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by tmi
High Intensity Training versus Traditional Exercise Interventions |
| Intensive training (INT) for 12 wk is an effective training stimulus for improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness and glucose tolerance, but it is less effective than prolonged training for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity. Furthermore and in contrast to strength training, 12 wk of INT had no impact on muscle mass or indices of skeletal health…. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of brief intense interval training as exercise intervention for promoting health and to evaluate potential benefits about common interventions, that is, prolonged exercise and strength training. Thirty-six untrained men were divided into groups that completed 12 wk of intense interval running (INT; total training time 40 min·wk?1), prolonged running (~150 min·wk?1), and strength training (~150 min·wk?1) or continued their habitual lifestyle without participation in physical training. The results showed that, the improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness was superior in the INT (14% ± 2% increase in V?O2max) compared with the other two exercise interventions (7% ± 2% and 3% ± 2% increases). The blood glucose concentration 2 h after oral ingestion of 75 g of glucose was lowered to a similar extent after training in the INT (from 6.1 ± 0.6 to 5.1 ± 0.4 mM, P < 0.05) and the prolonged running group (from 5.6 ± 1.5 to 4.9 ± 1.1 mM, P < 0.05). In contrast, INT was less efficient than prolonged running for lowering the subjects’ resting HR, fat percentage, and reducing the ratio between total and HDL plasma cholesterol. Furthermore, total bone mass and lean body mass remained unchanged in the INT group, whereas both these parameters were increased by the strength-training intervention. In conclusion, INT for 12 wk is an effective training stimulus for improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness and glucose tolerance, but in relation to the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity, it is less effective than prolonged training. Furthermore and in contrast to strength training, 12 wk of INT had no impact on muscle mass or indices of skeletal health. The present investigation reveals that INT is an effective training stimulus for improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness and glucose tolerance, and in untrained subjects it may induce a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure. However, in relation to the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity, it is less effective than prolonged training, and in contrast to strength training, 12 wk of INT had no impact on muscle mass or indices of skeletal health. In conclusion, the present study investigated various health effects of brief but very intense exercise training, and the marked improvements in cardiovascular fitness, glucose tolerance, and exercise endurance as well as the lowering of systolic blood pressure put emphasis on the potential benefits of high-intensity training and its ability to improve certain physiological health parameters. However, the intense low-volume training regimen had limitations, and for the short-term intervention period, it was less effective than prolonged training in relation to the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity. Furthermore, 12 wk of INT had no impact on muscle mass or leg bone mass, whereas strength training besides increasing the subjects muscle mass also provided a significant osteogenic stimulus that may have both acute and prolonged effects for musculoskeletal health. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise® 2010; 42(10):1951-1958. |