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Defining the number of bouts and oxygen uptake

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different intensities

Article in Physiology & Behavior · February 2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.02.045

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Accepted Manuscript

Defining the number of bouts and oxygen uptake during the

“Tabata protocol” performed at different intensities

Ricardo B. Viana, João P.A. Naves, Claudio A.B. de Lira, Victor

S. Coswig, Fabrício B. Del Vecchio, Carlos A. Vieira, Paulo
Gentil

PII: S0031-9384(18)30106-9
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.02.045
Reference: PHB 12105
To appear in: Physiology & Behavior
Received date: 23 November 2017
Revised date: 15 February 2018
Accepted date: 23 February 2018

Please cite this article as: Ricardo B. Viana, João P.A. Naves, Claudio A.B. de Lira, Victor
S. Coswig, Fabrício B. Del Vecchio, Carlos A. Vieira, Paulo Gentil , Defining the number
of bouts and oxygen uptake during the “Tabata protocol” performed at different intensities.
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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Research paper

DEFINING THE NUMBER OF BOUTS AND OXYGEN UPTAKE DURING THE “TABATA
PROTOCOL” PERFORMED AT DIFFERENT INTENSITIES

Ricardo B. Vianaa , João P.A Naves a , Claudio A.B de Liraa , Victor S. Coswigb, Fabrício B. Del
Vecchioc, Carlos A. Vieiraa , Paulo Gentila,*
a
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Physical Education and Dance, Federal University of
Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
b
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Physical Education, Federal University of Pará,

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Castanhal, Brazil.

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c
Department of Physical Education, Superior School of Physical Education, Federal University of
Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

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*Corresponding Author
Paulo Gentil
FEFD – Faculdade de Educação Física e Dança

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Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG
Avenida Esperança s/n, Campus Samambaia – CEP: 74.690-900
Goiânia – Goiás – Brasil
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Phone/Fax: +55 062 3521-1105
Email: paulogentil@hotmail.com
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Abstract

It is usually reported that the Tabata Protocol (TP) is performed with eight bouts of 20:10 intervals at
a load equivalent to 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max. However, the feasibility of accumulating 160 seconds of
work at 170% i𝑉̇ O2 max has been questioned. This article tested the intensity that would allow the
performance of the original TP on a cycle ergometer, and measured the highest value of oxygen
consumption (𝑉̇ O2 ) obtained during the TP and the time spent above 90% of the maximal oxygen
uptake (𝑉̇ O2 max) during the TP performed at different intensities. Thirteen young active males (25.9
± 5.5 years, 67.9 ± 9.2 kg, 1.70 ± 0.06 m, 23.6 ± 3.1 kg.m-2 ) participated in the study. Participants
performed a graded exertion test (GXT) on a cycle ergometer to obtain maximum oxygen
consumption (𝑉̇ O2 max) and the intensity associated with 𝑉̇ O2 max (i𝑉̇ O2 max). 𝑉̇ O2 , maximal heart

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rate (HRmax), and number of bouts performed were evaluated during the TP performed at 115%,

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130%, and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max. 𝑉̇ O 2 max, HRmax, and i𝑉̇ O2 max were 51.8±8.0 mL.kg-1 .min-1 , 186±10
bpm, and 204±26 W, respectively. The number of bouts performed at 115% (7±1 bouts) was higher

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than at 130% (5±1 bouts) and 170% (4 ± 1 bouts) (p < 0.0001). The highest 𝑉̇ O 2 achieved at 115%,
130%, and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max was 54.2 ± 7.9 mL.kg-1 .min-1 , 52.5 ± 8.1 mL.kg-1 .min-1 , and 49.6 ± 7.5
mL.kg-1 .min-1 , respectively. Non significant difference was found between the highest 𝑉̇ O 2 achieved

