Impact of a 12-week high-intensity interval training without caloric restriction on body composition and lipid profile in sedentary healthy overweight/obese youth

• Published in: Journal of exercise rehabilitation Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 118 - 125
• Main Authors: Khammassi, Marwa, Ouerghi, Nejmeddine, Hadj-Taieb, Sameh, Feki, Moncef, Thivel, David, Bouassida, Anissa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Exercise Rehabilitation 01-02-2018; 한국운동재활학회
• Subjects: Original; 심리과학; High-intensity interval training; Obesity; Lipid pro-file; Youth; Body composition; Overweight
• ISSN: 2288-176X; 2288-1778
• DOI: 10.12965/jer.1835124.562

Although High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has shown its effective-ness in improving body composition, cardio-respiratory fitness and lipid profile in obese adults, evidences remain limited in overweight/obese youth. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a 12-week HIIT program without caloric restriction on body composition and lipid profile among young overweight/obese men. Twenty healthy obese youth were randomly allocated into two groups; experimental group (HIIT) and control group. The HIIT program consisted in 3 exercises sessions per week (30 sec of work at 100% maximal aerobic velocity [MAV]) interspersed by 30 sec of active recovery at 50% MAV, starting by 15 repetitions to reach 27 by the end of the program. Aerobic capaci-ty (MAV and maximum oxygen uptake [VO2max]), body composition (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], and fat mass percent) and lipid profile (triglycerides [TG] and total, high-density lipoprotein [HDL] and low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol) were determined before and after the HIIT program. Following 12 weeks of HIIT, WC, BMI (P<0.01), and fat mass percent (P<0.05) were significantly decreased. MAV and VO2max were significantly improved in the HIIT group, only. To-tal cholesterol (P<0.05) and TG (P<0.05) decreased significantly in the HIIT group, while LDL and HDL cholesterol levels remained unchanged in both groups. HIIT may be particularly useful in overweight/obese youth to improve body composition, aerobic fitness and lipid profile.