Short-term Intensive Training Research Articles

A 2-week intensive gastrointestinal endoscopy training program for pediatricians.

In Japan there are limited opportunities for pediatricians to learn gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. This study investigated whether a short-term intensive training for 2 weeks in an adult GI setting enabled pediatricians to acquire basic technical competence for pediatric GI endoscopic procedures. This was a retrospective case series of pediatricians who underwent 2 weeks of intensive endoscopy training at an adult endoscopy unit in a community hospital. The numbers of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and ileocolonoscopy procedures each pediatrician performed were evaluated. All enrolled pediatricians were asked to answer questionnaires regarding the 2 week intensive GI endoscopy training program. There were 17 enrolled pediatricians, of whom 13 were men; average age 32 years (range 27-54). The median (range) numbers of EGDs and ileocolonoscopies performed by each pediatrician during the 2-week training period were 102 (66-144) and 14 (1-48), respectively. Fifteen out of 17 pediatricians experienced more than 100 GI endoscopies during the 2 weeks. All pediatricians performed biopsies as part of some EGD procedures. All 17 pediatricians found this program satisfactory. All pediatricians became cable of performing pediatric EGD (i.e., for children ≤15 years) after this training program. Sixteen pediatricians have continued to perform pediatric GI endoscopy since this training program. A short-term intensive training program for 2 weeks in an adult GI setting enabled pediatricians to acquire basic technical competence for pediatric endoscopic procedures.

Retracted: Changes in Physical Function of Shuttlecock Players after Short-Term Intensive Training based on Data Mining.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/8153521.].

Effects of Short-term Intensive Yoga Program on Yoga Instructors or Therapist

Impacts of Yoga are recognizing day by day. Accordingly, the job has been created for Yoga Instructors and Therapist. Although many studies have already been published and elaborate the effects of Yogic practice on normal healthy population as well as disease population, effects of short-term intensive Yogic practice on Yoga Instructors or Therapist are rare. Yoga Instructors were randomly chosen from a 06 days intensive training course to find out the impacts of short-term intensive Yoga training on blood pressure (BP), muscle strength, flexibility body composition, and psychological parameters. BP decreased significantly. Body composition, muscle strength, and flexibility did not show any significant change. Exercise-induced efficiency increased significantly. This particular 06 day intensive Yoga program may relax mind and body, participants goes toward parasympathodominance as a result BP component reduced significantly. Short-term Yoga program may increase exercise induced efficiency in Yoga Instructors or Therapist. Short-term Yoga practices is beneficial for Yoga Instructors and Therapist in terms to reduce BP and enhance exercise-induced efficiency.

Changes in Physical Function of Shuttlecock Players after Short-Term Intensive Training based on Data Mining.

This paper investigates the changes in body composition and physical fitness of badminton players after short-term high-intensity training. Methods. During an 8-week short-term training camp, 12 nonprofessional badminton players were paired to design training sessions, and body composition and fitness were measured before and after training. Results. After 8 weeks of high-intensity training, there was no significant change in body weight of badminton players (P > 0.05), while lean body mass increased significantly and body fat percentage decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The time of kicking, lying on the back, and standing forward was increased (P < 0.05), and the time of running back and forth 6.1 meters 3 times was shorter than that before training (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The increase of lean body mass can promote the energy conversion, oxygen consumption, and exercise capacity of athletes. Short-term training can reduce excess body fat, promote muscle development, and improve physical fitness.

Controlled Trial of a Short-term Intensive Parent Training Program within the Context of Routine Services for Autistic Children in China.

