Abstract
Our lab has previously reported that Tabata performed with body calisthenics expends less energy when performed at the same intensity and duration as interval running and continuous running and that EPOC and energy expenditure (EE) during recovery were similar between these 3 exercises. How EE and EPOC would respond to interval resistance exercise remains unclear. PURPOSE: Compare the metabolic response to 4 exercise bouts when performed at a self-selected pace. METHODS: Active men (n=6) and women (n=4) performed 4 separate exercise bouts in a counterbalanced order: total body Tabata (TBT), treadmill running Tabata (TRT), continuous running (CONT) and interval resistance training (IRT). Bouts consisted of a 10-minute rest period, 25-minutes of exercise, and 25 minutes of recovery. TBT consisted of repeated cycles of body calisthenics for 20 seconds with 10-seconds rest in between. TRT consisted of repeated sprints on a treadmill in the same manner as TBT. CONT was continuous running on a treadmill with no rest intervals. IRT was repeated cycles of resistance training using both barbell and dumbbell exercises for 30 seconds with 30-seconds of rest in between. Participants wore a portable metabolic analyzer (CosMed K-5) to assess EE, EPOC and rate of fat oxidation (RFO). Heart rate (HR) was recorded during each exercise bout. Significant differences (pRESULTS: Average HR (% of HRmax) during TBT (80.0 ± 8.3%) was lower than CONT (87.9 ± 8.1%) (p=0.022; ES=.81). Exercise EE (kcal) was lowest (p-1) was similar (p>0.05) while resting prior to each exercise bout. However, when the participants resting RFO was compared to their RFO during the final 15 minutes of recovery the RFO was significantly higher (pCONCLUSION: This study supports previous studies that have suggested the greatest rises in EPOC occur following high-intensity (HI) anaerobic exercise and weight training. Short-duration HI regimens like TBT and IRT that incorporate multiple muscle groups might elicit more energy (particularly from fat stores) to help the body recover more so than from HI regimens using less muscle groups. Future studies need to clarify how short-duration HI regimens could impact long term health and performance.
Recommended Citation
Brelsford, Kyle R.; Reyes, Enrrique; Dunn, Austin; and Rowe, James
(2026)
"The Metabolic Cost of Three Different Modes of Interval Exercise Versus Continuous Running,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
18, Article 78.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss18/78
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