The Impact of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Body Composition in Young Football Players

الملخص

This study investigates the efficacy of an eight-week High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) protocol compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and body composition metrics among male youth football athletes. Thirty-four participants (N = 34, age 17.2 ± 1.1 years) were randomly assigned to either a HIIT group (4 × 4 min intervals at 90–95% maximum heart rate) or a MICT group (45 minutes continuous running at 65–75% maximum heart rate) performed three times per week alongside routine tactical practice. Pre- and post-intervention evaluations assessed cardiorespiratory endurance via the 20-meter multi-stage fitness test and body fat percentage (BF%) through multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. The HIIT cohort demonstrated a statistically significant increase in VO2max from 48.6 ± 2.4 to 54.1 ± 2.1 mL/kg/min (p < 0.01), outperforming the MICT cohort (48.9 ± 2.2 to 51.0 ± 2.3 mL/kg/min). In addition, body fat percentage decreased markedly in the HIIT cohort (14.8 ± 1.6% to 12.9 ± 1.4%, p < 0.05). The findings establish that incorporating short-duration, high-intensity running intervals into in-season training regimens produces superior physiological conditioning and aerobic performance in youth competitive football.