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. 1974 Dec;8(4):163–170.

Physiological adjustments to intensive interval treadmill training

F S Pyke, B C Elliott, A R Morton, A D Roberts
PMCID: PMC1859331

Abstract

During a one month training period, eight active men, aged 23-35 years, completed sixteen 30 minute sessions of high intensity interval (5 second work bouts at 16.9 km/hr up 20-25% grade alternated with 10 second rest intervals) treadmill work. In this training period, V̇O2, V̇E and blood lactate in a 10 minute run at 12.9 km/hr on a level treadmill were unchanged but heart rate during this work decreased by an average of 9 beats/min. During a 4 minute interval work effort at the training intensity, blood lactate accumulation decreased by 40.4%. In exhausting work, mean values of V̇O2, V̇E and blood lactate increased by 6.2%, 8.2% and 31.6% respectively. Maximal heart rate decreased by an average of 4 beats/min. The average work production of the men in the training sessions improved by 64.5% from 28,160 kgm to 43,685 kgm. No significant improvements were observed in either a short sprint or a stair climbing test which assessed the ability to generate mechanical power from alactacid anaerobic sources. It was concluded that the training regime is an effective method of producing a high total work output in competitive athletes and results in improvements in aerobic power, glycolytic capacity and ability to tolerate the short duration interval work encountered in many games.

Keywords: interval training, aerobic power, anaerobic power, alactacid oxygen debt, lactacid oxygen debt

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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