Interval
training in preparation for a sport is mainly used to train the energy transfer system
specific to your
sport. That is, the
system your body uses to transfer
the energy needed for the movements involved.
A
point in
tennis, for instance, will typically consist of 2-4 times 1-5 seconds
of high
intensity (the time you run to the ball, hit it, and run back to
prepare for
the next ball). To
train the energy
system used for this (mainly alactic) you should do high intensity
intervals in
the range between 5-20 seconds. In
a
tennis match the action-rest ratio is typically around 1:3.
A
very
general rule of thumb for knowing how to train a specific energy system
is to
use:
To
increase
total volume sustainable you can divide your repetitions into sets and
have a
longer period of rest between the sets.
You can then finetune your training by playing with the duration of the recovery intervals. If a tennis player, for example, is on the slow side when going for the ball, the main purpose of the training might be to get faster. Then the player needs longer recovery intervals (12-20 times the length of the high intensity interval time). This is to secure that she is able to work at her highest speed in each interval. If, on the other hand, she is fast but tends to lose it at the end of the game, she will want to work more speed-endurance or tolerance training. To do this she has to shorten the duration of the recovery intervals down to 3 times the high intensity interval.
For
more specific information about speed and interval training
go here.
The
more
you assimilate the movements of your sport, the more relevant your
interval
training gets.
However,
you may also use interval training to get some variety into your
training and
still keep working the relevant energy system.