Just one minute of hard cycling a week might improve your health
NCT ID NCT05249205
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether doing a very short, intense cycling workout just once a week can improve aerobic fitness as much as doing it twice a week. The workout, called REHIT, involves only 10 minutes of easy cycling with two 20-second all-out sprints. The study aimed to see if one session per week is enough to boost fitness in healthy but inactive adults. However, the study was terminated early and only enrolled 15 people, so the findings are limited.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) - a 10-minute cycling workout with two 20-second all-out sprints
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that even one short weekly workout improves fitness, making exercise more accessible for busy people.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, terminated study with only 15 participants, so results may not be reliable or apply to the general population.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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15 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2022
- Finished
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Aug 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Apparently healthy * Sedentary or recreationally active Exclusion Criteria: * Classified as highly physically active on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) * Answering 'Yes' to any of the questions of a standard Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) * Resting heart rate \>100 bpm * Resting blood pressure \> 140/90 mm Hg * BMI \> 35 kg/m2 * Testing positive for Covid-19 * Pregnant women
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Swansea University
Swansea, SA1 8EN, United Kingdom
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University of Stirling
Stirling, Stirlingshire, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom
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University of Worcester
Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
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