The effect of six-week bodyweight high-intensity interval training on the performance of young female athletes

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the impact of high-intensity interval training with bodyweight on the physical performance of young female athletes. Thirteen young female athletes participated in the study. Participants performed HIIT with bodyweight three times a week for six weeks, following five months of standardized training. The study examined participants' aerobic and anaerobic performance, including their countermovement jump (CMJ), 30-meter sprint, change of direction (COD), flexibility, weight, and body mass index (BMI). The study was designed as a single-blind, posttest-only, single-group repeated measurement study. All analyses were conducted with a 95% confidence interval, and a significance level was accepted as α = 0.05. The effect size (ES) was calculated according to Cohen's effect size. The study revealed statistically significant differences in all outputs except for BMI (p < 0.05). Bodyweight HIIT had a large to small effect on the following parameters: VO2max (d = 1.48), Illinois COD test (d = 0.93), 30-meter sprint (d = 0.78), CMJ (d = 0.75), flexibility (d = 0.63), BMI (d = 0.62), peak power (d = 0.61), weight loss (d = 0.58), mean power (d = 0.55). The study results indicated that HIIT with bodyweight could improve the performance of young female athletes.

Keywords

• Athletic Performance
• Exercise Program
• High-Intensity Intermittent Exercises
• Young Female.

References

1. Akın, Ş., Dönmez, G., Özdemir, M., Demirel, A. H. 2018. Tüm Vücut Titreşimi İmmobilizasyon ile Azalan AMPK Aktivasyonunu Arttırır mı?. Turk J Sports Med 53.
2. Alemdaroǧlu, U., 2012. The relationship between muscle strength, anaerobic performance, agility, sprint ability and vertical jump performance in professional basketball players. Journal of Human Kinetics 31, 149–158.
3. Alonso-Fernández, D., Lima-Correa, F., Gutierrez-Sánchez, Á., Abadía-García de Vicuña, O., 2017. Effects of a high-intensity interval training protocol based on functional exercises on performance and body composition in handball female players. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise 12, 1186–1198.
4. Andreato, L. V., Esteves, J. V., Coimbra, D.R., Moraes, A.J.P., de Carvalho, T., 2019. The influence of high-intensity interval training on anthropometric variables of adults with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews 20, 142–155.
5. Aschendorf, P.F., Zinner, C., Delextrat, A., Engelmeyer, E., Mester, J., 2019. Effects of basketball-specific high-intensity interval training on aerobic performance and physical capacities in youth female basketball players. Physician and Sports Medicine 47, 65–70.
6. Astorino, T.A., Allen, R.P., Roberson, D.W., Jurancich, M., 2012. Effect of high-intensity interval training on cardiovascular function, V̇O 2max, and muscular force. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26, 138–145.
7. Baar, K., 2014. Using molecular biology to maximize concurrent training. Sports Medicine 44, 117.
8. Bauer, N., Sperlich, B., Holmberg, H.C., Engel, F.A., 2022. Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training in School on the Physical Performance and Health of Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine - Open 8.

