New Study on Crossfit to be found in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

Although the article in question has not been published in its final form, those of you who are either Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists or professional members of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (like us, here at 3Fuel!), can grab an advanced copy of a study titled: ” Crossfit-based high intensity power training improves maximal aerobic fitness and body composition.”

Spoiler alert! The title is actually the conclusion as well….

We’ll get into some specifics, but here’s how the abstract looks:

J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Feb 22. [Epub ahead of print]

Crossfit-based high intensity power training improves maximal aerobic fitness and body composition.

Smith MM, Sommer AJ, Starkoff BE, Devor ST.

Source

1Ohio State University Health & Exercise Science, Columbus, Ohio.

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a crossfit-based high intensity power training (HIPT) program on aerobic fitness and body composition. Healthy subjects of both genders (23 males, 20 females) spanning all levels of aerobic fitness and body composition completed 10 weeks of HIPT consisting of lifts such as the squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, and overhead press performed as quickly as possible. Additionally, this crossfit-based HIPT program included skill work for the improvement of traditional Olympic lifts and selected gymnastic exercises. Body fat percentage was estimated using whole body plethysmography and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) was measured by analyzing expired gasses during a Bruce protocol maximal graded treadmill test. These variables were measured again following 10 weeks of training and compared for significant changes using a paired t-test. Results showed significant (P<0.05) improvements of VO2max in males (43.10±1.40 to 48.96±1.42 ml/kg/min) and females (35.98±1.60 to 40.22±1.62 ml/kg/min) as well as decreased body fat percentage in males (22.2±1.3 to 18.0±1.3) and females (26.6±2.0 to 23.2±2.0). These improvements were significant across all levels of initial fitness. Significant correlations between absolute oxygen consumption and oxygen consumption relative to body weight was found in both men (r=0.83, P<0.001) and women (r=0.94, P<0.001), indicating HIPT improved VO2max scaled to body weight independent of changes to body composition. Our data shows that HIPT significantly improves VO2max and body composition in subjects of both genders across all levels of fitness.

Basically 23 males and 20 females, already eating paleo, participated in Crossfit workouts programmed and supervised by a certified Crossfit instructor,  at their local box (Fit Club, which is located in Columbus, Ohio). Over ten weeks the men lost 7.6 lbs of fat while gaining 2.2 lbs of muscle…the women gained slightly more muscle (2.3lbs) and lost 3.9lbs of fat. Men improved VO2 max by 13.6% and women improved it by 11.8%. These results were both highly significant and impressive, as you can imagine, and represent great results for anybody. Obviously we at 3Fuel believe in Crossfit; our owners/formulators are Brian Mackenzie (founder of Crossfit Endurance) and Doug Katona (managing partner of CFE, and coach of numerous CF Games athletes). We didn’t need a study to tell us that Crossfit works!

The study is not without its flaws, however. The first is that the test subjects were recruited at their local box. This means…they seemed to already be doing Crossfit. Or maybe they had just signed up. Or maybe they had been doing it for several years. Without knowing this information, we can’t tell if these ten weeks represented early adaptations to the program (where we could see the majority of our progress) or late adaptations (which could be steady due to the constantly varied element of the program). In other words, we’d expect a beginning sprinter, powerlifter, triathlete to make rapid improvements when they first take up the sport – and as the years go by, that those improvements would be more difficult to achieve. In this case, we don’t know if these people were experienced Crossfitters, fighting for every second shaved off each WOD, or total beginners, shaving a minute off each workout and adding plates to each lift at every session. What the study does tell us is that the people who were already in great shape showed less improvements than the people in bad shape (kind of obvious). Still, we should be told whether they had just started CF’ing or had been around the block a few times.

And then there were the injuries. Or were there? Sixteen percent (16%) of the participants dropped out of the study, and this data was included in a brief portion that focused on overuse injuries. But while the study discusses overuse injuries, and tells us that 16% of the participants dropped out, it doesn’t actually connect those dots and say that 16% of the participants were injured (they could have dropped out for personal reasons, etc…). It doesn’t tell us their previous history with injuries either. It just says they didn’t complete the program and show up for post-testing. There could be a million reasons that someone couldn’t complete a ten week study, and it’s important to repeat that the 16% dropout rate isn’t an injury rate, it’s just the people who didn’t complete the study (for whatever reason).

So while this study produced some great data, showing that Crossfit is a killer training modality, it is still limited and lacking in some areas, and we think it can be read (incorrectly) to suggest there was a high injury rate. . And while we love science and hard facts like the kind found in studies, we also think that the best way to judge a training routine is by what it produces in the real world – nobody can argue that Crossfit produces awesome results…now we have a study that confirms it!

*Statements made on www.3fu3l.com do not represent affiliation or endorsement by or with CrossFit.