Endurance training volume cannot entirely substitute for the lack of intensity
Pekka Matomäki, Olli J. Heinonen, Ari Nummela, Heikki Kyröläinen
TL;DR
Very low intensity endurance training improves low intensity performance but not high intensity, even with high volume.
Contribution
Demonstrates that high volume of low intensity training cannot fully substitute for high intensity training in improving high intensity performance.
Findings
Low intensity training improved low intensity performance metrics like fat oxidation and recovery.
High intensity training significantly improved high intensity performance metrics like aerobic capacity and sprinting power.
Low intensity training had minimal effect on high intensity performance adaptations.
Abstract
Very low intensity endurance training (LIT) does not seem to improve maximal oxygen uptake. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if very high volume of LIT could compensate the lack of intensity and is LIT affecting differently low and high intensity performances. Recreationally active untrained participants (n = 35; 21 females) cycled either LIT (mean training time 6.7 ± 0.7 h / week at 63% of maximal heart rate, n = 16) or high intensity training (HIT) (1.6 ± 0.2 h /week, n = 19) for 10 weeks. Two categories of variables were measured: Low (first lactate threshold, fat oxidation at low intensity exercise, post-exercise recovery) and high (aerobic capacity, second lactate threshold, sprinting power, maximal stroke volume) intensity performance. Only LIT enhanced pooled low intensity performance (LIT: p = 0.01, ES = 0.49, HIT: p = 0.20, ES = 0.20) and HIT pooled high…
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Taxonomy
TopicsSports Performance and Training · Cardiovascular and exercise physiology · Physical Activity and Health