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Commentary: The Effects of High Intensity Interval Training vs Steady State Training on Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity

DOI:10.3389/fphys.2016.00495
Authors:
Victor Coswig at Universidade Federal do Ceará
Victor Coswig
Paulo Gentil at Universidade Federal de Goiás
Paulo Gentil
João Pedro Naves at Universidade Federal de Goiás
João Pedro Naves
Ricardo Viana at Universidade Federal do Ceará
Ricardo Viana
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Abstract

The research article by Foster et al. (2015) aimed to compare high intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols with steady state exercise and conclude that HIIT protocols are not superior to conventional exercise training in sedentary young adults. We would like to compliment the authors for the interesting work and findings, however, it is necessary to point out some relevant issues, especially regarding protocols configuration and interpretation of the results. Despite the worldwide popularity of Tabata's protocol, it is necessary to be more critical about its use and adaptation. Foster et al. (2015) cited Tabata et al. (1996) for the very brief, very high intensity interval training used in the study. However, they actually described a protocol similar to the one published by Tabata et al. (1997), which should be performed until exhaustion with only 5–6 bouts at 170% of the VO2max, and not 8 as used in the study. The original protocol, published in 1996, proposed 7–8 sprints at a constant load performed until the pedaling frequency dropped below 85 rpm. Load was incremented when the participants could perform more than 9 sets, and not only based on RPE decrements. The Meyer et al. (1990) interval training protocol used by Foster et al. (2015) also did not follow the original description. The original prescription was based on maximum heart rate (86 ± 3% of maximum), with 1-min intervals and an effort:pause ratio of 1:1, while the protocol described by Foster et al. (2015) was based on power output (PO), with 30-s intervals and an effort:pause ratio of 1:2. In our opinion, researchers should exercise caution when attempting to replicate previously used protocols, since deliberate changes to these original parameters used will most likely yield different results. In addition, the divergence between the used protocols from the protocols cited in the references may cause difficulties when replicating the study. Therefore, authors should be more meticulous in indicating these changes and their consequent limitations. Moreover, one of the major problems with HIIT studies is the wide range of training protocols utilized across studies, limiting more conclusive inferences. In this way the modification of existing protocols in subsequent studies does not contribute positively to increase our comprehension about HIIT prescription.
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GENERAL COMMENTARY
published: 25 October 2016
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00495
Frontiers in Physiology | www.frontiersin.org 1October 2016 | Volume 7 | Article 495
Edited by:
Billy Sperlich,
University of Würzburg, Germany
Reviewed by:
Michael E. Tschakovsky,
Queen’s University, Canada
Florian Engel,
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology,
Germany
*Correspondence:
Victor S. Coswig
vcoswig@gmail.com
Specialty section:
This article was submitted to
Exercise Physiology,
a section of the journal
Frontiers in Physiology
Received: 20 July 2016
Accepted: 11 October 2016
Published: 25 October 2016
Citation:
Coswig VS, Gentil P, Naves JPA,
Viana RB, Bartel C and Del
Vecchio FB (2016) Commentary: The
Effects of High Intensity Interval
Training vs Steady State Training on
Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity.
Front. Physiol. 7:495.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00495
Commentary: The Effects of High
Intensity Interval Training vs Steady
State Training on Aerobic and
Anaerobic Capacity
Victor S. Coswig 1*, Paulo Gentil 2, João P. A. Naves 2, Ricardo B. Viana2, Charles Bartel 1
and Fabrício B. Del Vecchio1
1Department of Physical Education, Superior School of Physical Education, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil,
2Department of Physical Education, School of Physical Education and Dance, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
Keywords: physiology exercise, circuit-based exercise, interval exercise, high-intensity, exercise tests
A commentary on
The Effects of High Intensity Interval Training vs Steady State Training on Aerobic and
Anaerobic Capacity
by Foster, C., Farland, C., Guidotti, F., Harbin, M., Roberts, B., Schuette, J., et al. (2015). J. Sports. Sci.
