SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2025
The acute effect of sprint interval training on the immune system: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Lactate as a Potential Exercise-Induced Signaling Molecule: Implications for Immunometabolic Adaptation Following HIIT.Muscles (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Sprint interval training (SIT) is an increasingly popular time-efficient training paradigm; however, its acute impact on the immune system remains ambiguous due to inconsistent findings across studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively evaluate the acute effects of a single SIT session on key immunological markers in healthy individuals. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus for experimental studies assessing acute immunological changes following a single bout of SIT in healthy participants. Pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Non-linear meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed to investigate sources of heterogeneity, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Results: A total of 21 studies, comprising 359 participants, were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis analysis revealed that a single session of SIT induced a robust and significant increase in total leukocyte count [SMD = 2.68, 95% CI (1.79, 3.57)] and neutrophil count [SMD = 1.04, 95% CI (0.75, 1.34)], with the latter exhibiting zero heterogeneity ( Conclusion: A single session of SIT elicits a potent acute systemic immune response, characterized by a highly conserved mobilization of circulating leukocytes, particularly neutrophils. This response is significantly modulated by individual training status: athletes exhibit a distinct immunometabolic profile characterized by a robust IL-6 release and stable mucosal immunity (sIgA), whereas untrained individuals show more variable responses. These findings provide critical evidence for understanding the physiological stress of SIT and can inform training and recovery practices to safeguard immune health. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251140621.
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