Effect of training on accumulated oxygen deficit and shuttle run performance

Background. The purpose of the present study was to investigate changes in physiological, metabolic and performance parameters resulting from an intense 6 week training programme. Methods. Sixteen volunteers were divided into a control (CN; 4 men and 2 women) and training group (TR; 6 men and 4 women). Laboratory measures included maximal aerobic power ((V) over dot O-2max) submaximal oxygen uptake (10.5% or 6 degrees treadmill inclination) and accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD). Performance was assessed during 20 metre shuttle run tests (PST, progressive shuttle run test; HIST, high intensity shuttle run test). Results. TR improved their HIST performance (in) significantly compared with CN, identified by a significant "group-by-training" interaction (p <0.01). Similarly, AOD values improved more in TR compared with CN (p <0.01). There was a trend for TR to further reduce blood pH values after training compared with CN, although this decrease (approximately 0.05 units) did not attain statistical significance. The change in AOD was strongly correlated with the change in run time to exhaustion (r=0.76, p <0.01) and the change in estimated total work output (r=0.69, p <0.01) during 10.5 % gradient running and modestly correlated with the change in HIST performance (r=0.49, p <0.05, assuming a directional test). Conclusions. The results of the present study suggest changes in the anaerobic capacity, determined as AOD, due to training may be reflected in corresponding changes in laboratory and field performance.