Abstract
PurposeThe current study sought to investigate the role of recovery intensity on the physiological and perceptual responses during cycling-based aerobic high-intensity interval training.MethodsFourteen well-trained cyclists (dot{V}{text{O}}_{{{text{2peak}}}}: 62 ± 9 mL kg−1 min−1) completed seven laboratory visits. At visit 1, the participants’ peak oxygen consumption (dot{V}{text{O}}_{{{text{2peak}}}}) and lactate thresholds were determined. At visits 2–7, participants completed either a 6 × 4 min or 3 × 8 min high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol with one of three recovery intensity prescriptions: passive (PA) recovery, active recovery at 80% of lactate threshold (80A) or active recovery at 110% of lactate threshold (110A).ResultsThe time spent at > 80%, > 90% and > 95% of maximal minute power during the work intervals was significantly increased with PA recovery, when compared to both 80A and 110A, during both HIIT protocols (all P ≤ 0.001). However, recovery intensity had no effect on the time spent at > 90% dot{V}{text{O}}_{{{text{2peak}}}} (P = 0.11) or > 95% dot{V}{text{O}}_{{{text{2peak}}}} (P = 0.50) during the work intervals of both HIIT protocols. Session RPE was significantly higher following the 110A recovery, when compared to the PA and 80A recovery during both HIIT protocols (P < 0.001).ConclusionPassive recovery facilitates a higher work interval PO and similar internal stress for a lower sRPE when compared to active recovery and therefore may be the efficacious recovery intensity prescription.
Highlights
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an intermittent mode of endurance training, characterised by short highintensity work intervals (4 s to ≥ 10 min)
The PA recovery protocol resulted in a longer time spent at > 80% Maximal minute power (MMP) (P ≤ 0.001; ηp2 = 0.54), > 90% MMP (P ≤ 0.001; ηp2 = 0.62) and > 95% MMP (P ≤ 0.001; ηp2 = 0.49) during the work intervals, when compared to the 80% of lactate threshold (80A) and 110% of lactate threshold (110A) recovery protocols of the 6 × 4-min and 3 × 8-min HIIT sessions
Despite the differences in time spent at high percentages of MMP, there was no effect of recovery intensity on the time spent at > 80% V O2peak (P = 0.10; ηp2 = 0.15), > 90% V O2peak (P = 0.11; ηp2 = 0.16) and > 95% V O2peak (P = 0.50; ηp2 = 0.05) during the work intervals of the 6 × 4-min and 3 × 8-min HIIT sessions (Table 2)
Summary
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an intermittent mode of endurance training, characterised by short highintensity work intervals (4 s to ≥ 10 min). European Journal of Applied Physiology (2021) 121:425–434 nature, by design, allows for the accumulation of a greater amount of time exercising in the ‘red zone’ (i.e. above critical power, the lactate steady state or ≥ 90% of maximal oxygen consumption [V O2max ]; Buchheit and Laursen 2013), than could be tolerated during a single bout of continuous intensity exercise (MacDougall and Sale 1981) This is important because there is strong evidence that the performance of exercise at higher intensities elicits a greater activation of signalling pathways, associated with specific molecular responses which lead to an enhancement of the adaptive phenotype (Coffey and Hawley 2007). Understanding the effects of altering the recovery interval components on subsequent work interval performance is key when looking to programme an effective HIIT session
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