# The Effect of Short-Term Wingate-Based High Intensity Interval Training on Anaerobic Power and Isokinetic Muscle Function in Adolescent Badminton Players

PMID: 34072755
Journal: Children
Published: 2021-05-31
Authors: Ko DH, Choi YC, Lee DS

## Question

Does 4 weeks of Wingate-based cycling HIIT improve anaerobic power and isokinetic knee muscle function in adolescent badminton players compared with moderate continuous training?

## Summary

In male adolescent badminton players, 4 weeks of Wingate-based cycling HIIT improved body fat, repeated anaerobic power/fatigue resistance, and high-speed isokinetic knee muscle endurance more than moderate continuous resistance/endurance training. Heart-rate recovery after Wingate testing did not change.

## Population

- Male middle-school and high-school badminton players.
- Sample size: 32
- Age: 15 males aged 13-15 years and 17 males aged 16-18 years.
- Sex: Male only.
- Fitness level: Youth badminton players.
- Health status: No chronic back, knee, or ankle pain and no problems with running, jumping, or cutting; currently injured athletes excluded.

## Methodology

- Randomized controlled pre/post training study.
- 4 weeks
- Athlete training center during off-season winter training.
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Wingate-based cycling HIIT.
- Modality: Stationary bicycle sprint intervals.
- Work intervals: 30 seconds.
- Recovery: 150 seconds active recovery at 50% HRmax.
- Sets or repetitions: 10 bouts per session.
- Intensity: 90% HRmax or higher during work bouts; pedal as quickly as possible at a given load.
- Session duration: 30 minutes total exercise period with 5-10 minute warm-up and cool-down.
- Frequency: 3 sessions per week.
- Program length: 4 weeks.
- Progression: No explicit progression; repeated Wingate-style efforts across 4 weeks.
- Moderate continuous training.
- Modality: Machine-based upper- and lower-body resistance/endurance training.
- Recovery: 30 seconds per set and 1 minute per bout.
- Sets or repetitions: 12 exercise bouts; 3 sets per exercise.
- Intensity: Strength weeks at 80-85% 1RM for 3 × 10; endurance weeks at 50-60% 1RM for 3 × 25.
- Session duration: Warm-up 5-10 minutes, main exercise 30 minutes, cool-down 5-10 minutes.
- Frequency: 3 sessions per week.
- Program length: 4 weeks.
- Progression: Weeks 1 and 3 focused on strength; weeks 2 and 4 focused on muscular endurance.

## Outcomes

### Body fat
Status: improved
Body fat and body fat percentage decreased significantly in the HIIT group, not MCT.

Abstract reports HIIT body fat decrease p = 0.019; between-group decrease reported significant.

### Anaerobic power
Status: improved
Both groups improved early Wingate sets, but HIIT maintained significant peak-power gains into later repeated sets.

Between-group differences significant in set 3 p = 0.019 and set 4 p = 0.021.

### Fatigue index
Status: improved
HIIT improved fatigue resistance more than MCT in later Wingate sets.

Between-group differences in sets 3-5: p = 0.032, p = 0.017, p = 0.003.

### Heart-rate recovery
Status: no clear change
Heart-rate change after the anaerobic power test did not significantly change in either group.

No statistical change in either group.

### Isokinetic function
Status: mixed
Both groups improved low-speed knee strength; only HIIT significantly improved high-speed muscle endurance.

HIIT high-speed 240°/s improvement reported p = 0.035.

## Practical Insights

- Repeated 30-second cycling HIIT may build repeated-sprint fatigue resistance in adolescent court-sport athletes.
- Four weeks may be enough for performance changes, but not heart-rate recovery changes.
- The protocol is athlete-specific and equipment-based, with limited direct translation to general home workouts.

## Limitations

- Small male-only athlete sample.
- Age groups were not separately analyzed.
- Food intake and daily activities were not controlled.
- Only one HIIT and one comparator type were tested.
- Short intervention and no follow-up.

## Safety And Adherence

- Currently injured athletes were excluded.
- Final participants reported no chronic back, knee, or ankle pain and no problems with running, jumping, or cutting.
- Athletes and staff checked program availability and safety.
- No adverse events or injuries during training were reported.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34072755/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3390/children8060458) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8228848/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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