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at different intensities, however qualitative magnitude-inference indicate a likely small effect between
115% and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max. Time spent above 90% of the 𝑉̇ O2 max during the TP at 115% (50 ±
48s) was higher than 170% (23 ± 21s; p < 0.044) with a probably small effect. In conclusion, our
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data suggest that the adequate intensity to perform a similar number of bouts in the original TP is
lower than previously proposed, and equivalent to 115% of the i𝑉̇ O2 max. In addition, intensities
between 115 and 130% of the i𝑉̇ O2 max should be used to raise the time spent above 90% 𝑉̇ O2 max.
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Keywords: Exercise performance; High-intensity interval training; Metabolism; Aerobic exercise;

Intermittent exercise
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1 Introduction

The Tabata protocol (TP) was first presented in an article by Tabata et al. [1] that compared a
moderate intensity protocol with a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocol involving eight to
nine bouts of 20 seconds exercise interspaced by 10 seconds of rest (20:10). According to the results,
a TP lasting ~4 minutes significantly increased aerobic power and anaerobic capacity of physically
active individuals, while one hour of moderately intense activities only resulted in a significantly
increased aerobic power. Considering that a lack of time is the most cited barrier for exercise
adoption [2], the possibility of increasing physical fitness through training sessions of very short
duration (4 minutes of exercise time without warm-up and cool-down) gained high popularity
through the TP.

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In subsequent years, many researchers, coaches, and exercise enthusiasts have tried to replicate the
TP in many different settings [3,4]. However, one problem in reproducing the TP is that the original

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article was not clear concerning the load used in the study. The study only mentioned that
participants cycled at a constant load for 20 seconds and rested for 10 seconds (20:10) until they were
not able to maintain at least 85 rpm, with load increments whenever the participant was able to
perform more than nine bouts [1]. Later, the same research group reported high levels of oxygen

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uptake (𝑉̇ O2 ) when young physically active males performed five to six bouts of 20:10 exercise at
170% of the intensity at which maximal oxygen uptake (𝑉̇ O2 max) was achieved (i𝑉̇ O 2 max) [5].
Apparently, both studies were merged to form the recommendation to perform seven to eight bouts of
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20:10 intervals at a load equivalent to 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max, a suggestion that was used in many
subsequent studies [3,4,6]. However, the feasibility of accumulating 160 seconds of work at 170%
i𝑉̇ O2 max has been questioned [7,8]. Thus, a better understanding of the adequate intensity to
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complete eight 20:10 is relevant to clarify this popular HIIT method known and applied worldwide.

One of the most relevant reasons for performing HIIT would be 𝑉̇ O2 max achievement, since in
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training-related studies, increasing 𝑉̇ O2 max is generally explained by achieving a high percentage of

𝑉̇ O2 max (90–100%) during a training session [9]. It has also been suggested that the time spent at
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high levels of 𝑉̇ O2 (i.e., above 90% 𝑉̇ O2 max) could serve as a good criterion to judge the
effectiveness of the stimulus to improve aerobic fitness [10,11]. Therefore, to achieve optimal
increases in cardiorespiratory fitness, it has been recommended to perform a certain amount of
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training at intensities of 90–100% of 𝑉̇ O 2 max. If the intensity is too high, the exercise duration would
be too short for 𝑉̇ O2 max to be reached or maintained [12], which may interfere with the results.
While Tabata et al.[5] reported that the TP induced maximum levels of 𝑉̇ O 2 , other studies indicate
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that the mean percentage of 𝑉̇ O2 max achieved ranged from approximately 43% [13] to 71% [14]. To
date, no studies have been found measuring the time spent at high 𝑉̇ O2 during the TP or the best load
to match the effort:pause ratio and the number of bouts proposed by Tabata et al.[1].

