Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular

Endurance and Speed among under 16 Hockey Players

Gunathevan Elumalai

, Prakash Subramaniam

, Fariba Hussien Abadi

, Mohansundar Sangkarevel

Fakulti Sains Sukan dan Kejurulatihan, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak Darul Ridzuan 35900, Malaysia

Keywords: High Intensity Interval Training, Skill Training, Cardiovascular Endurance, Speed and Hockey Players

Abstract: This study aims to see the effectiveness of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and skill training on

cardiovascular endurance and speed among Bukit Jalil Sports School under 16 hockey players. The sample

consisted of 40 male players aged 14 to 16 years old. This study was a quantitative research by using quasi

experimental method. The respondents were divided into two groups, treatment group (HIIT training) and

control group (skill training). The training program was conducted for eight weeks. “Bleep Test” (BT) and

“30meter Speed Test” (30ST) were used during pre-test and post-test to see the effectiveness of the training

in enhancing physical fitness capabilities. The paired sample t-test analysis between pre and post tests

showed significant differences after performing HIIT training in cardiovascular endurance (t = (19) = -

5.448, p = 0.000, (p <0.05) in speed (t = (19) = 3.313, p = 0.004, (p <0.05). While the independent t-test of

post-test after the intervention program showed no significant differences in the score among HIIT training

and skill training on cardiovascular endurance (t = (38) = 1.431, p = 0.161, (p>0.05) but showed significant

differences on speed (t = (38) = -3.303, p = 0.002, (p<0.05). The findings of this study clearly showed that

HIIT workouts have a positive effect on speed compared to skill training among under 16 years old hockey

players in Bukit Jalil Sports School. There was no significant difference between the two groups in

cardiovascular endurance. This means that the skill training also enhances cardiovascular endurance.

Further research needs to identify a better and holistic intervention program to enhance not only the hockey

players’ fitness level but the other sports players too.

1 INTRODUCTION

In Malaysia, field hockey is considered a popular

sport with many followers and the high standard of

Malaysian Hockey League attracts many foreign

players to participate in this competition. In 1975,

Malaysia achieved its highest level as the fourth best

team in the World Cup which was held in Kuala

Lumpur. This achievement made the game popular

among school going children and also adults. Field

hockey gained more support from the government in

the form of funding which aims to promote this

game at grass root level. Today Malaysia’s men

team is ranked twelve in the world. This is due to the

hard work undertaken at the grass root level and

continued development programs with the juniors

and further development and enhancement at the

senior level. This continued long term development

program has made the men Malaysian team where it

is today.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has a

mission to break into the top ten ranking which

requires new training methodology and ideas to

which will benefit and improve the performance of

the team in the future. Malaysia’s men hockey team

qualified for the Men World Cup 2018 on December

in India. MHC has prioritized its mission to qualify

for the 2020 Olympic in Japan.

Expert performance identification between elite

and sub-elite players is mainly focused during the

time of transition in the adolescence life. Analysis

done on field hockey shows clearly that field hockey

is a high intensity non-continuous game which has

high physiological demands. The players’ action

involves explosive movements such as intermittent

sprinting together with many changes of direction,

cruising and dribbling the ball which can be

categorized as heavy load. If the players wish to play

at the highest level, they will need to improve and

develop their endurance capacity. By this, it means

Elumalai, G., Subramaniam, P., Abadi, F. and Sangkarevel, M.

Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Endurance and Speed among under 16 Hockey Players.

DOI: 10.5220/0009784202570261

In Proceedings of the 3rd Yogyakarta International Seminar on Health, Physical Education, and Sport Science in conjunction with the 2nd Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Sports

(YISHPESS and CoIS 2019), pages 257-261

ISBN: 978-989-758-457-2

257

the players are able to perform high intensity

activities such as running and sprinting and still has

the ability to recover in time for the next action

(Jakeman, John, Judith McMullan, and John Babraj,

2016).

Hockey involves mainly intermittent high

intensity pattern of activity, demanding high aerobic

and anaerobic fitness which mainly involve frequent

short sprints, change of directions and accelerations-

decelerations that are very common in addition to

walking and jogging in order to cover large area of

the playing field (Barun Hanjabam, Jyotsna

Kailashiya, 2014). Field hockey is also known as an

invasive territorial and long duration playing game

that involves considerable aerobic energy

contribution superimposed with brief though

frequent anaerobic efforts (Gayatri, Pandey; Saon,

Sanyal; Gireesh, Pandey, 2016). The field hockey

players need to excel in the four pillars of training

which are physiological, technical, tactical and

psychological to achieve the high standard in the

game.

