Suitability of jumps as a form of high-intensity interval training: effect of rest duration on oxygen uptake, heart rate and blood lactate

Purpose High-intensity interval training (HIT) has been shown to be an effective endurance training method. However, most HIT research has been conducted on running and cycling. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of intermittent exercises such as jumps as a type of HIT. Methods Respiratory gases, heart rate and ground reaction forces were recorded for 21 participants (age 25 +/- 4 years, mass 73 +/- 12 kg, 13 male) during 5 distinct jump sessions on different days that varied with respect to the rest durations in between series (0, 15 or 30 s) and in between jumps (0, 1 or 2 s). Blood lactate was determined 3 min after the last series. Prior to the first session, maximal jump height as well as V'O-2max during cycling was recorded. Results Peak oxygen uptake and heart rate were nearly maximal during all five jump sessions (87-99% of V'O-2max, 96-98% of maximal heart rate). The time spent at more than 90% of V'O-2max (1-43% of the total session duration), average jump height (34-82% of maximal jump height) and lactate accumulation (4-9 mmol/l) differed between jump sessions, mainly depending on the rest interval between jumps (p < 0.001, rmANOVA between sessions with different rest intervals between jumps). Conclusion With short rest intervals, jumping elicited comparable acute responses as reported for running or cycling HIT. Thus, training programs using intermittent exercises should elicit similar adaptations as other forms of HIT, provided the rest intervals are sufficiently short. Heart rate might be of limited value when comparing different types of HIT.