Zili Zuo, Ziyun Zhang, Yan Li, Jianming Zhang, Peng Shi
{"title":"The effect of high-intensity interval training on inhibitory function in overweight female college students: the mediating role of body composition.","authors":"Zili Zuo, Ziyun Zhang, Yan Li, Jianming Zhang, Peng Shi","doi":"10.1186/s40359-025-02479-5","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the inhibitory function characteristics of overweight female college students through two studies, and on this basis, to explore the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention on the inhibitory function of overweight female college students, as well as to test the mediating role of body composition.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Study I recruited 34 overweight female college students and 38 normal-weight female college students, using the GO/NOGO task and the Flanker task to measure the participants' response inhibition and interference inhibition. Study II randomly divided the recruited 64 overweight female college students into an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 32), with the experimental group undergoing 8 weeks of Tabata-based HIIT and the control group not engaging in any form of exercise. The body composition of the participants was measured using a bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer made in South Korea, the GAIA KIKO. Based on the SPSS 21.0 software, statistical techniques such as independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation effect tests were used for analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The reaction times of overweight female college students were significantly shorter than those of normal-weight female college students under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05). 8 weeks of HIIT could effectively reduce the reaction times of overweight female college students under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05), and effectively improve BMI, fat-free weight, fat content, muscle content, and basal metabolic rate (P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between fat content and reaction times under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05), and a significant negative correlation between waist-hip ratio and reaction times under the GO stimulus (P < 0.05). In addition, the mediation effect test found that fat content had a significant mediating effect in the reaction times under the consistent conditions after HIIT intervention (P < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overweight female college students have poorer inhibitory function, and HIIT can effectively improve their inhibitory function, with fat content playing a potential mediating role in the intervention process. It is recommended that HIIT be used as an important means to control the weight of overweight female college students and improve their inhibitory function.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"13 1","pages":"272"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11921596/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"BMC Psychology","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02479-5","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To explore the inhibitory function characteristics of overweight female college students through two studies, and on this basis, to explore the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention on the inhibitory function of overweight female college students, as well as to test the mediating role of body composition.
Methods: Study I recruited 34 overweight female college students and 38 normal-weight female college students, using the GO/NOGO task and the Flanker task to measure the participants' response inhibition and interference inhibition. Study II randomly divided the recruited 64 overweight female college students into an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 32), with the experimental group undergoing 8 weeks of Tabata-based HIIT and the control group not engaging in any form of exercise. The body composition of the participants was measured using a bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer made in South Korea, the GAIA KIKO. Based on the SPSS 21.0 software, statistical techniques such as independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation effect tests were used for analysis.
Results: The reaction times of overweight female college students were significantly shorter than those of normal-weight female college students under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05). 8 weeks of HIIT could effectively reduce the reaction times of overweight female college students under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05), and effectively improve BMI, fat-free weight, fat content, muscle content, and basal metabolic rate (P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between fat content and reaction times under the GO stimulus, consistent conditions, and inconsistent conditions (P < 0.05), and a significant negative correlation between waist-hip ratio and reaction times under the GO stimulus (P < 0.05). In addition, the mediation effect test found that fat content had a significant mediating effect in the reaction times under the consistent conditions after HIIT intervention (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Overweight female college students have poorer inhibitory function, and HIIT can effectively improve their inhibitory function, with fat content playing a potential mediating role in the intervention process. It is recommended that HIIT be used as an important means to control the weight of overweight female college students and improve their inhibitory function.
期刊介绍:
BMC Psychology is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers manuscripts on all aspects of psychology, human behavior and the mind, including developmental, clinical, cognitive, experimental, health and social psychology, as well as personality and individual differences. The journal welcomes quantitative and qualitative research methods, including animal studies.