Med. 14, 747–755.
The research article by Foster et al. (2015) aimed to compare high intensity interval training
(HIIT) protocols with steady state exercise and conclude that HIIT protocols are not superior to
conventional exercise training in sedentary young adults. We would like to compliment the authors
for the interesting work and findings, however, it is necessary to point out some relevant issues,
especially regarding protocols configuration and interpretation of the results.
Despite the worldwide popularity of Tabata’s protocol, it is necessary to be more critical about
its use and adaptation. Foster et al. (2015) cited Tabata et al. (1996) for the very brief, very high
intensity interval training used in the study. However, they actually described a protocol similar to
the one published by Tabata et al. (1997), which should be performed until exhaustion with only
5–6 bouts at 170% of the VO2max, and not 8 as used in the study. The original protocol, published
in 1996, proposed 7–8 sprints at a constant load performed until the pedaling frequency dropped
below 85 rpm. Load was incremented when the participants could perform more than 9 sets, and
not only based on RPE decrements.
The Meyer et al. (1990) interval training protocol used by Foster et al. (2015) also did not follow
the original description. The original prescription was based on maximum heart rate (86 ±3%
of maximum), with 1-min intervals and an effort:pause ratio of 1:1, while the protocol described
by Foster et al. (2015) was based on power output (PO), with 30-s intervals and an effort:pause
ratio of 1:2.
In our opinion, researchers should exercise caution when attempting to replicate previously
used protocols, since deliberate changes to these original parameters used will most likely yield
different results. In addition, the divergence between the used protocols from the protocols cited
in the references may cause difficulties when replicating the study. Therefore, authors should be
more meticulous in indicating these changes and their consequent limitations. Moreover, one
of the major problems with HIIT studies is the wide range of training protocols utilized across
studies, limiting more conclusive inferences. In this way the modification of existing protocols
in subsequent studies does not contribute positively to increase our comprehension about HIIT
prescription.
Coswig et al. HIIT vs Steady State Training
Furthermore, based on our practical experience and
theoretical evidence, it seems unrealistic to perform 8 sprints at
a speed of 90 rpm at 170% of the aerobic power, especially in
sedentary individuals. Experiments in our laboratories indicate
that a reasonable intensity for reproducing the original Tabata
Protocol should use ∼120% of the maximal aerobic power.
Power output reductions were already evident after 8-s sprints
with 15-s rest (Billaut et al., 2003). After ∼10-s sprints it takes
120-s to recover the initial power production (Cooke and Barnes,
1997). How could we expect the maintenance of 170% of peak
aerobic power after 20-s sprints for 8 repetitions, with only 10-s
pause in previously sedentary subjects?
Another limitation is related to enjoyment issues. To our
understanding, enjoyment values do not make fair assessments
when: (i) original protocols are not really followed; and (ii) only
acute measurements are performed. It appears to be obvious that
after 4-min of very intensive exercise an enjoyment scale should
indicate a low value. Therefore, in order to adequately address
the question, researchers should consider long-term adherence
and/or intention to engage in the exercise program (McRae
et al., 2012; Jung et al., 2014). Moreover, even though the Tabata
protocol is reported as less enjoyable, one cannot forget that
it was more time efficient than the other two training models.
The occurrence of similar gains in all measured variables with
a training volume five times smaller is extremely relevant, since
lack of time is the main reported reason for being physically
inactive (Trost et al., 2002; Gibala et al., 2012).
It is time to give careful consideration to research studies
focused on HIIT. In our opinion, there is a serious problem in
replicating HIIT protocols, and this is a direct result of deliberate
protocol adaptations, along with improper descriptions of the
methods used during the experiments, as well as inadequately
referencing bibliographic citations. Our concern is that this
could lead to significant mistakes in both the scientific and
practical applications of HIIT, which can potentially result in
undesirable outcomes. Especially as the results obtained by these
adapted protocols can vary greatly from the results obtained
in the original studies. Finally, time efficiency, motivation, and
health/fitness improvements associated with HIIT potentially
exceeds the acute negative effects of its high intensity, and this
should be considered when discussing its cost effectiveness (Del
Vecchio et al., 2015).
