TY - JOUR
T1 - Cycling-based repeat sprint training in the heat enhances running performance in team sport players
AU - Gale, Rachel
AU - Etxebarria, Naroa
AU - Pumpa, Kate
AU - PYNE, David
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the National High-Performance Sports Research Fund of the Australian Institute of Sport. The authors thank the staff and players of the Ainslie Football Club and Canberra Demons Football Club, Canberra, Australia for volunteering to participate in the study. We acknowledge the staff and graduate students of the University of Canberra Research Institute of Sport and Exercise, and the Australia Institute of Sport for their support and assistance.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 European College of Sport Science.
PY - 2021/5/4
Y1 - 2021/5/4
N2 - Applying heat training interventions in a team sports setting remains challenging. This study investigated the effects of integrating short-term, repeat sprint heat training with passive heat exposure on running performance and general conditioning in team sport players. Thirty male club-level Australian Football players were assigned randomly to: Passive + Active Heat (PAH; n = 10), Active Heat (AH; n = 10) or Control (CON; n = 10) to complete 6 × 40 min high-intensity cycling training sessions over 12 days in 35°C (PAH and AH) or 18°C (CON), 50% RH in parallel with mid-season sports-specific training and games. Players in PAH were exposed to 20 min pre-exercise passive heat. Physiological adaptation and running capacity were assessed via a treadmill submaximal heat stress test followed by a time-to-exhaustion run in 35°C, 50% RH. Running capacity increased by 26% ± 8% PAH (0.88, ±0.23; standardised mean, ± 90% confidence limits), 29% ± 12% AH (1.23, ±0.45) and 10% ± 11% CON (0.45, ±0.48) compared with baseline. Both PAH (0.52, ±0.42; standardised mean, ± 90% confidence limits) and AH (0.35, ±0.57) conditions yielded a greater improvement in running capacity than CON. Physiological and perceptual measures remained relatively unchanged between baseline and post-intervention heat stress tests, within and between conditions. When thermal adaptation is not a direct priority, short-term, repeat effort high-intensity cycling in hot conditions combined with sports-specific training can further enhance running performance in team sport players. Six heat exposures across 12-days should improve running performance while minimising lower limb load and cumulative fatigue for team sports players. Highlights Short-duration high-intensity intermittent heat training can be successfully integrated with sport-specific training during the competitive season. When acquiring heat acclimation is not a direct priority, heat-based training offers a practical and time efficient method for enhancing aerobic conditioning in team sport players. In state-level team sport players, the perceived benefits of engaging heat training may complement increases in training load and possibly underlying thermal/physiological adaptations. Implementing a running-based performance trial either side of cycling-based heat training can evaluate the degree of transfer into a sports-specific environment.
AB - Applying heat training interventions in a team sports setting remains challenging. This study investigated the effects of integrating short-term, repeat sprint heat training with passive heat exposure on running performance and general conditioning in team sport players. Thirty male club-level Australian Football players were assigned randomly to: Passive + Active Heat (PAH; n = 10), Active Heat (AH; n = 10) or Control (CON; n = 10) to complete 6 × 40 min high-intensity cycling training sessions over 12 days in 35°C (PAH and AH) or 18°C (CON), 50% RH in parallel with mid-season sports-specific training and games. Players in PAH were exposed to 20 min pre-exercise passive heat. Physiological adaptation and running capacity were assessed via a treadmill submaximal heat stress test followed by a time-to-exhaustion run in 35°C, 50% RH. Running capacity increased by 26% ± 8% PAH (0.88, ±0.23; standardised mean, ± 90% confidence limits), 29% ± 12% AH (1.23, ±0.45) and 10% ± 11% CON (0.45, ±0.48) compared with baseline. Both PAH (0.52, ±0.42; standardised mean, ± 90% confidence limits) and AH (0.35, ±0.57) conditions yielded a greater improvement in running capacity than CON. Physiological and perceptual measures remained relatively unchanged between baseline and post-intervention heat stress tests, within and between conditions. When thermal adaptation is not a direct priority, short-term, repeat effort high-intensity cycling in hot conditions combined with sports-specific training can further enhance running performance in team sport players. Six heat exposures across 12-days should improve running performance while minimising lower limb load and cumulative fatigue for team sports players. Highlights Short-duration high-intensity intermittent heat training can be successfully integrated with sport-specific training during the competitive season. When acquiring heat acclimation is not a direct priority, heat-based training offers a practical and time efficient method for enhancing aerobic conditioning in team sport players. In state-level team sport players, the perceived benefits of engaging heat training may complement increases in training load and possibly underlying thermal/physiological adaptations. Implementing a running-based performance trial either side of cycling-based heat training can evaluate the degree of transfer into a sports-specific environment.
KW - Football
KW - conditioning
KW - cycling
KW - heat perception
KW - passive heat
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085037983&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17461391.2020.1759696
DO - 10.1080/17461391.2020.1759696
M3 - Article
SN - 1746-1391
VL - 21
SP - 695
EP - 704
JO - European Journal of Sport Science
JF - European Journal of Sport Science
IS - 5
ER -