The Study
High-intensity interval training in cardiac rehabilitation (HIIT or MISS UK): A multi-centre randomised controlled trial.
This study is like a fair race between two types of exercise: one with short bursts of speed and one with steady jogging. They gave one group HIIT and another group MISS, and measured how much better each group got at breathing during exercise. Because they randomly assigned people, we can say HIIT probably caused the bigger improvement — not just that the two were linked.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
People with heart disease did two short, intense workouts a week and got much fitter than those who did longer, slower workouts.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 580 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This small number (1.04) means a 15% lower chance of dying early — a big deal for heart patients.
- 2HIIT group: VO2 peak increased by 2.37 mL/kg/min.
- 3MISS group: increased by 1.32 mL/kg/min.
- 4Difference: +1.04 mL/kg/min for HIIT.
- 555% of HIIT participants had a true fitness gain vs.
- 634% in MISS.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European journal of preventive cardiology
Year
2023
Authors
G. McGregor, R. Powell, B. Begg, S. Birkett, S. Nichols, S. Ennis, S. McGuire, J. Prosser, O. Fiassam, S. Hee, T. Hamborg, P. Banerjee, N. Hartfiel, J. Charles, R. Edwards, A. Drane, D. Ali, F. Osman, H. He, T. Lachlan, M. Haykowsky, L. Ingle, R. Shave
Related Content
Claims (6)
In adults with stable heart disease, 55% of those who do high-intensity interval training and 34% of those who do moderate-intensity steady training show a measurable improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness that exceeds the smallest change considered meaningful, after accounting for measurement error.
Twenty to thirty minutes of high-intensity training results in greater improvements in cardiovascular health than several hours of moderate-intensity cardio.
Among adults with stable coronary artery disease in cardiac rehabilitation, performing twice-weekly high-intensity interval training for 8 weeks increases peak oxygen uptake by 1.04 mL/kg/min more than moderate-intensity steady-state training, resulting in a 15% lower risk of premature death.
In adults with stable coronary artery disease undergoing supervised cardiac rehabilitation, low-volume high-intensity interval training resulted in only one serious adverse event (new-onset atrial fibrillation) among 187 participants over 8 weeks, with no other significant safety concerns.
Among adults with stable coronary artery disease undergoing supervised cardiac rehabilitation, high-intensity interval training results in a higher proportion of exercise sessions at very high heart rates compared to moderate-intensity steady-state training.
Among adults with stable coronary artery disease, 8 weeks of short, intense interval workouts produces the same changes in heart structure, blood biomarkers, and quality of life as longer, moderate-intensity workouts.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.