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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
A Real-World High-Intensity Interval Training Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Improvement
Published on: February 22, 2022
Effect of high-intensity interval training on clinical outcomes in lung cancer patients undergoing surgery: a
Dongjun Li1, Hongxia Chen2, Qianyu Zuo1
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, An Shun City People's Hospital, Anshun, China.
Purpose:
This study aimed to clarify the impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on clinical outcomes in lung cancer patients undergoing surgery based on available randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Methods:
PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), the Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases were searched from their inception to 3 November 2025. The primary outcomes were postoperative complications such as pulmonary infection and atelectasis. The secondary outcomes included the postoperative length of stay (LOS), exercise capacity, pulmonary function, quality of life, respiratory muscle strength, and emotional outcomes.
Results:
A total of 11 RCTs were included in the study. Pooled results revealed that HIIT significantly reduced the risk of pulmonary infection (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38, p = 0.002) and atelectasis (OR = 0.30, p < 0.001). In addition, HIIT significantly improved exercise capacity, as evidenced by increases in peak oxygen uptake (MD) = 4.31 mL/kg/min, p < 0.001; MD = 0.24 L/min, p = 0.01) and 6-min walk distance (MD = 44.50 m, p = 0.04). HIIT also enhanced pulmonary function, with significant improvements in forced expiratory volume in one second (MD = 0.13 L, p = 0.03), forced vital capacity (MD = 0.19 L, p < 0.001), and maximum voluntary ventilation (MD = 3.19 L/min, p = 0.002; MD = 3.45%, p = 0.04). Furthermore, quality of life improved as assessed by the SF-36 (overall score: MD = 8.32, p < 0.001; physical component: MD = 7.04, p < 0.001), and emotional status improved, reflected by decreased SAS scores (MD = -6.90, p < 0.001) and FoP-Q-SF scores (MD = -5.12, p = 0.002).
Conclusion:
Based on available evidence, HIIT may improve clinical outcomes among surgical lung cancer patients, such as decreasing risk of postoperative pulmonary infection and atelectasis and increasing pulmonary function, highlighting its potential clinical application in patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery.
