Early Adaptations to a Two-Week Uphill Run Sprint Interval Training and Cycle Sprint Interval Training

Mykolas Kavaliauskas,John Babraj,John Jakeman

doi:10.3390/sports6030072

Mykolas Kavaliauskas, John Babraj + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/sports6030072

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Abstract

This study sought to compare early physiological and performance adaptations between a two-week cycle sprint interval training (SIT) and uphill run sprint training (UST) programs. Seventeen recreationally active adult males (age = 28 ± 5 years; body mass (BM) = 78 ± 9 kg) were assigned to either a control (n = 5), SIT (n = 6), or UST (n = 6) group. A discrete group of participants (n = 6, age = 33 ± 6 years, and body mass = 80 ± 9 kg) completed both training protocols to determine acute physiological responses. Intervention groups completed either a run or cycle peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) test (intervention type dependent) prior to and following two weeks of training. Training comprised of three sessions per week of 4 × 30-s “all-out” sprints with a four-minute active recovery between bouts on a cycle ergometer against 7.5% of body mass in the SIT group and on a 10% slope in the UST group. The VO2peak values remained unchanged in both training groups, but time-to-exhaustion (TTE) was significantly increased only in the UST group (pre—495 ± 40 s, post—551 ± 15 s; p = 0.014) and not in the SIT group (pre—613 ± 130 s, post—634 ± 118 s, p = 0.07). Ventilatory threshold (VT) was significantly increased in both training groups (SIT group: pre—1.94 ± 0.45 L·min−1, post—2.23 ± 0.42 L·min−1; p < 0.005, UST group: pre—2.04 ± 0.40 L·min−1, post—2.33 ± 0.34 L·min−1, p < 0.005). These results indicate that UST may be an effective alternative to SIT in healthy individuals.

Highlights

Cycle sprint interval training (SIT) consisting of repeated brief “all-out” cycle sprints interspersed with recovery periods offers a time-efficient alternative to traditional endurance training [1].A commonly studied SIT protocol involves 30-s Wingate tests against 7.5% of body mass repeated four to six times separated by 4 min of recovery [2]
The primary aim of this study was to compare early physiological and performance adaptations, which is represented by peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), time-to-exhaustion (TTE), and the ventilatory threshold (VT) following six sessions of SIT and uphill sprint training (UST) performed over two weeks
The VO2 peak was similar between training groups (SIT: 49 ± 7 mL·kg−1 ·min−1, UST: ± 4 mL·kg−1 ·min−1, p > 0.05) and did not significantly change in both groups called SIT and UST

Summary

Introduction

Cycle sprint interval training (SIT) consisting of repeated brief “all-out” cycle sprints interspersed with recovery periods offers a time-efficient alternative to traditional endurance training [1].A commonly studied SIT protocol involves 30-s Wingate tests against 7.5% of body mass repeated four to six times separated by 4 min of recovery [2]. Six sessions of SIT performed over two weeks have been shown to improve skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism and cycling time to exhaustion in recreationally active individuals [3]. Seven weeks of progressive SIT in healthy men significantly increased glycolytic and oxidative muscle enzyme activity, maximum short-term power output, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) [4]. Aerobic and anaerobic adaptations as demonstrated by improvements in a 5-km cycling time trial, VO2 max, peak, and average power output have been found after two weeks of SIT in healthy, young adults [5]. SIT offers a low-volume training paradigm with significant health and performance benefits, previous studies mainly used specialized cycle ergometers to control the intensity of the exercise [3,4,5,6]. The uphill sprint training (UST), which is called running SIT, may offer

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