Effect of High-Intensity Functional Training with Basketball on Cardio-Respiratory Fitness and Functional Movement Performance in Obese Adolescents

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

High-intensity functional training with or without basketball over 12 weeks significantly reduced body weight, fat mass, and blood pressure while improving FMD, HRV, VO2max, and movement performance vs control (p<0.05).

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: RCT. Population: Adolescent obesity (n=33). Intervention: High-intensity functional training (HIFT) alone or combined with basketball (HB) vs. Control group maintaining regular daily life behaviors with no structured training. Primary outcome: Cardio-respiratory fitness (VO2max), body composition, cardiovascular function (blood pressure, PWV, FMD, HRV), and functional movement performance (p=<0.05).

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

High-intensity functional training, whether conducted alone or combined with basketball, reduces body weight and blood pressure while improving vascular endothelial function, heart rate variability, cardiorespiratory fitness, and functional movement performance in obese adolescents. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Q: What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the efficacy of high-intensity functional training alone versus combined with basketball on cardiorespiratory fitness and functional movement performance in obese adolescents.

Liangdi Lin; Min Hu; Junhao Huang; Shenghui Liao; Caizhu Su; Qihong Fan; Meiman Chen; Lei Jiang; Guangnan Liang; Yu Liu; Yutong Chen; Xiaolei Guo; Wei Zhu; Dongdong Gao

doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000003996

April 6, 2026Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

Effect of High-Intensity Functional Training with Basketball on Cardio-Respiratory Fitness and Functional Movement Performance in Obese Adolescents

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Key result

High-intensity functional training improves cardiometabolic health, vascular function, and VO2max versus control.

P<0.05
n=33

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Why the study?

The study was conducted to evaluate the potential beneficial effect and efficacy of two distinct high-intensity functional training protocols on cardio-respiratory fitness and functional movement performance in obese adolescents.

Does a 12-week high-intensity functional training (HIFT) protocol, alone or combined with basketball, improve cardio-respiratory fitness, body composition, vascular function, and functional movement performance in obese adolescents compared to no structured training?

Key Points

To evaluate the efficacy of high-intensity functional training alone versus combined with basketball on cardiorespiratory fitness and functional movement performance in obese adolescents.
Thirty-three obese adolescents were randomly allocated to high-intensity functional training combined with basketball (HB, n = 11), HIFT alone (n = 11), or a non-exercising control group (n = 11).
Training protocols were conducted over 12 weeks with 3 sessions per week at 45 minutes per session.
Outcomes included body composition, hemodynamics, pulse wave velocity (PWV), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), heart rate variability (HRV), VO2max, and functional movement performance tests.
Both HB and HIFT significantly reduced body weight, BMI, fat mass, and blood pressure, while increasing water content, VO2max, and functional movement performance compared with controls.
Both exercise groups demonstrated significant improvements in vascular endothelial function (FMD), arterial compliance (decreased AIx and AIx@HR75, increased SEVR), and cardiac autonomic control (increased RMSSD, PNN50, SDNN, NN50, and HF; reduced resting HR).
HIFT uniquely achieved significant reductions in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), BMIz, and LF/HF ratio, alongside significant increases in muscle mass, protein content, and inorganic salts.

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=33)

Randomization

1:1:1 randomization into HB (n=11), HIFT (n=11), and control (n=11) groups

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does a 12-week high-intensity functional training (HIFT) protocol, alone or combined with basketball, improve cardio-respiratory fitness, body composition, vascular function, and functional movement performance in obese adolescents compared to no structured training?

P

Population

33 obese adolescents (aged 12-18 years, 9.1% female) with irregular exercise habits and no cardiovascular disease history, followed for a 12-week intervention in China.

I

Intervention

Two distinct 12-week supervised exercise protocols (3 sessions/week, 60 min total per session including 10 min warm-up, 45 min training, and 5 min relaxation), preceded by a 2-week educational program: 1) High-intensity functional training combined with basketball (HB, n=11): basketball training (basic steps, dribbling, passing, shooting) plus one HIFT module; 2) High-intensity functional training alone (HIFT, n=11): two HIFT modules per session (each module consisting of 5 cycles of 30 s aerobic exercise and 30 s functional strength training repeated twice, followed by 2 min rest, with target HR at 85% HRmax and recovery HR at 65% HRmax).

