Four weeks of running sprint interval training improves cardiorespiratory fitness in young and middle-aged adults |
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| Authors: | Taura N Willoughby Matthew PL Thomas Matthew S Schmale Jennifer L Copeland |
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| Institution: | Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada |
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| Abstract: | The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 4-week running sprint interval training protocol to improve both aerobic and anaerobic fitness in middle-aged adults (40–50 years) as well as compare the adaptations to younger adults (20–30 years). Twenty-eight inactive participants – 14 young 20–30-year-olds (n = 7 males) and 14 middle-aged 40–50-year-olds (n = 5 males) – completed 4 weeks of running sprint interval training (4 to 6, 30-s “all-out” sprints on a curved, self-propelled treadmill separated by 4 min active recovery performed 3 times per week). Before and after training, all participants were assessed for maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), 2000 m time trial performance, and anaerobic performance on a single 30-s sprint. There were no interactions between group and time for any tested variable, although training improved relative VO2max (young = 3.9, middle-aged = 5.2%; P < 0.04), time trial performance (young = 5.9, middle-aged = 8.2%; P < 0.001), peak sprint speed (young = 9.3, middle-aged = 2.2%; P < 0.001), and average sprint speed (young = 6.8, middle-aged = 11.6%; P < 0.001) in both young and middle-aged groups from pre- to post-training on the 30-s sprint test. The current study demonstrates that a 4-week running sprint interval training programme is equally effective at improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness in younger and middle-aged adults. |
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| Keywords: | High-intensity interval training VO2max time trial aerobic power anaerobic performance |
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