Abstract
The risks and consequences of falling are appreciable in sedentary older adults. Regular exercise has been proposed as an intervention, however the perceived time commitment may prove problematic for exercise initiation and/or compliance. Sprint interval training (SIT) evokes rapid and appreciable physiological adaptation in a time efficient manner, but the utility of SIT for improving stability in older adults is unknown. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of SIT on fatigue resistance and stability in young and older adults. METHODS: Sedentary young (Y: n=7, age: 21±1 years (mean±SE)) and older (O: n=6, age: 69±2 years) men and women completed three weeks of SIT (9 sessions of 4-8 30s maximal efforts on a cycle ergometer). Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and time to exhaustion while cycling at 75% VO2max were determined prior to and following SIT. Stability (amount of sway of center of pressure with eyes closed) was determined prior to and following a single bout of sprinting, prior to and following SIT. RESULTS: VO2max (Y: 39.5±2.7 vs. 41.3±3.1; O: 22.8±1.5 vs. 24.6±0.8 ml/kg/min), and time to exhaustion (Y: 25.8±4.0 vs. 37.0±3.1; O: 31.5±3.9 vs. 54.0±8.8 min) were increased (all P<0.05) in young and older adults. Stability (normalized to height) prior to a single bout of sprinting was unaffected by short term SIT in either young (214±13 vs. 268±38 mm/m) or older (230±10 vs. 186±10) adults; similarly, SIT did not attenuate the decline in stability following a single bout of sprinting (Y: 302±21 vs. 334±72; O: 235±14 vs. 246±22). CONCLUSION: Short term SIT dissociated stamina (VO2max and fatigue resistance) from stability in young and older adults.
Published Version
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