Author(s)

Cheng Ma^1*, DaXi Mou², FangFei Kuang³

Affiliation(s)

¹Department of Physical education, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.

²College of Publishing, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.

³College of Foreign Languages, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.

Corresponding Author

Cheng Ma

ABSTRACT

This present study explored the effects of a twelve-week body-weight-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program on body composition and physical fitness in obese university students. Methods: Sixty-one participants completed a total of 36 sessions of weight management classes over twelve weeks. Each intervention session included 40 seconds of 14 sets of high-intensity exercises at 85%-90% of Hrmax (such as burpees, mountain climbers, etc.), with 20 seconds of recovery in between. Body composition, Cooper 12-minute run , 50-meter sprint, and standing long jump were measured before and after the intervention. Results: Participants showed significant reductions in weight, BMI, and TBF% after the intervention, with statistical significance (p < 0.05). Besides, participants showed significant improvements in the Cooper 12-minute run and 50-meter sprint. However, there was no significant change in the standing long jump performance (p > 0.05), suggesting that the impact of HIIT on lower body power may be limited. Conclusion: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) shows positive effects on body composition and physical fitness in obese university students, demonstrating its potential application as a university physical education program.

KEYWORDS

Body-weight based HIIT; Intervention; Obesity; Physical fitness; Young adult

CITE THIS PAPER

Cheng Ma, DaXi Mou, FangFei Kuang. Effects of high-intensity interval training on body composition and physical fitness in university students living with obesity. Trends in Social Sciences and Humanities Research. 2024, 2(6): 51-54. DOI: 10.61784/tsshr3061.

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