Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana

Sarpong Emmanuel Osei

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13

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Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana

Sarpong Emmanuel Osei^*

Published in International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education (Volume 10, Issue 4)

Received: 24 November 2025 Accepted: 6 December 2025 Published: 30 December 2025

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Abstract

This study investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiovascular fitness (CF) among senior high school athletes in Ghana, using VO₂max as the primary outcome measure, and compared it with a steady-state cardio program (SSCP). A total of 42 student-athletes were randomly assigned to either the HIIT or SSCP group. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant group effect on VO₂max, F (1, 40) = 12.77, p = .001, η² = .24, indicating greater improvement in the HIIT group. An independent samples t-test showed that post-test VO₂max scores were significantly higher for the HIIT group than for the SSCP group, t (40) = 7.70, p < .001, 95% CI [1.05, 1.80], with a mean difference of 1.43. Multiple regression analysis further showed that group membership significantly predicted post-test VO₂max scores, B = 1.43, t (40) = 9.75, p < .001, η² = .71, controlling for 70.9 % of the variance. The findings support the conclusion that HIIT is more effective than SSCP in improving cardiovascular fitness among senior high school athletes in Ghana. This finding suggests that HIIT may be a time-efficient and impactful training strategy for student-athletes seeking to improve aerobic capacity and overall cardiovascular performance. The study provides practical implications for coaches, physical education instructors, and sports performance professionals by demonstrating that shorter, more intense training sessions can yield superior fitness gains compared to traditional steady-state methods. These results support the integration of HIIT into school-based athletic conditioning programmes, especially in contexts where training time, resources, and facilities are limited. Further research is recommended to examine long-term adaptations, sport-specific performance outcomes, and the applicability of HIIT across different age groups and athletic populations in Ghana.

Published in	International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education (Volume 10, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13
Page(s)	171-183
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

High-intensity Interval Training, VO₂max, Cardiovascular Fitness, Aerobic Fitness, Student Athletes, Ghana

References

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APA Style

Osei, S. E. (2025). Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana. International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education, 10(4), 171-183. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13

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ACS Style

Osei, S. E. Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana. Int. J. Sports Sci. Phys. Educ. 2025, 10(4), 171-183. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13

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AMA Style

Osei SE. Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana. Int J Sports Sci Phys Educ. 2025;10(4):171-183. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13,
  author = {Sarpong Emmanuel Osei},
  title = {Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana},
  journal = {International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {171-183},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsspe.20251004.13},
  abstract = {This study investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiovascular fitness (CF) among senior high school athletes in Ghana, using VO2max as the primary outcome measure, and compared it with a steady-state cardio program (SSCP). A total of 42 student-athletes were randomly assigned to either the HIIT or SSCP group. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant group effect on VO2max, F (1, 40) = 12.77, p = .001, η² = .24, indicating greater improvement in the HIIT group. An independent samples t-test showed that post-test VO2max scores were significantly higher for the HIIT group than for the SSCP group, t (40) = 7.70, p  95% CI [1.05, 1.80], with a mean difference of 1.43. Multiple regression analysis further showed that group membership significantly predicted post-test VO2max scores, B = 1.43, t (40) = 9.75, p < .001, η² = .71, controlling for 70.9 % of the variance. The findings support the conclusion that HIIT is more effective than SSCP in improving cardiovascular fitness among senior high school athletes in Ghana. This finding suggests that HIIT may be a time-efficient and impactful training strategy for student-athletes seeking to improve aerobic capacity and overall cardiovascular performance. The study provides practical implications for coaches, physical education instructors, and sports performance professionals by demonstrating that shorter, more intense training sessions can yield superior fitness gains compared to traditional steady-state methods. These results support the integration of HIIT into school-based athletic conditioning programmes, especially in contexts where training time, resources, and facilities are limited. Further research is recommended to examine long-term adaptations, sport-specific performance outcomes, and the applicability of HIIT across different age groups and athletic populations in Ghana.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana
AU  - Sarpong Emmanuel Osei
Y1  - 2025/12/30
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13
T2  - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education
JF  - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education
JO  - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education
SP  - 171
EP  - 183
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1611
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13
AB  - This study investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiovascular fitness (CF) among senior high school athletes in Ghana, using VO2max as the primary outcome measure, and compared it with a steady-state cardio program (SSCP). A total of 42 student-athletes were randomly assigned to either the HIIT or SSCP group. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant group effect on VO2max, F (1, 40) = 12.77, p = .001, η² = .24, indicating greater improvement in the HIIT group. An independent samples t-test showed that post-test VO2max scores were significantly higher for the HIIT group than for the SSCP group, t (40) = 7.70, p  95% CI [1.05, 1.80], with a mean difference of 1.43. Multiple regression analysis further showed that group membership significantly predicted post-test VO2max scores, B = 1.43, t (40) = 9.75, p < .001, η² = .71, controlling for 70.9 % of the variance. The findings support the conclusion that HIIT is more effective than SSCP in improving cardiovascular fitness among senior high school athletes in Ghana. This finding suggests that HIIT may be a time-efficient and impactful training strategy for student-athletes seeking to improve aerobic capacity and overall cardiovascular performance. The study provides practical implications for coaches, physical education instructors, and sports performance professionals by demonstrating that shorter, more intense training sessions can yield superior fitness gains compared to traditional steady-state methods. These results support the integration of HIIT into school-based athletic conditioning programmes, especially in contexts where training time, resources, and facilities are limited. Further research is recommended to examine long-term adaptations, sport-specific performance outcomes, and the applicability of HIIT across different age groups and athletic populations in Ghana.
VL  - 10
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Sarpong Emmanuel Osei

Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

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http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1316-4851

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Osei, S. E. (2025). Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana. International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education, 10(4), 171-183. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13

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ACS Style

Osei, S. E. Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana. Int. J. Sports Sci. Phys. Educ. 2025, 10(4), 171-183. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13

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AMA Style

Osei SE. Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana. Int J Sports Sci Phys Educ. 2025;10(4):171-183. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13,
  author = {Sarpong Emmanuel Osei},
  title = {Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana},
  journal = {International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education},
  volume = {10},
  number = {4},
  pages = {171-183},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsspe.20251004.13},
  abstract = {This study investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiovascular fitness (CF) among senior high school athletes in Ghana, using VO2max as the primary outcome measure, and compared it with a steady-state cardio program (SSCP). A total of 42 student-athletes were randomly assigned to either the HIIT or SSCP group. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant group effect on VO2max, F (1, 40) = 12.77, p = .001, η² = .24, indicating greater improvement in the HIIT group. An independent samples t-test showed that post-test VO2max scores were significantly higher for the HIIT group than for the SSCP group, t (40) = 7.70, p  95% CI [1.05, 1.80], with a mean difference of 1.43. Multiple regression analysis further showed that group membership significantly predicted post-test VO2max scores, B = 1.43, t (40) = 9.75, p < .001, η² = .71, controlling for 70.9 % of the variance. The findings support the conclusion that HIIT is more effective than SSCP in improving cardiovascular fitness among senior high school athletes in Ghana. This finding suggests that HIIT may be a time-efficient and impactful training strategy for student-athletes seeking to improve aerobic capacity and overall cardiovascular performance. The study provides practical implications for coaches, physical education instructors, and sports performance professionals by demonstrating that shorter, more intense training sessions can yield superior fitness gains compared to traditional steady-state methods. These results support the integration of HIIT into school-based athletic conditioning programmes, especially in contexts where training time, resources, and facilities are limited. Further research is recommended to examine long-term adaptations, sport-specific performance outcomes, and the applicability of HIIT across different age groups and athletic populations in Ghana.},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Exploring the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Fitness Among Senior High School Athletes in Ghana
AU  - Sarpong Emmanuel Osei
Y1  - 2025/12/30
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13
T2  - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education
JF  - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education
JO  - International Journal of Sports Science and Physical Education
SP  - 171
EP  - 183
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1611
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsspe.20251004.13
AB  - This study investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on cardiovascular fitness (CF) among senior high school athletes in Ghana, using VO2max as the primary outcome measure, and compared it with a steady-state cardio program (SSCP). A total of 42 student-athletes were randomly assigned to either the HIIT or SSCP group. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant group effect on VO2max, F (1, 40) = 12.77, p = .001, η² = .24, indicating greater improvement in the HIIT group. An independent samples t-test showed that post-test VO2max scores were significantly higher for the HIIT group than for the SSCP group, t (40) = 7.70, p  95% CI [1.05, 1.80], with a mean difference of 1.43. Multiple regression analysis further showed that group membership significantly predicted post-test VO2max scores, B = 1.43, t (40) = 9.75, p < .001, η² = .71, controlling for 70.9 % of the variance. The findings support the conclusion that HIIT is more effective than SSCP in improving cardiovascular fitness among senior high school athletes in Ghana. This finding suggests that HIIT may be a time-efficient and impactful training strategy for student-athletes seeking to improve aerobic capacity and overall cardiovascular performance. The study provides practical implications for coaches, physical education instructors, and sports performance professionals by demonstrating that shorter, more intense training sessions can yield superior fitness gains compared to traditional steady-state methods. These results support the integration of HIIT into school-based athletic conditioning programmes, especially in contexts where training time, resources, and facilities are limited. Further research is recommended to examine long-term adaptations, sport-specific performance outcomes, and the applicability of HIIT across different age groups and athletic populations in Ghana.
VL  - 10
IS  - 4
ER  -

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