Analyzing both 𝑉̇ O2 max and time spent at near 𝑉̇ O 2 max are important for understanding
physiological response to exercise Moreover, there is a lack of a clear definition how many bouts of
20:10 stimuli are possible to perform at different intensities in cycle ergometer. Therefore, the main
purpose of the present study was to estimate the number of bouts performed by active young males at
different intensities on a cycle ergometer. In addition, the secondary purposes were measured the
highest 𝑉̇ O 2 obtained during the TP at different intensities and the time spent above 90% of the
𝑉̇ O2 max. We hypothesized that the optimal intensity for the TP is less than 170% i𝑉̇ O2 max and that
𝑉̇ O2 remains high most of the time (above 90% of the 𝑉̇ O2 max) during the TP.
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2 Material and Methods

2.1 Participants

The sample size was calculated using data from Aguiar et al.[15], considering the absolute time spent
above 90% of the 𝑉̇ O 2 max as the main outcome using GPower (Brunsbüttel, Germany). Therefore, 9
participants were necessary to achieve a power of 80% and p-value of 5% with effect size of 0.58.
Thus, 12 physically active men were recruited (Table 1). Recruitment was carried out through
advertisements on social media and direct contact. The inclusion criteria was to be in regular
involvement in physical exercise at least three times a week in the last six months. Exclusion criteria

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were: i) cardiovascular diseases, ii) hypertension, iii) orthopedic limitation, and iv) contraindications

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for performing physical activity evaluated through the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire
(PAR-Q). All participants were informed of the potential risks and benefits of the study and signed

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an informed consent form. All experimental procedures were approved by the Federal University of
Goiás Ethics Committee (nº 1.542.353) and conformed to the principles outlined in the Declaration
of Helsinki. Participants were informed about the aims and methods of the study and were
recommended to continue their normal diets throughout the study. In all visits, they ingested an easy-

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to-digest meal two hours before the test. They were advised not to ingest alcoholic beverages,
stimulants (coffee, caffeine, and energetic drinks), tobacco, or drugs prior to the test; have a regular
night of sleep (6 to 8 hours); and not to perform intense physical activity 24 hours before the tests.
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All of these requests were checked in a pre-test anamnesis.

2.2 Study design

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This is a randomized cross-over study in which each participant reported to the laboratory on four
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different occasions separated by at least 48 hours. During the first session, anamnesis, anthropometric
evaluation, and a cardiorespiratory graded exertion test (GXT) on a cycle ergometer were performed
to assess the 𝑉̇ O2 max, i𝑉̇ O2 max, and maximal heart rate (HRmax). On the subsequent visits, the TP
was performed at different intensities in a randomized order: 115%, 130%, and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max.
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The randomization was performed through opaque envelope with six possible sequences. During the
tests, the 𝑉̇ O2 , heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and number of bouts performed
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were evaluated.

2.3 Cardiorespiratory graded exertion test

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Participants performed a GXT on an electromagnetic braked cycle ergometer (CG04, Inbramed,

Brazil) to determine their 𝑉̇ O2 max, i𝑉̇ O 2 max, and HRmax. Briefly, following a 2 minute warm-up at
50 W, the resistance was increased by 25 W every 1 minute until volitional exhaustion or the point at
which the participant was not able to sustain a pedal cadence of at least 80 rpm. Despite 50 rpm is
often used as the cutting point for interrupting the test, we choose 80 rpm because, in practical terms,
after dropping the cadence to below 80 rpm the cycling pattern changed abruptly, and the participants
interrupted the exercise in a few seconds. Participants wore a mouthpiece and nose clip, and gas were
collected breath by breath by a specific pneumotach connected to the analyzer. 𝑉̇ O2 and carbon
dioxide production (𝑉̇ CO2 ) were analyzed by a metabolic gas collection system (VO2000,
MedGraphics, USA) every 10 seconds. After exhaustion, the load was reduced to 50 W to perform a
recovery of 2 minutes. 𝑉̇ O2 max was measured as the mean maximum oxygen uptake during 10
seconds periods. To identify i𝑉̇ O2 max, the lower workload that elicited 𝑉̇ O2 max was considered. HR
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was constantly monitored throughout the test using a HR monitor (Polar RS800, Kempele, Finland).
The RPE was evaluated every minute using the 6–20 Borg Scale [16].

