Binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the most common eating disorders. It is more common in young women than in other groups and can lead to adverse physical and psychological problems. Previous studies have revealed that aerobic exercise is effective in reducing overeating, but it is not clear which exercise intensity works best. This study, therefore, compared the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on body composition and mental state of young women with BED. 30 BED young women (Mage = 20.07 years, SD = 0.20) who didn't regularly participate in physical activity were selected from a Chinese university and randomly divided into 2 groups: the HIIT group (H, n=15) and the MICT group (M, n=15). Both interventions were performed twice a week for 8 weeks with the same exercise volume. During the experiment, heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) of subjects were monitored, and the exercise volume increased gradually. Specific exercises were as follows: (1) H: treadmill exercise, 60-89% (heart rate reserve, HHR) for 4 min alternating 40-59% HHR for 3 min, and (2) M: treadmill exercise, 40-59% HHR. Binge eating scale (BES) scores, number of binges in the last week (NBLW), and the depression, anxiety, and stress scales-21 (DASS-21) scores were collected by validated questionnaires; Body mass index (BMI) and percentage of body fat (PBF) were measured by DXA before and after the experiment. Independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, two-way repeated measures ANOVA, and post-hoc tests were used in data analysis. (1) Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in age, weight, BES, NBLW, DASS-21, BMI, or PBF between the 2 groups. (2) After the experiment, all 5 clinical parameters mentioned above decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in both groups. (3) Compared to H, the BMI (1.14±0.56 vs 0.52±0.45, p < 0.05) and PBF (1.63±0.61 vs 0.96±0.58, p < 0.05) were reduced more significantly in M after the intervention. In accordance with previous findings, this study supported that aerobic exercise could treat, suggesting that both MICT and HIIT for 8 weeks could improve the body composition and mental state of BED young women, with MICT having a more significant impact on body composition. This study provided a scientific basis for making exercise prescriptions for BED patients. But more of different ages and genders, and clinical parameters should be included in future research.
Cao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.