SynthesisFrontiers in physiology2026
Study-level age patterns in cardiometabolic response to high-intensity interval training among adults with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Abstract
Background: HIIT is a time-efficient exercise strategy for adults with overweight or obesity, but trial findings are heterogeneous and whether age independently modifies cardiometabolic response remains uncertain. Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception to December 2025. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated weighted mean differences for SBP and DBP in mmHg and standardized mean differences for lipid and anthropometric outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals and prediction intervals where available. Additional Stata analyses included funnel plots, Egger tests for all six outcomes, trim-and-fill analysis for BW and BMI, exploratory study-level meta-regression using continuous mean age and intervention duration, and GRADE assessment. Results: Nineteen trials involving 570 participants were included. HIIT was associated with reductions in SBP, DBP, TG, BW, and BMI and an increase in HDL-C; overall heterogeneity was moderate to substantial (I² range, 46.77%-87.07%). Egger tests suggested small-study effects for BW and BMI, but not SBP, DBP, HDL-C and TG. Trim-and-fill imputed no studies for BW and BMI. Mean age was associated with TG effects and duration was associated with HDL-C effects in univariable models. Certainty of evidence was low for SBP and very low for the remaining outcomes. Conclusion: HIIT was associated with favorable average cardiometabolic changes in adults with overweight or obesity, but substantial heterogeneity, low-to-very-low certainty and possible small-study effects findings require cautious interpretation. The available evidence supports the hypothesis that trial-level mean age may be associated with differential responses, rather than proving age as a definitive individual-level effect modifier. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420261279689.
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