Comparison of the effect of high-intensity interval training and futsal training on some of the factors of physical fitness, quality of life and negative symptoms in patients with paranoid schizophrenia: A clinical trial study

Schizophrenia is a chronic disease associated with considerable impairments to personal life and social functions. Since exercise plays an important role in these problems, this study was done to compare the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and futsal training on body composition, physical fitness, life quality, and negative symptoms in schizophrenics.

This clinical trial was performed on 42 male patients with paranoid schizophrenia in Rasht Medical Center in north of Iran during 2017. Patients were randomly assigned into three groups of HIIT (n=15), futsal (n=12) and control (n=15) groups. Data were collected before and after 8 weeks of training using quality of life questionnaire, negative symptoms assessment and some factors of physical fitness tests. HIIT program (high-intensity interval training: HIIT) was held three sessions a week with 70 to 85% of maximal heart rate and futsal training lasted three sessions a week for 40 minutes.

Anaerobic power was significantly more in HIIT and futsal groups in compatre to controls (P<0.05), but anaerobic power was not significantly different between HIIT and futsal groups. Lower limb muscle power was significantly higher in the HIIT and futsal groups compared to control group (P<0.05). Lower limb muscle power was higher in the HIIT group compared to the futsal group (P<0.05). Negative symptoms were significantly lower in HIIT and futsal groups in comparison with control group (P<0.05). The quality of life difference in futsal and HIIT groups was not significant in compared to the controls.

It seems that HIIT is more efficient than futsal exercises, but both types of training improve some factors of physical fitness and alleviate the negative symptoms among schizophrenics.