Psychophysiological responses and adaptations to interval training in health and performance

The field of interval training encompasses diverse exercise protocols that alternate periods of work and recovery, with applications ranging from athletic performance enhancement to disease prevention, rehabilitation, and mental health promotion. Although interval training has traditionally been examined through physiological and metabolic outcomes, growing evidence highlights the importance of perceptual, affective, cognitive, and behavioural responses in determining acute tolerance, training adaptation, adherence, and long-term effectiveness. Important questions remain regarding how different interval structures, intensities, durations, and recovery periods influence psychophysiological responses across populations and settings. Recent studies have demonstrated that interval training can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, metabolic health, functional capacity, exercise performance, and selected psychological outcomes. However, considerable inter-individual variability has also been reported in perceived exertion, enjoyment, fatigue, recovery, motivation, and adherence. Despite the expanding evidence base, findings remain fragmented across protocols, populations, and research settings, with limited integration of physiological and psychological mechanisms. This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of the psychophysiological responses and adaptations associated with interval training across the health and performance continuum. It will examine how physiological, metabolic, perceptual, affective, cognitive, and behavioral factors interact to influence exercise performance, health outcomes, exercise tolerance, recovery, adherence, and well-being. The Research Topic will also seek to identify individual and contextual characteristics that may inform the personalization of interval training prescriptions. Research comparing different interval training protocols, evaluating their implementation in real world environments, and investigating their application across athletic, clinical, rehabilitation, ageing, mental health, and community populations is particularly encouraged. Studies generating practical recommendations for coaches, clinicians, exercise professionals, health practitioners, and public health stakeholders are also welcome. To gather further insights into the psychophysiological responses and adaptations to interval training in health and performance, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes: • Physiological and metabolic adaptations to interval training protocols, including HIIT, SIT, REHIT, and HIFT • Perceived exertion, affective responses, enjoyment, pain, and fatigue during interval training • Acute and chronic psychophysiological effects of different interval training protocols • Cognitive, motivational, and behavioral determinants of interval training participation and adherence • Interval training in real-world settings, including community, workplace, recreational, home-based, and digitally supported environments • Interval training in clinical and special populations, including individuals with cardiometabolic disease, mental health conditions, disabilities, and age-related conditions • Interval training in rehabilitation and post-injury or post-disease recovery • Interval training for athletic performance, recovery, and well-being • Individual variability in physiological, perceptual, psychological, and behavioural responses to interval training • Personalization and prescription of interval training based on individual needs, preferences, abilities, and health status • The influence of sex, age, training status, fitness level, disease status, and psychosocial characteristics on interval training responses • Relationships between psychophysiological responses, training load, recovery, and injury or illness risk • Methodological advances in the assessment and monitoring of psychophysiological responses to interval training • Strategies to improve the accessibility, acceptability, safety, and sustainability of interval training interventions • Translation of interval training research into clinical practice, sports practice, public health, and exercise prescription Article types: Brief Research Report; Case Report; Editorial; FAIR² Data; FAIR² Data Direct Submission; General Commentary; Methods; Original Research; Perspective; Review; Systematic Review. Topic editors: Takaki Yamagishi, Mykolas Kavaliauskas Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85286/psychophysiological-responses-and-adaptations-to-interval-training-in-health-and-performance