Short HIIT and aging markers in 24-month-old female C57BL/6J mice
In 24-month-old female C57BL/6J mice, 8 weeks of 10-minute HIIT three days a week was linked to better results on some cognitive tests and to changes in aging-related markers across liver, gastrocnemius muscle and cortex. This is mouse research, not evidence of human benefit. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Twenty-four-month-old female C57BL/6J mice either stayed sedentary or did 10-minute HIIT three days a week for 8 weeks. [1]
HIIT was linked to higher T-maze alternation and novel object recognition, but not to differences in the Barnes maze or light-dark preference. [1]
Among sedentary mice, differences in hallmarks of aging may underlie frailty measured with different mouse frailty tools. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of a mouse intervention study
- Population / context
- 24-month-old female C57BL/6J mice
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- September 25, 2026
Sedentary versus HIIT mice from a prior study
The authors studied 24-month-old female C57BL/6J mice from their previous study. These mice had either remained sedentary or performed a 10-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimen three days a week for 8 weeks. The authors note that they had already shown short-session HIIT to be an effective intervention for frailty in mice, but benefits for cognitive function and for reducing hallmarks of aging had not been examined. This abstract reports the comparison between the sedentary and HIIT groups.
Supporting source [1]
Mixed cognitive results and tissue-specific marker changes
HIIT was associated with an increase in T-maze alternation percentage and in novel object recognition, but no differences appeared in the Barnes maze or the light-dark preference test. In liver, gastrocnemius muscle and cortex, HIIT was linked to higher expression of mitochondrial complexes I and V, PGC1α and SIRT3, and to higher beclin. p62 rose in liver and muscle but not cortex; LC3-II was lower in muscle and liver. p16 was lower in HIIT muscle and liver, while p21 fell in liver but rose in muscle. Telomeres were longer in liver only, with no change in muscle or cortex.
Supporting source [1]
Frailty-linked marker differences among sedentary mice
Within the sedentary group, the authors identified differences in hallmarks of aging that may underlie frailty, as measured with different mouse frailty assessment tools. The authors describe these results as highlighting the potential for multi-tissue geroprotective benefits of short-session HIIT to reduce frailty and improve cognition for healthy aging. This is an abstract of a mouse study; the full text was not reviewed, and the findings do not establish cognitive or longevity benefits in humans.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is a mouse study, so the cognitive and aging-marker findings do not show human benefit. The abstract does not report sample sizes per group, effect sizes or statistical details.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Seldeen KL, Saha S, Wang B, Sreevelu B, Thiyagarajan R, Nadeem I, Nadeem I, Redae YZ, Leiker MM, Troen BR. · europepmc.org · September 25, 2026