The match analysis done by Barun Hanjabam

and Jyotsna Kailashiya (2014), on field hockey

games clearly showed that field hockey is a high

intensity game with a high demand on physiology

aspects. The physiological demand involves aerobic

and anaerobic capacity, strength, agility, speed and

flexibility. In field hockey, it is important that

intermittent running such as acceleration and

deceleration and the ability to do many changes of

direction while sprinting is so specific.

According to Jakeman, McMullan &

Babraj (2016), high intensity interval training (HIIT)

is the leading training method currently used by

team sports to improve the Vo2max uptake which

will enhance the athletes’ performance during

matches. HIITs are a common trend of training

method used by teams because of its time efficiency

and popularity with young children who are bored

with traditional methods such as long runs. HIITs

are among the most widely used technique

particularly in team sports because of the demand of

the sports which requires continuous intermittent

running in sports such as football and field hockey.

HIIT is widely considered as an exercise which

involved speed, agility, strength, explosive power

and the ability to repeat super maximal running

bouts and able to maintain it continuously during the

matches. HIIT is an important part of the training

which helps to develop maximal oxygen uptake

(Vo2max) and enable the players to repeat the

running bouts required by the sports during matches.

HIIT is increasingly becoming popular not only

with team sports but also with people wanting to

reduce their weight and has been prescribed to

diabetic patients as a form of exercise which would

help maintain the sugar level. HIITs are generating

considerable interest in terms of followers and usage

because of its time saving methods and the type of

exercises used in the program. More teams are using

HIITs because it produces quick results compared to

long steady continuous runs. HIITs are attracting

widespread masses due to information gathered

about the relationship between Vo2max and

repeated sprint ability which has shown the effects

of it on the recovery process and this has influenced

the game performance and the distance covered

during the games (Harrison, Gill, Kinugasa, Kilding,

2015).

HIIT not only improve the Vo2max capacity but

helps people with weight problem and inactive

individuals by helping to reduce the fat levels. HIITs

are considered fun and enjoyable activity which will

help develop a self- interest involvement which

could become a routine in their future (Roy, Brad,

2013). HIIT is responsible for technical and tactical

ability of the players to perform well during matches

according to the requirements and demands of the

sport. Exercise places an increased demand on the

cardiovascular system. Oxygen demand by the

muscles increases sharply. Metabolic processes

speed up and more waste is created. More nutrients

are used and body temperature rises. To perform as

efficiently as possible, the cardiovascular system

must regulate these changes and meet the body’s

increasing demands. High Intensity Interval Training

is a method of training which involves repeated

bouts of high intensities efforts that range from 5

seconds to 8 minutes followed by recovery periods

of varying lengths of time (Konopka & Harber,

2014).

Like any other team sports, field hockey players’

movements are typically characterized by short

bursts of very high-intensity activities combined

with low-intensity activities for recovery and periods

of inactivity both on the pitch and during

substitutions (White & MacFarlane, 2013). Although

male field hockey players spend most of a match

playing at low intensity such standing, walking, and

jogging the production of repeated actions at high or

sprint intensity is crucial for success in this sport

(Lythe & Kilding, 2011). The breadth of current

research has revealed that HIIT improves numerous

physiological parameters, often in less time when

measured against high volume continuous exercise

(Daussin et al., 2008).

YISHPESS and CoIS 2019 - The 3rd Yogyakarta International Seminar on Health, Physical Education, and Sport Science (YISHPESS

2019) in conjunction with The 2nd Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Sports (CoIS 2019)

258

Anaerobic capacity is very much required by the

players in order to do many burst sprinting forward

and to chase back to repossess the ball. Aerobic

capacity plays a very important role in providing

efficient recovery during the short rest periods

(Barun Hanjabam and Kailashiya, 2017). In order to

identify the precise area of fitness and conditioning

to team sports performance, specific test should be

conducted instead of a widely holistic overview of

conditioning. Most of the reported studies are only

focusing on adult or elite athlete. There are very few

researches being done for the young or development

age team sports.

