Whether you are a runner who is looking to improve their pace, or a rugby player who is having to make quick bursts on the pitch to complete a tackle, interval training certainly has a role to play and can make these parts of your performance feel a lot easier. In this article I will discuss what interval training is, why it is important and give some examples of sport specific training that you could incorporate into your training sessions.
According to Paul B. Laursen and David G. Jenkins (2002), interval training involves repeated sessions of relatively high-intensity exercise separated by recovery periods, allowing individuals to accumulate a greater total exercise volume at high intensity than continuous exercise would permit. Let’s break down this definition in simpler terms.
What is interval training?
- Repeated sessions of relatively high-intensity exercise separated by recovery periods:
This means you work hard for a short period, then you recover and then you repeat. So instead of exercising at the same pace the whole time, you alternate between:
- Higher effort (like faster walking/jogging, cycling harder, or doing exercises more quickly)
- Recovery time (slowing down, walking, or resting)
- Allowing individuals to accumulate a greater total exercise volume at high intensity than continuous exercise would permit:
This means that by taking short recovery breaks, you’re able to work at a higher intensity multiple times instead of stopping early due to fatigue or pain. Over the whole session, this allows you to complete more total “hard effort” exercise than you could if you tried to go continuously without a break.
Why is Interval Training Important?
Prescribing interval training is one of the most effective tools we can use as physiotherapists to allow our clients to return to their sport stronger, fitter and more resilient. Its benefits include:
- Improved Aerobic Fitness/Repeated Sprint Ability
Most team sports involve short bursts of high effort followed by brief recovery. Research from Martin J. Gibala (2012) demonstrates that interval training improves the body’s ability to perform and recover from repeated high-intensity efforts.
Research by Jan Helgerud and colleagues (2007) has also shown that high-intensity interval training significantly improves VO₂max and running performance in trained athletes.
Better aerobic fitness means you can:
- Run harder for longer
- Faster between efforts
- Better fatigue resistance with improved performance under pressure
- Time Efficient and Effective
According to Paul B. Laursen and David G. Jenkins (2002), interval training allows athletes to accumulate more high-quality, high-intensity work than steady training alone.
That means you can improve fitness without adding excessive training time which is especially important when balancing skills practice, strength training, and competition.
- Supports Safe Return to Sport
From a physiotherapy perspective, interval training allows us to:
- Gradually reintroduce high-speed running
- Control load on healing tissues while reducing the risk of overload or flare ups
- By alternating effort and recovery, we can rebuild match fitness while still protecting joints, tendons, and muscles.
Examples of Interval Training
Let’s take running as an example. There are multiple different types of interval training runners can complete. I will outline 4 different types of sessions that could be completed and the benefit of each.
Return-to-Running Intervals:
This type of interval is ideal after injury or for building base fitness as it builds running tolerance gradually without overloading the joints.
- 1-minute easy jog
- 1–2 minutes brisk walk
- Repeat for 15–20 minutes
- Tempo Intervals:
This type of interval is ideal for runners who want to improve stamina as it helps to build aerobic fitness and helps you sustain faster paces for longer.
- 3–4 minutes at a comfortably hard pace
- 2 minutes easy jog
- Repeat 4–6 times
- Speed Intervals:
This type of interval is ideal for experienced runners who are aiming to improve speed as it helps to improve running economy and recovery between efforts.
- 400m fast run
- 200m slow jog
- Repeat 6–10 times
- Hill Intervals:
This type of interval is great for building strength and reducing injury risk as they focus on strengthening glutes, calves, and hamstrings while reducing impact forces compared to flat sprinting.
- 30–45 seconds uphill run
- Walk back down to recover
- Repeat 6–8 times
Not at all. Intervals can be adjusted for all fitness levels, from beginners to elite athletes. Even alternating between brisk and easy cycling on a stationary bike counts as interval training.
If you are looking for a sport specific interval program, or how to start to integrate interval training into your exercise routine or just at looking how to be a good runner , book in for a session at Bend + Mend and your physiotherapist can help tailor this to your goals and injury status.
FAQs:
- Does interval training only apply to running?
No. Interval training can be done with running, cycling, swimming, rowing, or even gym-based cardio equipment. The principle is the same, alternating harder efforts with recovery periods, regardless of the activity.
- How would interval training look in swimming or cycling?
Examples include:
- Swimming: 50–100m fast swim followed by easy-paced laps for recovery, repeated several times.
- Cycling: 2–3 minutes of harder pedaling followed by 1–2 minutes of easy spinning.
The structure stays the same – effort, recover, repeat.
- How do I know if I’m working at the right intensity?
A simple guide across all activities:
- Easy: You can talk comfortably.
- Moderate: You can speak in short sentences.
- Hard: Only a few words at a time.
- Is interval training only for competitive athletes?
Written by Clodagh Gray, Physiotherapist (and marathon runner!) at Bend + Mend, Sydney CBD.
References:
Gibala, M. J., et al. (2012). Physiological adaptations to low-volume, high-intensity interval training. Journal of Physiology, 590(5), 1077–1084.
Helgerud, J., et al. (2007). Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO₂max more than moderate training. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(4), 665–671.
Laursen, P. B., & Jenkins, D. G. (2002). The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training. Sports Medicine, 32(1), 53–73.