2.4 Tabata protocol at 115%, 130%, and 170% of i𝐕̇O2 max

The TP involved bouts of 20 seconds of effort interspaced by 10 seconds of rest (20:10). During the
bouts, the subjects were oriented to pedal at around 90–100 rpm at three different constant intensities:
115%, 130%, and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max obtained in GXT. TP sessions were performed in the same
electromagnetic braked cycle ergometer used in the GXT. The equipment allowed the power to be
adjusted objectively independently of velocity. Participants received visual feedback from
ergometer´s screen in order to self-control cadence. Rest was performed at 50 W at a self-selected

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cadence. All sessions were preceded by 2 minutes of rest and 2 minutes of warm-up at 50 W and

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succeeded by 2 minutes of cool-down at 50 W. As the intensity in each TP was maintained constant,
to avoid the effect of inertia, participants were instructed to increase the number of rpm 3–4 seconds

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before finishing the rest intervals. The participants were encouraged to complete the test through
verbal encouragement. The exercise ended when the participant was unable to keep rotations above
85 rpm for 10 seconds. The number of bouts performed and RPE values reported by participants was

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registered immediately after the end of exercise. HRmax in each session was established as the
highest HR value during exercise. 𝑉̇ O2 max in each session was taken as the mean 𝑉̇ O2 max for 10
seconds period. The time spent above 90% of the 𝑉̇ O2 max was calculated by summing the number of
times that mean 𝑉̇ O2 values were above 90% of the 𝑉̇ O2 max, and then multiplied by 10, since the
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mean 𝑉̇ O2 values were recorded every 10 seconds by the metabolic gas collection system (VO2000,
MedGraphics, USA). All sessions were performed at a minimum interval of 48 hours, always at the
same time of day and supervised by two physical education professionals. Before each TP session the
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participants were asked about presence of delayed onset muscle soreness or other possible
discomforts that could disturb the performance on the test. If so, the session would be relocated to
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another day. However, it was not necessary in any case.

2.5 Statistical analysis

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Data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft) and imported into Statistical Package for
the Social Science (SPSS) version 23.0 for statistical analysis. HRmax, i𝑉̇ O 2 max, number of bouts,
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time test, and the absolute time spent above 90% of 𝑉̇ O2 max during the TP at 115%, 130%, and
170% of i𝑉̇ O 2 max presented a non-normal distribution (p > 0.05) according to the Shapiro - Wilk
tests. All other variables presented a normal distribution (p < 0.05). Repeated measurements ANOVA
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was used to compare the independent variables, with normal distribution. When necessary, post-hoc
testing was performed by multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni correction. For number of bouts
and all other variables with non-normal distribution Friedman H test was used, and when necessary,
post-hoc Dunn's test was performed. In addition, qualitative magnitude inferences are presented
based on Batterham and Hopkins [17] suggestions. For that, the post-only crossover spreadsheet
available at http://sportsci.org/ was used. For %𝑉̇ O2 max the non-log transformed data was used,
while log transformed data was applied for all other variables. The smallest worthwhile change was
set at 0.2* the between-subject SD. The magnitude of the effect sizes (ES) was evaluated according
to the criteria reported by Batterham and Hopkins [17]: Threshold for standardized differences (0.1,
trivial; 0.2, small; 0.6, moderate; 1.2, large; >2.0, very large) was used to describe the qualitative
magnitude of the differences. Thresholds for non-clinical inferences probabilities was used to provide
the qualitative probability based on the following scale: most unlikely, almost certainly not (<0.5%);
very unlikely (<5%); unlikely, probably not (<25%); possibly, possibly not (25-75%); likely,
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probably (>75%); very likely (>95%); most likely, almost certainly (>99.5%). Data are presented as
number and percentages for categorical variables, and continuous data are expressed as mean ±
standard deviation and confidence intervals (CI). A significance level of 0.05 was adopted for all
statistical tests.

