The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training and Sleep Regulation on Some Inflammatory Markers, Anaerobic Capacity, and Body Composition in Teenage Girls with Sleep Disorders

The present study aimed to compare the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sleep regulation, and the combined method on interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity reactive protein (hs-CRP), anaerobic capacity, and body mass index (BMI) of adolescent girls with sleep disorders.

Eighty teenage girls with sleep disorders were randomly assigned to HIIT, sleep regulation, a combination of the two (HIIT+ sleep regulation), and control groups. All girls participated in pre-test and post-test sessions for the measurements two days before and after the research process. The participants in the HIIT and combined groups underwent a HIIT training program for four weeks, three sessions per week, and the subjects in the sleep regulation and combined groups performed the sleep regulation program by extending the sleep time duration by five minutes every night.

The findings showed a significant difference between groups for the serum levels of IL-6 and hs-CRP, BMI, and anaerobic power (P<0.001). Bonferroni's post hoc test showed a significant decrease in BMI and serum levels of IL-6 and hs-CRP and a significant increase in the minimum power in the combined group compared to the other three groups (P<0.001). In addition, a significant increase in anaerobic power (peak and average power) was respectively observed in the combined and HIIT groups, compared to the sleep regulation and control groups (P<0.001).

The HIIT+ sleep regulation combined intervention can be a valuable interventional treatment to improve the care of sleep disorders in adolescent girls and, consequently, reduce the problems and costs of treatment for these individuals and their families