Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To use a quantitative approach to examine the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions on sleep for adults.

Methods: PubMed, Ebsco, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data were searched from their inception to December 2020. Intervention studies with a control group that examined the effects of HIIT interventions on sleep were included in this meta-analysis. The risk of bias was assessed using the tool provided by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Effect sizes (ESs), calculated as weighted mean difference (WMD) and standardized mean difference (SMD), were used to examine the effects of objective outcomes and subjective outcomes separately.

Results: A large increase in sleep quality (SQ) reflected by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global scores [WMD = -0.90, 95%CI (-1.72, -0.07), = 0.03, = 8] and a small-to-medium favorable effect on sleep efficiency (SE) [SMD = 0.43, 95%CI (0.20, 0.65), = 0.0002, = 10] were found after HIIT intervention. In addition, sub-analyses results suggest that ESs were moderated by the type, duration and frequency, as well as the length of the HIIT intervention.

Conclusions: HIIT may be a promising way to improve overall subjective SQ and objective SE. PROSPERO, protocol registration number: CRD42021241734.