PMID 36203053

Research
All papers

The physiological, perceptual and neuromuscular responses of team sport athletes to a running and cycling high intensity interval training session

Twist C, Bott R, Highton J

Question

How do acute physiological, perceptual, and neuromuscular responses differ between volume-matched running and cycling HIIT in team sport athletes?

Summary

In 11 male university-level team sport athletes, a single volume-matched short-interval HIIT session produced different acute responses depending on modality. Running elicited higher oxygen uptake, heart rate, time above 90% VO2max and HRmax, and breathlessness than cycling. Cycling caused a larger immediate reduction in knee-extensor maximal voluntary contraction, suggesting greater lower-limb neuromuscular load but less run-specific metabolic stimulus.

Methodology

  • Eleven male university-standard team sport players from sports including soccer, rugby, and basketball.
  • 11 participants.
  • Treadmill running.
  • Work intervals: 15 sec at 120% speed associated with VO2max.
  • Recovery: 15 sec passive recovery by straddling the treadmill; 5 min passive recovery between sets.
  • Intensity: 120% sVO2max, mean speed 15.9 +/- 1.7 km/h.
  • 18 min interval work/rest plus between-set recovery.
  • Acute single session.
  • Randomized crossover acute exercise study
  • Cardiometabolic response, Perceived exertion, and Neuromuscular fatigue were tracked.

Outcomes

Cardiometabolic response

Running produced higher absolute VO2, HR, ventilation, respiratory frequency, energy expenditure, and time above high-intensity thresholds than cycling.

Mean VO2 36.3 +/- 4.7 vs 30.3 +/- 3.4 ml/kg/min, p<0.001; mean HR 174 +/- 12 vs 159 +/- 7 bpm, p=0.001; time >90% VO2max 288 +/- 132 vs 128 +/- 133 sec, p=0.015; time >90% HRmax 485 +/- 255 vs 59 +/- 110 sec, p<0.001

Mixed

Differential RPE

Breathlessness RPE was higher after running; overall and leg RPE were not statistically different, though leg exertion tended higher for cycling.

dRPE-B 71.8 +/- 19.3 vs 52.3 +/- 19.5, p=0.012; dRPE-O p=0.094; dRPE-L p=0.111

Mixed

Neuromuscular fatigue

Cycling caused a moderate reduction in MVC while running caused a trivial, non-significant change.

Running MVC 600.9 +/- 105.6 to 597.0 +/- 107.6 N, p=0.726; cycling 588.5 +/- 110.0 to 485.2 +/- 59.9 N, -16.3 +/- 10.1%, p=0.001

Safety concern

Insights

  • For short 15-sec intervals, modality strongly affects the stimulus; cycling may not produce enough time above VO2max thresholds for run-specific adaptation.
  • Cycling can still create substantial local leg fatigue, which matters when scheduling lower-body training or sport practice.
  • Athlete lab results should be used as programming context, not direct general-population claims.

Limitations

  • Acute study only; no training adaptation outcomes.
  • Small sample.
  • Male university-standard team sport athletes only.
  • Laboratory treadmill running without overground accelerations/decelerations.
  • Central vs peripheral fatigue mechanisms were not measured.
  • Wide confidence intervals and limitations in sample size estimation.

Safety

  • No adverse events were reported. Treadmill trials used a safety harness.