A study compared two-week blocks of low-intensity training and high-intensity interval training in terms of performance and recovery. Both methods can improve endurance performance in recreational athletes after already two weeks when the training load is increased significantly from what the individual is accustomed to.
Key Findings:
- Both low-intensity training and high-intensity interval training can improve endurance performance in recreational athletes.
- High-intensity interval training may result in more muscle soreness and elevated levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine.
- It is important to monitor recovery markers during periods of intense training to avoid excessive impairment.
Recommendations:
- If you are a recreational athlete, consider adding either low-intensity training or high-intensity interval training to your routine.
- Start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts over time.
- Listen to your body and take rest days when needed.
- Monitor your recovery markers, such as heart rate variability, sleep quality, and muscle soreness.
- If you experience excessive muscle soreness or other signs of overtraining, reduce the intensity or duration of your workouts.
The University of Jyväskylä conducted a study comparing two different types of training in recreational athletes to see how it affected their performance and recovery. The two types of training were low-intensity training and high-intensity interval training. Both types of training improved the athletes’ endurance performance in just two weeks.
Normally, distance runners mix low-intensity training with moderate-to-high intensity training, but in this study, they tried block periodization where they focused on one type of training for two weeks. The participants either increased their low-intensity training by 70% or did 10 sessions of high-intensity interval training during the two-week block.
The study found that both groups improved their 3000m running performance immediately after the block, with the interval group improving by 13 seconds and the low-intensity group improving by 11 seconds.
The trend continued even after the recovery week, with the interval group’s time being 19 seconds faster than the baseline and the low-intensity group’s time being 17 seconds faster.
However, there were some differences in the recovery between the two groups. The interval group had more muscle soreness in their lower extremities, and their resting levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine remained elevated even after the recovery week. Therefore, it is important to ensure sufficient recovery and monitor recovery markers during such periods to avoid excessive impairment in the recovery state.
The study was conducted with 15 males and females aged 20-45 years who trained recreationally. The Foundation of Sports Institute and the Finnish Sports Research Foundation financially supported the study. Firstbeat Analytics Oy also supported the study by providing heart rate monitors for data collection.
If you are a recreational athlete, this study suggests that adding either low-intensity or high-intensity interval training to your routine can improve your endurance performance. However, it is important to monitor your recovery markers to avoid excessive impairment in the recovery state. Therefore, if you feel excessively sore or tired, it may be best to take a break or switch to low-intensity training for a while.