Impact of short term high-intensity interval training on the aerobic and anaerobic fitness of young male football players in the final stages of rehabilitation

After rehabilitation, it is important for athletes to regain their previous fitness level in order to return to play. In this study, we sought to determine whether short-term HIIT and MICT improve the fitness in young male football players. Our analysis included 50 participants with a mean age of 16.4 ± 1.3 years (range: 15.5–17.7 years), a mean height of 174.7 ± 6.2 cm (163.1–191.0 cm), and a mean weight of 65.7 ± 6.5 kg (48.6–79.0 kg). Athletes who had almost completed their rehabilitation and were about to return to playing football were classified into high-intensity interval training (HIIT, n = 25) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT, n = 25), and underwent a 12-session intervention training program that lasted four weeks. We conducted graded exercise tests, as well as Wingate, isokinetic strength, and Y-balance tests. The Mann-Whitney test was used for between-group comparisons and Wilcoxon’s test was used for comparisons before and after intervention. Volume of oxygen uptake peak, heart rate recovery and anaerobic threshold showed significant improvement in both groups following intervention but were significantly higher in the HIIT group than in the MICT group (p < 0.05). The Wingate anaerobic peak power and fatigue index showed significant increasement in the HIIT and MICT in first and second sets, but only for third set in the HIIT (p < 0.05). HIIT improved isokinetic strength at 60◦/s, whereas both training methods provided improvement at 180◦/s (p < 0.05). Results arising from the Y-balance test did not improve in either group. In conclusion, short-term HIIT and MICT are effective methods with which to improve fitness in young male football players preparing to return to play after injury. However, HIIT was slightly more effective than MICT in terms of improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness and strength.

Football; Fitness; Adolescent; High-intensity interval training; Moderate-intensity continuous training

[1] Cook M. Soccer Training: Games, Drills and Fitness Practices. 8th edn. Bloomsbury Publishing: London, UK. 2015.

[2] Manzi V, Annino G, Savoia C, Caminiti G, Padua E, Masucci M, et al. Relationship between aerobic fitness and metabolic power metrics in elite male soccer players. Biology of Sport. 2022; 39: 599–606.

[3] Barrera J, Sarmento H, Clemente FM, Field A, Figueiredo AJ. The effect of contextual variables on match performance across different playing positions in professional Portuguese soccer players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18: 5175–5786.

[4] Boraczyński M, Boraczyński T, Podstawski R, Wójcik Z, Gronek P. Relationships between measures of functional and isometric lower body strength, aerobic capacity, anaerobic power, sprint and countermovement jump performance in professional soccer players. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2020; 75: 161–175.

[5] Youcef K, Mokhtar M, Adel B, Wahib B. Effects of different concurrent training methods on aerobic and anaerobic capacity in U 21 soccer players. Sports Science & Health. 2022; 12: 10–22.

[6] Martínez-Hernández D, Quinn M, Jones P. Linear advancing actions followed by deceleration and turn are the most common movements preceding goals in male professional soccer. Science and Medicine in Football. 2023; 7: 25–33.

[7] Pettersen SA, Brenn T. Activity profiles by position in youth elite soccer players in official matches. Sports Medicine International Open. 2019; 03: E19–E24.

[8] Warr BJ, Heumann KJ, Dodd DJ, Swan PD, Alvar BA. Injuries, changes in fitness, and medical demands in deployed national guard soldiers. Military Medicine. 2012; 177: 1136–1142.

[9] Chen Y, Hsieh Y, Ho J, Lin T, Lin J. Two weeks of detraining reduces cardiopulmonary function and muscular fitness in endurance athletes. European Journal of Sport Science. 2022; 22: 399–406.

[10] Ormsbee MJ, Arciero PJ. Detraining increases body fat and weight and decreases VO2 peak and metabolic rate. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2012; 26: 2087–2095.

[11] Koundourakis NE, Androulakis NE, Malliaraki N, Tsatsanis C, Venihaki M, Margioris AN. Discrepancy between exercise performance, body composition, and sex steroid response after a six-week detraining period in professional soccer players. PLOS ONE. 2014; 9: e87803–e87812.

[12] Gökkurt K, Kıvrak A. The effect of high intensity interval training during eight weeks on speed, agility, and acceleration in U19 soccer players. Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences. 2021; 15: 2390–2395.

[13] Laursen PB, Jenkins DG. The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training. Sports Medicine. 2002; 32: 53–73.

[14] Grendstad H, Hallén J. Effects of adding high‐intensity training during an 8‐week period on maximal oxygen uptake in 12‐year‐old youth athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2024; 34: e14489.

[15] Fang B, Kim Y, Choi M. Effect of cycle-based high-intensity interval training and moderate to moderate-intensity continuous training in adolescent soccer players. Healthcare. 2021; 9: 1628–1639.

[16] Astorino TA, Allen RP, Roberson DW, Jurancich M. Effect of high-intensity interval training on cardiovascular function, V̇O2max, and muscular force. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2012; 26: 138–145.

