Analyse how contemporary training methods like HIIT and SIT have evolved from traditional aerobic and anaerobic training approaches. Use examples from two different sports. (8 marks)
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Sample Answer (Note other sports could be chosen)
Traditional v Contemporary training – Aerobic
- Traditional aerobic training emphasised long duration, moderate intensity continuous exercise such as distance running or cycling.
- Contemporary HIIT methods now achieve similar cardiovascular adaptations in shorter timeframes through structured high-intensity intervals with active recovery periods.
Example 1: Swimming
- Traditional training involved high-volume sessions (6-8km) at moderate intensity.
- Modern HIIT protocols might include 8 x 100m efforts at 90% race pace with 45 seconds recovery, reducing overall training volume while maintaining or improving performance adaptations.
Traditional v Contemporary training – Anaerobic
- Traditional anaerobic training focused on repeated short sprints with full recovery.
- SIT has evolved to use supramaximal intensities (>100% VO2max) with shorter, standardised rest periods to enhance both anaerobic power and aerobic capacity simultaneously.
Example 2: Rugby league
- Training traditionally separated aerobic (continuous running) and anaerobic (sprint) training sessions.
- Contemporary methods integrate both through modified HIIT, such as 6×5 minute small-sided games at near-maximal intensity with 1-minute recovery periods.
Conclusions
- Research demonstrates HIIT and SIT produce comparable or superior physiological adaptations to traditional methods in less time.
- This includes improvements in VO2max, anaerobic threshold, and repeat sprint ability.
- These contemporary methods better reflect the intermittent nature of many sports, where players repeatedly transition between high and low intensities rather than maintaining steady-state effort.
Show Worked Solution
Sample Answer (Note other sports could be chosen)
Traditional v Contemporary training – Aerobic
- Traditional aerobic training emphasised long duration, moderate intensity continuous exercise such as distance running or cycling.
- Contemporary HIIT methods now achieve similar cardiovascular adaptations in shorter timeframes through structured high-intensity intervals with active recovery periods.
Example 1: Swimming
- Traditional training involved high-volume sessions (6-8km) at moderate intensity.
- Modern HIIT protocols might include 8 x 100m efforts at 90% race pace with 45 seconds recovery, reducing overall training volume while maintaining or improving performance adaptations.
Traditional v Contemporary training – Anaerobic
- Traditional anaerobic training focused on repeated short sprints with full recovery.
- SIT has evolved to use supramaximal intensities (>100% VO2max) with shorter, standardised rest periods to enhance both anaerobic power and aerobic capacity simultaneously.
Example 2: Rugby league
- Training traditionally separated aerobic (continuous running) and anaerobic (sprint) training sessions.
- Contemporary methods integrate both through modified HIIT, such as 6×5 minute small-sided games at near-maximal intensity with 1-minute recovery periods.
Conclusions
- Research demonstrates HIIT and SIT produce comparable or superior physiological adaptations to traditional methods in less time.
- This includes improvements in VO2max, anaerobic threshold, and repeat sprint ability.
- These contemporary methods better reflect the intermittent nature of many sports, where players repeatedly transition between high and low intensities rather than maintaining steady-state effort.