Chinese General Practice ›› 2026, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (26): 3816-3828.DOI: 10.12114/j.issn.1007-9572.2025.0385

• Article·Proactive Health • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Interval and Continuous Training on Cognitive Function in Healthy Adults: a Systematic Review and Three-level Meta-analysis

  

  1. 1. School of Sport Training, Tianjin University of Sport, Tianjin 301617, China
    2. School of Human Movement Science, Hebei Sport University, Shijiazhuang 050041, China
    3. College of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
    4. Laboratory for Brain and Neurocognitive Development, Department of Psychology, Institution of Humanities, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg 620000, Russia
    5. Exercise & Nutrition Research Program, the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Victoria 3000, Australia
    6. Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao 999078, China
    7. School of Physical Education, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China
    8. The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
    9. Tian Jiabing High School, Chongqing 400042, China
    10. Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
    11. Faculty of Sports and Exercise Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
    12. School of Physical Education, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, China
    13. School of Physical Education, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2025-10-10 Revised:2025-12-10 Published:2026-09-15 Online:2026-08-11
  • Contact: SHI Donglin
  • About author:

    ZHUANG Mingnan, YAN Henghao, and XIAO Ningkun are co-first authors

间歇训练和持续训练对健康个体认知功能的应用效果及调节因素:一项系统综述和三水平荟萃分析

  

  1. 1.301617 天津市,天津体育学院运动训练学院
    2.050041 河北省石家庄市,河北体育学院运动人体科学系
    3.400715 重庆市,西南大学体育学院
    4.620000 俄罗斯叶卡捷琳堡,乌拉尔联邦大学脑与神经认知发展实验室
    5.3000澳大利亚墨尔本维多利亚州,澳大利亚天主教大学玛丽麦基洛普健康研究所
    6.999078 澳门特别行政区,澳门理工大学健康科学与体育学院
    7.361021 福建省厦门市,集美大学体育学院
    8.325035 浙江省温州市,温州医科大学附属第一医院
    9.400042 重庆市大足区田家炳中学
    10.200438 上海市,上海体育大学
    11.50603马来西亚吉隆坡,马来亚大学体育与运动科学学院
    12.410114 湖南省长沙市,长沙理工大学体育学院
    13.100083 北京市,北京科技大学体育学院
  • 通讯作者: 史东林
  • 作者简介:

    庄明南、严亨豪与肖宁坤为共同第一作者

    作者贡献:

    庄明南选定研究主题、制定文献检索策略,负责数据处理与分析、图表制作与论文撰写;严亨豪负责研究开展与进程把控,参与论文审核与修改;肖宁坤负责研究设计与统计方案把关,完成初步修改并提出方法学建议;殷明越、范志伟负责R工作流与代码实现,开展敏感性/亚组/回归分析并协助可视化;刘超辉、邹欣彤完成背靠背的文献检索、筛选与数据提取;周跃华、毕志远负责数据复核与一致性检查,并协助参考文献管理与格式校对;邓恒治在背靠背研究与检索/提取存在不一致时介入仲裁并提出合理建议;吴碧泰负责研究协调、记录管理与过程文档归档;宋智全负责图表与补充材料制作、可重复性材料整理;史东林把控研究总体设计与实施进度,审核与修改论文、负责最终版本修订并统稿。

  • 基金资助:
    国家重点研发计划"主动健康和老龄化科技应对"重点专项(2020YFC2006700, 2020YFC2006706)

Abstract:

Background

With global population aging, cognitive decline has become a major public-health challenge. Moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) has been shown to improve cognition but is time-consuming, whereas high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is considered a time-efficient alternative with comparable promise. Prior meta-analyses have largely relied on traditional two-level models and have not adequately addressed the dependence among multiple cognition outcomes within studies; a three-level meta-analytic approach is therefore warranted to obtain more robust effect estimates and inferences.

Objective

To investigate the effects of HIIT and MICT on cognitive function in healthy individuals, as well as the moderating factors, in order to establish precise prescription guidelines for these two training modalities in enhancing cognitive function.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase from inception to August 2025 for randomized controlled trials examining the effects of HIIT and MICT on cognitive function in healthy populations. Meta-analysis was conducted in R 4.4.3 using random-effects models for primary pooling. Subgroup analyses, meta-regression, and sensitivity analyses were performed to probe sources of heterogeneity and identify determinants of intervention efficacy.

