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The effects of work-rest duration on intermittent exercise and subsequent performance
1Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, UK. m.price@coventry.ac.uk
Journal of Sports Sciences
|October 1, 2005
Summary
Longer work-rest intervals during intermittent exercise increase physiological strain and carbohydrate use, but do not impact subsequent running performance. Shorter intervals may be less taxing.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Science
- Human Performance
Background:
- Intermittent exercise is common in sports, requiring optimal work-rest ratios for performance.
- Understanding the physiological impact of varying work-rest durations is crucial for training.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the effects of different work-rest durations on physiological strain and subsequent performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of short, medium, and long work-rest durations during 40-minute intermittent treadmill exercise.
- To assess subsequent running performance after intermittent exercise with varied work-rest durations.
- To analyze physiological responses, including intensity, blood lactate, respiratory exchange ratio, and plasma glucose.
Main Methods:
- Eight male participants performed 40-minute intermittent treadmill exercise at 120% of maximal oxygen uptake speed.
- Work-rest ratios tested were short (6s:9s), medium (12s:18s), and long (24s:36s) at a 1:1.5 ratio.
- Following exercise, participants completed a performance run to exhaustion at 150% of maximal oxygen uptake speed.
Main Results:
- Longer work-rest durations (medium and long) resulted in greater mean exercise intensity and higher blood lactate concentrations.
- The respiratory exchange ratio was consistently higher during longer work-rest trials, indicating increased carbohydrate utilization.
- Plasma glucose concentrations were elevated after medium and long work-rest durations, with a correlation to performance time.
Conclusions:
- Forty minutes of intermittent exercise with longer work-rest durations induces greater physiological strain and carbohydrate metabolism.
- No significant differences in subsequent running performance time were observed across the different work-rest duration trials.
- Shorter work-rest durations may elicit less physiological strain during prolonged intermittent exercise.
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