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Effects of 6 Week Elevation Training Mask with High-Intensity Interval Training on the Aerobic Capacity of Young Men

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Abstract

This preliminary study examined the effects of wearing an elevation training mask® 2.0 (ETM) during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on the aerobic capacity of young men. Twenty-six young men were recruited and randomly divided into an experimental group (EG, n = 13) and a control group (CG, n = 13). The former performed HIIT on a running platform while wearing an ETM, and the latter performed HIIT only. Before and after the intervention, the following parameters were measured: exercise performance indicator is a 3000-m running test; aerobic capacity indicators are maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VT), and running economy (RE); the physiological indicators are blood, pulmonary function, and cardiac function. After 6 weeks of intervention, there were significant differences (p < 0.05) between the time and time × group interaction for the 3000-m running time. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in VO2max between the time and time × group interaction. The VT and RE demonstrated significant differences (p < 0.05) between the time and time × group interaction. Among the physiological indicators, pulmonary and cardiac function differed significantly (p < 0.05) be-tween the time and time × group interaction. Blood parameters showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the time points and time × group interaction. These preliminary results suggest that using ETM in conjunction with HIIT for 6 weeks increased young men’s aerobic performance much more than conventional HIIT. This effect may be attributed to the significantly improved respiratory function and cardiac function caused by the combination of ETM with HIIT.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank all the subjects who participated in this study.

Funding

This research was funded by the Chinese Universities Scientific Fund (2022YB015) and China Yan’an University and the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province (YDBK2018-29 and 2021JQ-625 to X.Y.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exercise Physiology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China

    H. Tian, J. Lu, F. Zhang, B. Qi & J. Wang

  2. College of Physical Education, Yan’an University, Yan’an, China

    Y. Xiang & R. Wang

Authors
  1. H. Tian
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  2. J. Lu
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  3. Y. Xiang
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  4. R. Wang
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  5. F. Zhang
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  6. B. Qi
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  7. J. Wang
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Contributions

Conceptualization, Haonan Tian and Jun Wang; Data curation, Jieming Lu; Formal analysis, Haonan Tian and Ruotong Wang; Funding acquisition, Yang Xiang and Jun Wang; Investigation, Haonan Tian, Jieming Lu, Ruotong Wang, Feng Zhang and Bozhao Qi; Methodology, Haonan Tian, Jieming Lu, Yang Xiang and Jun Wang; Project administration, Jun Wang; Resources, Jieming Lu and Jun Wang; Software, Haonan Tian and Jieming Lu; Supervision, Yang Xiang and Jun Wang; Validation, Jun Wang; Visualization, Haonan Tian; Writing—original draft, Haonan Tian; Writing—review & editing, Haonan Tian and Jun Wang. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Wang.

Ethics declarations

COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICAL STANDARDS

Before the initiation of the study, all participants received an explanation of the procedure and the risks that would later be faced in their participation, and they provided informed consent to participate in this study. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Sport University (2021186H, approved June 2021), and all procedures were in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors state no conflict of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Tian, H., Lu, J., Xiang, Y. et al. Effects of 6 Week Elevation Training Mask with High-Intensity Interval Training on the Aerobic Capacity of Young Men. Hum Physiol 49, 402–410 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119723600029

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