The website Science Daily just recently published some interesting details pertaining to the recent viral growth of “high-intensity” or “sprint training” that has become quite popular over the past few years. The study was done by Canadian and European researchers and published by University of British Columbia. The premise of the study is that if you are completely new to high-intensity exercise that it can actually do you more harm than good. This study has found signs of stress in the muscle tissues of their non-athlete, untrained subjects after ultra-intense leg and arm cycling exercises. The article also builds on the premise that untrained subjects had a weakened ability to fight off free radicals, molecules that can alter DNA and harm healthy cells.
Original Article Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160323082026.htm
We here at the office do not hold the opinion that high intensity exercise is a poor choice for most individuals and little to no long term scientific information is available on the subject outside of athletes and not those who are looking to get back into higher levels of workouts. We do advocate widely that we must approach exercise after a long break from proper movement and exercise with caution for doing too much, too soon. You should also always feel free to consult a healthcare professional before returning to exercise.
Specifically quoting from researcher Robert Boushel, the study’s senior author and director of the University of British Columbia’s School of Kinesiology. “Our study raises questions about what the right dose and intensity of exercise for the average person really is” and he later stated “We need to be cautious about supporting sprint training in the general population”.
For more information, we encourage you to at least read the summary at Science Daily.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160323082026.htm
The study was based on 12 male volunteers who were in good health but self identified as untrained or only moderately active. The original studies title is “High-intensity sprint training inhibits mitochondrial respiration through aconitase inactivation” and was published in The Official Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) journal.
Here at the office, we treat a great deal of sports related injuries using Chiropractic and Extremity Manipulation, Active Release Techniques, and Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization as well as other techniques when needed. If you have questions about if we could help you, please give our office a call! 856-228-3100