title: Effect of increased and maintained frequency of speed endurance training on performance and muscle adaptations in runners.
abstract: The aim of the study was, in runners accustomed to speed endurance training (SET), to examine the effect of increased and maintained frequency of SET on performance and muscular adaptations. After familiarization (FAM) to SET, 18 male (n = 14) and female (n = 4) runners (V̇o2max: 57.3 ± 3.4 ml/min; means ± SD) completed 20 sessions of maintained low-frequency (LF; every fourth day; n = 7) or high-frequency (HF; every second day; n = 11) SET. Before FAM as well as before and after an intervention period (INT), subjects completed a series of running tests and a biopsy from m. vastus lateralis was collected. Ten-kilometer performance improved (P < 0.05) ~3.5% during FAM with no further change during INT. Time to exhaustion at 90% vV̇o2maxwas 15 and 22% longer (P < 0.05) during FAM and a further 12 and 16% longer (P < 0.05) during INT in HF and LF, respectively. During FAM, muscle expression of NHE1 and maximal activity of citrate synthase (CS) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) increased (P < 0.05), running economy (RE) improved (P < 0.05), and V̇o2maxwas unchanged. During INT, both HF and LF increased (P < 0.05) muscle expression of NKAβ1, whereas maximal activity of CS and PFK, RE, and V̇o2maxwere unchanged. Furthermore, during INT, muscle expression of FXYD1 and SERCA1, and FXYD1 activity increased (P < 0.05) in HF, while muscle expression of SERCA2 decreased (P < 0.05) in LF. Thus increased or maintained frequency of SET leads to further improvements in short-term exercise capacity, but not in 10-km running performance. The better short-term exercise capacity may be associated with elevated expression of muscle proteins related to Na+/K+transportation and Ca2+reuptake.
  
  
  
  Ten speed endurance training (SET) sessions improved short-term exercise capacity and 10-km performance, which was followed by further improved short-term exercise capacity, but unchanged 10-km performance after 20 SET sessions performed with either high frequency (4 per 8 days) or continued low frequency (2 per 8 days) in trained runners. The further gain in short-term exercise capacity was associated with changes in muscle expression of proteins of importance for the development of fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Integrated Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and.|Team Danmark (Danish Elite Sports Organization), Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Casper
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Skovgaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Integrated Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and.
authors.forename: Nicki Winfield
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Almquist
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Section of Integrated Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and jbangsbo@nexs.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bangsbo
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins
keywords: K+-ATPase; Na+; SERCA; exercise capacity; muscular adaptations; performance; speed endurance training