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Performance for short intermittent runs: active recovery vs. passive recovery

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of active vs. passive recovery on the time to exhaustion for intermittent runs (15 s) at supramaximal velocity (120% of maximal aerobic speed). Twelve male subjects performed a graded test, an intermittent run to exhaustion with active recovery (50% of maximal aerobic speed) and an intermittent run to exhaustion with passive recovery. Results showed that intermittent runs to exhaustion with passive recovery [745 (171) s] allowed subjects to run for a significantly longer (p<0.001) time than intermittent runs to exhaustion with active recovery [445 (79) s]. These results could be explained by a significantly higher (p<0.001) energy requirement for intermittent runs with active recovery [59.9 (9.6) ml·kg−1·min−1] than for intermittent runs with passive recovery [48.9 (6.9) ml·kg−1·min−1]. It could be also hypothesized that the energy required to run during short active recovery would result in less oxygen being available to reload myoglobin and haemoglobin, to remove lactate concentrations and to resynthesize the phosphocreatine. Consequently, for intermittent runs with short recovery periods, passive recovery will induce a longer time to exhaustion than active recovery.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the administration of the Stade Régional Couvert de Liévin where the field tests were performed; Dr Bacquaert and the Institut Régional de Biologie et de Médecine du Sport, Région Nord-Pas de Calais, for medical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Etudes de la Motricité Humaine, Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l'Education Physique, 9 rue de l'Université, 59790 , Ronchin, France

    Serge Berthoin

  2. Laboratoire d'Etudes de la Motricité Humaine, Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l'Education Physique, Université de Lille 2, France

    Grégory Dupont, Nicolas Blondel & Serge Berthoin

  3. Laboratoire d'Analyses Multidisciplinaires des Activités Physiques et Sportives, UFR STAPS, Université d'Artois, France

    Nicolas Blondel

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  1. Grégory Dupont
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  2. Nicolas Blondel
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  3. Serge Berthoin
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Correspondence to Serge Berthoin.

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Dupont, G., Blondel, N. & Berthoin, S. Performance for short intermittent runs: active recovery vs. passive recovery. Eur J Appl Physiol 89, 548–554 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-003-0834-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-003-0834-2

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