Doctoral defence: Marit Salus „Effect of sprint interval training on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, blood biochemical markers and bone health in adolescent boys with obesity”

On November 17th Marit Salus will defend her thesis „Effect of sprint interval training on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, blood biochemical markers and bone health in adolescent boys with obesity”.

Supervisors: 
Professor Jaak Jürimäe, University of Tartu
Professor Vallo Tillmann, University of Tartu

Opponent:
Professor Arvydas Stasiulis, Lithuanian Sports University (Kaunas, Lithuania)

Summary:
Traditionally moderate-intensity continuous training has been a main training method to improve body composition, aerobic capacity and health among children and adults. In the last decade, high-intensity interval training, in which short submaximal intensity bursts alternate with rest intervals, has been actively used to improve health. Sprint interval training, as interval training performed with even shorter maximal efforts (known as "all-out"), is very similar in its training structure to the "run-stop" movement style of childhood, and therefore, may be a suitable training method for youth with an aim to improve health.
The aim of this doctoral thesis was to determine whether sprint interval training improves body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, adipose and bone tissue biochemical markers in blood and bone health in adolescent boys with obesity.
Subjects underwent 12 weeks of supervised all-out sprint interval training with the frequency of 3 times per week which began with a 5-minute warm-up followed by 4–6 30-second all-out bike sprints interspersed with 4-minute active rest intervals. The training session ended with a 10-minute cool-down period.
It was found that sprint interval training reduced body fat percentage, metabolic syndrome severity score, and increased cardiorespiratory fitness and lower limb bone mineral density in adolescent boys with obesity.