Efficacy of Interval Training in Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Metabolic Syndrome

To find out the effect of interval training to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in persons with metabolic syndrome.

Comparative.

28 male patients between the ages of 40–55 years.

Patients were divided into interval training group and conventional groups by random assignment method.

Total treatment time for both groups was 45 minutes, 5 days a week for two weeks. The interval training group (Group A) during their 25 minutes of resistance exercise alternated between 30% of baseline peak work rate for 2 minutes and then 70% of baseline peak work rate for 3 minutes on the cycle ergometer. The conventional group (Group B) during the 25 minutes of resistance exercise performed cycling at 50% of the baseline peak work rate (PWR).

Six Minute Walk Test distances.

All participants of both the groups showed significant improvement in the six minute walk distances. For the interval training group the mean pre test six minute walk test distance was 542.93 m (±37.08) and that of the post test was 588.00 m (±40.73). For the conventional group the mean pre test six minute walk test distance was 538.00 m (±18.07) and that of the post test was 565.64m (±22.95). On comparison of the post test distances of both groups, the distances of the interval training group showed significant improvement over the conventional group.

The present study shows that interval training seems to be beneficial in those with metabolic syndrome in improving cardiorespiratory fitness.