PHYSIOLOGICAL AREA   

Medicina dello Sport 2017 September;70(3):266-81

DOI: 10.23736/S0025-7826.17.02861-7

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

A speed-endurance training to improve aerobic, anaerobic capacity, and fat oxidation of four groups of athletes

Juan M. RAMÍREZ ¹, Víctor M. NÚÑEZ ¹, Carolina LANCHO ^{1, 2}, María S. POBLADOR ¹, José L. LANCHO ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Morphological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; ² Rehabilitation Service, University Hospital Donostia, Donostia, Spain

BACKGROUND: The high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of training characterized by successive short periods of intense activity with short periods of active rest between them. Athletes from different disciplines could highly benefit from speed-endurance training (anaerobic modality of HIIT). The overall aim was to assess the effect of a HIIT protocol (speed-endurance training) on aerobic, anaerobic capacity, and body composition of four groups of athletes (athletics, basketball, cycling and soccer).
METHODS: A four group pretest-post-test experimental design was conducted. Forty-four athletes (athletics: N.=12; basketball: N.=8; cycling: N.=11; soccer: N.=13) were evaluated before and after an eight week training program with two weekly sessions of sprint-endurance intervals training at maximum velocity alternating with decreasing active recovery periods (1:2, 1:1, 2:1). VO2, anaerobic threshold (VO2At), BMI, fat mass, and fat free mass were measured.
RESULTS: Espirometric post-training measures show an increased aerobic and anaerobic capacity in all groups. VO2 increased between 0.8-6.5%, with greater efficacy in basketball players. VO2At increased between 5.8-9.7%, with no differences between groups. In regards to anthropometric values, a decrease in all body composition outputs has been found, but effect size shows a small experimental relevance.
CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing active recovery periods HIIT (speed-endurance training) significantly increases aerobic and anaerobic capacity, as well as improving muscle mechanisms of fat oxidation in all groups of athletes.

KEY WORDS: High-intensity interval training - Exercise test - Athletic performance