Recent systematic reviews found limited rigorous research conducted to date of the effectiveness of parent training programs in reducing behavioral problems for autistic children in low- and middle-income countries. This study is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a short-term intensive parent training program for autistic children aged three to six in the context of routine service provision in China. A quasi-experiment was conducted involving the local implementing organization and using a waitlist control. Data were collected at baseline and immediate post-intervention. The primary outcome was child behavioral problems measured using the Child Behavior Checklist Externalizing scale. Between-group comparisons used a difference-in-differences design with propensity score weighting to reduce sources of bias. A process evaluation was undertaken in parallel to assess participant involvement, program acceptability, and delivery. The protocol was prospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04257331). The final sample size was 111 (treatment: 63; comparison: 48). Results suggest that the program was associated with improvements in child externalizing behaviors (b = -2.71, 95% CI [-5.23, -0.18]), parental mental health symptoms (b = -5.96, 95% CI [-11.74, -0.17]), over-reactive parenting (b = -0.63, 95% CI [-0.98, -0.27]), and parental knowledge (b = 2.08, 95% CI [2.07, 2.17]). Exploratory analysis of factors related to implementation indicated that baseline parental mental health was related to participant engagement, and that satisfaction and engagement levels were potentially linked to positive treatment effects. Findings suggest that short-term intensive parent training programs that are provided by trained non-specialists, could potentially be used as an alternative to traditional prohibitively costly services that are delivered intensively for consecutive years in low-resource contexts. Follow-ups are needed to investigate its long-term benefits.

Evaluation of math anxiety and its remediation through a digital training program in mathematics for first and second graders

IntroductionMath anxiety severely impacts individuals’ learning and future success. However, limited is understood about the profile in East Asian cultures where students genuinely show high‐level math anxiety, despite that they outperform their Western counterparts. Here, we investigate the relation between math anxiety and math achievement in children as young as first and second graders in Taiwan. Further, we evaluate whether intensive exposure to digital game‐based learning in mathematics could ameliorate math anxiety.MethodsThe study first evaluated a group of 159 first and second graders’ math anxiety and its correlation with math performance. Subsequently, a quasi‐experimental design was adopted: 77 of the children continued and participated in multi‐component digital game training targeting enumeration, speeded calculation, and working memory. Post‐assessment was administered afterward for further evaluation of training‐associated effects.ResultsResults confirmed that math anxiety was negatively associated with school math achievement, which assessed numerical knowledge and arithmetic calculation. Furthermore, children's math anxiety was remarkably reduced via digital training in mathematics after 6‐week intensive remediation. Crucially, this math anxiety relief was more prominent in those with high‐level math anxiety. Although the children who underwent the training showed training‐induced math achievement and working memory enhancement, this cognitive improvement appeared to be independent of the math anxiety relief.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that students can show highly negative emotions and perceptions toward learning even in high‐achieving countries. Auspiciously, the feeling of distress toward learning has the feasibility to be relieved from short‐term intensive training. Our study suggests a new approach of early treatments to emotional disturbance that can lead to permanent consequences in individuals.

The role of primary physician training in improving regional standardized management of diabetes: a pre-post intervention study

BackgroundHierarchical diagnosis and treatment has been gradually implemented throughout the China. Primary physicians are the main force in primary-level medical and health services, which means that standardized training of primary-level doctors is indispensable.ObjectivesEvaluation of the effect of primary physician training on standardized management of diabetes, and comparison of the effects of different training models.MethodThe study selected 24 community health service centers from 4 cities in Liaoning Province, and consisted of two groups: primary physicians (n = 2083) who received training; and patients with diabetes (n = 585) in community health service centers. Short-term training effects on primary physicians were assessed through diabetes knowledge tests at baseline and at the end of training; the long-term effects of training on patients with diabetes were assessed by questionnaires at baseline and 1 year after training. The differences in training effects between different training models were compared. Complication screening results were also assessed.ResultsAfter training, the primary physicians’ knowledge of diabetes diagnosis and treatment improved (p < 0.05). The complication screening rate of local diabetes patients increased from 22.2% before training to 27.7% 1 year after training (p = 0.033). There were significant differences in the training effect between different training models (p = 0.038). The short-term intensive training group demonstrated the greatest training effect, primary physicians under this training model are more likely to conduct standardized screenings for patients (OR = 1.806, 95%CI 1.008–3.233), and the complication screening rate was the highest (37.6%).ConclusionThis study shows that training of primary physicians is an effective way to improve the standardized management of diabetes, by improving the ability of primary physicians to manage diabetes in a standardized manner, so that patients in primary hospitals receive more comprehensive diagnosis and treatment services. Compared with scattered training throughout the year, short-term intensive training was found to be more effective.

A virtuous circle: Stakeholder perspectives of a short-term intensive parent training programme delivered within the context of routine services for autism in China.

Although the evidence of parent training programmes for families of autistic children has continued to grow, little is known about the experiences and perceptions of key stakeholders, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This qualitative study was part of a larger real-world evaluation of a short-term intensive parent training programme in routine services delivered to caregivers of autistic children aged 3–6 years in China. It aimed to provide insights into programme acceptability, reasons for participant involvement, and factors related to programme implementation. Fourteen caregivers participated in the in-depth interviews, and two focus group discussions were conducted with eight practitioners. Data were analysed using a combination of data- and theory-driven approaches. Findings point to the needs in low autism resource settings for substantial practice and feedback; group support; individualised coaching; more autism-related knowledge, resources and activities for children and extended family members; and organisational support to practitioners. Further research is suggested to address the recommendations and assess their effectiveness empirically.Lay abstractWhile much knowledge about autism derives from high-income countries, most people diagnosed with autism reside in low- and middle-income countries, where little is documented in terms of local interventions. This is also true for parent training programmes for families of autistic children. An evaluation was conducted to understand the effects of a short-term intensive parent training programme delivered in routine services for families of autistic children in China. This study reported results from the in-depth interviews with 14 participating caregivers and group discussions with eight group leaders. The interviews and discussions were aimed at learning (1) to what extent the programme components were deemed acceptable, (2) what affected caregivers’ attendance and engagement in the programme and (3) what affected group leaders’ delivery of the programme. Findings suggested that future parent training programmes provide adequate opportunities for caregivers to practice and receive feedback; group support; coaching experience tailored to individual challenges; more autism-related knowledge, resources and activities for children and extended family members; and organisational support to group leaders. This study highlights the value of qualitative research and points to the need for more empirical studies to address the recommendations, so that research findings can be better utilised to promote practices.

Effect of Cycle-Based High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate to Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training in Adolescent Soccer Players.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, anaerobic power, and lower extremity strength are essential for soccer players at all levels. An effective program should be developed to improve physical strength for adolescent soccer players who need to combine academic and technical training. This study analyzed the impact of short-term high intensity interval training (HIIT) training and traditional moderate intensity continuous training (MICT) on adolescent soccer players. Participants included 56 adolescent soccer players who were divided into HIIT and MICT groups. The training program was conducted 3 times a week for 4 weeks using cycle ergometer. Each session included the same resistance training program, and the characteristics of HIIT and MICT were applied to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and anaerobic power. Body composition analysis, graded exercise test for peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), Wingate anaerobic power test, and isokinetic knee strength test were performed. VO2 peak was improved in HIIT and MICT, but anaerobic threshold and heart rate recovery significantly improved in the HIIT group. Wingate anaerobic peak power had increased significantly in sets 1, 2, and 3 in the HIIT group, but showed significant improvement only in set 1 in the MICT group. The isokinetic strength improved significantly in the HIIT group at 60°/s and in the MICT group at 240°/s. There was no significant change in body composition in either group. In conclusion, short-term HIIT administered to adolescent soccer players effectively improved cardiorespiratory fitness in HIIT and MICT groups. While HIIT increased anaerobic threshold and power, MICT effectively improved muscle endurance. Short-term intensive training can be considered a time-efficient training strategy.

The Effects of an Intensive 2-wk Resistance Training Period on Strength Performance and Nocturnal Heart Rate Variability.

It is known that modifying the endurance-type training load of athletes may result in altered cardiac autonomic modulation that may be estimated with heart rate variability (HRV). However, the specific effects of intensive resistance-type training remain unclear. The main aim of this study was to find out whether an intensive 2-wk resistance training period affects the nocturnal HRV and strength performance of healthy participants. Young healthy men (N = 13, age 24 [2]y) performed 2-wk baseline training, 2-wk intensive training, and a 9-d tapering periods, with 2, 5, and 2 hypertrophic whole-body resistance exercise sessions per week, respectively. Maximal isometric and dynamic strength were tested at the end of these training periods. Nocturnal HRV was also analyzed at the end of these training periods. As a main finding, the nocturnal root mean square of differences of successive R-R intervals decreased (P = .004; from 49 [18] to 43 [15]ms; 95% CI, 2.4-10.4; effect size = 0.97) during the 2-wk intensive resistance training period. In addition, maximal isometric strength improved slightly (P = .045; from 3933 [1362] to 4138 [1540]N; 95% CI, 5.4-404; effect size = 0.60). No changes were found in 1-repetition-maximum leg press or leg press repetitions at 80% 1-repetition maximum. The present data suggest that increased training load due to a short-term intensive resistance training period can be detected by nocturnal HRV. However, despite short-term accumulated physiological stress, a tendency of improvement in strength performance was detected.