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
VC, JN, RV, PG, CB, and FD: Conception, drafting the article,
revising it critically, and final approval of the version to be
published.
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Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that the research was
conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could
be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Copyright © 2016 Coswig, Gentil, Naves, Viana, Bartel and Del Vecchio. This
is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums
is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the
original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic
practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply
with these terms.
Frontiers in Physiology | www.frontiersin.org 2October 2016 | Volume 7 | Article 495
... The great popularity of the protocol is probably associated with its astonishing results together with an attractive time efficiency. However, such popularity is accompanied by a lack of consistency, supervision and criteria in the use of the protocol, which results in some questionings and uncertainties about the results obtained from its utilization (Coswig et al., 2016;Gentil et al., 2016). ...
... Apparently, both studies were merged to form the 'Tabata Protocol', which consists in one set of 7-8 bouts of 20 s performed at 170% of i _ VO 2 max, with passive recovery of 10 s. However, the feasibility of this recommendation has been challenged, as it would be unrealistic to accumulate 160 s of work at 170% of i _ VO 2 max using 20 s:10 s intervals, especially in cycling (Coswig et al., 2016;Gentil et al., 2016). ...
... About 47% of the selected studies (Amtmann et al., 2008;McRae et al., 2012;Rebold et al., 2013;Fortner et al., 2014;Ma et al., 2014Ma et al., , 2015 , 1996, 1997). However, the feasibility of such a protocol was recently questioned (Coswig et al., 2016;Gentil et al., 2016) due to the difficulties of the subjects in performing 7-8 bouts at an intensity corresponding to 170% of i _ VO 2 max on a cycle ergometer. Unpublished data from our research group reveal that most participants interrupt the exercise by the third bout when cycling at an intensity equivalent to 170% of the i _ VO 2 max and a plausible intensity for 7-8 bouts should be around 115% of the i _ VO 2 max. ...
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... Apparently, both studies were merged to form the recommendation to perform seven to eight bouts of 20:10 intervals at a load equivalent to 170% of i̇O 2 max, a suggestion that was used in many subsequent studies [3,4,6]. However, the feasibility of accumulating 160 seconds of work at 170% i̇O 2 max has been questioned [7,8]. Thus, a better understanding of the adequate intensity to complete eight 20:10 is relevant to clarify this popular HIIT method known and applied worldwide. ...
... According to our results, the number of bouts at 170% i̇O 2 max ranged between three and five, and no participant performed more than five bouts. This is in agreement with the findings of previous authors who questioned the feasibility of performing eight to nine bouts of 20:10 at 170% i̇O 2 max [7,8]. However, this conflicts with studies that involved eight or more bouts at 170% i̇O 2 max [3,6,18] and also challenged the study published by Tabata et al. [5], which involved five to six bouts at 170% i̇O 2 max. ...
