摘要：High-intensity interval training (HIIT) programs have become increasingly popular in recent years. “Tabata training,” a term that is often used synonymously with HIIT, was first described by the Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata in 1996. Tabata and his colleagues (1996) conducted a study that compared moderate-intensity continuous training at 70% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) for 60 minutes, with HIIT conducted at 170% of VO2max. HIIT consisted of eight, 20-second all-out exercise bouts followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of 4 minutes of exercise. The study found that HIIT improved aerobic capacity to a similar degree as moderate-intensity continuous training, but also resulted in a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity. Those findings led to the development of a wide variety of HIIT programs. Although there are many different ways to perform HIIT, all of the programs are characterized by periods of very heavy effort combined with periods of either complete rest or low intensity recovery. Tabata training has evolved to include a variety of modes and exercises performed in the classic 20-10 pattern (i.e., 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest). While the relative exercise intensity and physiological responses to traditional steady- state exercise are well-documented, there is limited research regarding the relative exercise intensity and energy expenditure of Tabata training. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relative exercise intensity and energy expenditure of a Tabata workout.