Targeted Marine Phytoplankton Supplementation Improves Recovery During Intensified Training

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate marine phytoplankton supplementation (Microalgae Tetraselmis chuii, Oceanix™, OCX) that is rich in antioxidant enzymes, essential fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids and minerals on Explosive Strength (ES), and Immune Function during short term intensive training. Methods Trained male and female subjects were randomly divided into a microcrystalline cellulose based placebo (PLA, ) or Oceanix™ (OCX) (25 mg per day) condition for 14 days. Subjects were tested at baseline and then placed on an intensified based resistance training protocol using multiple sets to volitional failure over the course of 5 days and retested 24 and 48 hours following. Explosive strength, measured as rate of force development during an isometric mid thigh pull was assessed. Immune function was determined using salivary immunoglobulin-A (IgA). Repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey post hoc analysis were used to assess differences. Results Explosive Strength was significantly lower at 24 (-62%) and 48 (-78%) hours in the PLA but not OCX compared to pre levels (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Additionally, the absolute mean difference in Explosive Strength from Pre to 48hr-Post was significantly lower in PLA compared to OCX (P &amp;lt; 0.05), indicating greater recovery in OCX. Forty-eight hour post IgA levels decreased compared to Pre (P &amp;lt; 0.05, −178%) in the PLA but not OCX group. Conclusions Targeted marine phytoplankton supplementation (Oceanix™, OCX) improves short term recovery from short term intensive training. Funding Sources Lonza.

Effect of Different HIIT Protocols on the Glycemic Control and Lipids Profile in Men with type 2 diabetes: A Randomize Control Trial

Objective: : High intensity interval training (HIITs) can induce weight control, lowering blood pressure and beneficial effects on cardiovascular health in type 2 diabetic patients. The effect of different volumes of these exercises is unclear in type 2 diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of low volume and high volume of short-term intensive training on glycemic indexes of men with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: Thirty type 2 diabetes male patients who were referred to Yazd diabetes research center (30 - 46 years old) were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups of low and high volume HIITs groups and control group. The intensity of the exercises in low volume was up to 110% and in high volume up to 80% of the maximum heart rate. The two training groups performed exercises 3 days of week for 8 weeks. Glycemic factors and lipids profile were measured before and after the last training session. Data were analyzed by covariance and paired T-test. Results: Low volume HIIT exercises significantly decreased the glucose ( P -value: 0.01), HbA1c ( P -value: 0.01), insulin ( P -value: 0.005), insulin resistance ( P -value: 0.001), and triglyceride ( P -value: 0.04). Low volume HIIT in the insulin resistance had a significant difference with the control group ( P -value: 0.04). High density lipoprotein in high volume group had a significant difference with the control group ( P -value: 0.021). Conclusion: Low-volume HIIT exercises can be a nonpharmacological approach to improving glycemic factors in type 2 diabetic patients.

The effects of five days of intensive preoperative inspiratory muscle training on postoperative complications and outcome in patients having cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To determine the prophylactic efficacy of short-term intensive preoperative inspiratory muscle training on the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery. Design: Single-blind, randomized controlled pilot study. Setting: TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital, China. Subjects: In total, 197 subjects aged ⩾50 years scheduled for cardiac surgery were selected. Intervention: The intervention group (n = 98) received five days of preoperative inspiratory muscle training on top of the usual care received by the patients in the control group (n = 99). Main measures: The primary outcome variable was the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications. The secondary outcome variables were inspiratory muscle strength, lung function and length of hospitalization. Results: After cardiac surgery, a total of 10 (10.2%) of the 98 patients in the intervention group and 27 (27.3%) of 99 patients in the control group had postoperative pulmonary complications (risk ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.09–0.58, P = 0.002). The study revealed that, compared with the control group, the intervention group had a significant increase in inspiratory muscle strength (by 10.48 cm H2O, P < 0.001), forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (FEV1) %predicted (by 3.75%, P = 0.030), forced vital capacity (FVC) %predicted (by 4.15%, P = 0.008) and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) %predicted (by 6.44%, P = 0.034). Length of hospital stay was 7.51 (2.83) days in the intervention group and 9.38 (3.10) days in the control group (P = 0.039). Conclusion: A five-day intensive pattern of preoperative inspiratory muscle training reduced the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications and duration of postoperative hospitalization in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Volitional modulation of higher-order visual cortex alters human perception

