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Fast-start strategy increases the time spent above 95 %VO2max during severe-intensity intermittent running exercise

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Abstract

This study aimed to use the intermittent critical velocity (ICV) model to individualize intermittent exercise and analyze whether a fast-start strategy could increase the time spent at or above 95 %VO2max (t95VO2max) during intermittent exercise. After an incremental test, seven active male subjects performed three intermittent exercise tests until exhaustion at 100, 110, and 120 % of the maximal aerobic velocity to determine ICV. On three occasions, the subjects performed an intermittent exercise test until exhaustion at 105 % (IE105) and 125 % (IE125) of ICV, and at a speed that was initially set at 125 %ICV but which then decreased to 105 %ICV (IE125–105). The intermittent exercise consisted of repeated 30-s runs alternated with 15-s passive rest intervals. There was no difference between the predicted and actual Tlim for IE125 (300 ± 72 s and 284 ± 76 s) and IE105 (1,438 ± 423 s and 1,439 ± 518 s), but for IE125–105 the predicted Tlim underestimated the actual Tlim (888 ± 211 s and 1,051 ± 153 s, respectively). The t95VO2max during IE125–105 (289 ± 150 s) was significantly higher than IE125 (113 ± 40 s) and IE105 (106 ± 71 s), but no significant differences were found between IE125 and IE105. It can be concluded that predicting Tlim from the ICV model was affected by the fast-start protocol during intermittent exercise. Furthermore, fast-start protocol was able to increase the time spent at or above 95 %VO2max during intermittent exercise above ICV despite a longer total exercise time at IE105.

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Abbreviations

CP:

Critical power

CV:

Critical velocity

Dlim:

Total distance covered

HRmax:

Maximal heart rate

IE105 :

Intermittent exercise at 105 %ICV

IE125 :

Intermittent exercise at 105 %ICV

IE125–105 :

Intermittent exercise that began at 125 %ICV and decreased to 105 %ICV

ICV:

Intermittent critical velocity

[La]max :

Maximal blood lactate concentration

MAV:

Maximal aerobic velocity

t95VO2max :

Time spent at or above 95 %VO2max

Tlim:

Time to exhaustion

TotO2 :

Total amount of oxygen consumed

VO2 :

Oxygen uptake

VO2max :

Maximal oxygen uptake

VO2peak :

Peak oxygen uptake

W′:

Finite energy reserve

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Acknowledgments

We thank the subjects for participation in this study, and CNPq for financial support.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Performance Research Group, Center for Health and Exercise Science, CEFID, UDESC, Rua Pascoal Simone, 358, Coqueiros, Florianopolis, SC, CEP 88080-350, Brazil

    Rafael Alves de Aguiar, Tiago Turnes, Rogério Santos de Oliveira Cruz & Fabrizio Caputo

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  1. Rafael Alves de Aguiar
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  2. Tiago Turnes
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  3. Rogério Santos de Oliveira Cruz
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  4. Fabrizio Caputo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fabrizio Caputo.

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Communicated by David C. Poole.

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de Aguiar, R.A., Turnes, T., de Oliveira Cruz, R.S. et al. Fast-start strategy increases the time spent above 95 %VO2max during severe-intensity intermittent running exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 941–949 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2508-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2508-4

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