Contribution of central and peripheral adaptations to changes in maximal oxygen uptake following 4 weeks of sprint interval training

The current study examined the contribution of central and peripheral adaptations to changes in maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O 2max ) following sprint interval training (SIT). Twenty-three males completed 4 weekly SIT sessions (8 × 20-s cycling bouts at ∼170% of work rate at V̇O 2max , 10-s recovery) for 4 weeks. Following completion of training, the relationship between changes in V̇O 2max and changes in central (cardiac output) and peripheral (arterial–mixed venous oxygen difference (a-vO 2 diff), muscle capillary density, oxidative capacity, fibre-type distribution) adaptations was determined in all participants using correlation analysis. Participants were then divided into tertiles on the basis of the magnitude of their individual V̇O 2max responses, and differences in central and peripheral adaptations were examined in the top (HI; ∼10 mL·kg −1 ·min −1 increase in V̇O 2max , p < 0.05) and bottom (LO; no change in V̇O 2max , p > 0.05) tertiles (n = 8 each). Training had no impact on maximal cardiac output, and no differences were observed between the LO group and the HI group (p > 0.05). The a-vO 2 diff increased in the HI group only (p < 0.05) and correlated significantly (r = 0.71, p < 0.01) with changes in V̇O 2max across all participants. Muscle capillary density (p < 0.02) and β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase maximal activity (p < 0.05) increased in both groups, with no between-group differences (p > 0.05). Citrate synthase maximal activity (p < 0.01) and type IIA fibre composition (p < 0.05) increased in the LO group only. Collectively, although the heterogeneity in the observed V̇O 2max response following 4 weeks of SIT appears to be attributable to individual differences in systemic vascular and/or muscular adaptations, the markers examined in the current study were unable to explain the divergent V̇O 2max responses in the LO and HI groups.