Can we change our perception by controlling our brain activation? Awareness during binocular rivalry is shaped by the alternating perception of different stimuli presented separately to each monocular view. We tested the possibility of causally influencing the likelihood of a stimulus entering awareness. To do this, participants were trained with neurofeedback, using realtime functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI), to differentially modulate activation in stimulus-selective visual cortex representing each of the monocular images. Neurofeedback training led to altered bistable perception associated with activity changes in the trained regions. The degree to which training influenced perception predicted changes in grey and white matter volumes of these regions. Short-term intensive neurofeedback training therefore sculpted the dynamics of visual awareness, with associated plasticity in the human brain.

GW29-e1054 Short-term intensive preoperative inspiratory muscle training to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: A randomized controlled trial

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after cardiac surgery (CABG and/or value) are a major source of morbidity and mortality, and increase length of hospital stay and resource utilization. The pre-hospitalization period before cardiac surgery may be used to improve a patient’s pulmonary

Response learning stimulates dendritic spine growth on dorsal striatal medium spiny neurons.

Increases in the number and/or the size of dendritic spines, sites of excitatory synapses, have been linked to different types of learning as well as synaptic plasticity in several brain regions, including the hippocampus, sensory cortex, motor cortex, and cerebellum. By contrast, a previous study reported that training on a maze task requiring the dorsal striatum has no effect on medium spiny neuron dendritic spines in this area. These findings might suggest brain region-specific differences in levels of plasticity as well as different cellular processes underlying different types of learning. No previous studies have investigated whether dendritic spine density changes may be localized to specific subpopulations of medium spiny neurons, nor have they examined dendritic spines in rats trained on a dorsolateral striatum-dependent maze task in comparison to rats exposed to the same type of maze in the absence of training. To address these questions further, we labeled medium spiny neurons with the lipophilic dye DiI and stained for the protein product of immediate early gene zif 268, an indirect marker of neuronal activation, in both trained and untrained groups. We found a small but significant increase in dendritic spine density on medium spiny neurons of the dorsolateral striatum after short-term intensive training, along with robust increases in the density of spines with mushroom morphology coincident with reductions in the density of spines with thin morphology. However, these results were not associated with zif 268 expression. Our findings suggest that short-term intensive training on a dorsolateral striatum-dependent maze task induces rapid increases in dendritic spine density and maturation on medium spiny neurons of the dorsolateral striatum, an effect which may contribute to early acquisition of the learned response in maze training.

Training in Endoscopy: Endoscopic Ultrasound

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been recently established as an indispensable modality for the diagnosis and management of pancreatobiliary and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. EUS proficiency requires both cognitive and technical abilities, including an understanding of the appropriate indications, the performance of appropriate evaluations before and after the procedure, and the management of procedure-related complications. An increasing demand for skills to handle a growing range of interventional EUS procedures and a continual shortage of EUS training programs are two major obstacles for EUS training. Acquiring the skills necessary to comprehend and conduct EUS often requires training beyond the scope of a standard GI fellowship program. In addition to traditional formal EUS training and preceptorships, regular short-term intensive EUS training programs that provide training at various levels may help EUS practitioners improve and maintain EUS-related knowledges and skills. Theoretical knowledge can be acquired from lectures, textbooks, atlases, slides, videotapes, digital video discs, interactive compact discs, and websites. Informal EUS training is generally based on 1- or 2-day intensive seminars, including didactic lectures, skills demonstrated by expert practitioners through live video-streaming of procedures, and hands-on learning using animal or phantom models.

Short-term intensive training attenuates the exercise-induced interaction of mono-1/2 cells and platelets after coronary bypass in cardiac patients.

