NCT07276308

Psychophysiological and Cognitive Responses to Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Exercise in Overweight-to-Obese Adults

The Roles of Psychophysiological Stress and Cognitive Markers on Perceptual Responses During Low-volume High-intensity Interval Exercise in Overweight-to-obese Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 32 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universiti Sains Malaysia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 35 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to explore how stress-related hormones and psychological traits influence people's feelings and perceptions during a short and intense form of exercise called low-volume high-intensity interval exercise (Lv-HIIE). Adults with overweight or obesity participated in a supervised 10-week cycling program consisting of repeated one-minute high-intensity efforts separated by short recovery periods. The research examines how psychophysiological stress markers (such as cortisol and ACTH), cognitive traits (such as goal orientation and hardiness), and perceptual responses (such as exertion, mood, and enjoyment) change over time. Findings from this study may help develop exercise programs that are more enjoyable, sustainable, and personalized for individuals with higher body-mass categories.

Conditions

• Overweight and/or Obesity
• Overweight and Obese Adults

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Exercise (Lv-HIIE)	The intervention consists of a supervised low-volume high-intensity interval exercise (Lv-HIIE) program performed on a cycle ergometer. Each session includes 6-10 intervals of 1 minute at 90% of maximal aerobic speed, interspersed with 75-second active recovery periods. Participants will train three times per week for 10 weeks under laboratory supervision. Each session begins with a standardized 5-minute warm-up and ends with a 5-minute cool-down. The program is designed to investigate changes in psychophysiological stress (ACTH, cortisol), cognitive markers (goal orientation, hardiness), and perceptual responses (affective valence, perceived exertion, enjoyment) across repeated exercise exposures in overweight-to-obese adults.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-03-01
• Primary completion: 2023-08-20
• Completion: 2023-09-01
• First posted: 2025-12-11
• Last updated: 2025-12-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Malaysia