Peak Power Output Is Similarly Recovered After Three- and Five-Days' Rest Following Sprint Interval Training in Young and Older Adults
Question
Do young and older adults recover peak power output similarly after 3 versus 5 days of rest following a cycling sprint interval training session?
Summary
This small crossover study tested whether young and older recreationally active adults recovered cycling peak power after 3 or 5 days of rest following one sprint interval training session. Peak power was not meaningfully reduced after either rest period in either age group, suggesting 3 days was enough for this acute performance marker in active older adults. The study was acute, small, cycling-specific, and not designed to test health adaptations.
Methodology
- Recreationally active young and older adults.
- 18 participants.
- Wattbike cycling.
- Work intervals: 20 s all-out sprint.
- Recovery: 3 min active recovery.
- Intensity: Maximal all-out effort.
- Acute session with 6-min warm-up, 5-min passive recovery, SIT, and 5-min cool-down.
- Single session per rest condition.
- Randomized crossover acute recovery study.
- Peak power output were tracked.
Outcomes
Peak power output recovery
Peak power output was similarly recovered after 3 and 5 days in young and older adults.
Time effect p = .702; age-by-time p = .098.
Age difference in PPO
Older adults had lower absolute PPO than young adults, but recovery pattern was similar.
Age effect p = .002.
Insights
- For active older adults using cycling SIT, 3 days rest may be enough before another high-power session.
- Do not generalize this recovery result to sedentary users, running, or bodyweight jump HIIT.
Limitations
- Small sample.
- Acute recovery only.
- Habitually active participants.
- Cycling-specific protocol.
- No detailed adverse-event reporting.
Safety
- No adverse-event details were reported.
- Participants were screened with PAR-Q and ACSM procedures.