Efectos de un programa de entrenamiento Tabata de ocho semanas sobre la resistencia cardiorrespiratoria en estudiantes de educación secundaria: Un estudio preexperimental

Abstract

The decline in cardiorespiratory fitness among adolescents has become a relevant concern for public health and the educational field. In the school context, Physical Education classes represent a key setting for implementing interventions that promote the development of aerobic capacity and the adoption of active lifestyles. In this regard, short-duration, high-intensity training methods, such as the Tabata method, have been shown to be efficient strategies for improving physical fitness within limited time periods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an eight-week Tabata training program on cardiorespiratory endurance in 8th-grade students from a school in Talca, Chile. A quantitative study with a pre-experimental pretest–posttest single-group design was conducted. The sample consisted of 32 students (13–14 years old) enrolled in the 8th grade. Cardiorespiratory endurance was assessed using the 12-minute Cooper test, recording the distance covered and the estimated VO₂ max. The intervention consisted of a Tabata training program implemented over eight weeks during Physical Education and Guidance classes. Descriptive and comparative analyses of pre- and post-intervention measurements were performed. The results showed an average increase of 185 meters in the distance covered in the Cooper test after the intervention (pre: 2215 ± 285 m; post: 2400 ± 301 m; ∆ = +185 m; p = 0,08). Likewise, a positive trend was observed in the estimated VO₂ max values of 38,2 ± 4,7 a 40,6 ± 5,1 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ (∆ = +2,4; p = 0,11). The implementation of a Tabata training program in the school context showed a favorable trend toward improving students’ cardiorespiratory endurance. Nevertheless, factors such as irregular implementation of some sessions and the duration of the intervention may have influenced the magnitude of the observed changes. Future studies with greater methodological control and larger samples are recommended to confirm these findings.