# The Effect of Eight-Week Sprint Interval Training on Aerobic Performance of Elite Badminton Players

PMID: 33451086
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Published: 2021-01-13
Authors: Liu H, Leng B, Li Q, Liu Y, Bao D, Cui Y

## Question

Does 8 weeks of sprint interval training improve aerobic capacity and aerobic recovery in elite badminton players more than traditional aerobic training?

## Summary

In 32 elite badminton players, an 8-week program with two weekly cycling SIT sessions and one badminton-specific multi-ball SIT session improved Yo-Yo IR2 distance, VO2max, ventilatory threshold, and lactate clearance more than two Fartlek runs plus one regular multi-ball session. The evidence is athlete-specific and used supervised sport training rather than a general fitness protocol.

## Population

- Elite male and female badminton players.
- Sample size: 32
- Age: Approximately 19-22 years by group means
- Sex: 16 men and 16 women
- Fitness level: Elite national-level badminton players
- Health status: Good health and no severe injuries in prior 6 months

## Methodology

- Randomized controlled training study
- 8 weeks
- Elite badminton training environment with lab and field testing
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Badminton SIT.
- Modality: Cycling plus badminton multi-ball.
- Work intervals: 30 s.
- Recovery: 5 min between cycling/multi-ball groups; 8 min between multi-ball rounds.
- Sets or repetitions: Cycling 5 groups; multi-ball 8 groups x 2 rounds.
- Intensity: Cycling full force at 0.075/kg body weight; multi-ball >90% HRmax.
- Session duration: Not fully reported; weekly effective training time 19.8 +/- 3.0 min.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.
- Progression: Not reported.
- Traditional badminton aerobic training.
- Modality: Fartlek running plus regular multi-ball.
- Work intervals: 40 min Fartlek runs; 1 min multi-ball groups.
- Recovery: 5 min between multi-ball groups; 8 min between rounds.
- Sets or repetitions: Two Fartlek runs and one 1 min x 4 groups x 2 rounds multi-ball session weekly.
- Intensity: Fartlek 65%-79% HRmax.
- Session duration: Fartlek 40 min; weekly effective training time 40.2 +/- 1.8 min.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 8 weeks.
- Progression: Not reported.

## Outcomes

### Yo-Yo IR2
Status: improved
Male and female SIT groups improved Yo-Yo IR2 distance more than controls.

Male-SIT 1083.0 +/- 205.8 to 1217.5 +/- 190.5 m; Female-SIT 725 +/- 132.9 to 840 +/- 126.5 m; p<0.05 within and versus controls.

### VO2max
Status: improved
VO2max increased in both SIT groups and exceeded control changes.

Male-SIT 56.8 +/- 7.0 to 63.6 +/- 4.7; Female-SIT 42.5 +/- 2.9 to 46.2 +/- 3.0; p<0.05 within and between; ES 1.14 and 1.28.

### Ventilatory threshold
Status: improved
VT-VO2 and VT/VO2max improved in SIT groups more than controls.

Male VT-VO2 3088.4 +/- 450.9 to 3665.3 +/- 263.5; Female 1940.1 +/- 112.9 to 2176.9 +/- 78.6; p<0.05.

### Lactate clearance
Status: improved
Ten-minute lactate clearance improved in both SIT groups versus controls.

Male-SIT 13 +/- 3% to 21 +/- 4%, p<0.05; Female-SIT 21 +/- 5% to 27 +/- 4%, p<0.05.

## Practical Insights

- Intermittent-sport athletes may benefit from combining ergometer SIT with sport-specific high-intensity drills.
- SIT produced higher high-intensity load with less total effective training time than control.
- HR monitoring helps verify that sport-specific interval drills reach intended intensity.

## Limitations

- Elite athlete sample with small subgroups.
- Technical and tactical outcomes were not measured.
- Other concurrent training qualities were not isolated.
- Blood oxygen saturation was not measured.
- Adverse events were not explicitly reported.

## Safety And Adherence

- Intervention adverse events were not reported.
- Participants had no severe injuries in the prior 6 months.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33451086/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020638) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7828502/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.