In 1910, it was possible to measureVO2 during exercise but no athletes were tested for training improvement. However, in 1912, the 10 000m Olympic championship runner, Hannes Kolehmainen (Finland), had already used interval training at the specific 10km pace. He had trained using 5 to 10 repetitions of 3minutes 5 seconds every 1000m (19km/h). 80 years later the 10km specific interval training is run at 22.7 km/h.
During the 1920s and 1930s, at a time when Hill had invented the concept of VO2max and oxygen deficit to explain the shape of the velocity-time relationship, the great Finnish runner, Pavoo Nurmi (who ran the 5000m in 14 minutes 36 seconds at 20.6 km/h), introduced short interval training at an intensity superior to a specific velocity such as 6 × 400m in 60 seconds at 24 km/h inside a slow run of 10 to 20km in the woods.
After the second world war, interval training became a widespread training method used by European
runners. Emil Zatopek (Czechoslovakia, triple gold medallist in 1952 in 5000, 10 000m and Marathon events), Gordon Pirie (UK, 3000m in 7 minutes 57 seconds in 1960), Sigfried Hermann (Germany, 800m in 1 minute 48 seconds, and 1500m in 3 minutes 40.9 seconds) trained by Toni Nett, RogerMoens (Belgium), and Vladimir Kutz (USSR, 5000m in 13 minutes 35.0 seconds) all used interval training. The most famous athlete to use interval training was Emil Zatopek who initiated shortinterval training at low amplitudes and running at the critical velocity. His critical velocity, calculated from his personal best in 3 to 10km events according to Ettema,[6] was about equal to 85% vVO2max, that is, 20 km/h, or 1 minute 12 seconds in 400m or lower at (probably) his maximal blood lactate steady state. Indeed, he repeated up to 100 × 400m
repetitions per day, interspersed by 200m of recovery run at a pace close to that of hard work.
After the second world war, interval training became a widespread training method used by European
runners. Emil Zatopek (Czechoslovakia, triple gold medallist in 1952 in 5000, 10 000m and Marathon events), Gordon Pirie (UK, 3000m in 7 minutes 57 seconds in 1960), Sigfried Hermann (Germany, 800m in 1 minute 48 seconds, and 1500m in 3 minutes 40.9 seconds) trained by Toni Nett, RogerMoens (Belgium), and Vladimir Kutz (USSR, 5000m in 13 minutes 35.0 seconds) all used interval training. The most famous athlete to use interval training was Emil Zatopek who initiated shortinterval training at low amplitudes and running at the critical velocity. His critical velocity, calculated from his personal best in 3 to 10km events according to Ettema,[6] was about equal to 85% vVO2max, that is, 20 km/h, or 1 minute 12 seconds in 400m or lower at (probably) his maximal blood lactate steady state. Indeed, he repeated up to 100 × 400m
repetitions per day, interspersed by 200m of recovery run at a pace close to that of hard work.
