Vary your training – improve your performance
Interval training has long been a staple of many athletes' training routines. The original form of interval training, "fartlek," was a combination of fast, explosive exercises and slow, simple activities, relatively unstructured compared to today's reality. Physiologists and coaches have designed interval programs that are specifically tailored to individual athletes, matching their sport, goals, and current physical status. Often, the intensity and duration of the intervals have been determined based on the results of anaerobic tests, where the lactic acid level in the blood is measured during high-intensity training. Interval training activates and involves both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. During high-intensity exercise, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short-term activities. Anaerobic metabolism works without oxygen.
The by-product is lactic acid, which is related to the burning sensation in the muscles during high-intensity exercise. During the intense intervals, lactic acid builds up and the athlete becomes oxygen-debted. During the recovery phase, the heart and lungs work together to repay the "oxygen debt" and break down the lactic acid. It is in this phase that the aerobic system takes control, using oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy.
This monotonous training leads to an adaptive response. The body begins to build new capillaries and becomes better at taking in and delivering oxygen to working muscles. Muscles develop a higher lactic acid tolerance and the heart muscle becomes stronger. These changes result in increased capacity, especially in the cardiovascular system.
Interval training also helps prevent the injuries often associated with repetitive endurance exercises and allows you to increase your training intensity without becoming overtrained and burned out. Adding intervals to your training routine is therefore a good idea in many ways to take your training to the next level.
You don't need to be a world-class athlete or have your blood tested to achieve results with interval training. Fartlek training is sufficient for most of us who exercise at a recreational level. This type of interval training is based on your needs, and the basic rule is to determine the intensity and duration based on how you feel and how your body feels.
Precautions for safe interval training:
- Warm up thoroughly before you start
- Set reasonable goals
- Start slowly (e.g., 2 minutes walking/2 minutes running). Generally, longer intervals give better results.
- Maintain a steady but challenging pace throughout the intervals.
- Increase the number of intervals gradually
- Let your heart rate drop to around 110 beats per minute between intervals.
- To develop, increase intensity or duration, but not both at the same time
- Implement changes bit by bit and over a period of time.
- Practice on a smooth, moderately soft surface for even effort
- You can also use circuit training as a form of interval training.
Advanced interval training
You can take a more scientific approach to interval training by varying your training and recovery intervals according to your predetermined goals. Below are four variables to experiment with in your personal interval program:
- Interval speed
- Duration of intervals (distance or time)
- Duration of rest or recovery
- Number of repetitions of each interval