Interval Training

The key principal to interval training is that intermittent work (bouts of exertion followed by a period of rest) allows you to work at a sufficient intensity to ensure maximum improvement of the energy system in question. By cutting down the duration of exertion, you can increase the intensity to higher levels.

This is contrasted to steady-state work, in which there is no rest interval (until the workout is over.) There is only one long work interval, and thus the intensity level is lower out of necessity.

Incorporating interval training into your workout schedule will ensure that you are working all three energy systems: the ATP-CP system (maximum intensity/very short duration), the lactic acid system (high intensity/short duration) and the O2 system (less intensity/longer duration.) By targeting all three of these systems you will develop your endurance base, increase sustained speed and add explosive speed to your paddling.

Interval training also serves the key function of improving heart stroke volume (the amount of blood pumped with each heart beat.) Stroke volume is one of the key factors in determining the total amount of blood pumped by the heart (the other is heart rate.) The higher the stroke volume, the more blood pumped by the heart, and thus the more oxygen is transported to the exercising muscles. It is highest not during a work interval, but during the rest period after it. With interval training there are many recovery periods, and thus stroke volume is at its highest level many times during a single workout. Achieving maximum stroke volume many times per workout over many weeks of interval training provides a greater stimulus for improving stroke volume than steady-state training alone.

So why not skip steady-state and interval train all the time? First, a year-round schedule of interval training would be extremely hard and could cause burn-out. Second, there is some evidence that while interval training will improve VO2 MAX and anaerobic threshold the quickest, the improvements are not as long lasting as if achieved through steady-state training. For these reasons most athletes use a combination of steady-state and interval training.

Advantages of Interval Training:

Disadvantages of Interval Training: