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Updated: May 6, 2026

A Real-World High-Intensity Interval Training Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Improvement
Published on: February 22, 2022
High-intensity interval training in patients with lifestyle-induced cardiometabolic disease: a systematic review and
Kassia S Weston1, Ulrik Wisløff2, Jeff S Coombes1
1School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Background/Aim:
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a strong determinant of morbidity and mortality. In athletes and the general population, it is established that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is superior to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in improving CRF. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the efficacy and safety of HIIT compared to MICT in individuals with chronic cardiometabolic lifestyle diseases.
Methods:
The included studies were required to have a population sample of chronic disease, where poor lifestyle is considered as a main contributor to the disease. The procedural quality of the studies was assessed by use of a modified Physiotherapy Evidence Base Database (PEDro) scale. A meta-analysis compared the mean difference (MD) of preintervention versus postintervention CRF (VO2peak) between HIIT and MICT.
Results:
10 studies with 273 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Participants had coronary artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and obesity. There was a significantly higher increase in the VO2peak after HIIT compared to MICT (MD 3.03 mL/kg/min, 95% CI 2.00 to 4.07), equivalent to 9.1%.
Conclusions:
HIIT significantly increases CRF by almost double that of MICT in patients with lifestyle-induced chronic diseases.
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