Is Low-Volume High Intensity Interval Training a Time-Efficient Strategy for Improving Body Composition and Cardiovascular Health in Children and Adolescents? Evidence from a Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis

Weihua Zheng¹Yue Xing¹Mingyue Yin²Yan Guo³Shunzhe Piao¹Yang Cao^4,5Hongbo Chen^6,7*Hansen Li⁸

• ¹School of Social Sports, Shenyang Sport University, Shenyang, China
• ²Australian Catholic University Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Melbourne, Australia
• ³Sport Institute, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, China
• ⁴Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, 70182 Örebro, Sweden;, Örebro, Sweden
• ⁵Unit of Integrative Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden;, Stockholm, Sweden
• ⁶Fuzhou Software Technology Vocational College, Department of Military and Physical Education, 168 Binjiang Binhai Road, Wenling Town, Changle District Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China, Fuzhou, China
• ⁷Universiti Malaya Faculty of Sports and Exercise Science, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• ⁸School of Physical Education, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China., Ya’an, China

Objectives This meta-analysis assessed the impact of low-volume high-intensity interval training (LV-HIIT) on body composition and cardiovascular health in children and adolescents, while examining potential moderating factors. Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), and CNKI from inception to April 2025. A three-level random-effects model was used to estimate the overall effects, and subgroup analyses supplemented with meta-regression were performed to explore potential moderators and sources of heterogeneity. Results A total of 23 studies (996 participants, including 246 females) were included, with 6 studies on normal-weight and 17 on overweight/obese individuals. Compared with controls, low-volume high-intensity interval training (LV-HIIT) significantly reduced BMI (g = -1.24), fat mass (g = -0.99), body fat (g = -0.89), waistline (g = -0.42), weight (g = -0.34), and SBP (g = -0.37), while improving VO2max (g = 1.35). No significant differences were observed versus MICT. Subgroup and dose-response regressions suggested that weight status, age, intervention duration, training frequency, repetitions, and per-repetition time may alter the observed effects. Descriptive findings indicated comparable effects of LV-HIIT with small-sided games (SSG) and sprint interval training (SIT), but greater benefits over moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT). Conclusions LV-HIIT can effectively and time-efficiently improve body composition and cardiovascular health in children and adolescents, with overall effects comparable to MICT. Exercise prescriptions should carefully consider weight status, age, and intervention characteristics; however, given the limited number of studies and potential bias, the conclusions should be interpreted with caution. Limited descriptive comparisons indicate that LV-HIIT produces effects similar to SSG and SIT, and may offer greater benefits than MIIT.