Effects of a 4-week high-intensity interval training on pacing during 5-km running trial

Abstract

This study analyzed the influence of a 4-week high-intensity interval training on the pacing strategy adopted by runners during a 5-km running trial. Sixteen male recreational long-distance runners were randomly assigned to a control group (CON, n=8) or a high-intensity interval training group (HIIT, n=8). The HIIT group performed high-intensity interval-training twice per week, while the CON group maintained their regular training program. Before and after the training period, the runners performed an incremental exercise test to exhaustion to measure the onset of blood lactate accumulation, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and peak treadmill speed (PTS). A submaximal constant-speed test to measure the running economy (RE) and a 5-km running trial on an outdoor track to establish pacing strategy and performance were also done. During the 5-km running trial, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and time to cover the 5-km trial (T5) were registered. After the training period, there were significant improvements in the HIIT group of ∼7 and 5% for RE (P=0.012) and PTS (P=0.019), respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups for VO2max (P=0.495) or onset of blood lactate accumulation (P=0.101). No difference was found in the parameters measured during the 5-km trial before the training period between HIIT and CON (P>0.05). These findings suggest that 4 weeks of HIIT can improve some traditional physiological variables related to endurance performance (RE and PTS), but it does not alter the perception of effort, pacing strategy, or overall performance during a 5-km running trial.

Effects of Polarized Training on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Young Overweight and Obese Women: A Randomized-Controlled Trial

“…In addition, when comparing the Post-2 results, the POL group decreased their RPE values compared to the HIIT group, suggesting a superior improvement in exercise tolerance after POL training compared to HIIT, despite HIIT training comprising a greater high-intensity exercise volume. These data are in accordance with previous works comparing HIIT against lower intensity exercise modalities ( Astorino et al, 2016 ; Silva et al, 2017 ), showing that HIIT training does not reduce RPE during a moderate-intensity exercise. Thus, POL training seems to be more efficient at improving exercise tolerance in untrained overweight women.…”

Active Recovery After High-Intensity Interval-Training Does Not Attenuate Training Adaptation

“…The major findings of this investigation were that a 4-week HIIT program with a total of 12 training sessions is able to improve vmax during a progressive incremental exercise test as well as v O 2 max and AT. This confirms the findings of other research studies that have demonstrated that a HIIT program performed during 4 weeks is an effective short-term strategy to alter some variables related to endurance performance in well-trained athletes ( Laursen et al, 2005 ; Driller et al, 2009 ; Lamberts et al, 2009 ; Swart et al, 2009 ; Silva et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, the collected data showed that ACT did not attenuate training adaptations during the mesocycle compared to PAS.…”

“…Furthermore, it has been proposed that endurance performance is also influenced by running economy, which in turn is a concept that reflects the integrated composite not only of metabolic and cardiorespiratory capacities (i.e., substrate utilization, O 2 max) but also of biomechanical and neuromuscular characteristics (i.e., running style, motor programming; Barnes and Kilding, 2015 ). In this context, Silva et al (2017) revealed that a 4-week HIIT mesocycle in fact improved running economy. An increase in running economy could lead to a lower energy cost during submaximal running bouts, which might also allow the athletes to achieve higher speeds at the end of the maximal incremental treadmill test ( Silva et al, 2017 ).…”

“…In this context, Silva et al (2017) revealed that a 4-week HIIT mesocycle in fact improved running economy. An increase in running economy could lead to a lower energy cost during submaximal running bouts, which might also allow the athletes to achieve higher speeds at the end of the maximal incremental treadmill test ( Silva et al, 2017 ). Taken together, this may explain why the HIIT program performed during 4 weeks was an effective short-term strategy to alter not only submaximal variables related to endurance performance but also vmax.…”

Inter-Individual Different Responses to Continuous and Interval Training in Recreational Middle-Aged Women Runners

“…However, this could not be the case, especially at high loads, if other performance variables, such as running economy, were improved. Silva et al (2017) reported that a HIIT program mediates a reduction in the energetic cost of running, allowing runners to achieve higher speeds at the end of the maximal incremental treadmill test without significant increases in the VO 2 max. There is also some evidence that improvements in high-intensity aerobic performance are not strongly associated with improvements in VO 2 max since low responders for one parameter are not necessarily low responders for another (Vollaard et al, 2009).…”