Effects of Two Different Recovery Postures during High-Intensity Interval Training

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two different recovery postures, hands on head (HH) and hands on knees (HK), as a form of immediate recovery from high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Twenty female Division II varsity soccer players (age = 20.3 +/- 1.1 yr, body mass index = 22.4 +/- 1.80 kg.m(-2)) completed two experimental trials in a randomized, counterbalanced order. Each trial consisted of four intervals on a motorized treadmill consisting of 4 min of running (4 x 4) at 90%-95% HRmax with 3 min of passive recovery between each interval. HR recovery was collected during the first 60 s of each recovery, where volume of carbon dioxide (VCO2) and tidal volume (V-T) were recorded each minute during the 3-min recovery period. Results showed an improved HR recovery (P < 0.001), greater V-T (P = 0.008), and increased VCO2 (P = 0.049), with HK (53 +/- 10.9 bpm; 1.44 +/- 0.2 L.min(-1), 1.13 +/- 0.2 L.min(-1)) compared with HH (31 +/- 11.3 bpm; 1.34 +/- 0.2 L.min(-1), 1.03 +/- 0.2 L.min(-1)). These data indicate that HK posture may be more beneficial than the advocated HH posture as a form of immediate recovery from high-intensity interval training.