Exercise Performance of Fit Athletes
Conditions
Brief summary
Different types of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions are used by athletes in order to improve their physical performance, but innovative approaches to training are lacking. Therefore, in Part A of this study the physiological response to a standard HIIT and a new decremental exercise training (DECT) will be compared in runners and cyclists. Next, in Part B the training effects of a 4-week block of the HIIT and DECT will be compared.
Interventions
OTHERDECT
The DECT program consists of a 4-week training intervention with three weekly sessions of high-intensity interval training, in which during each exercise bout the workload is imposed in a decremental fashion.
OTHERHIIT
The HIIT program consists of a 4-week training intervention with three weekly sessions of high-intensity interval training, in which during each exercise bout the workload is kept constant.
Sponsors
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age: 18-40 years * Healthy, i.e. normal physical and mental status (not taking any medication on a regular basis for more than a month, except contraceptive medication) * Normal Body-Mass-Index (BMI): 18.5-24.9 kg·m-2 * Well-trained athletes: V̇O2max \> 55.1 ml·min-1·kg-1 for men and \> 50.1 ml·min-1·kg-1 for women * Normal lung function * Non-smoking * Willing to adhere to the general study rules
Exclusion criteria
* Women who are pregnant or breast feeding * Intention to become pregnant during the course of the study * Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse * Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant * Previous enrolment into the same part (A or B) of the current study * Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent persons * Acute or chronic illness * Intake of medications affecting performance or the respiratory, cardiovascular or neuromuscular system * Insufficient training history (\<3 yrs of participation in competitive cycling/running) or training volume (\<40 km running/week or 150 km cycling/week) in the previous 6 months * Recent (\<3 months) history of orthopaedic injury or participation in structured high-intensity training blocks
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in exercise performance | measured before and after the 4-week training block, during a time-trial (40 km cycling or 10 km running) | Time taken to cover a fixed distance, in minutes |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in maximal oxygen uptake | Measured during a maximal incremental exercise test before and after the 4-week training block | Measured in ml/kg/min |
| Average oxygen uptake | The two training session are performed within one week | Average oxygen uptake measured during the four 4-min bouts of high-intensity exercise of a session of HIIT and DECT |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed