Effects of different exercise programs on cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in college students

The cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of college students is showing a downward trend, this study aimed to explore the effects of three exercise programs on CRF and body composition indicators in college students. A total of 50 non-smoking, healthy and physically inactive students were recruited from campus in Beijing, China, and randomly assigned to 4 groups: low-intensity continuous training with blood flow restriction (LICT-BFR, n = 13), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT, n = 13), high-intensity interval training (HIIT, n = 12), and no exercise control (n = 12), the intervention continued for 8 weeks. Body composition and aerobic capacity were measured before and after the intervention. Exercise groups reached significant improvements in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, p < 0.01) and a decrease in body fat percentage (p < 0.05) comparing to the control group. The fat mass and visceral fat area reduced significantly (p < 0.05) with a muscle mass growth (p < 0.05) in the LICT-BFR and MICT groups comparing to the control group. Changes of fat and muscle mass were trivial in the HIIT group (p = 0.842, p = 0.247). All three exercise programs can improve the CRF of college students, with LICT-BFR has the most profound effects, and MICT is more beneficial for body composition improvement than other programs. From an overall perspective, LICT-BFR should be the ideal choice, however, due to limited equipment, college students can choose MICT or HIIT according to their situations.