HIITs’ are more appealing to youth compared to

the traditionally long activities. By getting the youth

to involve in HITTs’, which they consider fun and

enjoyable, will continue to develop a self- directed

physical activity which could follow to their

adulthood. The ability to successfully performance

repeated high intensity intermittent bouts are

important in invasion team sports which last from 60

– 120 minutes. An athlete level of fitness determines

how well the athlete recovers during recovery to

delay the onset of fatigue whereby allowing the high

intensity exercise to be sustained during game

(Greig, Logan, Harris, Duncan and Schoﬁeld, 2014).

The achievement of Bukit Jalil Sports School

hockey team at the national level tournament is still

at a mediocre despite having achieved previous

glories. Among the factors that could have caused

this problem is the weakness in physical fitness

preparations. Therefore, more emphasis needs to be

given from the physical conditioning aspect of the

athlete. This is because apart from the aspect of skill

training in the technical and tactical aspects of the

game, importance of physical fitness should also be

considered as part of the important elements of the

sports.

Fitness enhancement training programs through

systematic conditioning training should be

conducted constantly so that their fitness level is

always at an optimal level. Through this study,

researchers found that to enhance the fitness level in

terms of cardiovascular endurance and speed, the

playersneed a well organised form of training using

the HIIT training program. HIIT is an effective

exercise to drill as it can improve aerobic and

anaerobic capacity. However, the exercise does not

give specific information regarding the optimum

distance or time needed for the exercise. We need to

know which type of HIIT exercise will benefit

young team sports players. HIIT is also expected to

improve weight management among young team

sports players.

The purpose of this study was to improve the

endurance level of the players’ towards the

components that have been identified; it is aimed to

ensure the players’ success in the Malaysian Junior

Hockey League 2019 and other competitions. The

researchers used HIIT training program to study the

effectiveness after eight weeks on VO2max and

speed. This research will provide valuable

information for athletes, coaches, Bukit Jalil Sports

School and other organizations about the advantages

and disadvantages of HIIT training programs

provided to improve the young hockey players’

performance.

2 METHODOLOGY

This quasi experimental study was conducted among

40 hockey players from Bukit Jalil Sports School.

All the respondents are 14 to 16 years old. The

sample were divided to two groups randomly,

whereby the treatment group (n=20) performed the

HIIT program while the control group (N=20)

performed normal skills training. The treatment

group was systematically following a prepared

training program while the control group will follow

the regular training or skill based training. This

training program by the treatment group was

conducted two times a week over the span of eight

weeks.

In this study, researchers used HIIT

program that was expected to enhance the players’

cardiovascular endurance and speed. An overview of

the respondents to this activity was given in this

study. The treatment group respondents were given a

HIIT program consisted of 400 meters run with four

repetitions done in three sets. The respondents were

given rest ratio 1:1 time between each repetition.

The respondents were also given a rest of six

minutes between each set as rest interval. A total

distance of 1600 meters was covered for each set.

The respondents covered a total distance of 4800

meters for completion of the three sets. Multi Stage

Shuttle Run (Bleep) test was used to monitor the

development of the athlete’s maximum oxygen

uptake (VO2 max) and speed was tested using 30m

Speed Test. The collected data were analysed using

Paired Sample T-Test and Independent Samples T-

Test.

Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Endurance and Speed among under 16 Hockey Players

259

3 RESULTS

The pair sample t-test result between pre and post-

test clearly showed that both groups had an

increasedVO2max uptake for cardiovascular

endurance. The descriptive analysis for the treatment

group using the HIIT training program provides a

higher increased in VO2max compared to the

control group that performs regular skill training.

Results from the independent t-test of post-test after

the intervention program showed no significant

differences in the score among HIIT training and

skill training on cardiovascular endurance (t = (38) =

1.431, p = 0.161, (p>0.05). The analysis for speed

showed significant differences on speed (t = (38) = -

3.303, p = 0.002, (p<0.05). The findings of this

study proved that HIIT workouts have a positive

effect on speed compared to skill training among

under 16 years old hockey players in Bukit Jalil

Sports School.

