Effects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight/obese women.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate two practical interval training protocols on cardiorespiratory fitness, lipids and body composition in overweight/obese women. Thirty women (mean ± SD; weight: 88.1 ± 15.9 kg; BMI: 32.0 ± 6.0 kg . m²) were randomly assigned to ten 1-min high-intensity intervals (90%VO₂ peak, 1 min recovery) or five 2-min high-intensity intervals (80–100% VO₂ peak, 1 min recovery) or control. Peak oxygen uptake (VO₂ peak), peak power output (PPO), body composition and fasting blood lipids were evaluated before and after 3 weeks of training, completed 3 days per week. Results from ANCOVA analyses demonstrated no significant training group differences for any primary variables (P > 0.05). When training groups were collapsed, 1MIN and 2MIN resulted in a significant increase in PPO (Δ18.9 ± 8.5 watts; P = 0.014) and time to exhaustion (Δ55.1 ± 16.4 s; P = 0.001); non-significant increase in VO₂ peak (Δ2.36 ± 1.34 ml . kg^-1 . min^-1; P = 0.185); and a significant decrease in fat mass (FM) (−Δ1.96 ± 0.99 kg; P = 0.011). Short-term interval exercise training may be effective for decreasing FM and improving exercise tolerance in overweight and obese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]