Understanding Participation in High-Intensity Interval Training: A Brief Review Guided by Self-Efficacy and Self-Determination Theory

Introduction: In the U.S., less than 25% of adults meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been reported as a time-efficient and physiologically effective form of exercise, but few studies have explored participation in HIIT with respect to self-efficacy and self-determination as factors that may influence it. Methods: A brief narrative review was conducted to examine the psychological, social, and structural factors influencing HIIT participation and nonparticipation guided by Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory (SET) and Ryan and Deci's Self-Determination Theory (SDT). A search of PubMed, EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), and Google Scholar (2017-2025) identified literature addressing self-efficacy, motivation, barriers, facilitators, and group dynamics in HIIT contexts. Results: Findings indicate that HIIT is associated with health benefits, but not universally, across the cardiorespiratory, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and mental health domains. SET consists of four constructs, including mastery experience, vicarious modeling, verbal persuasion, and affective states, which have been found to be predictors of engagement in exercise. SDT constructs autonomy, competence, and relatedness that help identify whether people are intrinsically or externally motivated and are seen in literature as associated with sustained participation. Conclusions: The literature identifies barriers such as low self-efficacy, time constraints, physical discomfort, and the perception that HIIT is only for fit people; several of these barriers are common to exercise generally and are not unique to HIIT. Facilitators identified include instructor support and group support, exercise variety, and enjoyment. Adherence rates are higher with supervised than with unsupervised participation; association is largely observational and does not establish causation.