Physical and physiological effects of game based and running based High Intensity Interval Training with equal...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Training Methodology

Background:

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is recognized for its efficacy in enhancing fitness components.
• Various HIIT protocols exist, each with potentially different physiological impacts.
• Understanding the specific effects of different HIIT structures is crucial for optimizing athletic training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of five distinct HIIT protocols on amateur soccer players' fitness.
• To evaluate impacts on aerobic capacity, agility, vertical jump, sprinting, and heart rate variability (HRV).
• To determine which HIIT protocols yield the most significant improvements in key performance indicators.

Main Methods:

• Forty amateur soccer players were divided into five groups, each undertaking a specific HIIT protocol for four weeks.
• Pre- and post-intervention assessments included VO2max, anaerobic power, reactive agility, vertical jump, sprint times, and HRV.
• Protocols included Small Sided Games Long Interval (SSG(LI)), Long Interval (LI), Small Sided Games Short Interval (SSG(SI)), Short Interval (SI), and Sprint Interval Training (SIT).

Main Results:

• All HIIT groups showed significant improvements in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max).
• Reactive agility improved significantly in SSG(LI), SSG(SI), SI, and SIT groups.
• Leg-specific vertical jump performance increased, but sprint times and anaerobic power did not change significantly. HRV parameters exhibited varied responses.

Conclusions:

• HIIT demonstrates adaptability, leading to enhanced aerobic endurance, agility, and leg-specific vertical jump performance across varied protocols.
• Different HIIT structures can elicit specific adaptations in soccer players.
• Further research with rigorous designs is needed to establish definitive causal relationships.