High Intensity Interval Training: Throughout the 10-weeks intervention period, B2L-M HIIT sessions will be delivered during regular PE classes twice a week, by the schools' PE teachers. The HIIT sessions will be applied in the first 8-10 min of each PE class, including a brief warm-up involving a combination of aerobic and body weight muscle-strengthening exercises, and designed to be fun and engaging as well as vigorous in nature
High Intensity Interval Training with Competition: Students will participate in a school competition to win points for their class for a 10-week period. In every HIIT session the heart rate will be tracked to measure the exercise intensity and also it will be used to win points for the competition. Every class will receive the same number of points as the sum of the minutes of exercise at a vigorous intensity (i.e., ≥85% max. heart rate) of each participant. This fact means that the physical fitness is irrelevant to the competition aspect, which will only consider the effort of the participants.
Regular physical activity offers numerous physical, psychological, and cognitive health benefits. However, physical inactivity among adolescents remains a global concern, with 81% of 11- to 17-year-olds failing to meet WHO's recommendation of at least one hour of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity daily. This inactivity contributes to immediate and long-term health risks, as many non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adulthood are linked to behaviors established during adolescence. Promoting healthy lifestyles early is crucial for lifelong health and disease prevention.
One significant barrier to effective school-based physical activity programs, such as High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), is maintaining student motivation. Low engagement often results in poor adherence. Integrating competition-focused on effort rather than performance-may enhance student participation and make HIIT interventions more effective and easier to implement.
This study will evaluate the impact of competition on the Burn 2 Learn - Mallorca (B2L-M) program, targeting adolescents aged 15-18. The intervention aims to determine whether competition improves engagement and outcomes compared to non-competitive groups. The primary outcome is cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), while secondary outcomes include muscular strength, physical activity levels, body composition, mental health (stress and sleep quality), behavior change mediators (self-efficacy, motivation), on-task behavior, blood pressure, and sitting posture.
The B2L-M intervention will involve a 16-week, three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial in Mallorca, Spain, recruiting approximately 360 students from six schools. The program includes teacher-led HIIT sessions twice weekly during physical education, supported by information seminars, a dedicated website, and parental e-newsletters. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after 16 weeks.
| Facility | City | Region | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the Balearic Islands | Palma | Balearic Islands |
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
View NCT06699862 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ ← All trials in Spain