Effects of high intensity interval training on peak aerobic power output and time trial performance in Thai amateur cyclists

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIT) on peak aerobic power output (PAP) and time trial (TT) performance of Thai amateur cyclists. Twenty-nine male amateur cyclists were randomly allocated to one of two groups, a moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) group (n = 14) and a HIT group (n = 15). All subjects performed an incremental exercise test to exhaustion and a 30 km TT to determine the PAP, lactate turnpoint (LTP) and endurance performance before (pre-test) and after the six-week training period (post-test). The HIT group completed ten intervals of 2 min at 120% of LTP with 4 min of rest between intervals, 3 times a week. The MICT group completed three sessions per week of 60 min cycling at 60-75% of the maximum heart rate. Both the HIT and MICT groups also completed one session per week of 120-minute continuous training at 60% LTP. The HIT and MIT training programs were six weeks in duration. Both PAP and performance in the 30 km TT were improved post training in the HIT group (p<0.05), but not the MICT group (p>0.05). The present study suggests that a HIT program was more effective at improving PAP and TT performance of Thai amateur cyclists compared to conventional MICT program.