RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Intermittent exercise programs characterized through intensive exercise bouts alternated with passive or active recovery (i.e., interval training), have been proven to enhance measures of cardiorespiratory fitness. However, it is unresolved which recovery type (active or passive) applied during interval training results in larger performance improvements. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to summarize recent evidence on the effects of passive or active recovery following long-term interval exercise training on measures of physical fitness and physiological adaptations in healthy trained and untrained individuals. The study protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9BUEY ). METHODS: We searched nine databases including the grey literature (Academic Search Elite, CINAHL, ERIC, Open Access Theses and Dissertations, Open Dissertations, PsycINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus) from inception until February 2023. Key terms as high-intensity interval training, recovery mode, passive or active recover were used. A systematic review rather than a meta-analysis was performed, as a large number of outcome parameters would have produced substantial heterogeneity. RESULTS: After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 24 studies were eligible for inclusion in our final analysis. Thirteen studies examined the effects of interval training interspersed with passive recovery regimes on physical fitness and physiological responses in trained (6 studies) and untrained (7 studies) individuals. Eleven out of 13 studies reported significant improvements in physical fitness (e.g., maximal aerobic velocity (MAV), Yo-Yo running test, jump performance) and physiological parameters (e.g., maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max], lactate threshold, blood pressure) in trained (effect sizes from single studies: 0.13 < Cohen's d < 3.27, small to very large) and untrained individuals (effect sizes: 0.17 < d < 4.19, small to very large) despite the type of interval training or exercise dosage (frequency, intensity, time, type). Two studies were identified that examined the effects of passive recovery applied during interval training in young female basketball (15.1 ± 1.1 years) and male soccer players (14.2 ± 0.5 years). Both studies showed positive effects of passive recovery on VO2max, countermovement jump performance, and the Yo-Yo running test. Eleven studies examined the effects of interval training interspersed with active recovery methods on physical fitness and physiological parameters in trained (6 studies) and untrained individuals (5 studies). Despite the type of interval training or exercise dosage, nine out of eleven studies reported significant increases in measures of physical fitness (e.g., MAV) and physiological parameters (e.g., VO2max, blood pressures) in trained (effect sizes from single studies: 0.13 < d < 1.29, small to very large) and untrained individuals (effect sizes: 0.19 < d < 3.29, small to very large). There was no study available that examined the effects of active recovery on physical fitness and physiological responses in youth. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this systematic review show that interval training interspersed with active or passive recovery regimes have the potential to improve measures of physical fitness and physiology outcomes in trained and untrained adults and trained youth. That is, the applied recovery type seems not to affect the outcomes. Nonetheless, more research is needed on the effects of recovery type on measures of physical fitness and physiological adaptations in youth.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the contract-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (CR PNF) stretching protocol on dynamic balance. METHODS: Twenty healthy young male performed two sessions in a randomized order; a session with CR PNF stretching protocol, and a session without the stretching protocol. Bipedal dynamic balance was measured in anterior-posterior and medio-lateral directions before and after the completion the two experimental sessions with eyes opened and closed. RESULTS: the present study showed that there is no significant difference between the two sessions (with vs without the CR PNF stretching protocol) in the anterior-posterior direction. However, in the medio-lateral direction, the CR PNF stretching protocol significantly enhanced dynamic balance, when compared with the no stretch protocol condition. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that CR PNF stretching might be effective to improve dynamic balance control.
OBJETIVO: Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar o efeito de um protocolo de alongamento por facilitação neuromuscular proprioceptiva de contração-relaxamento sobre o equilíbrio dinâmico. MÉTODOS: Vinte jovens saudáveis do sexo masculino realizaram duas sessões oredenadas aleatoriamente; uma sessão com protocolo de alongamento por facilitação neuromuscular proprioceptiva de contração-relaxamento, e uma sessão sem esse protocolo. O equilíbrio dinâmico bipedal foi medido nas direções ântero-posterior e médio-lateral antes e após a conclusão das duas sessões experimentais, com os olhos abertos e fechados. RESULTADOS: O estudo mostrou que não há diferença significativa entre as duas sessões (com vs sem o protocolo de alongamento) no sentido ântero-posterior. No entanto, na direção médio-lateral, o protocolo de alongamento aumentou significativamente o equilíbrio dinâmico, quando comparado com a condição de protocolo sem alongamento. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo permite concluir que o protocolo de alongamento por facilitação neuromuscular proprioceptiva de contração-relaxamento pode ser eficaz para melhorar o controle de equilíbrio dinâmico.