3 Results

3.1 Cardiorespiratory graded exertion test

There were no intercurrences in the GXT. The 𝑉̇ O2 max, HRmax, and i𝑉̇ O2 max obtained were 51.80
± 8.10 mL.kg-1 .min-1 , 186 ± 10 bpm, and 204 ± 26 W, respectively.

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3.2 Tabata protocol performance

The TP performance is shown in Table 2. Considering that i𝑉̇ O2 max was 204 ± 26W, protocol

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intensities performed at 115%, 130%, and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max were 235 ± 30 (CI 95% = 216–254W),
266 ± 34 (CI 95% = 244–287W), and 347 ± 44, (IC 95% = 320–375W) respectively. There was a
significant difference in the number of bouts between three intensities (χ2 =24.000; p < 0.001), and

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post hoc testing identified that 115% (7 ± 1) and 130% (5 ± 1) of i𝑉̇ O2 max allowed significantly
more bouts to be completed than 170% (4 ± 1) of i𝑉̇ O2 max (p < 0.001; ES = 3.4 [almost certainly
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very large] and p = 0.018; ES = 2.3 [almost certainly very large], respectively). The average of
number of bouts decreased 17±13% (1±1) and 46±10% (3±1) when using 130% and 170% in
comparison to 115% of i𝑉̇ O2 max, respectively.
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The mean 𝑉̇ O 2 corresponded to approximately 70% of 𝑉̇ O 2 max with no significant difference

between the three intensities (F [2.33] = 0.729; p = 0.494; η2 p = 0.062). However, the non-clinical
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inferences were unclear, but possibly small or trivial (Table 2). No significant differences were found
(F [2.33] = 3.979; p = 0.056; η2 p = 0.266) between the highest 𝑉̇ O2 achieved at 115% (54.2 ± 7.9
mL.kg-1 .min-1 ; CI 95% = 49.2–59.2 mL.kg-1 .min-1 ) and 130% (52.5 ± 8.1 mL.kg-1 .min-1 ; CI 95% =
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47.4–57.8 mL.kg-1 .min-1 ; ES = 0.1 [almost certainly trivial]), 115% and 170% (49.6 ± 7.5 mL.kg-
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.min-1 ; CI 95% = 44.8–54.3 mL.kg-1 .min-1 ; ES = 0.2 [Likely small]), and 130% and 170% of
i𝑉̇ O2 max (ES = 0.1 [almost certainly trivial]). Figure 1A and 1B compare the average highest 𝑉̇ O2
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reached in each TP session performed and the 𝑉̇ O2 max obtained in the GXT, and shows the
individual analysis, respectively. Participants spent 25.9 ± 20.0% (CI 95% = 13.2–38.6%), 25.1 ±
20.5% (CI 95% = 12.0–38.1%), and 23.1 ± 21.7 (CI 95% = 9.3–36.8%) of the total TP time at 115%,
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130%, and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max above 90% of 𝑉̇ O2 max, respectively. There was a significant
difference only in the absolute time spent above 90% of 𝑉̇ O 2 max between intensities (χ2 = 9.150; p =
0.010) and post hoc testing identified that it was only between 115% (53.3 ± 48.5 seconds; CI 95% =
22.5–84.1 seconds) and 170% (23.3 ± 21.5 seconds; CI 95% = 9.7–37.0 seconds) of i𝑉̇ O 2 max (p =
0.018; ES = 0.3 [probably small]) (Figure 2).