[17] García-Pinillos F, Soto-Hermoso VM, Latorre-Román PA. How does high-intensity intermittent training affect recreational endurance runners? Acute and chronic adaptations: a systematic review. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2017; 6: 54–67.

[18] Bayles M.P. ACSM’s exercise testing and prescription. 2nd edn. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Philadelphia, PA. 2023.

[19] Green GK, Stone WJ, Tolusso DV, Schafer MA, Lyons TS. A VO2max protocol for young, apparently healthy adults. International Journal of Exercise Science. 2023; 16: 1257–1268.

[20] Griffith GJ, Wang AP, Liem RI, Carr MR, Corson T, Ward K. A reference equation for peak oxygen uptake for pediatric patients who undergo treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The American Journal of Cardiology. 2024; 212: 41–47.

[21] Castañeda-Babarro A. The wingate anaerobic test, a narrative review of the protocol variables that affect the results obtained. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11: 7417–7436.

[22] Kadlec J, Marko D, Vondrasek J.D, Bahenský P. Effect of body position during the Wingate test. Journal of Physical Education and Sport. 2022; 22: 690–695.

[23] Brígido-Fernández I, García-Muro San José F, Charneco-Salguero G, Cárdenas-Rebollo JM, Ortega-Latorre Y, Carrión-Otero O, et al. Knee isokinetic profiles and reference values of professional female soccer players. Sports. 2022; 10: 204–214.

[24] Muñoz-Bermejo L, Pérez-Gómez J, Manzano F, Collado-Mateo D, Villafaina S, Adsuar JC. Reliability of isokinetic knee strength measurements in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE. 2019; 14: e0226274–e0226288.

[25] Reisi J, Lenjannejadian S, Clemente F, Clark CCT. Introducing an activity-based balance index for soccer players: a validity and reliability study. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine. 2021; 12: e108903–e108911.

[26] Fusco A, Giancotti GF, Fuchs PX, Wagner H, da Silva RA, Cortis C. Y balance test: are we doing it right? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2020; 23: 194–199.

[27] Atakan MM, Li Y, Koşar ŞN, Turnagöl HH, Yan X. Evidence-based effects of high-intensity interval training on exercise capacity and health: a review with historical perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18: 7201–7226.

[28] Ekkekakis P, Swinton P, Tiller NB. Extraordinary claims in the literature on high-intensity interval training (HIIT): I. bonafide scientific revolution or a looming crisis of replication and credibility? Sports Medicine. 2023; 53: 1865–1890.

[29] Andreato LV, Andrade A, Esteves JV. Why equalising HIIT and MICT is important: attention to methodological details. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2021; 32: 657–658.

[30] Russomando L, Bono V, Mancini A, Terracciano A, Cozzolino F, Imperlini E, et al. The effects of short-term high-intensity interval training and moderate intensity continuous training on body fat percentage, abdominal circumference, BMI and VO2max in overweight subjects. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2020; 5: 41–49.

[31] Bahtra R, Crisari S, Dinata WW, Susanto N, Andria Y. VO2Max in soccer players: comparison of interval training and continuous running. Journal of Sport Science and Education. 2023; 8: 46–53.

[32] Gripp F, Nava RC, Cassilhas RC, Esteves EA, Magalhães COD, Dias-Peixoto MF, et al. HIIT is superior than MICT on cardiometabolic health during training and detraining. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2021; 121: 159–172.

[33] Stöggl, TL, Björklund G. High intensity interval training leads to greater improvements in acute heart rate recovery and anaerobic power as high volume low intensity training. Frontiers in physiology. 2017; 8: 562–569.

[34] Yalcin E, Sahin G, Coskun A, Yalcin O. Effect of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training in young trained cyclists. Journal of Physical Education and Sport. 2022; 22: 210–215.

[35] Baroni BM, Ruas CV, Ribeiro-Alvares JB, Pinto RS. Hamstring-to-quadriceps torque ratios of professional male soccer players: a systematic review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2020; 34: 281–293.

[36] Tabata I, Atomi Y, Kanehisa H, Miyashita M. Effect of high-intensity endurance training on isokinetic muscle power. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology. 1990; 60: 254–258.

[37] Ardestani MM, Kinnaird CR, Henderson CE, Hornby TG. Compensation or recovery? Altered kinetics and neuromuscular synergies following high-intensity stepping training poststroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. 2019; 33: 47–58.

[38] Latash ML. Human movements: synergies, stability, and agility. Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics. 2019; 234: 135–154.

[39] Charee J, Yupaporn K, Khaothin T, Kusump S, Ashira H. The effects of step aerobic training on muscle power and agility in female badminton players. International Journal of Exercise Science. 2022; 15: 1317–1325.

[40] Wood G, Murrell A, van der Touw T, Smart N. HIIT is not superior to MICT in altering blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2019; 5: e000647–e000659.

[41] Shiraev T, Barclay G. Evidence based exercise: clinical benefits of high intensity interval training. Australian Family Physician. 2012; 41: 960–962.