The interaction between platelets and monocytes plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated how short-term intensive training (SIT) influences monocyte subset characteristics and exercise-induced monocyte and platelet aggregates (MPAs) following elective coronary bypass (CABG) in cardiac patients. Forty-nine patients hospitalised for CABG were randomised into SIT (N=26) and conventional training (CT, N=23) groups. The SIT subjects underwent supervised aerobic training at 80~120 % of the ventilatory anaerobic threshold based on sub-maximal exercise tests performed 7 days post-CABG for 20 sessions with two sessions/day and 30 min/session, which were completed within four weeks after surgery. The CT subjects performed light-intensity conditioning exercise for ≤4 sessions. Resting and maximal exercise-mediated monocyte characteristics and MPA were determined before and following intervention. The SIT group had a larger improvement in ventilation efficiency and anaerobic threshold than the CT group; the SIT group exhibited larger reductions in blood monocyte subtypes 1 and 2 (Mono1 and 2) counts at rest than the CT group; the SIT group but not the CT group exhibited attenuated formation of Mono1/platelet hetero-aggregation (MPA1) and CD42b expression on Mono1/2 caused by strenuous exercise; and plasma levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1β and soluble P-selectin showed similar trends as Mono1/2 and MPA1, respectively. In conclusion, SIT modestly improved aerobic capacity in patients following CABG. Moreover, SIT simultaneously ameliorated the CD42b expression of Mono1/2 cells and maximal exercise-induced MPA1, which may reduce the risk of inflammatory thrombosis.

Short-term trained lexical categories affect preattentive shape perception: Evidence from vMMN.

Perceptual processing of colors and shapes in the right visual field is modulated by the lexical category information of the stimuli, a phenomenon known as the lateralized Whorfian effect. For color stimuli, lateralized Whorfian effect is characterized by preattentive occurrence and dependency on acquired lexical information, but it remains unknown whether these key features are generalizable to other domains of perceptual processing. Here, we investigated whether lateralized Whorfian effect in the shape perception domain also depends on acquired lexical category and occurs preattentively using ERPs. Participants were trained to associate novel, irregular polygons with lexical category labels via short-term intensive training. Using the visual oddball paradigm, we found stronger visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) component elicited by the deviant stimuli whose lexical category differed from the standard stimuli when the deviant was presented in the right visual field, indicating higher perceptual conspicuity for between-category stimuli. These findings provide direct evidence of similar preattentive lexical category-contingent modulation on shape perception akin to color perception, suggesting that the lateralized Whorfian effect is not epiphenomenal but rather might reflect the interaction between higher-level lexical processing and the lower-level perceptual processing more broadly.

Left atrial functional changes following short-term exercise training.

Exercise-induced adaptations of the human atria remain understudied, particularly early in the training process. We examined the effects of short-term high-intensity interval training (HIT) and continuous moderate-intensity training (CMT) on left atrial (LA) systolic and diastolic function, relative to left ventricular (LV) function in young, healthy men, by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). Fourteen untrained men (mean age = 25 ± 4 years) were randomized to HIT or CMT, and assessed before and after six training sessions over a 12-day period. HIT included 8-12 intervals of cycling for 60 s at 95-100% of maximal aerobic power (VO₂MAX), interspersed by 75 s of cycling at 10 % VO₂MAX. CMT consisted of 90-120 min of cycling at 65% VO₂MAX. VO₂MAX increased following HIT and CMT by 11.5 and 5.5%, respectively (p < 0.05). Calculated plasma volume expanded 11 % following HIT and 10% following CMT (p < 0.005). Resting LV volumes and ejection fraction were unaltered following training. Peak atrial longitudinal strain increased following HIT (41.8 ± 5.2%-47.1 ± 3.7%, p < 0.01) and CMT (38.5 ± 4.6%-41.7 ± 6.0%, p < 0.01). Atrial systolic strain rate increased following HIT (1.6 ± 0.2%/s-2.0 ± 0.3%/s, p < 0.01) and CMT (1.6 ± 0.2%/s-1.9 ± 0.2%/s, p < 0.01). LA function assessed by STE improves rapidly during short-term intensive exercise training.