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High-intensity interval training improves performance in young and older individuals by increasing mechanical
Georges Jabbour1, Horia-Daniel Iancu2, Pascale Mauriège3
1School of Kinesiology and Leisure, Faculty of Health Sciences and Community Services, Université de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada georgesjabbour1980@hotmail.com.
Physiological Reports
|April 7, 2017
Summary
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) significantly improved mechanical efficiency (ME) in both young and older adults after six weeks. Increases in maximal power were linked to these gains, suggesting HIIT is beneficial for older adults' muscle efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Gerontology
- Sports Science
Background:
- Mechanical efficiency (ME) is crucial for optimizing energy use during physical activity.
- Understanding how high-intensity interval training (HIIT) impacts ME across different age groups is important for exercise prescription.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the effects of HIIT on ME in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a 6-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program on mechanical efficiency (ME) in young and older adults.
- To determine if increases in maximal power (Pmax) contribute to improvements in ME following HIIT.
- To assess the efficacy of HIIT as an intervention to enhance muscle efficiency in older populations.
Main Methods:
- A 6-week HIIT intervention involving three weekly sessions on an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer.
- Participants included healthy young adults (mean age 26.2 years) and older adults (mean age 54.5 years).
- Mechanical efficiency (ME) was measured at baseline and post-intervention at various intensities, including ventilator thresholds (VT1, VT2) and 100% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max).
Main Results:
- After 6 weeks, ME significantly increased from baseline in both age groups (P < 0.01).
- No significant differences in ME were observed between young and older adults post-intervention.
- Multiple linear regression revealed that increases in maximal power (Pmax) significantly contributed to ME improvements at VT1, VT2, and 100% VO2max, accounting for 28-42% of the variance.
Conclusions:
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT) effectively enhances mechanical efficiency (ME) in both young and older adults.
- Improvements in ME following HIIT are associated with increases in maximal power (Pmax).
- HIIT is a recommended strategy for improving muscle efficiency, particularly in older adults.