Effects of different exercise programs on cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in college students

Background/Objectives: The cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of college students is showing a downward trend, this study aimed to explore the effects of three exercise programs on CRF and body composition indicators in college students. Methods: A total of 50 non-smoking, healthy and physically inactive students were recruited from campus in Beijing, China, and randomly assigned to 4 groups: low-intensity continuous training with blood flow restriction (LICT-BFR, n = 13), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT, n = 13), highintensity interval training (HIIT, n = 12), and no exercise control (n = 12), the intervention continued for 8 weeks. Body composition and aerobic capacity were measured before and after the intervention. Results: Exercise groups reached significant improvements in maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2)max, p < 0.01) and a decrease in body fat percentage (p < 0.05) comparing to the control group. The fat mass and visceral fat area reduced significantly (p < 0.05) with a muscle mass growth (p < 0.05) in the LICT-BFR and MICT groups comparing to the control group. Changes of fat and muscle mass were trivial in the HIIT group (p = 0.842, p = 0.247). Conclusion: All three exercise programs can improve the CRF of college students, with LICT-BFR has the most profound effects, and MICT is more beneficial for body composition improvement than other programs. From an overall perspective, LICT-BFR should be the ideal choice, however, due to limited equipment, college students can choose MICT or HIIT according to their situations. (C) 2022 The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd.