Impact of a 12-wk physical conditioning program on the aerobic capacity of aviation cadets

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the study subjects

Group	Age in yr	Height in cm	Weight in kg	BMI in kg/m2
Experimental group, n = 26	19.35 ± 0.69	174.64 ± 4.05	68.17 ± 4.88	22.37 ± 1.64
Control group, n = 28	19.39 ± 0.74	174.64 ± 4.32	67.44 ± 6.27	22.10 ± 1.85

Data are mean ± standard deviation. BMI: Body mass index.

Table 2 Effective basic anti-G fitness training program

Training item	Training method
Strength training	Mainly focused on squats, deadlifts (single-leg deadlifts), single-leg squats, bench presses, and bent-over rows. Core training was supplementary. Warm-up before and stretching after training are included. Intensity: First 6 wk focus on sub-80% 1RM for endurance, 5 sets of 8-15 reps; later 6 wk focus on above 85% 1RM for max strength, 4-6 sets of 6 reps; last two sessions were power sprints with high load, multiple sets, and fewer repetitions, 6-8 sets of 2-3 reps
HIIT	Full-effort cycling on a watt bike for 60 sec followed by relaxed cycling for 60 sec, with a 1:1 sprint-to-rest ratio. Total intervention duration was 10 min, three times a week. Cadets wore Polar monitors (TeamPro, Finland) to maintain training intensity, aiming for 85%-95% of their maximum heart rate

HIIT: High-intensity interval training.

Table 3 Change in VO_2max before and after intervention

Indicator	Group	Test time
		Week 0	Week 6	Week 12
VO2max	CG	2780 ± 347.19	2885.36 ± 352.64	2919 ± 382.48
	EG	2783.65 ± 245.43	2992.81 ± 275.11	3075.19 ± 331.96a
Relative VO2	CG	41.51 ± 4.42	43.29 ± 4.46	43.78 ± 4.53
	EG	40.8 ± 4.25	44.29 ± 5.07	45.12 ± 6.63a

^aP < 0.05.

Data are mean ± standard deviation. Experimental group compared with the control group.

Table 4 Change of indicators related to VO_2max before and after intervention

Indicator	Group	Test time
		Week 0	Week 6	Week 12
Left-leg strength	CG	128.16 ± 24.54	127.57 ± 19.35	144.38 ± 28.8
	EG	131.04 ± 28.09	133.35 ± 27.62	177.73 ± 37.38a
Right-leg strength	CG	127.7 ± 25.41	123.86 ± 19.55	140.09 ± 28.14
	EG	130.87 ± 26.72	132.37 ± 25.26	171.79 ± 39.59a
Hemoglobin	CG	150.21 ± 7.93	151 ± 9.06	150.48 ± 8.38
	EG	152.81 ± 7.49	151.5 ± 8.12	155.08 ± 8.8a
Resting heart rate	CG	80.04 ± 11.57	76.43 ± 12.53	72.86 ± 11.62
	EG	77.19 ± 11.39	74.19 ± 8.85	73.5 ± 9.87
Max heart rate	CG	186.36 ± 13.57	190.11 ± 13	188.71 ± 13.3
	EG	188.77 ± 20.76	185.69 ± 8.77	191.19 ± 19.21

^aP < 0.05.

Data are mean ± standard deviation. Experimental group compared with the control group.