The Eight Weeks Effects of High Intensity Interval Training and Yoga on Cardio Respiratory Fitness in Active Female Students

In recent years, high intensity interval training (HIIT) and yoga have been considered as the exercises which improve physical health and cardio-respiratory problems. The aim of the present study was to investigate the 8 weeks effect of high intensity interval training and yoga on cardio respiratory fitness in active female students.
This semi-experimental study was carried out in 2016 on 21 healthy active female students of physical education from Alzahra University. The subjects were randomly divided into control, yoga and HIIT groups. In the HIIT group the training program included three sets of the RAST protocol (35 meters distance per sets) with ten seconds rests between sets in the first and second weeks. One set was added each two weeks. Yoga group’s training program which including breathing techniques and postures (Asana) respectively, were carried out 8 week, two days per week for 90 minutes. Cardio respiratory indices were measured before intervention and 24 hours after the final training session. Data was analyzed by SPSS 16 software using two-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test with a significance level of p<0.05.
The results showed that means of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in yoga and HIIT groups significantly increased, compared to control group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between yoga and HIIT training groups (P > 0.05). After 8 weeks of HIIT and yoga exercises, there was no significant change in the means of ventilation threshold (VT), ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (VE/VO2), ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide (VE/VCO2) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER), compared to the control group (P > 0.05). Also, interaction changes at two levels of the group and time revealed that yoga exercises significantly decreased the means of RER compared to the HIIT and control group.
The present study indicated that 8 weeks of HIIT and yoga training improved cardio-respiratory fitness in active female students, so these exercises can be effective in improving the physical health and cardio-respiratory problems.