3.3 HR and RPE

There was no significant difference (χ2 =2.651; p = 0.266) between HR reached in the TP performed
at 115% (182 ± 7 bpm; CI 95% = 178–187 bpm), 130% (181 ± 5 bpm; CI 95% = 178–185 bpm), and
170% of i𝑉̇ O 2 max (179 ± 10 bpm; CI 95% = 172–187 bpm). However, non-clinical inferences
showed a probably small effect between 115% and 170% of i𝑉̇ O2 max. All participants reported
maximum values of the RPE in the Borg scale in all three sessions (Table 2).
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4 Discussion

The aims of this study were to investigate the intensity that would allow participants to perform the
original TP on a cycle ergometer and to measure the highest 𝑉̇ O 2 achieved and the time spent above
90% of the 𝑉̇ O2 max during a TP performed at different intensities in active young males. Our
primary finding suggests that adequate intensity to perform seven to eight bouts using the 20:10
effort:pause protocol [1] in an electromagnetic braked cycle ergometer is equivalent to 115% of the
i𝑉̇ O2 max. This value is considerably less than the popular recommendation of using 170% i𝑉̇ O2 max.

According to our results, the number of bouts at 170% i𝑉̇ O 2 max ranged between three and five, and

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no participant performed more than five bouts. This is in agreement with the findings of previous

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authors who questioned the feasibility of performing eight to nine bouts of 20:10 at 170% i𝑉̇ O2 max
[7,8]. However, this conflicts with studies that involved eight or more bouts at 170% i𝑉̇ O2 max

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[3,6,18] and also challenged the study published by Tabata et al.[5], which involved five to six bouts
at 170% i𝑉̇ O 2 max. Divergence between studies may lie in the initial measurement of 𝑉̇ O 2 max, since
variations in i𝑉̇ O2 max can greatly influence any factors dependent upon it. For example, an

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underestimation of an individual’s 𝑉̇ O2 max (e.g., due to different training experiences) in previous
studies would have resulted in underestimated calculations of subsequent intensities. The suggestion
that participants trained at lower intensities in previous studies is supported by the observation that
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the RPE were not maximum [18], whereas in the present study all participants reported maximal
values of RPE in all tests. In the present study, we were very rigorous in orienting and stimulating
participants to perform exercise until their cadence was below 85 rpm. In practical terms, when it
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happened participants were not able to pedal at all, which might explain the high RPE.

Our results showed that similar values of 𝑉̇ O 2 were obtained at 115% and 130% i𝑉̇ O2 max. In
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addition, all intensities’ high values of 𝑉̇ O2 were close to the values obtained during the GXT.
However, time spent above 90% 𝑉̇ O 2 max was lower at 170% and similar at both 115% and 130% of
i𝑉̇ O2 max. Our results support the suggestion that if the intensity is too high, the exercise duration
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would be too short for 𝑉̇ O2 max to be maintained [12]. The present results are consistent with
previous studies on running in which velocities closer to 100% i𝑉̇ O2 max allowed more time to be
spent at high 𝑉̇ O2 than much higher intensities [19,20].
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Despite a significant effect of intensity on time spent above 90% 𝑉̇ O2 max, the present study reported
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values considerably shorter (approximately 4 [198 seconds] to 13 [678 seconds] times) than those
found in previous studies with well-trained cyclists and young endurance-trained athletes [10,21].
This was not surprising, since the overall exercise duration was low. This finding challenges the
suggestion that the TP would impose a high demand on the cardiorespiratory system. Therefore,
increases in 𝑉̇ O2 max obtained from the TP might be more related to neuromuscular/peripheral factors
(e.g., increased glycogen depletion) than cardiorespiratory improvements per se.

