†These authors contributed equally.
Background: Obesity is a significant health problem with an increasing
incidence, causing a low-grade systemic inflammatory state and being implicated
in various chronic diseases. Moreover, obesity has been shown to cause
mitochondrial dysfunction through oxidative stress and inflammation, eventually
affecting energy metabolism. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can
improve mitochondrial efficiency through exercise-induced mitochondrial
adaptations. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to examine the
potential effects of HIIT on mitochondrial-associated indices in obese and
overweight adults. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science
databases were searched. Results: Twenty-eight eligible studies
were included, involving 530 participants. HIIT was found to significantly
improve the activity of citrate synthase (CS), cytochrome C (COX-IV),
beta-hydroxyacyl CoA-dehydrogenase (