- Exercise Intervention: Mice in the MICT group and the HIIT group underwent a 1-week adaptive treadmill training before formal exercise, followed by a maximum exercise capacity test to determine the maximum running speed (Vmax) of each mouse. The formal intervention lasted for a total of 10 weeks, with 5 days per week and one session per day of regular exercise (MICT was performed in a high-intensity intermittent mode, while HIIT was performed in a moderate-intensity continuous mode). The exercise intensity for the HIIT group was set at 90% Vmax, while for the MICT group, it was set at 70% Vmax. The specific protocols were as follows:
- HIIT Group: Warm-up for 5 minutes at 50% Vmax, followed by 10 repetitions of 2-minute exercise at 90% Vmax with 2-minute rest intervals between repetitions; cool down for 5 minutes at 50% Vmax.
- MICT Group: Warm-up for 5 minutes at 50% Vmax, followed by continuous treadmill running at 70% Vmax. The total distance covered was the same as that in the HIIT group; cool down for 5 minutes at 50% Vmax.
Maximum exercise capacity tests were conducted every 2 weeks, and the exercise protocols were adjusted according to changes in Vmax.
