Effects of 6-week high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training on classroom attention in children: a randomized controlled study.

Introduction: Although physical activity has been shown to enhance children's cognitive and attentional functions, the comparative effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) on classroom attention behaviors remain unclear. This study compared the effects of 6-week HIIT and MICT interventions on children's classroom attention behaviors using AI-based behavior capture in an ecological environment. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to HIIT, MICT, or control groups, with interventions integrated into physical education lessons for six weeks. An Intel RealSense multimodal system monitored 760 minutes of core subject classes before and after the intervention. Key attentional behavior markers, including head posture, eye-gaze, blinking, and face detection, were analyzed. Results: Following the 6-week intervention, both exercise groups demonstrated significantly higher overall attentional behavior scores compared to the control group. Inter-group comparisons revealed that the HIIT group significantly outperformed the MICT group in head posture stability, face detection persistence, and overall attention levels (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the two exercise groups regarding eye-gaze consistency and blinking frequency (p > 0.05). Discussion: These findings indicate that integrating HIIT or MICT into physical education effectively enhances classroom attention behaviors. However, HIIT provides a greater advantage in maintaining stable physical orientation toward instructional areas of interest. Educators should consider both exercise intensity and movement characteristics when designing physical education activities aimed at promoting classroom attentional engagement.