Recently I completed a six week regimen of Tabata intervals. A Tabata interval is 20 seconds of vigorous exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Eight intervals, four minutes, make up a Tabata workout. I chose six weeks because that was the length of time that Dr. Tabata and his team chose for their experiment. My goal was to determine if the four-minute Tabata interval combined with a six minute warm-up and a five minute cool-down would make for an effective exercise routine. I'm looking for fitness in under 20 minutes a day.
Aches and pains.
On balance I think that i had fewer aches and pains. Especially in my knees. Before I was running about 15 miles a week and my knees seemed to be a lot stiffer than they were when I did the Tabatas.
Aerobic capacity
I did not have the means to do any fancy testing, but I can offer some data. My resting pulse rate dropped. In the three weeks prior to starting Tabatas, my average pulse rate first thing in the morning was 54.25. For the last three weeks of my Tabata experiment, my pulse rate averaged 53.48. That 3/4 of a beat drop takes on some significance combined with a subjective observation. One day after my last Tabata day, I ran in a five k race. I never got my time, but I was quite surprised at how good I felt at the end of the race. I had plenty of gas and could have gone further. Except for wind sprints, I'd only run once in six weeks.
Ate more
I just seemed to eat more and more as the experiment went on. In the three weeks prior to starting, my daily intake averaged 2404 calories. In the last three weeks of the experiment, my daily intake averaged 2638. I don't have a scale, but I feel like I may have gained a pound or two. I did take some measurements prior to starting and I'll compare those soon.
Different sensations
I would often feel a sense of energy throughout the morning after a Tabata workout, but it was different from the endorphin euphoria that I sometimes get from a nice long run. No complaints or opinions here; just an observation.
Post new comment