2 device for muscle strength, all of which demonstrate established validity and reliability. This study aims to provide evidence-based insight into the comparative effectiveness of HIIT and MIIT in enhancing multiple components of athletic performance.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

36

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
        • Hafeez qadeer Cricket Academy

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 20-30 years
  • Both male and female
  • Athletes with BMI 18.5kg/m2 -24.9kg/m2
  • Minimum 3 years of regular training in sports

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of Any fracture or trauma
  • Having any neurological disease
  • Any chronic musculoskeletal disorder
  • Any systemic illnesses
  • Exclude athletes with known sleep disorders(e.g, insomnia ,sleep and apnoea )
  • Athletes having consumption of pharmaceutical drugs e.g Beta blockers, benzodiazepines will be excluded

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group A (High Intensity interval Training)
Group A (High Intensity interval Training) Group A will engage in a structured High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program over a 6-week period, with sessions to enhance cardiopulmonary fitness, strength, and agility.
Other: High Intensity Training (Group A)
Each 45-minute session will begin with a 5-minute warm-up consisting of dynamic stretches targeting major muscle groups. The main workout will include high-intensity cardio intervals, strength exercises, and agility drills, such as sprints, jump squats, and ladder drills, performed in short bursts with brief rest periods. The session will end with a cool-down phase of static stretching to support recovery and flexibility.
Experimental: Group B (Moderate Intensity Interval Training):

Group B (Moderate Intensity Interval Training):

Group B will participate in a structured Medium-Intensity Interval Training (MIIT) program over a 6-week period, with sessions aimed at gradually improving endurance, strength, and coordination.
Other: Medium Intensity Training (Group B)
Each 45-minute session will start with a 5-minute warm-up of dynamic stretches. The main workout will start with moderate-paced cardio intervals, strength exercises, and agility drills, such as jogging, bodyweight squats, and cone drills, allowing for steady effort with manageable rest intervals. The session will end with a cool-down phase of static stretching to promote muscle recovery and flexibility.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cooper's 12 minutes run/walk test
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Cooper's 12 minutes run/walk test (For Cardio respiratory Fitness) The Cooper 12 minute run is a popular maximal running test of aerobic fitness, in which participants try and cover as much distance as they can in 12 minutes. equipment required: flat oval or running track, marker cones, recording sheets, stop watch with a validity of 0.90.
6 weeks
T test Agility (For Agility)
Time Frame: 6 weeks
T test Agility (For Agility) The T-test for agility is a reliable and valid measure to assess an individual's quickness and directional change ability. To ensure reliability, the test should be administered multiple times (test-retest reliability) and checked for consistent scoring between trials, ideally resulting in an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) above 0.75, which indicates good reliability. Additionally, inter-rater and intra-rater reliability should be examined if multiple evaluators are involved.
6 weeks
Active Force 2 (For Strength)
Time Frame: 6 week
Active Force 2 (For Strength) The Active Force 2 has demonstrated strong validity and reliability in muscle strength assessments. Its concurrent validity is high, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.86 to 0.95 compared to established dynamometers, and construct validity values above 0.85 align with theoretical expectations for muscle strength measurements. Test-retest reliability values are robust, with intra class correlation coefficients (ICCs) between 0.92 and 0.98, indicating consistency across repeated measures. Additionally, intra-rater reliability ICCs range from 0.90 to 0.96, and inter-rater reliability ICCs from 0.88 to 0.95, reflecting consistent results when measurements are taken by the same or different testers.
6 week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Surakhsha Shaker, DPT, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 21, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 2, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

November 2, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 29, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 29, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

January 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 25, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 23, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • REC/RCR&AHS/24/0479

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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