Results

A total of 19 randomized controlled trials involving 2 277 participants were included. Compared with the control group, HIIT significantly improved executive function (Hedges'g=0.36, 95%CI=0.10-0.61, P=0.01) and memory function (Hedges'g=0.61, 95%CI=0.12-1.09, P<0.01) in healthy individuals, but had no significant effect on information processing (Hedges'g=0.69, 95%CI=-0.65 to 2.03, P=0.25) or attention (Hedges'g=0.36, 95%CI=-0.20 to 0.92, P=0.15). Regression analysis revealed that older participants showed greater improvement in memory function (β=0.02, P<0.01), and the greatest memory enhancement was observed in participants with a BMI of 27.66 kg/m2 (β=2.05, P<0.01). The duration of rest intervals was negatively associated with improvements in executive function (β=-0.01, P=0.04), indicating better outcomes with shorter rest periods; among these, a 150-second rest interval demonstrated the most significant effect (β=2.39, P<0.01). Single training duration was positively correlated with improvements in executive function (β=0.10, P=0.03); specifically, a 6-minute training session showed the most pronounced benefit (β=2.31, P<0.01).

Conclusion

HIIT significantly improves executive and memory functions in healthy individuals, offering health benefits similar to those of MICT and serving as a time-efficient alternative for cognitive enhancement. Greater cognitive improvements were observed in older adults and those with moderate-to-high BMI through HIIT. Based on previous research findings, this study suggests that an optimal training prescription may include approximately 150 seconds of intermittent exercise per session, each session lasting about 6 minutes, and consistent intervention over 6 to 12 weeks.

Key words: Cognitive function, Memory, High-intensity interval training, Moderate-intensity continuous training, Three-level meta-analysis

摘要:

背景

随着全球老龄化加剧,认知功能下降已成为全球重大公共卫生挑战。中强度持续训练(MICT)已被证实可改善认知功能,但其时间成本较高;而高强度间歇训练(HIIT)以省时高效被视为潜在替代方案。现有荟萃分析多采用传统两水平模型,未充分处理认知功能相关的多效应量依赖性,亟须开展三水平荟萃分析以获得更稳健的效应估计与推断。

目的

探究HIIT与MICT对健康个体认知功能的改善效果及调节因素,以确定两种训练方案在改善认知功能方面的精准化处方设置。

方法

基于PRISMA声明,系统检索PubMed、Web of Science、Cochrane Library、Scopus、Embase、中国知网自建库至2025年8月HIIT和MICT对健康人群认知功能影响的随机对照试验。采用R 4.4.3软件进行Meta分析,采用随机效应模型进行主效应合并,并基于亚组分析、回归分析与敏感性分析探讨异质性来源与影响因素。

结果

纳入19项随机对照试验,共计2 277例受试者。与对照组相比,HIIT明显提升了健康个体的执行功能(Hedges'g=0.36,95%CI=0.10~0.61,P=0.01)和记忆功能(Hedges'g=0.61,95%CI=0.12~1.09,P<0.01);而对信息处理(Hedges'g=0.69,95%CI=-0.65~2.03,P=0.25)与注意力(Hedges'g=0.36,95%CI=-0.20~0.92,P=0.15)无影响。回归分析结果显示,受试者年龄越大,记忆功能的提升幅度越明显(β=0.02,P<0.01);BMI=27.66 kg/m2的受试者中记忆功能改善幅度最大(β=2.05,P<0.01)。间歇时长与执行功能改善呈负相关(β=-0.01,P=0.04),即间歇时长越短效果越好;其中,150 s间歇(β=2.39,P<0.01)在间歇时长的研究中效应最明显。单次训练时长与执行功能改善呈正相关(β=0.10,P=0.03);其中,6 min(β=2.31,P<0.01)在单次训练时长的研究中改善效果最明显。

结论

HIIT能显著改善健康个体的执行功能与记忆功能,与MICT具有类似的健康效益,可作为其省时高效替代方案应用于认知促进。年龄较大及BMI处于中等偏高水平的人群通过HIIT产生了更大幅度的认知改善。训练方案方面(结合既往研究结果),本研究认为约150 s的间歇、单次约6 min的训练时长以及6~12周的规律性干预,可能是较优的处方参数组合。

关键词: 认知功能, 记忆, 高强度间歇运动, 中强度持续训练, 三水平荟萃分析

CLC Number: