Table 2. Effects of the two forms of training on body mass and performance measures.

The physiological training stimulus implicated both aerobic and anaerobic mechanisms, irrespective of whether the session was a conventional ‘interval training’ model or smallsided games. The training intensity was intended to be high and the mean heart rates reached values exceeding the average encountered in a competitive situation (Reilly, 1997). Such intensities can be presented by means of intermittent exercise regimes, the recovery period of 3 min in the current study allowing for oxidation of the lactate produced during the high intensity bouts of exercise. An efficient oxygen transport system facilitates recovery from intense exercise in such circumstances (Reilly and Bangsbo, 1998).