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HIITing the brain with exercise: mechanisms, consequences and practical recommendations
Calverley TA, Ogoh S, Marley CJ, Steggall M, Marchi N, Brassard P, Lucas SJE, Cotter JD et al.. The Journal of physiology, 2020-06-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The increasing number of older adults has seen a corresponding growth in those affected by neurovascular diseases, including stroke and dementia. Since cures are currently unavailable, major efforts in improving brain health need to focus on prevention, with emphasis on modifiable risk factors such as promoting physical activity. Moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) paradigms have been shown to confer vascular benefits translating into improved musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary and cerebrovascular function. However, the time commitment associated with MICT is a potential barrier to participation, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has since emerged as a more time-efficient mode of exercise that can promote similar if not indeed superior improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness for a given training volume and further promote vascular adaptation. However, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the impact of HIIT on the brain are surprisingly limited. The present review outlines how the HIIT paradigm has evolved from a historical perspective and describes the established physiological changes including its mechanistic bases. Given the dearth of RCTs, the vascular benefits of MICT are discussed with a focus on the translational neuroprotective benefits including their mechanistic bases that could be further potentiated through HIIT. Safety implications are highlighted and components of an optimal HIIT intervention are discussed including practical recommendations. Finally, statistical effect sizes have been calculated to allow prospective research to be appropriately powered and optimise the potential for detecting treatment effects. Future RCTs that focus on the potential clinical benefits of HIIT are encouraged given the prevalence of cognitive decline in an ever-ageing population.
Key findings
- However, the time commitment associated with MICT is a potential barrier to participation, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has since emerged as a more time-efficient mode of exercise that can promote similar if not indeed superior improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness for a given training volume and further promote vascular adaptation.
Why it matters
This review notes that randomised controlled trials testing high-intensity interval training on the brain are surprisingly limited, so no firm conclusions about dementia prevention can be drawn from it. It suggests HIIT may be a more time-efficient way to gain vascular benefits that could protect the brain, but this remains to be tested.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of physiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Journal of Physiology: journal h-index 483 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 176 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.0 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 24.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 72 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Damian Miles Bailey: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | The University of Queensland: institution h-index 1,516 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 10 institution(s) in 7 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32347544) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1113/jp275021
- PubMed: 32347544
- Original source →
- Free full text: University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Calverley, T. A., Ogoh, S., Marley, C. J., Steggall, M., Marchi, N., Brassard, P., et al. (2020). HIITing the brain with exercise: mechanisms, consequences and practical recommendations. The Journal of physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/jp275021
Vancouver
Calverley TA, Ogoh S, Marley CJ, Steggall M, Marchi N, Brassard P, et al. HIITing the brain with exercise: mechanisms, consequences and practical recommendations. The Journal of physiology. 2020. doi:10.1113/jp275021. PMID: 32347544.
BibTeX
@article{calverley2020-32347544,
author = {Calverley, T. A. and Ogoh, S. and Marley, C. J. and Steggall, M. and Marchi, N. and Brassard, P. and Lucas, S. J. E. and Cotter, J. D. and others},
title = {{HIITing the brain with exercise: mechanisms, consequences and practical recommendations}},
journal = {The Journal of physiology},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1113/jp275021},
pmid = {32347544},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1113/jp275021}
}
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