In agreement with this suggestion, in previous studies using the TP, increases in 𝑉̇ O 2 max were
accompanied by increases in mitochondrial proteins and PGC1-α activity, which may suggest
peripheral factors might be associated with results obtained by the TP [3,22]. According to the
authors, fiber-type distribution, fiber-type specific oxidative and glycolytic capacity, glycogen and
IMTG storage, and whole-muscle capillary density and whole-muscle glycolytic capacity could
influence the results [3,22].
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Indeed, neuromuscular adaptations have been shown to affect performance in previous studies
involving HIIT [23,24]. It has been suggested that shorter intervals at higher intensities might induce
greater neuromuscular load than longer intervals at lower intensities [25]. This might be related to a
greater firing rate and relative force developed per fiber during short intervals at higher intensities,
and also to increased metabolic and muscle force demands caused by frequent accelerations and
decelerations associated with shorter intervals [25]. These neuromuscular adaptations, combined with
high cardiopulmonary and metabolic demand, might highlight the important role of HIIT, specifically
the TP, in stimulating a complex integrative physiology [26].

While the current study provides valuable insight into the acute physiological effect of the TP

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performed at different intensities, some limitations must be considered. First, blood lactate

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concentration was not measured, which could provide interesting information about participation of
the anaerobic pathway. Second, as the current study involved healthy and active young male adults, it

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is difficult to generalize our findings to other populations (i.e., unfit, overweight, obese, sedentary,
with some disease, elite athletes). Third, 𝑉̇ O2 was measures only once per 10 seconds and it was not
possible to identify the intermediate values.

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In addition, future works should consider to apply the reserve power (delta between maximal aerobic
power and maximal power) in order to raise individualization of training intensity and to consider
between-subjects differences in physical fitness, as previously suggested (Buchheit and Laursen
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[26]).

4.1 Practical applications

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An important practical aspect of the present study is that HR values during protocols reached values
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near the maximum estimated HR. Due to this high cardiovascular stress, performance of the TP
should be preceded by an adequate clinical examination and should be limited to populations without
cardiovascular risks. Although benefits of HIIT protocols for health and fitness are warranted
[27,28], we must analyze each protocol individually to assure that it is adequate for the proposed
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population.
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It is our opinion that the TP might be of value, especially because of its reported benefits with a
reduced time commitment [29]. However, the high cardiovascular stress combined with the great
discomfort brings into question the cost–benefit of the TP in a real-world setting [30]. Moreover, use
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of the TP should be preceded by careful examination, and its performance should be closely
supervised to assure compliance, especially in initial stages. Considering that in a real-world setting
exercise practitioners usually do not have access to equipment to assess 𝑉̇ O 2 max, we suggested for
these practitioners to perform a GXT without metabolic gas collection system and used the
percentage of the intensity reached at the end of the test (“i𝑉̇ O2 max”) as the mechanical parameter to
prescribe exercise intensity. If it is not possible to perform a GXT test, one can aim to reach failure
after performing 7-9 bouts at a constant intensity (fixed load and/or velocity). If more than nine bouts
were performed, the intensity should be increased for the next session. On the other hand, if the
practitioner fatigues before the seventh bout, the exercise should be performed at a lower intensity in
the next session. Using RPE per se might not be useful because all sessions would end with maximal
values, independent of the number of bouts performed, as reported in Table 2, since they all are
supposed to lead to maximum effort. In addition, based on our results, previous TP studies should be
critically analyzed, since applications and responses to training could be quite different from what is
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originally expected. Future research should completely describe test and protocol prescriptions in
order to facilitate analysis and practical application.

In conclusion, this study showed that the adequate intensity to perform a similar number of bouts in
the original TP is equivalent to 115% of the i𝑉̇ O2 max reached in an incremental 𝑉̇ O2 max test. In
addition, the time spent above 90% 𝑉̇ O 2 max was lower at the highest intensity (170%) and similar at
both 115% and 130%.

Author contributions

RV, JN, and PG: conceived and designed the research. RV and JN: performed experiments. RV, VC,

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and FV: analyzed data. RV, CL, VC, FV, CV, and PG: interpreted results of experiments. RV and

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PG: drafted manuscript. CL, VC, FV, CV, and PG: edited and revised manuscript. All authors
approved final version of manuscript.

