Reproducible improvement in endothelial function following two separate periods of high-intensity interval training in young men.

Abstract

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can improve vascular function, as assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). However, when separated by a period of detraining, the reproducibility of FMD responses to repeated periods of HIIT is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the group mean and intraindividual reproducibility of FMD responses to two 4-wk periods of HIIT, separated by 3 mo of detraining. Thirteen healthy, recreationally active men (21 ± 2 yr) completed the study. Each 4-wk HIIT period included 40 min of treadmill training four times/week. Each training session included four 7-min intervals: 4 min at 90%-95% heart rate maximum (HRmax) and 3 min at 70%-75% HRmax. Vascular (FMD) and cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen consumption [V̇o2max]) assessments were conducted before and following each 4-wk training period. Training resulted in significant improvements in V̇o2max (P < 0.001). Training also improved FMD (P < 0.001), with no differences between periods (P = 0.394), even after controlling for changes in baseline diameter and the shear rate stimulus. There was a significant, moderate relationship between the change in FMD in HIIT period 1 versus period 2 [R2 = 0.493, P = 0.011, intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.600, coefficient of variation: 17.3%]. Consecutive periods of HIIT separated by detraining resulted in similar improvements in FMD at the group level, and individual FMD changes in period 1 of HIIT predicted FMD changes in response to period 2. Considered alongside substantial between-participant variability in magnitude of FMD improvement, this suggests that there are reproducible, interindividual differences in the potential to improve vascular function with HIIT.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study examining endothelial function [flow-mediated dilation (FMD)] following repeated periods of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Two periods of HIIT separated by detraining resulted in reproducible group-level improvements in FMD. Despite considerable between-subject variability in FMD adaptation, individual FMD changes with the first HIIT period predicted FMD changes in the second period. This indicates the existence of reproducible between-subject differences in susceptibility to FMD improvement with HIIT.