NCT04887454

Optimal Frequency of High-Intensity Interval Training for Centrally Obese Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 315 (actual)
• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to examine the therapeutic effectiveness of two different exercise frequencies of high-intensity interval training (HIIT; once versus thrice weekly, with matched weekly exercise volume) on improving cardiometabolic risk factors in centrally obese adults.

Detailed description

HIIT is an emerging, popular, promising, cost-effective, and time-efficient exercise modality for managing obesity. Although lower-frequency HIIT is favorable for intervention adherence, the optimal exercise frequency of HIIT for alleviating obesity is unknown. This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial. Centrally obese adults will be randomly allocated to three groups: the usual care control, once and thrice-weekly HIIT groups. Led by research personnel, the usual care group will receive obesity-related health education. Led by athletic coaches, the HIIT intervention groups will receive 16 weeks of once or thrice weekly HIIT (with matched weekly exercise volume). Outcome measures of this study will be examined at baseline, 4 months (post-intervention), and 8 months (follow-up), by assessors blinded to group allocation.

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Once-Weekly HIIT	Participants in this group will receive a 16-week intervention of HIIT once weekly supervised by certified athletic coaches. Participants will perform four 4-minute intervals at 85%-95% peak heart rate with a 3-minute active recovery between each 4-minute interval. Participants will repeat the 25-minute HIIT bout three times with 30-60 minutes break in between each 25-minute HIIT bout. Health information provided to the usual care control group will be made available to the participants in the HIIT groups.
BEHAVIORAL	Thrice-Weekly HIIT	Participants in this group will receive a 16-week intervention of HIIT thrice weekly supervised by certified athletic coaches. Participants will perform four 4-minute intervals at 85%-95% peak heart rate with a 3-minute active recovery between each 4-minute interval. Health information provided to the usual care control group will be made available to the participants in the HIIT groups.
OTHER	Usual Care	Participants in the usual care control group will receive health education delivered by research personnel. This program will consist of eight two-hour bi-weekly sessions covering major health issues relating to obesity including causes, prevalence, epidemiology, associated diseases, healthy diet, caloric restriction advice, physical activity, stress management, adequate sleep, as well as lifestyle counseling/consultation and goal-setting/record-keeping strategies for behavioral changes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-09-01
• Primary completion: 2024-09-07
• Completion: 2024-09-07
• First posted: 2021-05-14
• Last updated: 2025-03-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Hong Kong