Publication date: Sep 23, 2025
Reduced opportunities for physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic have heightened obesity-related health risks, emphasizing the need for effective, scalable, and remotely deliverable exercise interventions. This randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of an 8-week, real-time, supervised, web-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program in improving metabolic health and physical fitness in middle-aged men with obesity. Twenty-two men (age 30 kg/m; waist circumference >90 cm) were assigned to a videoconference-based HIIT intervention or a non-exercise control group. The HIIT group completed two supervised sessions per week, each consisting of a standardized warm-up, a 20-min HIIT protocol, and a cool-down, with real-time monitoring and weekly dietary log reviews. Web-based HIIT significantly reduced fat mass by 6. 6% (-2. 01 kg; d = 1. 38) without altering total body weight and improved lipid profiles by increasing HDL cholesterol and decreasing total and LDL cholesterol. Leptin levels decreased, adiponectin increased, and IL-10 rose, whereas IL-6 remained unchanged. Cardiorespiratory fitness improved, with VOmax increasing by 3. 06 mL.kg.min (∼8. 7%) and minute ventilation increasing, and muscle performance was enhanced, as trunk extensor peak torque and average power increased by 9. 7% and 30. 2%, respectively, and knee flexor peak torque increased by 31. 8% (right) and 19. 5% (left), yielding large effect sizes (d = 0. 9-1. 3). These findings indicate that real-time, non-face-to-face HIIT effectively enhances body composition, lipid metabolism, inflammatory balance, aerobic capacity, and functional muscle performance in men with obesity, supporting this contactless modality as a feasible and deployable strategy for health maintenance during and beyond pandemic-related restrictions.
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| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Cardiorespiratory | COVID-19 |
| Dietary | metabolic health |
| Fitness | obesity |
| Obesity | web-based exercise intervention |
| Weekly |