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Effect of 3-week high-intensity interval training on VO2max, total haemoglobin mass, plasma and blood volume in well-trained athletes

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Abstract

Purpose

This study examined the haematological adaptations to high-intensity interval training (HIT), i.e. total haemoglobin mass (tHb-mass), blood volume (BV), and plasma volume (PV), and its effects on VO2max in well-trained athletes.

Methods

Twenty-seven male and eight female well-trained (VO2max 63.7 ± 7.7 ml/min/kg) athletes were randomly assigned to the HIT (HITG, N = 19) or the control group (CG, N = 16). Over a 3-week period, the HITG performed 11 HIT sessions, consisting of four 4-min interval bouts at an exercise intensity of 90–95 % of the individual maximal heart rate (HRmax), separated by 4-min active recovery periods. Before and 5 ± 2 days after the intervention, tHb-mass, BV and PV were determined by the CO-rebreathing method. VO2max was assessed in a laboratory treadmill test.

Results

tHb-mass (from 753 ± 124 to 760 ± 121 g), BV (from 5.6 ± 0.8 to 5.6 ± 0.9 l) and PV (from 3.2 ± 0.5 to 3.2 ± 0.5 l) remained unchanged after HIT and did not show an interaction (group × time). Within the HITG, VO2max improved from baseline by +3.5 % (p = 0.011), but remained unchanged in the CG. No interaction (group × time) was seen for VO2max. The HITG showed a significant reduction in HRmax compared to the baseline measurement (−2.3 %, p ≤ 0.001), but HRmax remained unchanged in the CG. There was a significant interaction (group × time) for HRmax (p = 0.006). Also, oxygen pulse significantly increased only in HITG from 22.9 ± 4.4 to 23.9 ± 4.2 ml/beat, with no interaction (p = 0.150).

Conclusions

Eleven HIT sessions added to usual training did neither improve VO2max nor haematological parameters compared to the CG.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

avDO2 :

Arterial–venous O2 content difference

BV:

Blood volume

CG:

Control group

CO:

Carbon monoxide

Hb:

Haemoglobin

Hct:

Haematocrit

HIT:

High-intensity interval training

HITG:

High-intensity interval training group

HR:

Heart rate

HRmax :

Maximal heart rate

O2-pulse:

Oxygen pulse

PV:

Plasma volume

Q:

Cardiac output

Qmax :

Maximal cardiac output

SV:

Stroke volume

tHb-mass:

Total haemoglobin mass

VO2max :

Maximal oxygen uptake

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the University of Innsbruck, Vice Rector for Research (“Doktoratsstipendium aus der Nachwuchsförderung”).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Section, Department of Sport Science, University Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Verena Menz, Jochen Strobl, Martin Faulhaber, Hannes Gatterer & Martin Burtscher

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  1. Verena Menz
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  2. Jochen Strobl
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  3. Martin Faulhaber
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  4. Hannes Gatterer
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  5. Martin Burtscher
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Correspondence to Verena Menz.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Communicated by Carsten Lundby.

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Menz, V., Strobl, J., Faulhaber, M. et al. Effect of 3-week high-intensity interval training on VO2max, total haemoglobin mass, plasma and blood volume in well-trained athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 2349–2356 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3211-z

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