High Intensity Interval Training in Handcycling: The Effects of a 7 Week Training Intervention in Able-bodied Men
Question
Does HIIT improve physiological capacity and handcycling performance more than moderate continuous handcycling training in able-bodied men?
Summary
In recreationally active able-bodied men who were new to upper-body endurance training, 7 weeks of handcycling HIIT improved peak oxygen uptake and peak power more than moderate continuous handcycling, while requiring less total training time. The study used specialized handcycling equipment and does not directly represent bodyweight HIIT.
Methodology
- Recreationally active able-bodied young men
- 24 participants.
- Handcycling.
- Work intervals: 4 min.
- Recovery: 3 min passive rest.
- Intensity: 85% heart-rate reserve.
- 16 min interval work plus rests and warm-up.
- 2 HIIT sessions/week plus 1 continuous session/week.
- 7 weeks.
- Three-arm randomized controlled training intervention
- Peak oxygen uptake, Peak power output, and RPE were tracked.
Outcomes
Peak VO2
HIIT improved peakVO2 more than MICT and control.
HIIT +22.2 +/- 8.1%; MICT +10.7 +/- 12.9%; p<0.001 for between-group comparisons reported.
Peak power
HIIT improved peak power more than MICT and control.
HIIT +47.1 +/- 20.7%; MICT +32.2 +/- 8.1%; p<0.001.
Training time
HIIT achieved larger adaptations despite 22% less training time than MICT.
HIIT total training time 434 min versus MICT 630 min.
Insights
- 4 x 4-min HIIT can be effective for upper-body endurance adaptations.
- Ramp-up weeks can reduce risk when introducing hard intervals.
- Upper-body HIIT may feel locally uncomfortable and should be progressed carefully.
Limitations
- Small sample
- Able-bodied men only
- No muscle strength measures
- Specialized handcycling setup
- May not generalize to disabled handcyclists
Safety
- No adverse-event statement was found in the extracted NXML.
- All participants completed the study.