Comparison of Physiological Strain and Muscular Performance of Athletes During Two Intermittent Running Exercises at the Velocity Associated with V˙O₂max

The purpose of this study was to examine physiological strain and muscular performance responses of well trained athletes during two intermittent running exercise protocols at the velocity associated with V˙O₂max. Ten national level middle-distance runners (V˙O₂max 69.4 ± 5.1; mean ± SD) performed in random order two 28 min treadmill running exercises: 14 bouts of 60 s runs with 60 s rest (IR₆₀) and 7 bouts of 120 s runs with120 s rest between each run (IR₁₂₀). During IR₁₂₀ peak oxygen uptake (12 %), peak heart rate (3 %) and peak blood lactate (79 %) were significantly higher than during IR₆₀ (P < 0.001) and almost the same as in the V˙O₂max test. In IR₁₂₀ the relative aerobic energy release calculated on the basis of the accumulated oxygen deficit during the running bouts was significantly higher than in IR₆₀ (81.5 ± 2.7 vs. 70.2 ± 2.6 %, P < 0.001) likewise the sum oxygen consumption during the 14 min running (P < 0.001), while during the 14 min recovery it was as much lower (P < 0.001). There were no changes either during or between the IR₆₀ and IR₁₂₀ protocols with regard to the muscular performance parameters, stride length or height of maximal vertical jumps. In conclusion, during intermittent running at the velocity associated with V˙O₂max doubling the duration of work and rest bouts from 60 s to 120 s increased the physiological strain of well trained athletes to the same level as at exhaustion in the V˙O₂max test but the muscular performance variables were not influenced.

Trained runners - interval running - accumulated oxygen deficit - blood lactate - vertical jump height

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