Oct 09, 2021 08:00:00

How often is training best?

Like Jacob Ingebriktsen, who won the gold medal in the men's 1500m run at the Tokyo Olympics, some say, 'I spent countless hours training at the gym and stadium 10-14 times a week.' However, for most people, enough exercise to maintain their shape is sufficient. The question, 'How often should I exercise to stay fit?' Is explained by sports scientists Matthew Wright and Jonathan Taylor at Teesside University in the United Kingdom.

How often should we exercise to get in shape?

https://theconversation.com/how-often-should-we-exercise-to-get-in-shape-166052

Exercise aims to stress various systems of the body, as the human body improves its abilities with a function called 'Adaptations' that occurs in response to load. However, what kind of ability is improved depends on the type of training, and although weightlifting to lift the barbell improves muscle strength, it mainly puts a load on skeletal muscles, so it is possible to obtain a significant improvement effect on cardiopulmonary function. not.

You might think, 'If you want to get the best results, you should train every day without rest,' but according to Wright et al., Two factors, 'recovery' and 'repetition,' are important for physical strengthening. .. In order to exert the 'adaptive' function, it takes time for the body to recover, and the effect cannot be expected unless the load is applied not only once but repeatedly. In other words, if you want to strengthen your body, 'continuing training' and 'balancing exercise and recovery' are the keys.

However, what is important when considering this problem is that the recovery speed of the body differs depending on the system. For example, exercises that mainly load the nervous system, such as sprinting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and high-intensity muscle training, are exercises that mainly load cardiopulmonary function, such as jogging and low-intensity muscle training. It is said that there should be a longer recovery period. For this reason, even if you say 'balance exercise and recovery' in a nutshell, the balance depends on the content of the training.

So, the appropriate training frequency according to the ability you want to train, which Mr. Wright explains, is as follows.

◆ Endurance
If you want to improve your endurance, it's important to continue low-intensity training without skipping. According to Wright et al., Continuing low-intensity training will allow the human body to use oxygen efficiently, and training of the same intensity will be easier. An analysis of successful long-distance runners shows that about 80% of training is low-intensity training, with high-intensity training 2-3 times a week, at least 48 hours apart. And that.

◆ Sports skills
Sports such as swimming, ball games, and martial arts require not only physical skills but also technical skills. Research on technical skills is in the process of being researched, but it is believed that 'continuing consistent practice with goals' will contribute to improved performance. Taking swimming as an example, Wright et al. 'Emphasis is placed on teaching low-intensity exercise to learn how to move efficiently in water, but when the same training is repeated, specific parts of the body are emphasized. It's best to combine high-intensity training days, low-intensity training days, and rest days to change the load, as it can cause injuries. '

◆ Muscle strength

Studies have shown that the more training you do, the better your muscle mass and quality, and the more often you train, the stronger your muscles. However, according to Wright and colleagues, recovery, including rest and proper nutrition, should never be neglected in order to gain muscle mass. Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan is the recommended frequency of muscle training with 'two to three times per week' (PDF file) is recommended , as is, or more recommended of muscle training twice Wright et al also commonly week. He explained that if you want to increase muscle mass, it will be easier to set an appropriate recovery period by changing the part to be trained from day to day while applying sufficient load.

As mentioned above, strength training is recommended at least twice a week, but Wright et al. 'Muscle training is effective even once a week.' 'Perform whole body exercises such as squats and lunges in the correct form. Is effective in improving strength. ' Regarding the method of 'continuing high-strength muscle training until it can no longer be done', there is a research result that it is better to stop it a little before it can not be done at least for muscle hypertrophy.

◆ Health and fitness
According to Wright et al., It is not the amount of exercise but the 'quality of exercise' that is important for those who aim to maintain their body shape. It seems that there is a research result that not only physical maintenance but also mental health condition is improved by performing high-intensity interval training 3 times a week, which repeats 1 minute of intense exercise and 75 seconds of rest 4 to 7 times. They say that quality exercise works well in less than 30 minutes a day.

As mentioned above, the recommended frequency of training changes according to one's ability, goal, and exercise intensity, so Wright et al. We recommend that you have a sufficient recovery period when doing strength training, but the most effective training is to continue for a long time. '