Not So Fast Intervals

Some good news for interval training sprints, Tai Chi slows the progression of Parkinson's and your weekly recommendations.

The Rundown

Not So Fast Intervals. If you do 10-20-30 interval training to improve your running and overall health, a study from the University of Copenhagen has good news. Your ten second sprint doesn’t have to be all out.

In 10-20-30 interval training, you run slow for 30 seconds, hit a moderate pace for 20 seconds and give it everything you have for ten seconds. Each one minute interval is repeated three to five times. After each interval block, you take a one to four minute break.

For the study, researchers had 19 runners replace their normal training with 10-20-30 workouts for six weeks (three to four minute blocks, three times a week). The team told half the group to run at 80 percent of their max for the ten second sprint and the results were surprising.

Those sprinting at 80 percent made similar progress in their running performance and fitness as those sprinting at 100 percent. The 80 percent group improved their running time in a 5K by an average of 42 seconds while the 100 percent group took an average of 24 seconds off their times. Both groups improved their overall fitness (maximum oxygen uptake) by seven percent.

The researchers believe that the result is most likely related to the fact that even “sub-maximum” 10-20-30 interval training pushes a significantly higher heart rate than a runner’s normal training.

One caveat: Only the 100 percent max group formed more mitochondria, which are important for muscular endurance. So, if you are planning on running a half or full marathon, you need to sprint at 100 percent to achieve the maximum benefit of the training.

Tai Chi & Parkinson’s Disease. A new study has found that the long-term practice of Tai Chi significantly slows the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s affects about ten million people globally and is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, according to Parkinson’s UK. The disease affects the brain’s production of dopamine but the exact cause and a cure have remained a mystery.

Previous work on Parkinson’s has demonstrated that doing Tai Chi for one-hour, twice a week for six months, helped improve gait velocity and postural stability, which led to less falls and a better quality of life. Long term practice, it seems, has even more benefits.

For the study, researchers monitored two groups of people with Parkinson’s for more than five years. One group practiced Tai Chi on the same schedule as the earlier study—one hour, twice a week—while the other group did not do Tai Chi.

The long-term Tai Chi practitioners had slower progression of Parkinson’s in a wide range of metrics. The rate of dyskinesia (the tremor-like movements related to Parkinson’s) was 1.4 percent versus 7.5 percent in the control group. Only three percent of the Tai Chi group showed mild cognitive impairment compared to ten percent in the control group and none of the Tai Chi practitioners experienced hallucinations, as compared to just over two percent of the control group. Also, 96 percent of the control group had to increase their medication versus 87.5 percent of the Tai Chi group.

The researchers note that their study was observational and conducted on a small sample size. But they are encouraged by the results, adding that Tai Chi practice “could prolong the time without disability, leading to a higher quality of life, a lower burden for caregivers and less drug usage.”

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