Recruiting

High-Intensity Interval Training

Sponsor:

Purdue University

Code:

NCT06270589

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 10 - 12

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

MF-HIIT

MF-only

HIIT-only

Sitting rest

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this randomized cross-over trial is to learn about the effect of a single bout of 20-min mindfulness-based high-intensity interval training (MF-HIIT), MF-only, and HIIT-only in relative to sitting rest on executive function (EF) in 10-12 years old children. The main question it aims to answer are:

Question 1: Whether a single bout of 20-min MF-HIIT has larger beneficial effect on EF performance than that following a 20-min session of MF-only and HIIT-only in relative to the sitting rest

Question 2: Whether a single bout of 20-min MF-HIIT has a larger beneficial effect on brain functioning, as measured by the N2 and P3 components of event-related potential (ER) during EF performance than that following a 20-min session of MF-only and HIIT-only in relative to the sitting rest

Participants will visit the laboratory on 5 separate days (> 2-day washout between days) in which they have not previously participated in structured physical activities.

Participants will complete the testing and/or receive treatments below:

Day 1:

  • Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT) to assess intelligence quotient
  • Treadmill-based exercise test to measure cardiorespiratory fitness (maximum oxygen consumption)

Days 2-5

  • Each day, participants will complete each of the four intervention conditions (MF-HIIT, MF-only, HIIT-only, sitting)
  • Participants' heart rate and self-reported affect and rating of physical exertion will be measured
  • Participants will complete a modified flanker task and a task-switching task to assess inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility
  • Participants will wear an EEG cap to measure the N2 and P3 components of the event-related potential during the inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility performance

Researcher will compare the cognitive outcome measures following the MF-HIIT, MF-only, and HIIT-only conditions with the sitting condition to see if MF and HIIT has beneficial effects on children's EF.

Further, researcher will compare the cognitive outcome measures following the MF-HIIT compared with MF-only and HIIT-only conditions to see if combining MF with HIIT has greater beneficial effects on children's EF than MF and HIIT alone.

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers

Study ID

NCT06270589

Start date

Jun 15, 2024

Status verified date

Jun, 2026

Completion date

May 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 10 - 12

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 10-12 years old
  • Intelligence Quotient ≥ 85
  • Capable of performing exercise based on pre-participation health screening
  • No formal diagnosis of cognitive disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and neurological diseases (e.g., epilepsy)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age outside of the range of 10-12 years old
  • Intelligence Quotient < 85
  • No capable of performing exercise based on pre-participation health screening
  • Has formal diagnosis of cognitive disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and neurological diseases (e.g., epilepsy)

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: A Single Bout Of Mindful High-Intensity Interval Training (Mindful HIIT)

active comparator: A Single Bout Of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

active comparator: A Single Bout Of Mindfulness

other: A Single Bout Of Sitting Rest

Interventions

MF-HIIT

A single bout of 20-min MF-HIIT protocol delivered through a motor-driven treadmill. The protocol will start with a 1.5-min warm-up, then a 16.5-min main exercise (6 x 90s exercise intervals separated by 5 x 90s mindful intervals), and finally a 2-min cool-down.

MF-only

A single bout of 20-min intervention mindfulness intervention that includes 5 x 90s mindful intervals separated by sitting rest

HIIT-only

A single bout of 20-min HIIT protocol delivered through a motor-driven treadmill. The protocol will start with a 1.5-min warm-up, then a 16.5-min main exercise (6 x 90s exercise intervals separated by 5 x 90s rest intervals), and finally a 2-min cool-down.

Sitting rest

Participants will sit in a comfortable chair, placed on the treadmill, while watching a HIIT video without mindfulness instructions for 20 minutes.

Primary outcome measure

  • Inhibition speed [ Time Frame: At the baseline before and about 10-min after the 20-min intervention on Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. ]
  • Inhibition accuracy [ Time Frame: At the baseline before and about 10-min after the 20-min intervention on Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. ]
  • Shifting speed [ Time Frame: At the baseline before and about 10-min after the 20-min intervention on Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. ]
  • Shifting accuracy [ Time Frame: At the baseline before and about 10-min after the 20-min intervention on Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. ]
  • N2-ERP [ Time Frame: At the baseline before and about 10-min after the 20-min intervention on Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. ]
  • P3-ERP [ Time Frame: At the baseline before and about 10-min after the 20-min intervention on Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Shih-Chun Kao, PhD

765-496-2213kao28@purdue.edu

Locations

Lambert, 800 West Stadium Avenue

Recruiting

West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, 47907

Contacts

Shih-Chun Kao, PhD

765-496-2213kao28@purdue.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Purdue University

Last update posted

Jun 29, 2026

Last verified

Jun, 2026

Keywords

  • Interval Exercise
  • Mindfulness
  • Executive function
  • Brain function
  • Children

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Purdue University on 2026-06-29.