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Effects of recovery mode (active vs. passive) on performance during a short high-intensity interval training program: a longitudinal study

European Journal of Applied Physiology volume 113, pages 1373–1383 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of this longitudinal study was to compare two recovery modes (active vs. passive) during a seven-week high-intensity interval training program (SWHITP) aimed to improve maximal oxygen uptake (\( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{max}}}} \)), maximal aerobic velocity (MAV), time to exhaustion (t lim) and time spent at a high percentage of \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{max}}}} \), i.e., above 90 % (t90 \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{max}}}} \)) and 95 % (t95 \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{max}}}} \)) of \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{max}}}} \). Twenty-four adults were randomly assigned to a control group that did not train (CG, n = 6) and two training groups: intermittent exercise (30 s exercise/30 s recovery) with active (IEA, n = 9) or passive recovery (IEP, n = 9). Before and after seven weeks with (IEA and IEP) or without (CG) high-intensity interval training (HIT) program, all subjects performed a maximal graded test to determine their \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{ 2 {\text{max}}}} \) and MAV. Subsequently only the subjects of IEA and IEP groups carried out an intermittent exercise test consisting of repeating as long as possible 30 s intensive runs at 105 % of MAV alternating with 30 s active recovery at 50 % of MAV (IEA) or 30 s passive recovery (IEP). Within IEA and IEP, mean t lim and MAV significantly increased between the onset and the end of the SWHITP and no significant difference was found in t90 VO2max and t95 VO2max. Furthermore, before and after the SWHITP, passive recovery allowed a longer t lim for a similar time spent at a high percentage of VO2max. Finally, within IEA, but not in IEP, mean VO2max increased significantly between the onset and the end of the SWHITP both in absolute (p < 0.01) and relative values (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results showed a significant increase in VO2max after a SWHITP with active recovery in spite of the fact that t lim was significantly longer (more than twice longer) with respect to passive recovery.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge all the subjects for their participation in the study. We also wish to honor the memory of Delphine Thévenet by dedicating this article to her.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Movement, Sport and Heath Sciences Laboratory (M2S), Rennes 2 University, ENS Cachan - Brittany branch, Cachan, France

    Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman, Hassane Zouhal, Delphine Thevenet, Pierre-Yves de Mullenheim, Steven Gastinger & Jacques Prioux

  2. Faculté de médecine Ibn El Jazzar, Laboratoire des adaptations cardio-circulatoires, respiratoires, métaboliques et hormonales à l’exercice musculaire, 4002, Sousse, Tunisia

    Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman & Zouhair Tabka

  3. Research Laboratory “Sport Performance Optimisation”, National Center of Medicine and Science in Sport (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia

    Karim Chamari

  4. Institut Supérieur du Sport et de l’Education Physique de Tunis, University of Manouba, Ksar-Saîd, 2010, La Manouba, Tunisia

    Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman & Karim Chamari

  5. ENS Cachan - Brittany branch, Antenne de Bretagne, Campus de Ker-Lann, 35170, Bruz, France

    Delphine Thevenet, Pierre-Yves de Mullenheim & Jacques Prioux

  6. UFR STAPS, Ksar-Saîd, 2010, La Manouba, Tunisia

    Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman

Authors
  1. Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman
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  2. Hassane Zouhal
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Correspondence to Abderraouf Ben Abderrahman.

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Communicated by David C. Poole.

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Ben Abderrahman, A., Zouhal, H., Chamari, K. et al. Effects of recovery mode (active vs. passive) on performance during a short high-intensity interval training program: a longitudinal study. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 1373–1383 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2556-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2556-9

Keywords

  • Longitudinal study
  • Recovery mode
  • Maximal oxygen uptake
  • Time spent at maximal oxygen uptake
  • Time to exhaustion