The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) on weight, body composition, blood lipid indicators, and metabolic status in college students living with obesity. The study focused on a sample of 40 college students living with obesity, including 20 males and 20 females, aged between 18 and 25. Participants were randomly assigned to either the HIIT group or the MICT group. Both groups underwent an 8-week intervention, consisting of three sessions per week with alternate-day training. The MICT group's training consisted of continuous aerobic exercise for 35 min at 60–70% of maximum heart rate. The HIIT group engaged in 28 min of alternating high-intensity and low-intensity exercise, where the high-intensity phase was at 85–90% of maximum heart rate for 4 min, followed by a 3-min recovery period at 50–60% of maximum heart rate, repeated four times. Both groups underwent heart rate monitoring before and after the training sessions to ensure the accuracy of the training intensity. Within each group, further distinctions were made based on gender, resulting in the following subgroups: Male HIIT group (n = 10), Female HIIT group (n = 10), Male MICT group (n = 10), and Female MICT group (n = 10). Differences in anthropometric and biochemical indicators among the groups were analyzed, and the different effects of the two intervention strategies on the obese college student population were comprehensively evaluated. Compared to the baseline assessment, the HIIT group showed a more favorable declining trend than the MICT group in terms of body morphology and body composition, particularly in the aspect of body fat percentage (BF%). The male HIIT group, female HIIT group, male MICT group, and female MICT group respectively reduced by − 23.71%, − 26.76%, − 9.81%, − 7.16%. Male and female HIIT group experienced a more pronounced decrease compared to the MICT group, with the female HIIT group reducing an additional 3.75% more than the male HIIT group. Regarding intergroup differences, BF% significant differences were shown between male MICT group and the HIIT group (P < 0.05), and female MICT group and the HIIT group (P < 0.01). In terms of biochemical indicators, the HIIT group also presented a more favorable declining trend compared to the MICT group, with male HIIT participants showing more reduction than female HIIT participants, especially in total cholesterol (TC) (10.64%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (11.73%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (11.99%), and uric acid (UA) (11.76%). Regarding triglycerides (TG), significant intergroup differences were observed between male MICT and HIIT groups (P < 0.01) and female MICT and HIIT groups (P < 0.01). Concerning ALT, a significant difference was shown between female MICT and HIIT groups (P < 0.01), while no significant difference was observed among male participants. Overall, for college students living with obesity, both HIIT and MICT have shown positive effects. Among these, HIIT demonstrates greater effectiveness compared to MICT in BF% and biochemical markers.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different exercise modes on improving inflammatory response in the elderly. For the research methodology, databases such as CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang Data, Pubmed, Web of Science, and EBSCO were selected for searching. The Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies, and RevMan5.4.1 analysis software was applied for the statistical analysis. A total of 31 studies (20 randomized controlled trials and 11 self-controlled trials) with 1528 subjects were included. The results of this meta-analysis showed that aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, aerobic + resistance exercise, and HIIT all significantly reduced the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP in the elderly, and the improvement effects of aerobic + resistance exercise on IL-6, HIIT on TNF-α, and resistance exercise on CRP in the elderly were better than those of the other three exercise modes, respectively. In conclusion, aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, aerobic + resistance exercise, and HIIT all contribute to ameliorating the inflammatory status of the elderly, among which resistance exercise is a noteworthy exercise mode for the elderly to improve inflammatory status.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are exceedingly common among soccer players and severely impact their careers and health. This study evaluates the effects of injury risk reduction programs, including balance training exercises, on the incidence of ACL injuries in soccer players through a meta-analysis. The aim is to promote the health of soccer players, enhance their athletic performance, and provide valuable insights for further research in the field of sports medicine. This study strictly adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted through PubMed, EBSCO, and Web of Science databases, covering all entries from the inception of the databases until February 2024. Eligible studies were individually assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 2, and the quality of the evidence obtained was rigorously evaluated using the GRADE approach. Data analysis and processing were performed using Stata 18 software. Eight studies were ultimately selected for inclusion in the meta-analysis, encompassing 20,336 participants and 1,512,099 exposure hours, with 190 cases of ACL injuries identified among soccer players. The pooled results indicated that, compared to the control group, groups using injury risk reduction programs that included balance training had a 58% reduction in the overall rate of ACL injuries per 1,000 exposure hours (IRR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.66). The overall study heterogeneity was low, with an I2value of 33.3% and a P-value of 0.186. Subgroup analyses showed that in trials involving male participants, the rate of ACL injuries per 1,000 exposure hours was reduced by 50% compared to the control group (IRR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.88), with an I2 value of 44.8% and P = 0.178. In trials involving female participants, ACL injuries were reduced by 61% (IRR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.62), with an I2 value of 42.5% and P = 0.157. In trials with participants training less than three times per week, ACL injuries were reduced by 43% per 1,000 exposure hours compared to the control group (IRR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.93), with an I2 value of 0.00% and P = 0.727. In trials with participants training three times or more per week, ACL injuries were reduced by 57% (IRR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.88), with an I2 value of 28.2% and P = 0.238. In trials with participants training for 20 min or more per week, the rate of ACL injuries per 1,000 exposure hours was reduced by 50% compared to the control group (IRR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.93), with an I2 value of 1.2% and P = 0.363. In trials with participants training less than 20 min per week, ACL injuries were reduced by 46% (IRR 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.91), with an I2 value of 0.00% and P = 0.544. In summary, injury risk reduction programs that include balance training significantly reduce the risk of ACL injuries in soccer players. The reduction in injuries is more pronounced in female athletes, and high-frequency training along with longer-duration interventions further enhance the preventative effects.