C

Comparator

Control group (n=11) receiving no structured training and maintaining regular daily life behaviors.

O

Outcome

Cardio-respiratory fitness (VO2max, VO2/kg, minute ventilation [VE], respiratory exchange ratio [RER]), body composition parameters (body weight, BMI, BMIz, water content, inorganic salt content, protein content, muscle mass, fat mass, fat-free mass, fat mass percentage), cardiovascular parameters (peripheral and central blood pressure, baPWV, cfPWV, ABI, AIx, AIx@HR75, SEVR, FMD, HRV indices including HR, RMSSD, PNN50, SDNN, NN50, LF, HF, LF/HF, total power), and functional movement performance (Vertec jump, sitting anterior flexion, T-run, 300-yard shuttle run, Y-balance test) at 12 weeks.surrogate

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.05

High-intensity functional training, both alone and combined with basketball, significantly improves body composition, vascular endothelial function, blood pressure, autonomic balance, and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese adolescents over 12 weeks.

Limitations

Small sample size (n=33 total, 11 per group) which may have been underpowered to detect subtle differences between the HB and HIFT interventions
Unsuccessful data collection for some indicators due to equipment malfunctions and transient participant discomfort (final n=8 to 11 per group across indicators)
Relatively short 12-week intervention duration, which may be insufficient for effects on baPWV and cfPWV in the HB group to fully manifest
Final sample sizes per group ranged from 8 to 11 across indicators due to unsuccessful data collection from InBody electrode failures, cardiovascular equipment malfunctions, and transient participant discomfort.

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Implication

HIFT improves CV and fitness markers in obese adolescents; extends RCT evidence for functional training in youth.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effect and efficacy of two distinct high-intensity functional training (HIFT) protocols on cardio-respiratory fitness and functional movement performance in obese adolescents. Methods: Thirty-three obese adolescents were randomly divided into the HIFT combined with basketball group (HB, n = 11), the HIFT group ( n = 11) and the control group (no structured training, n = 11), with a 12-week intervention (3 sessions/week, 45 min/training session). Body composition analysis, pulse wave velocity (PWV), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) measurement, heart rate variability (HRV) assessment, and maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2 max) test, and functional movement performance test (vertec jump, sitting anterior flexion, T-run, 300-yard shuttle run, Y-balance) were employed to evaluate their fitness. Results: Both interventions significantly reduced body weight, BMI, and fat mass, while increasing water content. Additionally, HIFT could increase the inorganic salt content, protein content, and muscle mass, while decreased BMIz significantly. In terms of cardiovascular parameters, both interventions substantially reduced blood pressure. However, HIFT could decrease the cfPWV. Additionally, both interventions significantly decreased the AIx and AIx@HR75, while improving SEVR and FMD. For HRV indices, both interventions decreased the HR, increased the time domain indices (RMSSD, PNN50, SDNN and NN50) and TP of obese adolescents, while also elevating HF and reduced LF/HF ratio compared to the control group. We also found that both interventions could boost VO 2 max and functional movement performance. Conclusions: This study demonstrated HB and HIFT exerted comparable efficacy in improving the body composition parameters, cardiovascular function, and functional movement performance in obese adolescents, possibly by mitigating arterial stiffness, balancing autonomic activity, enhancing respiratory fitness and optimizing hemodynamics.

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Cite This Study

Lin et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Adolescent obesity (n=33). High-intensity functional training (HIFT) alone or combined with basketball (HB) vs. Control group maintaining regular daily life behaviors with no structured training was evaluated on Cardio-respiratory fitness (VO2max), body composition, cardiovascular function (blood pressure, PWV, FMD, HRV), and functional movement performance (p=<0.05). High-intensity functional training with or without basketball over 12 weeks significantly reduced body weight, fat mass, and blood pressure while improving FMD, HRV, VO2max, and movement performance vs control (p<0.05).

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d5f17974eaea4b11a7afc7 https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000003996

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Effect of High-Intensity Functional Training with Basketball on Cardio-Respiratory Fitness and Functional Movement Performance in Obese Adolescents

Figures

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Effect of High-Intensity Functional Training with Basketball on Cardio-Respiratory Fitness and Functional Movement Performance in Obese Adolescents

Figures

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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