BACKGROUND: How to reduce the obesity rate and the incidence of metabolic disorders by regular physical activity is a hotspot. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of 12-week high-intensity circuit training on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic syndrome markers in overweight or obese males. METHOD(S): Twenty-three middle-aged overweight or obese males were randomly assigned to high-intensity circuit training or control groups. All participants underwent 3-minute step test to obtain the fitness index. The high-intensity circuit training was maximal effort to complete 12 exercises, with each workout of 30 seconds and rest interval for 15 seconds, 6 times weekly for 12 weeks (72 times in total). The control group underwent daily activity. All the variables were measured pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION(S): Compared with baseline and control group, high-intensity circuit training significantly decreased the body fat percentage, fat mass, waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, fasting blood-glucose, serum triacylglycerol, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterin cholesterol (p < 0.05). The fitness index and high-density lipoprotein cholesterin cholesterol were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Therefore, 12 weeks of high-intensity circuit training, around 60 minutes each week, can improve body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic syndrome markers in overweight or obese males.

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