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GENERAL COMMENTARY
published: 30 May 2017
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00370
Frontiers in Physiology | www.frontiersin.org 1May 2017 | Volume 8 | Article 370
Edited by:
Billy Sperlich,
University of Würzburg, Germany
Reviewed by:
Thimo Wiewelhove,
Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
*Correspondence:
Paulo Gentil
paulogentil@hotmail.com
Specialty section:
This article was submitted to
Exercise Physiology,
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Frontiers in Physiology
Received: 12 April 2017
Accepted: 18 May 2017
Published: 30 May 2017
Citation:
Gentil P and Del Vecchio FB (2017)
Commentary: High-intensity
Intermittent Training vs.
Moderate-intensity Intermittent
Training: Is It a Matter of Intensity or
Intermittent Efforts?
Front. Physiol. 8:370.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00370
Commentary: High-intensity
Intermittent Training vs.
Moderate-intensity Intermittent
Training: Is It a Matter of Intensity or
Intermittent Efforts?
Paulo Gentil 1*and Fabrício B. Del Vecchio 2
1Faculdade de Educação Física e Dança, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil, 2Escola Superior de Educação
Física, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
Keywords: high intensity interval exercise, high intensity intermittent training, physical fitness, high intensity
exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness
A commentary on
High-intensity intermittent training versus moderate-intensity intermittent training: is it a
matter of intensity or intermittent efforts?
by Jimenéz-Pavón, D., and Lavie, C. J. (2017). Br. J. Sports Med. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-097015.
[Epub ahead of print]
We read with great interest the article by Jimenéz-Pavón and Lavie (2017). While we agree
with the value of prescribing and studying moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT), there are
important aspects that need to be clarified. The authors raise the point that “intensity” is not the
only difference between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and aerobic continuous training
(ACT). The authors cite three studies to support the notion that the intermittent nature of the
exercise and not the intensity may be responsible for the results. However, the studies cited do
not seem to support the points raised. Rakobowchuk et al. (2012) trained two groups at the same
intensity (120% of the peak work rate obtained in a ramp-incremental test), but with different
working parameters (repeated intervals of 10:20 s vs. intervals of 30:60 s); therefore, this cannot
be considered a comparison between HIIT and MIIT. In the study conducted by Alkahtani et al.
(2013), the protocols differed in intensity but also in interval duration (5 min vs. 30s). Therefore,
one cannot use the study to make inferences about training intensity as the other parameters were
not equal. Moreover, in the study conducted by Alkahtani et al. (2013), the group that exercised at
higher intensity performed 30 s at 90% of the intensity equivalent to VO2peak, interspersed with
30 s of passive rest. Although this intensity was higher than that performed by the other group (20%
above 45% VO2peak), it is still lower than reported in previous studies using the same interval
duration (Billat et al., 1999, 2000a,b; Billat, 2001a,b; Racil et al., 2013, 2016).
The only study that has really compared different intensities is Racil et al. (2013). The authors
equated the number of bouts, rest intervals, etc. In this study, the decreases in waist circumference,
triglyceride and total cholesterol were significant only in the HIIT group. In addition, increases in
maximal aerobic speed and decreases in percentage of body fat, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
(LDL-C), and insulin were higher in the HIIT group than in the MIIT group. Although the increases
in VO2peak were significant for both groups (7.7% for HIIT and 5.2 for MIIT), only the HIIT group
showed a significant increase compared to the control group. Therefore, the only study that made
comparisons with different intensities while keeping the other parameters constant clearly favored
HIIT exercises. While this may not answer the question of whether intensity or the intermittent
Gentil and Del Vecchio HIIT vs. MIT: Intensity Matters
nature of interval training is the most important parameter, it
suggests that HIIT promotes better results than MIIT.
We must recall, however, that defining HIIT intensity is not
a matter of “the more the better.” The efficiency of HIIT seems
to be a matter of choosing the adequate intensity. In this regard,
Raleigh et al. (2016) investigated the effects of HIIT intensity on
training-induced adaptations in VO2peak and VO2 kinetics. The
authors compared the effects of HIIT (1 min of effort per 1 min
of rest) targeting 80, 115, or 150% of the intensity equivalent
to VO2max while matching total work performed. According
to the results, increases in VO2peak were greater in the group
that trained at 115% than in the group that trained at 80%. No
differences were observed between the groups that trained at 150
and 80% as well as between the groups that trained at 150 and
115% of iVO2max. The greatest proportion of non-responders
was observed in the group that trained at lower intensity and
the greatest proportion of responders was found in the group
that trained at 115%. Therefore, one should not advocate for or
against high intensity, but rather for adequate intensity.
Jimenéz-Pavón and Lavie (2017) suggested that high-intensity
exercise can sometimes deter physically inactive and unfit people;
however, this has not been found in previous studies. Indeed,
Guiraud et al. (2011) reported that patients with chronic heart
disease preferred HIIT to ACT. Jung et al. (2014) reported that
adults with prediabetes can adhere to HIIT at a level that is
greater than ACT. Furthermore, Jung et al. (2015) compared
HIIT (1 min∼100% W peak and 1 min∼20% W peak for 20 min),
ACT at moderate intensity (∼40% W peak for 40 min) and ACT
at high intensity (∼80% W peak for 20 min). According to the
results, participants reported greater enjoyment related to HIIT
compared to the other protocols and 62% of the participants
reported a preference for engaging in HIIT.
Although we agree that enjoyment ratings might be reduced
when HIIT is strenuous, chronic training may lead to increased
enjoyment due to an increase in achievement. In this regard,
Heisz et al. (2016) randomly assigned sedentary young adults
to HIIT (1 min∼90–95% peak HR followed by 1 min at
30% PPO for a total of 20 min) or ACT (27.5 min∼70–75%
peak HR) for 6 weeks. Enjoyment of HIIT increased with
training, whereas enjoyment of ACT remained constant but
lower.
While we agree that MIIT might be an interesting strategy at
some points and that more studies regarding the topic are needed,
the references presented and the limitations raised by the authors
do not seem to support the points raised.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
PG and FD conceived, drafted, and revised the manuscript. All
authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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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.
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