S1Ep2.- CARDIO: Should I train Aerobic Endurance, HIIT, or Sprint?

"Cardio" training (aerobic/anaerobic conditioning) includes different modalities. But which one is best for you? 
Aerobic endurance, High Intensity Interval Training, or Sprint?
Depending on your goals, options vary, but if what you are looking for is, time efficiency for training and adaptations, you could find the answer here... 

Contact me with suggestions for future episodes or for your own training program!
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Strength Coach Fernando Rosete, MS, CSCS, USAW

Podcast dedicated to Exercise Science subjects and applications to Strength and Conditioning Training. All information shared here is based on scientific research and not limited to opinions.

Over 20 years of experience as a Coach in a multitude if environments, including fitness and wellness, strength and conditioning for youth and elite athletes, and collegiate, DI athletes. Tactical strength and conditioning for firemen, SWAT operators, Army and Air Force personnel, and currently working with Air Force Special Tactics, ground operators.

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Transcript

Episode 2

What should I be doing for cardio?

HIIT? Sprint Training? or Aerobic Endurance (AE) training?

This is one of my favorite topics of discussion. For decades, the ideal exercise intensity has been questioned for best results. Most fitness fanatics would automatically assume that “cardio” exercise is best to lose weight and to improve cardiovascular capacity. Whereas lifting weights could lead to muscle development.

But what is cardio? 

Isn’t that supposed to be when you train your cardiovascular system? And if that’s so, Aren’t we doing that anytime we exercise, regardless of what we do?

But let’s go back in time… if we were still training like in the 80s, when most weight rooms where only visited by men and aerobic classes were most visited by ladies. That is, the ladies would not lift weights because they thought they would get too bulky, and for the dudes, the “ideal” workout was anything that Arnold or any other famous bodybuilder would do. It was the norm! Even athletes were training like body builders. Yep, I am guilty, too… but I did not know any better back then! Haha

But times have changed and we are a little smarter now (I am not talking about fooball players, because we are still dumb) haha, but I mean, science has evolved, and luckily I went to school to learn that.

Depending on what your goals are is how you should train. Now, the reality is that to be well rounded, concurrent training is the ideal way to go. 

Concurrent, means train strength and conditioning simultaneously. But at what intensity?

Let’s talk about the science:

During a study of 10 weeks duration 2 groups were compared (2):

Aerobic endurance (AE) group, running at 75% VO2max for 30 minutes vs high intensity interval training (HIIT) group running 200m at 130-150% V02max and 200m active recovery (W:R= 1:3), for the same amount of time, HIIT group demonstrated:

Aerobic Capacity: Greater VO2max improvements

Anaerobic (Glycolytic capacity): Better improvement on anaerobic treadmill test

ATP/Phosphagen: Faster 50m sprint after training

Strength: Superior Improvement on leg strength (flexion and extension) at fast speeds

*Endurance group lost strength on leg extension

Q. Why did people running at lower intensity for longer time lose leg strength when compared to sprinting group?

A. Depending on the type of training you do is how you “code” your body to work. That is, there are changes in how your DNA express, or not. When you train AE consistently, you are telling your body “you want to look and work like a marathon runner.” Your cells learn they need to adapt to that. When it comes to muscle, slow twitch muscle fibers will be active and trained, but maybe your fast twitch muscle fibers won’t be working as hard.

On the contrary, when you sprint, or train at high intensity (arguably > 75% of work capacity), or lift heavy weights, you are not just training the small, slow twitch fibers. You are then required to recruit and utilize the type 2, bigger, faster, and stronger fibers to do the work. You are also training all 3 energy systems, as the demands are higher. Then you are telling your body “you want to look stronger and be faster, while also I want to have enough cardiovascular capacity.” That type of “conditioning” paired up with weight training will make you the most balanced functionally and fitness wise. HIT also has proven to be the best option for optimal health. However, proper periodization is required. That is, training hard is important, as much as it is to recover well. Otherwise, over training would take place and prevent progress. In worst case, it could even end up in injury.

A review of 18 studies (1), concluded that short sprint intervals training (SSIT) (<10 sec) are  more time efficient than the HIIT modality, while contributing to similar results to all out, longer efforts (such as wingates)!

It is also important to mention that SSIT produce positive effects on VO2max in a shorter time, when compared to other training protocols (after just a few weeks, better improvement in SSIT, when compared to HIIT).

Overall, data has shown significant enhancement on aerobic and anaerobic performance with shorter exercise bouts after SSIT with running and biking, and results have shown comparable or even better than while following HIIT protocols.

Q. But if I am “only” sprinting, that is not enough “cardio” to be fit. Is it?

A. As it has been proven over and over, HIIT, and even sprint training are not just “enough” but even superior at times when compared to

References

1. Boullosa, D., Dragutinovic, B., Feuerbacher, J. F., Benítez‐Flores, S., Coyle, E. F., & Schumann, M. (2022). Effects of short sprint interval training on aerobic and anaerobic indices: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 32(5), 810-820.

2. Sökmen, B., Witchey, R. L., Adams, G. M., & Beam, W. C. (2018). Effects of sprint interval training with active recovery vs. endurance training on aerobic and anaerobic power, muscular strength, and sprint ability. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 32(3), 624-631.

3. Sumpena, A., & Sidik, D. Z. (2017, March). The impact of tabata protocol to increase the anaerobic and aerobic capacity. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 180, No. 1, p. 012189). IOP Publishing.