Effects of different aerobic exercise protocols on regional body fatness and serum lipids in women with obesity: A randomized trial

Aim. This study aimed to compare the effects of high‑volume high‑intensity interval training (HV‑HIIT), low‑volume high‑intensity interval training (LV‑HIIT), and moderate‑intensity continuous training (MICT) on regional body fatness and serum lipids in adult obese women. Methods. Forty‑six women with obesity and dyslipidemia completed this study. They were randomly allocated to HV‑HIIT protocol (n = 15), LV‑HIIT protocol (n = 14), and MICT protocol (n = 17). The protocols were performed three days a week for eight weeks. Measurements included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), sub-total fat, leg fat, trunk fat, arm fat, lean mass, fat-free mass, and bone mineral content via DXA, self-paced maximal cycle test for HRmax determination, and serum lipids (TC, HDL, LDL, TG). Results. HV‑HIIT led to significantly greater improvements in HRmax, body fat measures, TC, and HDL compared to the other protocols (p < 0.05). Both LV‑HIIT and MICT were effective in reducing TC, but LV‑HIIT showed better results for improving HDL (p < 0.05). Conclusion. HV‑HIIT was the most effective for reducing body fat and improving TC and HDL, while LV‑HIIT was superior to MICT in improving HDL.