ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2017 July-August;57(7-8):969-75

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06539-7

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Effects of combined high intensity arm and leg training on performance and cardio-respiratory measures

Christoph ZINNER ¹, Billy SPERLICH ¹, Dennis-Peter BORN ¹, Guido MICHELS ² ✉

¹ Department of Sport Science, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; ² Department III of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combined arm and leg high-intensity low-volume interval training (HIITarm+leg) on maximal oxygen uptake, myocardial measures (i.e. stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction), Tissue Oxygenation Index (TOI) of the vastus lateralis and triceps brachii, as well as power output in comparison to leg HIIT (HIITleg) only.
METHODS: The 20 healthy, male and female volunteers completed six sessions of either HIITleg on a cycle ergometer or HIITarm+leg on an arm and leg cycle ergometer. During pre- and post-testing, the volunteers completed a submaximal and incremental test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer.
RESULTS: Magnitude based interference revealed likely to very likely beneficial effects for HIITarm+leg compared to HIITleg in maximal oxygen uptake, cardiac measures as well peak power output. The TOI following HIITarm+leg demonstrated likely to very likely increased oxygenation in the triceps brachii or the vastus lateralis when compared to HIITleg.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that six sessions of HIITarm+leg may likely to very likely improve maximal oxygen uptake, some inotropy-related cardiac measures with improved tissue oxygenation of the triceps brachii and vastus lateralis muscles resulting in greater leg peak power output.

KEY WORDS: Exercise - Spectroscopy, near-infrared - High-intensity interval training