Rugbeer N, Constantinou D, Torres G
Department of Sport, Rehabilitation and Dental Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa.
Faculty of Health Sciences University of the Witwatersrand, Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Res Sports Med. 2023 Jul-Dec;31(6):734-743. doi: 10.1080/15438627.2022.2038158. Epub 2022 Feb 9.
The study compared the effect of the novel "Gear" exercise programmes on inflammatory markers and cardiorespiratory fitness measurements. The participants mean age was 38 ± 5.74 years, with a mean body mass of 83 ± 16.93kg. Participants were randomly assigned to either the "Gear" exercise programme repeated at different times during the day (GEP-DT): cycled for 90 seconds, repeated three times per day, three days per week; the "Gear" exercise programme repeated at one point in time (GEP-OT): cycled for 90 seconds followed by four minutes and 30 seconds rest, repeated three times at one point in time, three days per week; moderate-intensity continuous exercise group (MICE): cycled for 30 minutes at 55-69% of HR or the control group (CTRL): did not exercise. The GEP-DT demonstrated a moderate increase in load at ventilation threshold (VT-L) (MD = 8.18 ± 12.30, % Δ = 14.53, d = 0.77, d (95% CI): (-0.17, 1.64)). The GEP-OT group demonstrated a large effect size for VT-L (MD = 11.79 ± 18.77, % Δ = 18.86, d = 0.81, d (95% CI): (-0.02, 1.63)). The GEP-DT and GEP-OT raised the VT-L, which prevented premature fatigue and improved the efficiency of the cardiorespiratory system.