Search

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is characterized by repeated bouts of relatively intense exercise interspersed with recovery periods. Previous studies have evaluated this exercise strategy with various population subgroups, regimens, and comparator groups, limiting the generalizability of findings. We performed a novel umbrella review to generate an up-to-date synthesis of the available evidence regarding the effect of HIIT on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in adults as compared to non-exercise control and traditional continuous forms of exercise such as moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT)., Methods: An umbrella review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews guideline. Seven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database, CINAHL, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) were searched until February 2024. Systematic reviews with meta-analyses comparing HIIT and active/non-active control conditions were included. Literature search, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment (AMSTAR-2) were conducted independently by two reviewers., Results: Twenty-four systematic reviews with meta-analyses, representing 429 primary studies and 12 967 unique participants, met the inclusion criteria. Most of the systematic reviews received moderate-to-critically low AMSTAR-2 scores. The data showed that HIIT, including the particularly intense variant "sprint interval training" (SIT), significantly increases CRF in adults compared to non-exercise control (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.28 to 4.31; weighted mean difference [WMD]: 3.25 to 5.5 mL/kg/min) and MICT (SMD: 0.18 to 0.99; WMD: 0.52 to 3.76 mL/kg/min). This effect was consistently observed across specific groups of individuals (e.g., apparently healthy adults, individuals with overweight/obesity, older adults, and high-level athletes) and HIIT modalities (e.g., low-volume HIIT, whole-body HIIT, home-based HIIT, aquatic HIIT, and short SIT)., Conclusion: Existing evidence from systematic reviews consistently supports the effect of HIIT on enhancing CRF in adults when compared to non-exercise control and MICT. Our findings offer a comprehensive basis that may potentially contribute to informing physical activity guidelines aimed at improving CRF in the general population., (© 2024 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science In Sports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We synthesized evidence on the effectiveness of active video games (AVGs) versus no AVG-applied comparators on various physical activity (PA) levels and weight management outcomes in children and adolescents. We analyzed the comparative evidence on different sub-categories of AVGs and ranking the best option. An overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and network meta-analysis (NMA) (PROSPERO: CRD42021248499) was employed. A search for relevant literature published in English was conducted in six electronic databases from their inception until April 2021. SRs consisting of randomized control trials (RCTs) and satisfying our PICOS inclusion criteria were included. RCTs included were a comparison of groups among children and adolescents between 6 and 21, where groups with AVG interventions were compared with groups without them. Direct head-to-head pairwise meta-analyses were conducted using weighted mean difference between the two groups, and the comparative effectiveness of different sub-categories of AVGs was analyzed indirectly using NMA. Overall, 17 SRs were identified from the 6036 screened citations. Of these, 350 citations were retrieved, and 12 RCTs were finally included. Compared with no AVG group, AVG groups were shown to be more effective in achieving vigorous, moderate-to-vigorous, and moderate PA levels, and decreased BMI and body fat. NMA showed that rhythmic dance games had the highest probability of being the most effective sub-category for reducing BMI. AVGs are effective in attaining vigorous, moderate to vigorous, and moderate PA levels, and reducing BMI and body fat among children and adolescents. Dance appears to be the best option for reducing BMI among AVG subcategories., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Sedentary behavior (SB) results in hemodynamic alterations within the vasculature, leading to vascular dysfunction that may be attenuated by various interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effect of SB interventions on vascular function in adults using seven databases searched on December 17, 2020. All types of SB interventions were included such as short- and long-term interventions (≥7 days) in participants aged ≥18 years. The pooled effect (mean difference) of intervention on three outcomes, namely, flow-mediated dilation (FMD), shear rate (SR), and pulse wave velocity (PWV), was evaluated using random effects meta-analyses. The revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials was employed to assess the quality of the included studies. Twenty-six studies (21 short-term and six long-term interventions) involving 669 participants from eight countries were included. Evidence from meta-analysis showed that short-term interventions targeting SB improved FMD by 1.50% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.99) and increased SR by 12.70 S -1 (95% CI 7.86-17.54); no significant pooled effect was found for PWV. Long-term SB interventions resulted in a 0.93% increase in FMD (95% CI 0.25-1.62) and had no significant effect on PWV. Findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that both short- and long-term SB interventions improved FMD but had no effect on PWV. Short-term interventions had a greater effect in improving lower extremity arterial function. Further studies targeting long-term SB interventions on vascular function in adults are warranted., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)