REF-050 · Hazell et al., 2010 · European Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. · Paper

10-Second vs 30-Second Sprint Intervals: Both Improve Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance

B+moderate evidenceMeasured on recreational to trained athletesWritten before October 2026, being re-checked

Participants

n=48, assigned to one of four groups [sprint time (s) : recovery (min)]: 30:4, 10:4, 10:2, or a non-training control. Training: cycling sprints 3×/week for 2 weeks, starting at 4 bouts per session and adding 1 bout every 2 sessions (6 sessions total). Pre/post: VO2max, 5-km time trial (TT), 30-s Wingate test.

Protocol

Four-group training study: 30:4, 10:4 and 10:2 sprint interval training [sprint time (s) : recovery (min)] versus a non-training control, n=48; the group assignment method is not stated (from the abstract).
Cycling sprints 3 times per week for 2 weeks, starting with 4 bouts per session and adding 1 bout every 2 sessions (4-6 bouts per session).
Pre- and post-training measures: VO2max, 5-km time trial, 30-s Wingate test (peak and average power per kg); within-session reproducibility of peak, average and minimum power and total work per session were also reported.

Overview

Hazell et al. asked whether 10-s all-out sprint bouts (with 2 or 4 min recovery) can improve aerobic and anaerobic performance like the classic 30-s bouts. All groups were similar at baseline and the control group did not change.

The 10-s groups trained at a higher relative intensity — power was more reproducible within a session (peak power 96% and 95% vs 89%; average power 84% and 82% vs 58%; minimum power 73% and 69% vs 40% for 10:4, 10:2 and 30:4 respectively) — while the 30:4 group did about twice the total work per session (83-124 kJ over 4-6 bouts vs 38-58 kJ for 10:4 and 39-59 kJ for 10:2).

TT performance improved in all three training groups (30:4 +5.2%, 10:4 +3.5%, 10:2 +3.0%). VO2max rose in 30:4 (+9.3%) and 10:4 (+9.2%) but not in 10:2. Wingate peak power per kg rose in all three (30:4 +9.5%, 10:4 +8.5%, 10:2 +4.2%); average Wingate power per kg rose in 30:4 (+12.1%) and 10:4 (+6.5%) only.

Key Findings

5-km TT: improved in 30:4 (5.2%), 10:4 (3.5%) and 10:2 (3.0%); control unchanged
VO2max: +9.3% (30:4) and +9.2% (10:4); no increase with 10-s sprints on 2-min recovery
Wingate peak power/kg: +9.5% (30:4), +8.5% (10:4), +4.2% (10:2); average power/kg +12.1% (30:4), +6.5% (10:4)
10-s bouts were performed at a higher, more reproducible relative intensity; 30-s bouts produced ~2× the work per session
Authors' conclusion: 10-s (with 2 or 4 min recovery) and 30-s SIT bouts are both effective for increasing anaerobic and aerobic performance

Practical Application

In 48 participants training 3×/week for 2 weeks, 10-s all-out cycling sprints with 4-min recovery improved VO2max (+9.2%), 5-km TT (+3.5%) and Wingate peak power (+8.5%) about as much as 30-s sprints (+9.3%, +5.2%, +9.5%) with half the work per session; with only 2-min recovery, 10-s sprints still improved the TT (+3.0%) and peak power (+4.2%) but not VO2max — when time is short, 10-s sprints on a 4-min recovery are a full sprint-interval session.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: build the session the way the study did — 4 bouts, adding one every second session up to 6 — with the recovery long enough (about 4 min) that each sprint is truly all-out; use the 30-s format when the goal includes the larger work volume.
Inference, not tested: the 2-min-recovery group's missing VO2max gain suggests recovery length, not sprint length, decides whether short sprints reach the aerobic system.

Limitations

2 weeks and 6 sessions; training status of the 48 participants is not given in the abstract (earlier tier label "recreationally active" was unsupported).
Group assignment method (randomized or not) is not stated in the abstract.
How this entry was checked and changed
Content correction 2026-09-27
Removed invented details: "recovery 4-5 min required for 10 s, 4 min for 30 s" (the study tested 2 and 4 min), "session 40% shorter", "6-8 × 10 s = 40-50 min", "10 s greater peak power, 30 s greater work capacity".
Added the abstract's results: TT, VO2max and Wingate changes by group, including that 10-s sprints on a 2-min recovery did NOT raise VO2max.
Tier "recreationally active" -> Tier 1-2 with the status flagged as not stated; Sport "cycling, sprint" -> cycling.
2026-09-28: added Protocol from the abstract (Europe PMC, DOI 10.1007/s00421-010-1474-y, PMID 20424855).