A Comparative Study of Intense Continuous and Intermittent Aerobic Training on Physiological Factors in Football Players

Abstract

Background: Identifying new training methods to enhance athletes' physical fitness and physiological factors has become a major focus for coaches and sports specialists. Aerobic training, especially high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and intense continuous training, are recognized for their effectiveness in improving health and performance metrics. This study compares these two training methods to assess their impact on specific physiological factors in young football players from Hamadan city.

Methode: This semi-experimental study involved 45 young football players who met specific inclusion criteria (e.g., non-smokers, no cardiovascular diseases, no recent structured exercise programs, etc.). The participants were randomly divided into three groups: an intense continuous aerobic exercise group, an intense intermittent program group, and a control group, each consisting of 15 players. The continuous aerobic group trained thrice weekly at 90-95% of their maximum heart rate, while the intermittent group performed 30 minutes of high-intensity training followed by 30 minutes of rest, also thrice weekly. Physiological factors, including maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), heart rate, and blood pressure, were measured before and after six weeks of training.

Results: Both training methods significantly improved the physiological factors compared to the control group. However, intense continuous aerobic training showed more significant and substantial improvements. VO2max increased significantly in both experimental groups but more so in the continuous aerobic group. Similarly, both training methods resulted in significant reductions in resting heart rate and blood pressure, with more pronounced effects observed in the continuous aerobic group.

Conclusion: This study highlights the distinct impacts of intense continuous and intermittent aerobic training on physiological factors in football players. While both methods are beneficial, intense continuous aerobic training may provide more significant enhancements, making it a potentially more effective training strategy for improving the physical fitness and performance of football players. Further research could explore the long-term effects of these training methods and their impact on other performance metrics.