Effects of High-Intensity Interval Walking Training on Physical Fitness and Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged and Older People

doi:10.4065/82.7.803

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Volume 82, Issue 7, July 2007, Pages 803-811

https://doi.org/10.4065/82.7.803 Get rights and content

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether high-intensity interval walking training increased thigh muscle strength and peak aerobic capacity and reduced blood pressure more than moderate-intensity continuous walking training.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

From May 18, 2004, to October 15, 2004 (5-month study period), 60 men and 186 women with a mean ± SD age of 63±6 years were randomly divided into 3 groups: no walking training, moderate-intensity continuous walking training, and high-intensity interval walking training. Participants in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group were instructed to walk at approximately 50% of their peak aerobic capacity for walking, using a pedometer to verify that they took 8000 steps or more per day for 4 or more days per week. Those in the high-intensity interval walking training group, who were monitored by accelerometry, were instructed to repeat 5 or more sets of 3-minute low-intensity walking at 40% of peak aerobic capacity for walking followed by a 3-minute high-intensity walking above 70% of peak aerobic capacity for walking per day for 4 or more days per week. Isometric knee extension and flexion forces, peak aerobic capacity for cycling, and peak aerobic capacity for walking were all measured both before and after training.

RESULTS

The targets were met by 9 of 25 men and 37 of 59 women in the no walking training group, by 8 of 16 men and 43 of 59 women in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group, and by 11 of 19 men and 31 of 68 women in the high-intensity interval walking training group. In the high-intensity interval walking training group, isometric knee extension increased by 13%, isometric knee flexion by 17%, peak aerobic capacity for cycling by 8%, and peak aerobic capacity for walking by 9% (all, P<.001), all of which were significantly greater than the increases observed in the moderate-intensity continuous walking training group (all, P<.01). Moreover, the reduction in resting systolic blood pressure was higher for the high-intensity interval walking training group (P=.01).

CONCLUSION

High-intensity interval walking may protect against age-associated increases in blood pressure and decreases in thigh muscle strength and peak aerobic capacity.

Section snippets

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

Once the study protocol (Figure 1) had been approved by the Review Board on Human Experiments, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan, 246 healthy, nonsmoking middle-aged and older adults (44-78 years) with no history of cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases gave written informed consent and were enrolled in the study. Of the study participants, 60 were men and 186 were women. At first, we intended to divide participants randomly into 3 groups, each with 20 men and 62 women: no

RESULTS

Although the number of days walked per week did not significantly differ between the interval and continuous walking groups, the walking time of the interval group was only 83% of the continuous walking group (Table 1). However, despite this difference in walking time, the energy expenditure per day did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (P=.66) because the interval walking group exercised at a much higher intensity (>70% Vo_2peak) than the continuous walking group.

Significantly

DISCUSSION

The major findings of this study are that high-intensity interval walking resulted in greater increases in Vo_2peak and thigh muscle strength and a greater reduction in SBP than moderate-intensity continuous walking in older men and women.

We adopted 3 minutes as the walking interval because most participants could not continue to walk at the high intensity for more than 3 minutes because of fatigue. However, they recovered from this fatigue within 2 to 3 minutes, and so we adopted a regimen of a

Conclusion

High-intensity interval walking training might help protect against age-associated reductions in muscle strength and Vo_2peak and increases in blood pressure. Guidelines for exercise in healthy older adults should encourage at least some higher-intensity component during walking.

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: This study was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (Comprehensive Research on Aging and Health), the Japan Society for Promotion of Science, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLEEffects of High-Intensity Interval Walking Training on Physical Fitness and Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged and Older People

OBJECTIVE

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

RESULTS

CONCLUSION

Section snippets

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

Conclusion

Effects of exercise training on health and physical functioning in older persons

General principles of exercise prescription

Triaxial accelerometry to evaluate walking efficiency in older subjects

Med Sci Sports Exerc

Effects of exercise training on thermoregulatory responses and blood volume in older men

J Appl Physiol

The effects of aerobic or resistance training on blood volume, thigh muscle mass, and peak aerobic power in older men [abstract] [in Japanese]

Jpn J Phys Fitness Sports Med

Other clinical conditions influencing exercise prescription

Assessment of energy expenditure for physical activity using a triaxial accelerometer

Med Sci Sports Exerc

Statistics notes: analysing controlled trials with baseline and follow up measurements

BMJ

What is meant by intention to treat analysis? survey of published randomised controlled trials

BMJ

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Effects of High-Intensity Interval Walking Training on Physical Fitness and Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged and Older People