Selected Physiological Responses to Interval Training in the Enhancement of Physical Fitness (original) (raw)

The impact of interval training programme (ITP) on people's health and sports performance have been well documented mostly as a substitute to endurance training, bringing about similar improvement of performance and health benefits. With training such as interval training, there would be constant physiological and psychological pressure among the athletes. In general, oxygen consumption increases more with high intensity form of interval training than moderate intensity interval training (MIIT) for a given training volume. During exercise, heart rate increases in proportion to the energy required for the performance of the task. As the task increases in intensity, there would be a corresponding increase in heart rate. In addition, maximum stroke volume increases more with high intensity type of interval training likewise there were reductions in resting BP in adults. It was therefore concluded that ITP improves cardiovascular fitness, cardiac output, blood volume, blood pressure and body composition, heart rate reserve, although, the effects of ITP on vital capacity was not well established. It was therefore encouraged that the physiological responses of vital capacity to interval training should be considered among male and female athletes. Also, the amount of air that can be inhaled or exhaled from the lung of obese and non-obese during ITP should be investigated.