Decremental Exercise: a New Training Approach?

Overview

Different types of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions are used by athletes in order to improve their physical performance, but innovative approaches to training are lacking. Therefore, in Part A of this study the physiological response to a standard HIIT and a new decremental exercise training (DECT) will be compared in runners and cyclists. Next, in Part B the training effects of a 4-week block of the HIIT and DECT will be compared.

Full Title of Study: “Decremental Exercise Protocol as a Training Stimulus: More or Less Efficient Than Traditional High-intensity Interval Training?”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Other
    • Masking: None (Open Label)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: December 11, 2019

Interventions

  • Other: DECT
    • The DECT program consists of a 4-week training intervention with three weekly sessions of high-intensity interval training, in which during each exercise bout the workload is imposed in a decremental fashion.
  • Other: HIIT
    • The HIIT program consists of a 4-week training intervention with three weekly sessions of high-intensity interval training, in which during each exercise bout the workload is kept constant.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: DECT Group
    • The DECT session consists of four bouts of 4 min high-intensity “decremental” exercise with 3 min of active recovery between bouts. Load is progressively decreased throughout each exercise bout. The training period will last for a total of 4 weeks, with three weekly sessions of supervised training
  • Active Comparator: HIIT Group
    • The HIIT session consists of four bouts of 4 min high-intensity “decremental” exercise with 3 min of active recovery between bouts. Load is kept constant throughout each exercise bout. The training period will last for a total of 4 weeks, with three weekly sessions of supervised training

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Change in exercise performance
    • Time Frame: measured before and after the 4-week training block, during a time-trial (40 km cycling or 10 km running)
    • Time taken to cover a fixed distance, in minutes

Secondary Measures

  • Change in maximal oxygen uptake
    • Time Frame: Measured during a maximal incremental exercise test before and after the 4-week training block
    • Measured in ml/kg/min
  • Average oxygen uptake
    • Time Frame: The two training session are performed within one week
    • Average oxygen uptake measured during the four 4-min bouts of high-intensity exercise of a session of HIIT and DECT

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Age: 18-40 years – Healthy, i.e. normal physical and mental status (not taking any medication on a regular basis for more than a month, except contraceptive medication) – Normal Body-Mass-Index (BMI): 18.5-24.9 kg·m-2 – Well-trained athletes: V̇O2max > 55.1 ml·min-1·kg-1 for men and > 50.1 ml·min-1·kg-1 for women – Normal lung function – Non-smoking – Willing to adhere to the general study rules Exclusion Criteria:

  • Women who are pregnant or breast feeding – Intention to become pregnant during the course of the study – Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse – Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant – Previous enrolment into the same part (A or B) of the current study – Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent persons – Acute or chronic illness – Intake of medications affecting performance or the respiratory, cardiovascular or neuromuscular system – Insufficient training history (<3 yrs of participation in competitive cycling/running) or training volume (<40 km running/week or 150 km cycling/week) in the previous 6 months – Recent (<3 months) history of orthopaedic injury or participation in structured high-intensity training blocks

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 40 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Sponsor
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Christina M Spengler, Prof., Principal Investigator, ETH Zurich

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