Higher intensity is better to improve aerobic fitness

Having good aerobic fitness is important to endurance sports. But it also helps stop and go sports like hockey and basket ball. Because good aerobic fitness will allow you to recover faster.

We’ve been thinking for a long time that moderate intensities are the way to go if you want to improve your aerobic fitness. We used to think that higher intensities were more for power improvements than endurance.

But research is slowly opening up to the benefits of higher intensities. And this study looked into it.

Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training.

Helgerud et al. Medicine and Science in sports and exercise. (2007)

They compared 4 different training programs.

1. Long slow distance at 70% of HRmax

2. Lactate threshold at 85% of HRmax

3. Short intervals 15s at 90-95% and 15s at 70%

4. Long intervals 4 min 90-95% and 3 min at 70%

Programs 3 and 4 had a greater effect on aerobic fitness than 1 and 2. The researchers did not find a significant difference between 3 and 4.

What does this mean? Hard work gets results. So if you set time aside to exercise, make sure you get the max out of it. As an example, you could perform as many jump squats as you can in 30 sec, take 30 sec rest and start again.

Let me know what you think.