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Extremely short duration high-intensity training substantially improves endurance performance in triathletes
John Jakeman1, Simon Adamson, John Babraj
1Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, England.
Summary
Very short high-intensity training (HIT) improves aerobic performance in triathletes. Six-second sprints enhanced 10-km time trial times and delayed blood lactate accumulation, showing HIT
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Endurance Training
Background:
- High-intensity training (HIT) with 30-second sprints is recognized for improving aerobic performance.
- The efficacy of shorter sprint durations within HIT protocols for endurance athletes remains less explored.
- Understanding the physiological adaptations to brief, intense exercise is crucial for optimizing training strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if very short-duration high-intensity training (6-second sprints) can enhance aerobic performance in subelite triathletes.
- To assess the impact of a 6-second HIT protocol on 10-km time trial performance and time to exhaustion.
- To examine the relationship between changes in aerobic performance and blood lactate accumulation kinetics.
Main Methods:
- Six subelite triathletes underwent a 2-week training intervention of 10 repetitions of 6-second cycle sprints.
- A control group of 6 endurance-trained athletes maintained their regular training routines.
- Performance was assessed via a self-paced 10-km cycle time trial and a time to exhaustion test, with blood lactate concentrations measured.
Main Results:
- The HIT group demonstrated a significant 10% improvement in 10-km time trial performance after 2 weeks (p = 0.03).
- Time to exhaustion did not significantly change, but the time to reach the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) significantly increased (p = 0.003).
- Improvements in time trial performance were strongly correlated with the delay in reaching OBLA (R² = 0.63; p = 0.001).
Conclusions:
- A very short-duration high-intensity training regimen (6-second sprints) is highly effective for improving aerobic performance in subelite triathletes.
- The observed performance gains are associated with an improved ability to buffer or clear lactate, indicated by a delayed OBLA.
- This study suggests that brief, intense exercise bouts can be a potent stimulus for enhancing endurance capacity.
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