9. Bishop, D.J., Girard, O., 2013. Determinants of team-sport performance: implications for altitude training by team-sport athletes. British Journal of Sports Medicine 47, i17–i21.
10. Engel, F.A., Ackermann, A., Chtourou, H., Sperlich, B., 2018. High-intensity interval training performed by young athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology 9, 1012.
11. Falcone, P.H., Tai, C.Y., Carson, L.R., Joy, J.M., Mosman, M.M., McCann, T.R., Crona, K.P., Kim, M.P., Moon, J.R., 2015. Caloric expenditure of aerobic, resistance, or combined high-intensity interval training using a hydraulic resistance system in healthy men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29, 779–785.
12. Gibala, M.J., Little, J.P., Macdonald, M.J., Hawley, J.A., 2012. Physiological adaptations to low-volume, high-intensity interval training in health and disease. The Journal of Physiology 590, 1077–1084.
13. Gravel, E., Blessing, S.M. 2000. Validity of simple field tests as indicators of match-related physical performance in top-level professional soccer players. International Journal of Sports Medicine 21, 228-235.
14. Hannan, A., Hing, W., Simas, V., Climstein, M., Coombes, J., Jayasinghe, R., Byrnes, J., Furness, J., 2018. High-intensity interval training versus moderate-intensity continuous training within cardiac rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine 9, 1–17.
15. Hawley, J.A., Williams, M.M., 1991. Relationship between upper body anaerobic power and freestyle swimming performance. International Journal of Sports Medicine 12, 1–5.
16. Helgerud, J., Christian Engen, L., Wisløff, U., Hoff, J., 2001. Aerobic endurance training improves soccer performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc 33, 1925.
17. Hopkins, W.G., Marshall, S.W., Batterham, A.M., Hanin, J., 2009. Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science. Medicine and science in sports and exercise 41, 3–12.
18. Kilpatrick, M.W., Jung, M.E., Little, J.P., 2014. High-intensity interval training: A review of physiological and psychological responses. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal 18, 11–16.
19. Kinnunen, J.V., Piitulainen, H., Piirainen, J.M., 2019. Neuromuscular Adaptations to Short-Term High-Intensity Interval Training in Female Ice-Hockey Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 33, 479–485.
20. Laursen, P.B., Jenkins, D.G., 2002. The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training: optimising training programmes and maximising performance in highly trained endurance athletes. Sports Medicine 32, 53–73.
21. Martínez-Rodríguez, A., Rubio-Arias, J.A., García-De Frutos, J.M., Vicente-Martínez, M., Gunnarsson, T.P., 2021. Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training and Intermittent Fasting on Body Composition and Physical Performance in Active Women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18.
22. Mcrae, G., Payne, A., Zelt, J.G.E., Scribbans, T.D., Jung, M.E., Little, J.P., Gurd, B.J., 2012. Extremely low volume, whole-body aerobic- resistance training improves aerobic fitness and muscular endurance in females. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism 37, 1124–1131.
23. Nader, G. A. 2006. Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 38(11), 1965.
24. Petré, H., Löfving, P., Psilander, N., 2018. The effect of two different concurrent training programs on strength and power gains in highly-trained individuals. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine 17, 167.
25. Quezada-Muñoz, Y., Rodríguez-Artigas, P., Aravena-Sagardia, P., Barramuño, M., Tomás Herrera-Valenzuela, ;, Guzmán-Muñoz, E., Braulio, ;, Branco, H.M., Valdés-Badilla, P., 2021. Effects of a high-intensity interval training program on body composition and physical fitness in female field hockey players. Int. J. Morphol 39, 1323–1330.
26. Rowan, A.E., Kueffner, T.E., Stavrianeas, S., 2012. Short duration high-intensity interval training improves aerobic conditioning of female college soccer players. International Journal of Exercise Science 5, 6.
27. Skelly, L.E., Andrews, P.C., Gillen, J.B., Martin, B.J., Percival, M.E., Gibala, M.J., 2014. High-intensity interval exercise induces 24-h energy expenditure similar to traditional endurance exercise despite reduced time commitment. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 39, 845–848.
28. Sporis, G., Ruzic, L., Leko, G., 2008. The anaerobic endurance of elite soccer players improved after a high-intensity training intervention in the 8-week conditioning program. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 22, 559–566.
29. Stern, G., Psycharakis, S.G., Phillips, S.M., 2023. Effect of high-intensity interval training on functional Movement in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine - Open 9, 1–19.
30. Twist, C., Williams, J., Dobbin, N., 2022. Deteriorations in physical qualities during a 10-week unsupervised off-season period in academy rugby union players. Science and Medicine in Football 6, 347–354.
31. Wong, P.L., Chamari, K., Wisløff, U., 2010. Effects of 12-week on-field combined strength and power training on physical performance among U-14 young soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 24, 644–652.