An interventional study of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Mat Pilates group in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Quality of Life and Physical Fitness, sponsored by Riphah International University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-15.
Sponsored by Riphah International University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age and is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, poor physical fitness, and reduced quality of life. This randomized controlled trial will examine how High intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Mat Pilates effect body composition, physical fitness, and quality of life in women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) . A total of 60 participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups; HIIT, Mat Pilates, or a control group. Each intervention will run for eight weeks, with body composition, physical fitness, and quality of life measured both before and after the program to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of the two exercise intervention.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age, with pooled global prevalence estimated at around 9-12% depending on diagnostic criteria. It is closely linked to insulin resistance, abnormal body composition, and reduced quality of life, alongside its reproductive features such as irregular cycles and hyperandrogenism. Lifestyle intervention, particularly structured exercise, is considered first-line management. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has shown consistent benefit in reducing BMI in women with PCOS, while Mat Pilates has separately been shown to improve body composition (weight, waist circumference, body fat percentage, visceral fat) and all domains of quality of life in this population. However, direct head-to-head comparison of the two modalities against a control group remains limited. Most previous trials evaluating HIIT or Mat Pilates in PCOS have compared the intervention only against usual care or a non-exercise control, without a second active exercise comparator. This design limits conclusions to "exercise vs. no exercise" rather than identifying which modality offers superior benefit. Including a control group alongside both HIIT and Mat Pilates arms allows this study to establish not only whether each intervention is effective relative to no intervention, but also whether one modality is superior to the other addressing a gap that single-arm or two-arm designs cannot resolve. Anthropometric measures (weight, BMI, waist circumference) BMI and waist circumference were selected as simple, low cost, reproducible measures of overall adiposity and central fat distribution, both strongly associated with insulin resistance in PCOS. Body fat percentage and visceral fat: Included to capture compositional change that BMI alone may miss for instance, stable BMI alongside reduced fat mass and increased lean mass, a change of clinical relevance since visceral fat is more metabolically active and more strongly linked to hyperandrogenism than subcutaneous fat. Cardiorespiratory / muscular fitness: Included because HIIT and Mat Pilates are hypothesized to act through distinct fitness-related pathways cardiorespiratory adaptation for HIIT, and muscular endurance and postural control for Pilates allowing the study to capture modality-specific physiological adaptation rather than relying on body composition alone. The PCOSQ (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire) was selected as the quality-of-life outcome measure, as it is a disease-specific instrument developed and validated specifically for women with PCOS, capturing domains such as emotional disturbances, body hair, weight, infertility concerns, and menstrual problems offering greater sensitivity to PCOS-relevant change than a generic HRQL tool.
975 studies on the registry are indexed under Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; 177 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 60 is below the median of 70 across 710 interventional studies indexed under Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
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Arm Description: HIIT Group: Participants will undergo a structured high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program for 8 weeks, consisting of repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise followed by active recovery periods. Sessions will be conducted under supervision and will progressively increase in intensity according to participants tolerance and fitness level.
Other: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Mat Pilates Group: Participants will undergo a structured mat Pilates program for 8 weeks, consisting of supervised Pilates exercises focusing on core strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, posture, balance, and controlled breathing. Exercise intensity will be progressively increased according to participants' tolerance and fitness level.
Other: Mat Pilates group
Participants will receive basic mobility exercises and general daily-life activity guidance throughout the 8-week study period.
Other: General mobility exercises
Participants will undergo a supervised 8-week High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program, consisting of repeated bouts of high-intensity exercises alternated with active recovery periods. Each session will include a warm-up, HIIT exercises, and cool-down. Exercise intensity and duration will be progressively increased according to participants' tolerance and fitness level.
Participants will undergo a supervised 8-week Mat Pilates program, consisting of structured Pilates exercises focusing on core strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, posture, balance, and controlled breathing. Each session will include a warm-up, Pilates exercises, and cool-down. Exercise intensity and difficulty will be progressively increased according to participants' tolerance and fitness level.
Participants will receive basic mobility exercises and general daily-life activity guidance throughout the 8-week study period.
Change in Body Composition
Change from baseline in body weight, measured in kilograms using a weighing scale.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Body circumference
Change from baseline in body circumference (neck, chest, waist, hips, upper arm, thigh, and calf), measured in centimeters using a measuring tape.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8)
Change in Skinfold Thickness
Change from baseline in skinfold thickness, measured in millimeters using a skinfold caliper.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8)
Change in Quality of Life (PCOSQ score)
Change from baseline in health-related quality of life, assessed using the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ).
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (e.g., Week 8)
Change in 6-Minute Walk Test Distance
Change from baseline in functional exercise capacity, measured in meters using the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT).
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Change in Curl-Up Repetitions
Change from baseline in core muscular endurance, measured in number of repetitions using the curl-up test.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8)
Change in Bird-Dog Test Performance
Change from baseline in core stability, measured in seconds (hold time) using the bird-dog test.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8)
Change in Wall-Squat Hold Time.
Change from baseline in lower-body muscular endurance, measured in seconds using the wall-squat test.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Change in Squat Repetitions.
Change from baseline in lower-body muscular strength, measured in number of repetitions using the squat test.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Change in Push-Up Repetitions.
Change from baseline in upper-body muscular strength and endurance, measured in number of repetitions using the push-up test.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Change in Sit-and-Reach Distance.
Change from baseline in lower-back and hamstring flexibility, measured in centimeters using the sit-and-reach test.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Change in Timed Up and Go (TUG).
Change from baseline in functional mobility and balance, measured in seconds using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Plan to share: No
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From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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