Tabata protocol for endurance training

[markinore]

The Tabata protocol was developed by a Japanese researcher who tried to determine the optimum duration, intensity, frequency, and rest periods to improve endurance. He found that the best results were obtained with 20 seconds of exertion performed at maximum intensity with 10 seconds of rest for 4-7 cycles. This is done three times a week. Although this sounds like it isn't a lot of total training, the gains in endurance are said to be significant.

 

I have been trying this for a little over a month. It is harder than it sounds. I have done the Tabata protocol on a stationary bike. Then I have tested myself on a running treadmill (to avoid confounding the results by a training effect) on non-training days. I do seem to be improving my endurance by both objective and subjective measures, but it is difficult to remove observer bias from the equation.

 

Anybody else heard of Tabata or tried this type of training?

[Dru]

I believe the crew of the Enterprise encounter the Tabata Protocol in the 3rd season and find it is incompatible with the Prime Directive

[cj001f]

A total of 10 minutes of exercise during the week? 610 seconds

[RuMR]

you're laughing...but that's comparable to a decent fingerboard workout and a campus board workout and i KNOW that will improve your climbing...

 

for overall endurance i have no idea if this will work...but stranger things have happened...

[markinore]

CJ, I understand your skepticism. Here is an abstract presented at a meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine that I found interesting:

 

Sprint Intervals and Muscle Adaptations

Authors: Kirsten Burgomaster and colleagues from McMaster University

Abstract #: 0152

 

New research is showing that endurance performance can be dramatically improved with very high intensity anaerobic work. In a previous study from this group, six bouts of very high intensity interval sprinting (4-7 Wingate sprints per session) conducted over two weeks (three times per week for two weeks) improved time to exhaustion at 80% of VO2 max by an almost unbelievable amount (baseline time to exhaustion = 25 minutes; post training time to exhaustion = 51 minutes).

 

In this study, the same researchers duplicated the prior training protocol and this time measured both metabolic adaptations and changes in time trial performance. In eight men, high intensity sprint training improved resting muscle glycogen by 53%, improved maximal activity of several aerobic and anaerobic enzymes, reduced the amount of lactic acid produced during exercise and improved time trial performance (+10.4%) and average power produced (+25W) during the time trial.

 

Wingate sprints are the same as the Tabata intervals. If these data are true, it's a phenomenal result.

[fern]

the workouts at www.crossfit.com use Tabata intervals a fair bit.

[jon]

Doing interval is going to get you good at doing one thing, doing intervals.

[Dru]

Hey jon do you think Tabata is better or worse than just doing deadlifts?

[Gaper_Jeffy]

LOL

[jon]

Recent studies have found that doing deadlifts along with supplementation of PEHC (performance enhancing horsecock, which is monitored by the IOC for everusage like caffeine, for instance you can have more 8 cups of coffee a day, and can only have 12 6 inch links) increase keg carrying performance to exaustion by over 173%!!!! The control group just using PEHC didn't see a statistically signifant increase in keg performance but did develop a fetish for snaffles.