Comparison of sprint interval and endurance training in team sport athletes
Kelly, David T., Tobin, Críonna, Egan, BrendanORCID: 0000-0001-8327-9016, McCarren, AndrewORCID: 0000-0002-7297-0984, O'Connor, Paul L., McCaffrey, Noel and Moyna, NiallORCID: 0000-0003-1061-8528
(2018)
Comparison of sprint interval and endurance training in team sport athletes.
Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32
(11).
pp. 3051-3058.
ISSN 1064-8011
High volume endurance training (ET) has traditionally been used to
improve aerobic capacity but is extremely time-consuming in
contrast to low-volume short-duration sprint interval
training (SIT) that improves maximal oxygen uptake (V_
O2max) to a similar extent. Few studies have compared the
effects of SIT vs. ET using running-based protocols, or
in team sport athletes. Club level male Gaelic football players were randomly assigned to SIT (n = 7; 21.6 6 2.1
years) or ET (n = 8; 21.9 6 3.5 years) for 6 sessions over 2
weeks. V_ O2max, muscle mitochondrial enzyme activity,
running economy (RE), and high-intensity endurance
capacity (HEC) were measured before and after training. An
increase in V_ O2max (p # 0.05) after 2 weeks of both SIT and
ET was observed. Performance in HEC increased by
31.0 and 17.2% after SIT and ET, respectively (p # 0.05).
Running economy assessed at 8, 9, 10, and 11 km$h
21
,
lactate threshold and vV_ O2max were unchanged after both
SIT and ET. Maximal activity of 3-b-hydroxylacyl coenzyme
A dehydrogenase (b-HAD) was increased in response to
both SIT and ET (p #0.05), whereas the maximal activity of
citrate synthase remained unchanged after training (p =
0.07). A running-based protocol of SIT is a time-efficient
training method for improving aerobic capacity and HEC,
and maintaining indices of RE and lactate threshold in team
sport athletes.