Differences in the response to three weeks of sprint interval training are not dependent on the exertion level during training, as heart rate and lactate kinetics did not differ between responder types.
Observational (n=28)
Does the exertion level during sprint interval training explain the variability in performance response among young untrained men?
The variability in performance improvement following sprint interval training is not explained by differences in exertion levels during the training sessions.
Background and Objectives: The all-out mode of sprint interval training (SIT) has been shown to be an efficient method for improving sports performance, exercise capacity, and aerobic fitness. Although the benefits of SIT are well described, the mechanisms underlying the different degrees of response remain largely unexplored. We aimed to assess the effects of exertion on the responsiveness to SIT. Materials and Methods: The participants were 28 young untrained men (mean ± SD age 25.7 ± 6.03 years) who exhibited either a large or small increase in Wingate test average power in response to nine SIT sessions performed over three weeks. Each training session comprised four–six bouts of 30 s all-out cycling interspaced with 4 min of rest. Individual responses were assessed using heart rate (HR) during exercise for all nine sessions, as well as blood lactate concentration up to 1 h, and the decrement in maximal voluntary knee extension torque (MVC) up to 24 h after the first and last training sessions. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and maximum HR were measured before and after training during an incremental cycling test to exhaustion. Results: Although all participants showed benefits of SIT such as increased VO2peak, the increase in anaerobic cycling power varied between participants. We identified 17 high responders and nine low responders, whose average power outputs were 0.80 ± 0.22 and 0.22 ± 0.19 W/kg, respectively. The HR achieved during any of the training sessions did not differ between high and low responders. The lactate kinetics did not differ between groups before and after the intervention. Training resulted in a more rapid recovery of MVC without any discernible differences between the high and low responders. Conclusion: The differences in the responses to SIT are not dependent on the exertion level during training.
Krusnauskas et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Healthy untrained men (n=28). Sprint interval training (SIT) vs. Low responders was evaluated on Exertion level (heart rate, lactate kinetics, and maximal voluntary contraction recovery). Differences in the response to three weeks of sprint interval training are not dependent on the exertion level during training, as heart rate and lactate kinetics did not differ between responder types.