Interval Training for Performance: A Scientific and Empirical Practice

doi:10.2165/00007256-200131010-00002

Paper

Interval Training for Performance: A Scientific and Empirical Practice

Published 2001 · L. V??ronique Billat

Sports Medicine

Q1 SJR score

531

Citations

39

Influential Citations

Full textSemantic Scholar

Abstract

AbstractThis article traces the history of scientific and empirical interval training. Scientific research has shed some light on the choice of intensity, work duration and rest periods in so-called ‘interval training’. Interval training involves repeated short to long bouts of rather high intensity exercise (equal or superior to maximal lactate steady-state velocity) interspersed with recovery periods (light exercise or rest). Interval training was first described by Reindell and Roskamm and was popularised in the 1950s by the Olympic champion, Emil Zatopek.Since then middle- and long- distance runners have used this technique to train at velocities close to their own specific competition velocity. In fact, trainers have used specific velocities from 800 to 5000m to calibrate interval training without taking into account physiological markers. However, outside of the competition season it seems better to refer to the velocities associated with particular physiological responses in the range from maximal lactate steady state to the absolute maximal velocity. The range of velocities used in a race must be taken into consideration, since even world records are not run at a constant pace.

Highly Cited

Study Snapshot

Interval training, involving short to long bouts of high intensity exercise interspersed with recovery periods, can improve performance in middle and long-distance runners.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

Sign up to use Study Snapshot

Consensus is limited without an account. Create an account or sign in to get more searches and use the Study Snapshot.

Create an account

Paper

Interval Training for Performance: A Scientific and Empirical Practice

Sign up to use Study Snapshot

References

Oxygen uptake kinetics and lactate concentration during exercise in humans.

Delta VO2 (6-3) and delta VO2 (term-3) during constant-load exercise are highly correlated with the increase in blood lactate during exercise above the lactate threshold.

Very short (15s-15s) interval-training around the critical velocity allows middle-aged runners to maintain VO2 max for 14 minutes.

Short interval-training sessions of 15s-15s at 90-80 and 100-70% of VO2 max effectively stimulate oxygen consumption to its highest level in middle-aged long-distance runners used to long slow distance-training.

Time limit and time at VO2max' during a continuous and an intermittent run.

Intermittent running at v50%delta increases maximal aerobic power, allows longer time at VO2max, and achieves higher peak VO2 with lower lactate accumulation than continuous running.

Recombination processes in doubly capped antimonide-based quaternary thin films

Antimonide-based materials for thermophotovoltaic devices show effective bulk lifetimes of 95 ns and surface recombination velocities of 1900 cm/s, with higher laser intensity leading to decreased lifetime due to radiative recombination.

Effects of 4-wk training using Vmax/Tmax on VO2max and performance in athletes.

A 4-week training program using Vmax as exercise intensity and 60-75% of Tmax as exercise duration significantly increased VO2max and performance in athletes.

Citations

Effects of Supramaximal Intensity Interval Training on Resistin and Cardiometabolic Health Indices in Overweight Nonpostmenopausal Women.

Six weeks of supramaximal high intensity interval training (HIIT) can reduce resistin levels and improve cardiometabolic health indicators in overweight nonpostmenopausal women, while moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT) reduces systolic blood pressure and obesity-related factors.

The Application of Repeated-Sprint Training

Repeated-sprint training (RST) can enhance physical qualities and prepare intermittent sport athletes for high-intensity demands, with individualized training approaches and optimal integration into annual training programs.

Innovations in hypoxic training

This symposium explores recent scientific findings on hypoxic/hypertoxic training to optimize sporting performance, highlighting the need for further research and development in this field.

Sport-Related Injuries in Portuguese CrossFit® Practitioners and Their Characteristics

Approximately 40% of CrossFit® practitioners experience injuries, particularly in the shoulder and tendons, with risk factors including male gender, years of practice, heavier body weight, and higher weekly training volume.

Faster intervals, faster recoveries - intensified short VO2max running intervals are inferior to traditional long intervals in terms of time spent above 90% VO2max

Intensed 30-s intervals are inferior to traditional 3-min intervals in terms of time spent above 90% VO2max, but may have a greater impact on heart rate.

Meta-analyses of the effects of high-intensity interval training in elite athletes—part I: mean effects on various performance measures

HIIT can improve performance in some elite athletes, but more research is needed on exercise economy, sex, duration, training phase, and HIIT type.

Immediate and prolonged effects of different exercise intensities on the regularity of joint and coordinative patterns in runners.

Running at moderate- or high-intensity intensities leads to more regular ankle-knee coordination and increased regularity in joint angles 48 hours after exercise, suggesting ongoing recovery.