Defining the number of bouts and oxygen uptake during the “Tabata protocol” performed at different intensities
Article
It is usually reported that the Tabata protocol (TP) is performed with eight bouts of 20:10 intervals at a load equivalent to 170% of iV̇O2max. However, the feasibility of accumulating 160 s of work at 170% iV̇O2max has been questioned. This article tested the intensity that would allow the performance of the original TP on a cycle ergometer, and measured the highest value of oxygen consumption (V̇O2) obtained during the TP and the time spent above 90% of the maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) during the TP performed at different intensities. Thirteen young active males (25.9 ± 5.5 years, 67.9 ± 9.2 kg, 1.70 ± 0.06 m, 23.6 ± 3.1 kg·m-2) participated in the study. Participants performed a graded exertion test (GXT) on a cycle ergometer to obtain maximum oxygen consumption (V̇O2max) and the intensity associated with V̇O2max (iV̇O2max). V̇O2, maximal heart rate (HRmax), and number of bouts performed were evaluated during the TP performed at 115%, 130%, and 170% of i V̇O2max. V̇O2max, HRmax, and iV̇O2max were 51.8 ± 8.0 mL.kg-1·min-1, 186 ± 10 bpm, and 204 ± 26 W, respectively. The number of bouts performed at 115% (7 ± 1 bouts) was higher than at 130% (5 ± 1 bouts) and 170% (4 ± 1 bouts) (p < .0001). The highest V̇O2 achieved at 115%, 130%, and 170% of iV̇O2max was 54.2 ± 7.9 mL·kg-1·min-1, 52.5 ± 8.1 mL·kg-1·min-1, and 49.6 ± 7.5 mL·kg-1·min-1, respectively. Non significant difference was found between the highest V̇O2 achieved at different intensities, however qualitative magnitude-inference indicate a likely small effect between 115% and 170% of iVO2max. Time spent above 90% of the V̇O2max during the TP at 115% (50 ± 48 s) was higher than 170% (23 ± 21 s; p < 0.044) with a probably small effect. In conclusion, our data suggest that the adequate intensity to perform a similar number of bouts in the original TP is lower than previously proposed, and equivalent to 115% of the iV̇O2max. In addition, intensities between 115 and 130% of the iV̇O2max should be used to raise the time spent above 90% V̇O2max.
View
... Some results propose that although high-intensity interval training protocols are time efficient, they are not more effective than aerobic exercise training in improving the aerobic and anaerobic performance of sedentary young adults over an eight-week period (20). It might be more safe and enjoyable for sedentary females to use aerobic means of exercise to start a new exercise routine, however comparing enjoyment between high-intensity interval training and conventional aerobic training is problematic due to various deviations from original protocols and performing acute measurements only (20,21). ...
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The Effects of High Intensity Interval Training vs Steady State Training on Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity
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Full-text available
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Article
  • Dec 1990
In order to improve endurance by exercise on a bicycle ergometer, both the interval method (I) (exertion and recovery phases alternate each minute) and the continuous method (constant exertion) can be employed. We examined the effects of both methods on the following parameters: heart rate, blood pressure, rate-pressure product, glucose, lactate, and catecholamine levels, and physical performance. Two groups of nine male patients were trained daily on a bicycle ergometer for 3.5 weeks. These patients had undergone coronary bypass surgery 24 and/or 26 days before the training started. The training heart rate was set at 86% of the individual maximum heart rate. In the last week of training, the exercise intensity in both patient groups, following either I or C regimen, was 20:121 W and 83 W respectively. The exercise training lasted 20 minutes with the following findings: (1) there were no significant differences in blood pressure, rate-pressure product, rates of glucose and catecholamines, and (2) there was a significantly higher rate of lactate in the second ten minutes of the I training. Before and after the training period, the patients were subjected to a multistage bicycle ergometer exercise test (sitting). The following results obtained after the training favor the I method: (1) patients' physical performance increased (+0.63 vs. +0.26 W/kg; p less than 0.001); (2) heart rate was lower at rest (-9 vs. -4 beats/min; p less than 0.04) and at 75 W (-12 vs. -2 beats/min; p less than 0.02); (3) rate-pressure product was lower at rest (-1675 vs. -291; p less than 0.04) and at 75 W (-2810 vs. -735; p less than 0.05); (4) rate of lactate was lower at 75 W (-0.83 vs. -0.33 mmol/l; p less than 0.04); (5) catecholamines were not lowered by I or C training, and no differences between the two groups could be observed. Exercise training according to the I method involves both the aerobic and anaerobic capacity of the organism, whereas exercise training according to the C method involves only oxidative capacity. After coronary bypass surgery, the I method is better suited to increase physical performance and is more effective in economizing the cardiac function.
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