Introduction: Musculoskeletal injuries are among the most common injuries faced by military cadets. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of eight weeks of High-Intensity Functional Training on selected markers of cellular damage in cadets of Imam Ali Military University.
Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 45 military cadets were randomly selected and assigned to three groups of 15: HIIT, HIFT, and MICT. All three protocols HIIT (based on running at an intensity of 80 to 90% of maximum heart rate), HIFT (based on functional movements with body weight at an intensity of 80 to 90% of maximum heart rate), and MICT (running at a moderate intensity of 60 to 70% of maximum heart rate) were performed for 8 weeks, 3 days a week, for 30 minutes. Blood samples were taken before and after the exhaustion test (Astrand treadmill) and the levels of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase factors were measured by ELISA. 2×2 ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test was used to analyze the data.
Results: The findings showed that HIFT, HIIT, and MICT respectively reduced creatine kinase (CK) levels by 13.62%, 10.20%, and 4.89%, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels by 18.68%, 15.28%, and 12.52%. Additionally, HIFT was more effective than HIIT in reducing muscle damage indicators.
Conclusion: High-intensity functional training can be more effective in reducing muscle cellular damage, so it is more suitable for military cadets who require high levels of physical fitness.