Table 5 Effects of interval exercise training using active recovery on physical fitness and physiological adaptations in trained and untrained individuals

Trained individuals

Ben Abderrahman et al. [4]

30 males’ physical education students/20.4 ± 0.6

2 set x (8 rep x 30sIE) 100% MAV with 5 min recovery

VO_2max(ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

MAV (km.h⁻¹)

59.37 ± 7.5

16.1 ± 1.2

62.85 ± 7.9

17.0 ± 1.0

5.86 (p < 0.001)

5.55 (p < 0.001)

0.45

0.81

Czuba et al. [58]

16 male sprint swimmers/19.1 ± 1.3

Circuit based intermittent hypoxic training 2 times per week. Upper limb 60 s × 30 s rest. Lower limb 2 min × 3-min rest

VO_2max (ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

Lactic acid (mmol.L⁻¹)

pH Change

56.0 ± 4.0

9.14 ± 0.92

0.147 ± 0.051

59.9 ± 4.3

11.05 ± 1.33

-0.178 ± 0.048

6.9 (p = 0.025)

20.8 (p = 0.001)

21 (p = 0.0129)

0.94

1.67

0.77

Menz et al. [59]

35 trained male and female athletes 25 ± 1

Four 4-min interval bouts at an exercise intensity of 90–95% of the individual maximal heart rate (HRmax), separated by 4-min active recovery periods

VO_2max (ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

47.8 ± 5.6

54.1 ± 5.6

13.1 (p = 0.011)

1.13

Astorino et al. [60]

192 trained women/21.9 T 1.9

SIT (HIIT + SIT) consisted of 8–12 ‘‘all-out’’ sprints (4–6 min training duration per day) during which participants were required to pedal maximally. High-volume interval training (HIIT + HIIT_HI) required repeated 2.5-min bouts of cycling with 60 s recovery, leading to training duration equal to 12.5–17.5

VO_2max (ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

VT

a-vDO2

41.1 ± 4.9

112 ± 19

14.1 ± 1.6

44.6 ± 7.0

120 ± 18

14.3 ± 2.0

8.5 (p < 0.001)

7.1 (p 0.001)

1.41 (p < 0.001)

0.58

0.43

0.13

Rhibi et al. [5]

39 male physical education students/21.4 ± 1.1

30 s run at 100% MAV or 110% of MAV (EG110) alternating with 30 s active recovery

Hemoglobin (g/dl)

Hematocrit (%)

Lactate (mmol.L⁻¹)

PVV (%)

16.1 ± 0.8

49.3 ± 3.4

9.9 ± 2.5

 − 9.0 ± 1.5

15.5 ± 0.6

47.1 ± 3.4

8.6 ± 1.9

 − 6.8 ± 1.9

3.72 (p < 0.010)

4.46 (p = 0.085)

13.1 (p = 0.014)

22.2 (p = 0.014)

0.85

0.65

0.59

1.29

Rhibi et al. [61]

37 male physical education students/21.9 ± 1.3

30 s run at 100% MAV or 110% of MAV (EG110) alternating with 30 s active recovery (50% MAV)

MAV (km.h⁻¹)

Glucose (g/l)

Insulin (μU.mL⁻¹)

Cortisol (ng.ml⁻¹)

IL-6 (pg.ml⁻¹)

TNF-α (pg.ml⁻¹)

15.8 ± 1.6

6.4 ± 1.3

16.9 ± 1.7

386.0 ± 95.9

4.7 ± 1.2

6.8 ± 1.7

16.7 ± 1.5

5.6 ± 1.0

15.5 ± 1.7

465.7 ± 60.0

3.5 ± 1.1

5.2 ± 1.6

5.6 (p < 0.05)

12.5 (p = 0.021)

8.2 (p = 0.017)

20.4 (p < 0.001)

25.5 (p < 0.001)

23.5 (p < 0.001)

0.58

0.69

0.82

0.88

1.04

0.97

Untrained individuals

Trapp et al. [46]

34 inactive healthy women/22.4 ± 0.7

Each subject performed 8 s of sprinting and 12 s of turning the pedals slowly (between 20 and 30 rpm) for a maximum of 60 repeats a session

VO_2max (ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

HOMA-IR

28.8 ± 2.1

3.6 ± 0.7

36.4 ± 2.5

2.4 ± 0.7

23.38 (p < 0.05)

33.38 (p < 0.05)

3.29

1.71

Poon et al. [62]

24 physically inactive and overweight/obese Asian men/49.6 ± 7.8

HIIT: 10 X 1-min bouts of running at 80–90% HRmax separated by 1-min active recovery

VO_2max (ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

BMI (kg.m⁻²)

Systolic BP (cmHg)

Diastolic BP (cmHg)

Glucose (mmol/l)

32.5 ± 5.6

26.1 ± 1.6

120.6 ± 11.8

79.8 ± 6.8

4.90 ± 0.46

36.0 ± 6.2

25.8 ± 1.5

125.8 ± 8.8

75.2 ± 5.2

5.05 ± 0.29

10.7 p = 0.013

1.14 p = 0.035

3.6 (p = 0.377)

5.7 (p = 0.721)

3.06 (p = 0.656)

0.59

0.19

0.50

0.76

0.39

Martins et al. [45]

46 sedentary male and female obese individuals/34.4 ± 8.8

The HIIT protocol consisted of 8 s of sprinting and 12 s of recovery (pedals as slowly as possible)

VO_2max (ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

31.1 ± 4.9

33.9 ± 5.2

9 (p < 0.00)

0.55

Heydari et al. [63]

34 young overweight males/18–35

8 s sprint and 12 s of slow pedaling recovery for 20 min

VO_2max (ml.min⁻¹.kg⁻¹)

SV

Systolic BP (cmHg)

Diastolic BP (cmHg)

33.9 ± 1.1

72 ± 4.2

120 ± 2.4

64 ± 1.8

39.8 ± 0.9

86 ± 5.1

115 ± 2.5

58 ± 1.8

17.4 (p < 0.0001)

19.4 (p < 0.0001)

4.1 (p = 0.004)

0.9 (p = 0.002)

5.87

3.00

2.04

3.33

Smith-Ryan et al. [44]

35 inactive overweight men/38.3 ± 11.5

5 bouts of 2 min cycling with 1 min recovery with passive recovery

Fat mass (kg)

Lean mass (kg)

Body fat (%)

Glucose (mmol/l)

Cholesterol (mg)

29.5 ± 0.9

69.5 ± 3.4

28.8 ± 1.4

98.9 ± 36.8

200.1 ± 48.4

28.3 ± 1.4

71.6 ± 2.4

27.5 ± 1.2

91.7 ± 16.3

175.3 ± 76.2

4.06 (p = 0.001)

3.2 (p = 0.001)

4.5 (p = 0.633)

7.2 (p = 0.008)

12.5 (p = 0.898)

0.95

0.76

1.03

0.29

0.36