Abstract
Purpose: The effects of two different high-intensity training methods on 2,000 m rowing ergometer performance were examined in a feasibility study of 24 national-level rowers aged 18–27 years (17 males, 2,000 m ergometer time trial 6:21.7 ± 0:14.6 (min:s) and seven females, 2,000 m ergometer 7:20.3 ± 0:12.1. Habitual training for all participants was ~12–16 h per week).Methods: 16 high-intensity ergometer sessions were completed across two 3-week periods. Participants were allocated into two groups according to baseline 2,000 m time. High-intensity interval session-sprint-interval session (HIIT-SIT) completed eight HIIT (8 × 2.5 min intervals; 95% of 2,000 m wattage) followed by eight SIT (three sets of 7 × 30 s intervals; maximum effort). SIT-HIIT completed eight SIT sessions followed by eight HIIT sessions. Both a 2,000-m time trial and a progressive incremental test finishing with 4 min “all-out” performance were completed before and after each 3-week phase.Results: Both groups showed similar improvements in 2,000 m time and 4 min “all-out” distance after the first 3 weeks (2,000 m time: HIIT-SIT: −2.0 ± 0.6%, mean ± 90% CL, p = 0.01; SIT-HIIT: −1.5 ± 0.3%, p = 0.01) with no significant difference between groups. HIIT-SIT demonstrated the greatest improvements in submaximal heart rate (HR) during the progressive incremental test with eight sessions of HIIT showing a greater reduction in submaximal HR than eight sessions of SIT. The net improvement of 16 high-intensity sessions on 2,000 m time was −2.5% for HIIT-SIT (−10.6 ± 3.9 s, p = 0.01) and − 2.2% for SIT-HIIT (−9.0 ± 5.7 s, p = 0.01) and for 4 min “all-out” performance was 3.1% for HIIT-SIT (36 ± 25 m, p = 0.01) and 2.8% for SIT-HIIT (33 ± 27 m, p = 0.01).Conclusion: Eight sessions of high-intensity training can improve 2,000 m ergometer rowing performance in national-level rowers, with a further eight sessions producing minimal additional improvement. The method of high-intensity training appears less important than the dose.
Highlights
A 2,000-m rowing race takes 5:30–8:00 min and typically begins with a short supramaximal start (~45 s), followed by 4–6 min of near maximal intensity, and finishes with another supra-maximal burst of 45–60 s
Both high-intensity interval session (HIIT)-sprint-interval training (SIT) and SIT-HIIT improved (p = 0.01) both 2,000 m and 4-min time-trial (4minTT) performance after 9 weeks of the study
Changes in performance following the first 3-week training intervention for both HIIT-SIT and SIT-HIIT were significantly different to performed baseline (PRE) values, but performance was not further improved following the second 3-week intervention, where the order of the training methods was reversed
Summary
A 2,000-m rowing race takes 5:30–8:00 min (depending on the racing category) and typically begins with a short supramaximal start (~45 s), followed by 4–6 min of near maximal intensity, and finishes with another supra-maximal burst of 45–60 s. The inclusion of high-intensity training, of both long and short work intervals, in addition to low-intensity endurance training purportedly yields superior improvements in endurance performance than low-intensity endurance training alone (Seiler, 2010; Stöggl and Sperlich, 2014). Both high-intensity interval session (HIIT) and sprint-interval training (SIT) are increasingly common training methods used to stimulate adaptation in a range of endurance sports. Both training methods center on a reduction in training volume and increased training intensity to provide the stimulus for improved performance. The improvements in performance ranged from 1.3 to 1.9% (5.0–8.2 s; Driller et al, 2009; Akca and Aras, 2015; Stevens et al, 2015; Ní Chéilleachair et al, 2017)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
