Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41591560›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of applied physiology2026

The effects of high-intensity interval training on physical fitness and physiological responses in taekwondo athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yunzhou Hu, Dinghuang Zhu, Wen Luo, Bingxuan Tang, Yuqing Li, Daniel T P Fong, Dan Wang

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of applied physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yunzhou HuSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Dinghuang ZhuSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Wen LuoSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Bingxuan TangSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Yuqing LiSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Daniel T P FongNational Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
Dan WangSchool of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China. wangdan@sus.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-1466-3868

Funding

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Human Performance, Shanghai University of Sport 11DZ2261100
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study aims to systematically review the effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on physical fitness and physiological responses in taekwondo athletes.

methodsFollowing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Embase, and CNKI on Dec 1st, 2025. Methodological quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale, while risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tools. The certainty of evidence was further appraised using the GRADE framework. A DerSimonian–Laird random-effects model and inverse-variance method were employed for the meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity testing, and meta-regression were performed using R software.

resultsA total of 19 studies involving 503 taekwondo athletes were included in the systematic review, of which 14 were quantitatively synthesized in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis indicated that HIIT resulted in significant improvements in cardiorespiratory endurance, anaerobic power and agility (p < 0.05), whereas no statistically significant effects were observed for physiological response outcomes. Meta-regression analyses did not identify any training variables that were significantly associated with improvements in maximal oxygen uptake. The certainty of evidence for most outcomes was rated as low or very low, indicating that the strength of these conclusions should be interpreted cautiously.

conclusionsHIIT improves cardiorespiratory endurance, anaerobic power and agility, while physiological response outcomes show no significant changes in taekwondo athletes. Due to the low certainty of evidence and the absence of identified moderators, further high-quality studies are warranted. Trial registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD420251105792.

Indexed as

Athletic PerformanceHigh-Intensity Interval TrainingMartial ArtsPhysical FitnessAthletesHumansOxygen ConsumptionPhysical EnduranceAnaerobicCardiorespiratoryHealthSkillSport performance

Identifiers

PMID41591560

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.