High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Chronic Diseases: An Emerging Trend in the Scientific Literature? A Bibliometric Analysis


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Aksoy Ö.

İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.28, sa.28, ss.314-329, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

Aim: This study performs a bibliometric analysis to identify scientific trends regarding the effects of high-intensity interval training on individuals with chronic diseases.

Method: A total of 1 312 English language articles obtained from the Web of Science database and published between 1989 and 2025 were evaluated. Within the scope of the study, only “article”-type publications were included, and language and index (SCIE, SSCI, ESCI) filters were applied. Publications were analyzed using VOSviewer software in terms of distribution by year, country collaborations, keyword clusters, time trends, and citation analysis.

Results: According to the results of the analysis, a significant increase in publications on HIIT and chronic diseases was observed after 2016. Canada, the UK, Australia, and Iran are among the most productive countries, while the US, despite having a central position on the map of inter-country collaboration, did not make it to the top 10 in the number of publications.

Conclusion: Keyword clusters revealed that HIIT was intensively studied in relation to metabolic and cardiovascular disorders such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Citation analysis findings show that articles on heart diseases, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance are prominent. The findings indicate that HIIT has been adopted not only for athletic performance enhancement but also as an effective intervention tool in the management of chronic diseases.