Effects of high-intensity interval training on cognitive flexibility among female teenagers

Background: Teenage is an important stage for brain development, with significant impacts on education and health. Exploring how high-intensity interval training (HIIT) affects cognitive function in this population is crucial to comprehending how HIIT can improve general well-being and academic performance. Objective: To determine the effects of high-intensity interval training on cognitive flexibility among female teenagers. Methodology: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on n=40 female participants between 13-19 years without any serious medical, physical, or psychological illness for 6 months. All participants (n=40) were randomly divided into experimental (HIIT) and control groups equally. The protocols were performed in 4 mins in the first three weeks, 8 mins in the 4th to 6th week, and 12 mins in the 7th and 8th week, with sessions thrice a week. Data on cognitive flexibility was collected at baseline, after 4th week and 8th week from both groups through Digit Span (DST). Results: With-in-group analysis the experimental group showed significant improvement (p<0.001) at each level of assessment of DST (forward and backward) till the 8th-week session with a large effect size whereas the non-significant improvement (p≥0.05) was observed in the control group. For Group Analysis, significant results (p<0.001) were obtained in the experimental group for DST (forward and backward) after the 4th week and at the end of intervention after the 8th week as compared to the control group. Conclusion: It is concluded that the high-intensity exercise training program is beneficial for female teenagers to enhance their physical strengthening along with their cognitive abilities. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05873478