Multi-level studies have shown that Rhodiola rosea (RHO) and Caffeine (CAF) have the potential to be nutritional supplements to enhance physical performance in resistance exercise-untrained and -trained subjects. This study examined the synergistic effects of RHO (262.7 mg/kg for rats and 2.4 g for volunteers) and CAF (19.7 mg/kg for rats and 3 mg/kg for volunteers) supplementation on improving physical performance in rats, resistance exercise-untrained volunteers and resistance exercise-trained volunteers. Rats and volunteers were randomly grouped into placebo, CAF, RHO and CAF+RHO and administered accordingly with the nutrients during the training procedure, and pre- and post-measures were collected. We found that RHO+CAF was effective in improving forelimb grip strength (13.75%), erythropoietin (23.85%), dopamine (12.65%) and oxygen consumption rate (9.29%) in the rat model. Furthermore, the current results also indicated that the combination of RHO+CAF significantly increased the bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM) (16.59%), deep squat 1RM (15.75%), maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) (14.72%) and maximum repetitions of 60% 1RM bench press (22.15%) in resistance exercise-untrained volunteers. Additionally, despite the excellent base level of the resistance exercise-trained volunteers, their deep squat 1RM and MVIC increased substantially through the synergistic effect of RHO and CAF. In conclusion, combined supplementation of RHO+CAF is more beneficial in improving the resistance exercise performance for both resistance exercise-untrained and -trained volunteers. The present results provide practical evidence that the synergies of RHO and CAF could serve as potential supplementary for individuals, especially resistance exercise-trained subjects, to ameliorate their physical performances effectively and safely.

Background: Dyslipidemia, characterized by elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), has long been recognized as a major risk factor for age-related diseases. Recent studies have shown that exercise can be effective in mitigating dyslipidemia in older adults. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the effects of different exercise modalities (aerobic exercise [AE], resistance exercise [RE], aerobic+resistance exercise [AE+RE], and high-intensity interval training) on lipid profile in the elderly population, in order to identify the most effective exercise modality for maintaining lipid profile health in older adults. Methods: A comprehensive database search of PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database. Eligible studies were individually assessed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 2, and the data were analyzed and processed using RevMan 5.4.1 analysis software. Results: This study identified 20 randomized controlled trials with a total of 988 subjects, of which 541 were in the exercise group and 447 in the control group. Our analysis showed that AE significantly reduced TC ( P < .05), triglycerides ( P < .01), and LDL-C ( P < .01), while increasing HDL-C ( P < .01) in the elderly population. RE significantly reduced the elevation of TC ( P < .01) and LDL-C ( P < .05) indices in the elderly population, while AE+RE had a significant effect on decreasing TC ( P < .01) and LDL-C ( P < .01) indices. Conclusion: Our analysis indicates that AE is the most effective exercise modality for reducing dyslipidemia in older adults, compared to RE, AE+RE, and high-intensity interval training. These findings suggest that AE should be promoted as an important lifestyle intervention to improve lipid profile health in the elderly population. However, further research is needed to investigate the optimal duration, frequency, and intensity of AE required to achieve the most beneficial effects on lipid profile health in older adults.

This meta-analysis aims to explore the effects of resistance training on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, specifically focusing on different training intensities, durations, frequencies, and periods, across various skeletal sites lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), total hip (TH), and trochanter (Troch). We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies evaluating the impact of resistance training programs on BMD in postmenopausal women, covering all records up to March 2025. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted data, assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Handbook, and performed the meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 18 software. 17 randomized controlled trials involving 690 subjects were included. The results indicate that resistance training significantly improves BMD at the LS (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI [0.21, 1.56], P = 0.01, I2 = 91%), FN (SMD = 0.89, 95% CI [0.40, 1.39], P = 0.0004, I2 = 87%) and TH (SMD = 0.30, 95% CI [0.10, 0.50], P = 0.003, I2 = 25%). However, no significant effect was observed on Troch bone density (SMD = 0.23, 95% CI [-0.01, 0.47], P = 0.06, I2 = 19%). Subgroup analysis further revealed that high-intensity training (≥ 70% 1RM) had a significant effect on the TH and FN (P < 0.05); training three times per week significantly improved bone mineral density at the LS, FN, TH, and Troch (P < 0.05); intervention durations of ≥ 48 weeks had a significant impact on FN and TH (P < 0.05); and sessions lasting 40 min had a significant effect on LS (P < 0.05). Resistance training can beneficially influence BMD in postmenopausal women, particularly at the LS, FN, and TH. A high-intensity training regimen (≥ 70% 1RM) performed three times per week with a longer training duration may be optimal. However, significant heterogeneity among the included studies for LS and FN bone density may affect the accuracy of the pooled results, thereby limiting the generalizability of these findings. More high-quality clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.