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Funding

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The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial
relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
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We would like to thank the participants for their effort and commitment to the research project.
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Table Captions

Table 1. Participants’ physical characteristics (n = 12).

Table 2. Tabata protocol performance evaluated at 115%, 130%, and 170% of i𝑉̇ O 2 max.

Figure Captions

Figure 1. Mean (A) and individual (B) oxygen uptake reached in all session. GXT, cardiorespiratory
graded exertion test; 115%, 130%, 170%, intensities associated at maximal oxygen uptake used in
the Tabata protocol sessions.
Figure 2. Mean (A) and individual (B) time spent above 90% 𝑉̇ O2 max in the Tabata protocol

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performed at different intensities. 115%, 130%, 170%, intensities associated at maximal oxygen

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uptake used in the Tabata protocol sessions. *p = 0.018 from the Tabata protocol at 115% of the
intensity associated at maximal oxygen uptake.

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Table 1. Participants’ physical characteristics (n = 12).
Mean ± Standard Deviation Minimum–Maximum
Age (y) 25.93 ± 5.45 21.4–41.9
Body mass (kg) 67.94 ± 9.22 55.8–84.0
Height (m) 1.70 ± 0.06 1.60–1.81
Body mass index (kg.m-2 ) 23.57 ± 3.10 18.86–29.39
All variables presented normal distribution.

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Table 2. Tabata protocol performance evaluated at 115%, 130%, and 170% of iV̇O 2 max.
115% 130% 170% Effect size
Variables i𝑉̇ O2 m i𝑉̇ O2 m i𝑉̇ O2 m 115% vs. 130% 115% vs. 170% 130% vs. 170%
ax ax ax i𝑉̇ O2 max i𝑉̇ O2 max i𝑉̇ O2 max
Overall time test 153±4 98±16 1.1 (Almost certainly / 1.9 (Almost certainly / 3.1 (Almost certainly /
196±37
(seconds) 7* *# large) very large) very large)
# 1.1 (Almost certainly / 3.4 (Almost certainly /
2.3 (Almost certainly /
7±1 5±1* 4±1*
Number of bouts large) very large) very large)
𝑉̇ O2 mean (mL.kg- 38.2±5. 37.0±7 36.3±4 0.2 (Unclear, but 0.1 (Unclear, but
1 -1 0.3 (Probably / small)
.min ) 0 .0 .8 possibly / small) possibly / trivial)

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74.8±1 71.9±1 70.8±8 0.2 0.1 (Unclear, but
%𝑉̇ O2 max (Unclear, but
0.3 (Probably / small)
1.0 2.5 .2

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possibly / small) possibly / trivial)
HR reached 179±1 0.1 (Unclear, but 0.2 (Unclear, but
-1 182±7 181±5 0.4 (Probably / small)
(beats.min ) 0

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possibly / trivial) possibly / small)
RPE (6 – 20 Borg
20±0 20±0 20±0 - - -
scale)
𝑉̇ O2 mean, mean oxygen uptake; HRmax, maximum heart rate; RPE, rate of perceived exertion;

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i𝑉̇ O2 max, intensity associated at maximal oxygen uptake.). Data are presented as mean ± standard
deviation. *p < 0.01 from the Tabata protocol at 115% i𝑉̇ O2 max. # p < 0.01 from the Tabata protocol
at 130% i𝑉̇ O2 max.
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Fig. 1

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Fig. 2

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Highlights

 The adequate intensity to perform 7-8 bouts in the Tabata protocol is equivalent to 115% of the
intensity associated at maximum oxygen uptake.
 At 170% of the intensity associated with maximum oxygen uptake it is possible to perform only
~4 bouts of the Tabata Protocol.
 In general, Tabata Protocol results in large values of maximum oxygen consumption, but results
in little time spent above 90% of maximum oxygen uptake.
 Tabata Protocol results in high cardiovascular stress, therefore, its performance should be

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preceded by an adequate clinical examination.

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