4 CONCLUSION

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that there

was a significant difference between the HIIT group

and the skill group after intervention program. HIIT

training group have a better impact on

cardiovascular endurance and speed than skills

training group. This research, proved that using this

systematic HIIT workout method by trainers can

develop the best performance in terms of speed and

cardiovascular endurance among Bukit Jalil Sports

School hockey players. Alexandra Hannah Roberts

(2016), also says the use of more systematic training

by coaches can have a positive impact on the fitness

level of sports players. The findings of this research

also supported by Charan Singh (2015) and

Cunanan, DeWeese, Wagle (2018). The research

done by both groups emphasize that systematic

training using HIIT will enhance the muscles

adaptation towards the intensity given through the

intervention program. Speed can be improved in

short-term training if the athlete is ready to undergo

the training without injury.

It is hoped that this study will be a guideline for

all coaches, especially in helping to choose the most

appropriate training to enhance the fitness level of

hockey players. To assist other researchers making

this method of research for the future, it is important

that the selected respondents are really all set to

carry out a specified intervention program and test.

The readiness of players or athletes is significant in

attaining any training program. In addition,

researchers should give priority to the safety and

comfort of the respondents in order to perform well

throughout the intervention program (Gharbi et.al

2015). This research also indicates that not only

specifically applicable to hockey players but also to

other sports players and athletics where they can

improve their cardiovascular endurance and speed

using this intervention program by considering all

the training principals such as frequency, intensity,

time and individual differences.

REFERENCES

Cunanan, A.J., DeWeese, B.H., Wagle., 2018. The

General Adaptation Syndrome: A Foundation for the

Concept of Periodization J.P. et al. Sports Med. 48:

787-792.

Daussin et al., 2008. Effect of interval versus continuous

training on cardiorespiratory and mitochondrial

functions: relationship to aerobic performance

improvements in sedentary subjects. Am J Physiol

Regul Integr Comp Physiol 295: R264 –R272.

Gayatri, Pandey, Saon, Sanyal, Gireesh, Pandey, 2016.

Comparative study of mental toughness between

national and interuniversity level female hockey

players. International Journal of Sports Sciences &

Fitness., 6 (1): 57-69.

Gharbi Z, Dardouri W, Haj-Sassi R, Chamari K, Souissi

N., 2015. Aerobic and anaerobic determinants of

repeated sprint ability in team sports athletes. Biology

of Sport, 32 (93): 35-43.

Hanjabam, B., Kailashiya, Y., 2014. Effects of Addition of

Sprint, Strength and Agility Training On

Cardiovascular System in Young Male Field Hockey

Players: An Echocardiography Based Study.IOSR.

Journal of Sports and Physical Education (IOSR-

JSPE) 32(3): 45-53.

Harrison, C. B., Gill, N. D., Kinugasa, T., Kilding, A. E.,

2015. Development of Aerobic Fitness in Young

Team Sport Athletes. Sports Med 45:969–983.

Jakeman, J. R., McMullan, J., & Babraj, J.

A., 2016. Efficacy of a four-week uphill sprint training

intervention in field hockey players. Journal of

Strength & Conditioning Research, 30(10), 2761–

2766.

Konopka, A.R. And M.P. Harber., 2014. Skeletal Muscle

Hypertrophy After Aerobic Exercise Training. Exerc.

Sport Sci. Rev., 42(2): 53-61.

Logan, G.R.M., Harris, N., Duncan, S., Schoﬁeld, G.,

2014. A Review of Adolescent High-Intensity Interval

Training. Sports Medicine. 51:455-463.

Lythe J, Kilding A E., 2011. Physical Demands and

Physiological Responses During Elite Field Hockey

Roberts, A.H., 2016. Effects of sport-specific training

conditions on performance in high school field hockey

YISHPESS and CoIS 2019 - The 3rd Yogyakarta International Seminar on Health, Physical Education, and Sport Science (YISHPESS

2019) in conjunction with The 2nd Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Sports (CoIS 2019)

260

players. Journal of Strength & Conditioning

Research, 35(12), 145–256.

Singh, C., 2015. Comparative Study of Anaerobic and

Aerobic Capacity between Hockey and Football Male

Players of Haryana. International Journal of

Engineering Technology, Management and Applied

Sciences. 3 (Special Issue): 26-32.

Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Cardiovascular Endurance and Speed among under 16 Hockey Players

261