Teacher facilitated high-intensity interval training intervention for older adolescents: The ‘Burn 2 Learn’ pilot randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction: Older adolescents (i.e., in the final years of secondary school) are typically ‘time poor’, and lack of time is the most consistently cited barrier to the implementation of school‐based physical activity interventions. High‐intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to elicit similar physiological adaptations to steady‐state endurance exercise, but requires considerably less time. Previous HIIT programs have successfully been delivered in secondary schools by research teams, however a more scalable approach to deliver is required to impact population health. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a teacher‐facilitated school‐based HIIT intervention, known as ‘Burn 2 Learn’ (B2L). Methods: Two secondary schools from New South Wales, Australia were recruited, and participants (i.e., grade 11 students; 16.2 ± 0.4 years) were randomised by school to the B2L intervention (n = 38) or wait‐list control group (n = 30). Teachers were trained to facilitate the delivery of a novel HIIT program, involving 3 sessions/week (∼12–18 min) for 14 weeks. Intervention feasibility was assessed via a range of process measures (i.e., recruitment, retention, attendance, satisfaction). Primary (cardiorespiratory fitness; PACER test), and secondary outcomes (muscular fitness, psychological health, motivation and psychological needs support) were assessed at baseline and post‐intervention (14‐weeks). Intervention effects were examined for participants providing complete data at both time points using linear mixed models in SPSS. Results: Sixty‐eight Grade 11 students were recruited for the intervention (85% of target sample), with 61 completing post‐intervention assessments (90% retention). On average, students performed 1.9 sessions/week during school hours. Overall, students (4.0/5), and teachers (4.0/5) enjoyed the B2L program (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Group‐by‐time effects were found for CRF (p = 0.017, d = 0.69), lower body muscular fitness (p = 0.043, d = 0.46), and total psychological difficulties (p = 0.023, d = 0.58). Discussion: This study provides evidence for the acceptability of a teacher‐facilitated HIIT program in a sample of older adolescents, embedded within the school day. Preliminary findings from this study suggest HIIT delivered in the school setting may be an efficacious and time efficient intervention approach for supporting older adolescents’ health and wellbeing and provides justification for a large‐scale effectiveness evaluation of the B2L program. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12617000544370)