School-based HIIT and Dose-Response Effects

Plain-language summary

There are experimental evidences of the importance of high intensity exercises in health outcomes improvement. However, there are limited knowledge about possibility to affect health outcomes in adolescents through exercises programs introduced into physical education (PE) lesson. Moreover, there is lack of the studies identifying people who do not respond to stimuli, as well as examining potential determinants of non-responsiveness. Thirdly, there are no studies examining the modification of exercise dose that should be reflected in the response in such individuals. Aim of this human experiment is to examine the effects of one cycle of 8-weeks high-intensity interval training (HIIT) implemented in physical education lesson on: (1) body composition (proportions of the body fat to the body muscles), (2) resting blood pressure, (3) physical efficiency. Study are conducted for two years (two cycles). Each year 300 students of two secondary schools, are involved in project: 15-16-year-olds in first year, 18-19-year-olds in second year. Students are divided in experimental groups -performing 8-weeks (twice a week) cycle of HIIT implemented into PE lesson, and the control groups - students following a typical PE programme. Each cycle consists of two parts. First part is related to the 8 weeks of HIIT training, while second part is related to the dose-expose study. All participants are examined during project before (Pre), after (Post) and Follow-Up intervention. Second part is planned after a break of several months. Persons who do not respond to the exercise stimulus in the first part will follow individually modified programmes. They will be measured before and after this additional training. To examine the assumed HIIT-induced changes in participants the investigators will apply: (1) anthropometric measurements: body height and weight, and BMI will be calculated, (2) body mass composition (fat and muscle mass), (3) resting blood pressure, (4) beep test which is field motor specific test to assess physical efficiency. The results of this project will help to answer the fundamental questions about HIIT induced morphological and physiological effects in adolescents, what is important from scientific and public health point of view. Particularly, in view of the growing pandemic of obesity, common elevated blood pressure and steadily declining physical fitness in children and adolescents.

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