The higher the fraction of maximal oxygen uptake is during interval training, the greater is the cycling performance gain
It has been suggested that time at a high fraction (%) of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) plays a decisive role for adaptations to interval training. Yet, no study has, to date, measured the % of VO2max during all interval sessions throughout a prolonged training intervention and subsequently related...
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| Published in: | European journal of sport science Vol. 24; no. 11; pp. 1583 - 1596 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Germany
John Wiley and Sons Inc
01-11-2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | It has been suggested that time at a high fraction (%) of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) plays a decisive role for adaptations to interval training. Yet, no study has, to date, measured the % of VO2max during all interval sessions throughout a prolonged training intervention and subsequently related it to the magnitude of training adaptations. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between % of VO2max achieved during an interval training intervention and changes in endurance performance and its physiological determinants in well‐trained cyclists. Twenty‐two cyclists (VO2max 67.1 (6.4) mL·min−1 ·kg−1; males, n = 19; females, n = 3) underwent a 9‐week interval training intervention, consisting 21 sessions of 5 × 8‐min intervals conducted at their 40‐min highest sustainable mean power output (PO). Oxygen uptake was measured during all interval sessions, and the relationship between % of VO2max during work intervals and training adaptations were investigated using linear regression. A performance index was calculated from several performance measures. With higher % of VO2max during work intervals, greater improvements were observed for maximal PO during the VO2max test (R2adjusted = 0.44, p = 0.009), PO at 4 mmol·L−1 [blood lactate] (R2adjusted = 0.25, p = 0.035), the performance index (R2adjusted = 0.36, p = 0.013), and VO2max (R2adjusted = 0.54, p = 0.029). Other measures, such as % of maximal heart rate, were related to fewer outcome variables and exhibited poorer session‐to‐session repeatability compared to % of VO2max. In conclusion, improvements in endurance measures were positively related to the % of VO2max achieved during interval training. Percentage of VO2max was the measure that best reflected the magnitude of training adaptations.
Highlights
In the present study, we measured well‐trained cyclists' oxygen uptake during 21 power output‐matched interval sessions throughout a 9‐week training intervention and related it to the magnitude of training adaptations.
For the first time, we demonstrate that gains in endurance measures following an interval training intervention are positively related to the fraction of maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) and time spent ≥90% of V̇O2max during interval sessions.
Fraction of V̇O2max during sessions demonstrated better session‐to‐session repeatability and displayed stronger associations with improvements in indicators of endurance performance compared to the percentage of maximal heart rate. |
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| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 1746-1391 1536-7290 1536-7290 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/ejsc.12202 |