The Benefits of a High-intensity Interval Training Intervention Delivered in a School Setting Among Adolescents

NCT06374732 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: TY2024002
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 369
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A 12-week school-based high-intensity interval training intervention, with 8 classes of year 7 students randomly allocated to either intervention or control group. The interval training sessions will last for 6 to 10 minutes and will be delivered 5 times per week. Outcome variables will be physical activity, body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, bone health, executive function, mental wellbeing, and academic performance, which will be measured pre- and post-intervention and two months after the intervention has been completed.

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

school; adolescents; high-intensity interval training; randomised control trial; physical activity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Cardiorespiratory fitness

  Cardiorespiratory fitness will be measured using 20-metre shuttle run. The 20-meter shuttle run requires participants to run back and forth between two lines positioned 20 meters apart. To complete a shuttle, participants must reach the other end before a designated beep sounds. The beep is set to allow the participants to start at 8.5 km/h and increase the speed by 0.5 km/h as indicated by a triple beep. The test concludes if a participant fails to complete two consecutive shuttles or volitionally discontinues.

  Changes from baseline to immediately after the intervention and two month following the cessation of the intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (17)

• Muscular strength

  Changes from baseline to immediately after the intervention and two month following the cessation of the intervention.

• Wellbeing

  Changes from baseline to immediately after the intervention and two month following the cessation of the intervention.

• Enjoyment

  Changes from baseline to immediately after the intervention and two month following the cessation of the intervention.

• Motivation

  Changes from baseline to immediately after the intervention and two month following the cessation of the intervention.

• Affect

  Changes from baseline to immediately after the intervention and two month following the cessation of the intervention.

Other Outcomes (2)

• Confounding variables

  Maturity, subjectively measured physical activity and sleep will be measured at baseline, immediately after the intervention and two month following the cessation of the intervention.

• Interview

  immediately after the intervention

Study Arms (2)

High-intensity interval training group

EXPERIMENTAL

The experimental group, which will perform high-intensity interval training (HIIT), 5 time per week for 12 weeks.

Behavioral: High-intensity interval training

Control group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Control group, which will continue their normal physical activity, including their usual physical education classes.

Behavioral: Control group

Interventions

High-intensity interval training BEHAVIORAL

The experimental group will perform 6-to-10-minute of high-intensity interval training at the beginning of their physical education lessons or physical activity lessons.

High-intensity interval training group

Control group BEHAVIORAL

The control group will maintain their normal behaviour, including regular physical education lessons and physical activity lessons.

Control group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 11 Years - 13 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Year 7 students

You may not qualify if:

• Unable to perform high-intensity exercises due to existing medical contraindications
• Unable to understand the study procedures and provide consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Exeter: lead
• China Scholarship Council: collaborator
• Ningbo University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Exeter

Exeter, Devon, EX1 2LU, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Liu Y, Barker AR, Adlam AR, Li M, Duncombe SL, Agbaje AO, Gu Y, Zhou H, Williams CA. Effectiveness of a school-based high-intensity interval training intervention in adolescents: study protocol of the PRO-HIIT cluster randomised controlled trial. Front Pediatr. 2024 Oct 29;12:1458610. doi: 10.3389/fped.2024.1458610. eCollection 2024.

  PMID: 39534248 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Interventions

High-Intensity Interval Training; Control Groups

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Research Design; Methods

Study Officials

• Craig Williams, PhD

  University of Exeter

  STUDY CHAIR

• Yaodong Gu, PhD

  Ningbo University

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 20, 2024
• First Posted: April 19, 2024
• Study Start: February 26, 2024
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2024
• Study Completion: October 1, 2024
• Last Updated: April 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)