Effects of self-paced interval and continuous training on health markers in women

• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-017-3715-9
• Publication Date: 2017-09-20T06:34:44Z
• Authors: Luke J. Connolly; Stephen J. Bailey; Peter Krustrup; Jonathan Fulford; Chris Smietanka; Andrew M. Jones
• Keywords: Adult; Blood Glucose; 610; Blood Pressure; High-Intensity Interval Training; 796; 03 medical and health sciences; Oxygen Consumption; 0302 clinical medicine; Inactive; Journal Article; Humans; Learning; Time commitment; Middle Aged; Lipids; Cardiovascular health; Cycling training; Mental Health; Cardiorespiratory Fitness; Self-paced exercise training; Original Article; Female; Cognitive function

To compare the effects of self-paced high-intensity interval and continuous cycle training on health markers in premenopausal women.Forty-five inactive females were randomised to a high-intensity interval training (HIIT; n = 15), continuous training (CT; n = 15) or an inactive control (CON; n = 15) group. HIIT performed 5 × 5 min sets comprising repetitions of 30-s low-, 20-s moderate- and 10-s high-intensity cycling with 2 min rest between sets. CT completed 50 min of continuous cycling. Training was completed self-paced, 3 times weekly for 12 weeks.Peak oxygen uptake (16 ± 8 and 21 ± 12%), resting heart rate (HR) (-5 ± 9 and -4 ± 7 bpm) and visual and verbal learning improved following HIIT and CT compared to CON (P < 0.05). Total body mass (-0.7 ± 1.4 kg), submaximal walking HR (-3 ± 4 bpm) and verbal memory were enhanced following HIIT (P < 0.05), whereas mental well-being, systolic (-5 ± 6 mmHg) and mean arterial (-3 ± 5 mmHg) blood pressures were improved following CT (P < 0.05). Participants reported similar levels of enjoyment following HIIT and CT, and there were no changes in fasting serum lipids, fasting blood [glucose] or [glucose] during an oral glucose tolerance test following either HIIT or CT (P > 0.05). No outcome variable changed in the CON group (P > 0.05).Twelve weeks of self-paced HIIT and CT were similarly effective at improving cardiorespiratory fitness, resting HR and cognitive function in inactive premenopausal women, whereas blood pressure, submaximal HR, well-being and body mass adaptations were training-type-specific. Both training methods improved established health markers, but the adaptations to HIIT were evoked for a lower time commitment.