IMPACT OF THE HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING METHOD ON THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Abstract
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of an 8-week high-intensity interval training (Uni-HIIT) program for young adult students in a university setting. The study was conducted at the State University of Bolívar, Ecuador (April-June, 2019). The study population consisted of 150 university students, 91 women and 54 men with an average age of 20.48 years. Students participated in three HITT sessions per week (8 minutes in the first 2 weeks, 10 minutes in weeks 3, 4, and 5, and 12 minutes in weeks 6.7 and 8 to 30-second breaks). The research approach was quantitative of the longitudinal type because it was carried out at two specific moments, twice with each individual (pre-post), reaching a quasi-experimental level and correlational type. The study design was a randomized controlled trial with a control group and an experimental group. The HITT intervention was an 8-week supervised labor intervention. Through the investigation, it was possible to diagnose the physical condition of the students, who have a maximum oxygen consumption of 36.25 mL/kg/min, being considered as a poor physical condition. However, the mean body mass index was 23.73 Kg/m2, being within normal parameters. By verifying the hypothesis using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, it was possible to establish the influence of the high intensity interval method on the physical condition of university students, where the null hypothesis can be rejected with 95.0% confidence. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the efficacy and feasibility of offering a novel HIIT program in the university setting.
