Using the Tabata Protocol to Improve Aerobic Capacity

Purpose

Poor aerobic capacity has been indirectly linked to the onset many hypokinetic diseases. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for aerobic exercise specify a frequency of three to five days per week at moderate intensity with duration of 20 to 60 minutes. The Tabata Protocol is a high intensity exercise formula with duration of 24 minutes per session (10 minute warm up (50% mhr) 8 x 20s of maximal running with a recovery period of 10s and 10 minute cool down (50% mhr)). It was hypothesized that at the conclusion of a six week period subjects who incorporated the Tabata Protocol into their weekly training program would experience an improvement in their aerobic fitness, as measured by a VO2max field test, when juxtaposed with those subjects who trained using an approach consistent with ACSM guidelines.

Methods

This study utilized a repeated measures design. Seventy African-American males between the ages of 19 and 23 participated and were equally divided between the treatment and control groups. The thirty five subjects in the treatment group trained using the aforementioned Tabata Protocol three times per week, while the control group engaged in 30 minutes of moderate intensity continuous aerobic activity three times per week. For the purpose of this study, moderate intensity was operationally defined as 65% to 75% of an individual's maximum heart rate as determined by the Karvonen Formula. For both groups the mode of exercise was running. VO2max was assessed via the Queens College Step Test. This test was administered prior to beginning the six week training program and again at the completion of the six weeks.

Analysis/Results

A statistically significant improvement in VO2max was observed for the treatment group (t = -6.839, p < .01), with the mean VO2max increasing from 55.51 to 57.76. While there was no significant improvement for the control group (t = -1.537, p = .134), mean VO2max remained relatively stable from pre test (51.23) to post test (51.47). A subsequent 2 x 2 ANOVA employing the post test result as the main factor revealed statistically significant relationships with both group (F(1, 69) = 27.199, p < .001), and pre test score (F(1, 23) = 213.199, p < .001). However, there was no interaction effect.

Conclusions

These results suggest that high intensity short duration interval training may be an alternative for advancing cardiovascular fitness.