Journal of Exercise Physiology in Special Populations

The Effect of a Novel Whole-Body Exercise Snacks Approach on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Body Fat Percentage, and Blood Pressure in Non-Athlete Male Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University

Abstract

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of high-intensity, whole-body exercise snacks, as a supplement to general physical education classes, on cardiorespiratory fitness, body fat percentage, and blood pressure in male students.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test/post-test design and involved 28 male students aged 18-22 years from Farhangian University of Zanjan. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=14) or a control group (n=14). The experimental group, in addition to attending general physical education classes, performed an exercise snacks protocol consisting of 4 bouts of 30-second high-intensity exercises, separated by 1-4 hours, 3 days per week for 8 weeks. The control group only attended general physical education classes. VO2max, body fat percentage, and blood pressure were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-16 (p<0.05).
Results: The results showed a significantly greater increase in VO2max in the experimental group compared to the control group (p<0.05). However, no significant changes were observed in body fat percentage and blood pressure between the two groups (p>0.05).
Conclusion: High-intensity, whole-body exercise snacks, as a supplement to general physical education classes, can effectively improve cardiorespiratory fitness in male students. Given the advantages of this training method, this approach can be used as a practical strategy in university educational programs to promote student health

Keywords

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Journal of Exercise Physiology in Special Populations
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 1-16