According to a recent study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, interval training may shed more pounds than a continuous moderate intensity workout.
According to the study, while most physical activity guidelines recommend a high volume of exercise for weight loss, equivalent to an hour or more every day (420 minutes+/week), few people are able to carve out the time needed to meet this recommendation, say the researchers.
Therefore, the team set-out about finding whether or not interval training might be able to match a continuous moderate intensity workout for overall weight loss (total absolute fat mass) and reductions in percentage body fat-the percentage of fat that makes up body weight- despite taking less time to do.
Interval training describes intermittent intense effort, interspersed with recovery periods. The two most common types are high intensity interval training, or HIIT for short and sprint interval training, which includes indoor cycling on a stationary trainer.
As part of the study, the team researched databases for relevant studies that directly or indirectly compared interval training with continuous moderate intensity exercise over a period of at least four weeks.
The data from 41 studies involving 1115 people were combined for thematic analysis and the results data from 36 studies involving 1012 people were pooled.
Both interval training and a continuous workout reduced overall weight and percentage body fat, irrespective of starting weight or gender, the findings showed.
However, while there was no significant difference in percentage body fat reduction between the two approaches, there was a significant difference in the amount of weight lost, with interval training proving the more effective method.
Interval training provided a 28.5 per cent greater reduction in weight, overall (1.58 kg vs 1.13 kg).
Further analysis, comparing cycling interval training with a continuous moderate intensity workout, revealed an even larger difference in weight loss.
“It is important to be aware of the possible risks and caveats associated with higher intensity training,” the researchers point out. “For example, it might increase the risk of injury and impose higher cardiovascular stress. Adherence should also be examined as higher intensity protocols can result in higher discomfort.”
But, before anyone decides to take up interval training for losing weight, the researchers offerer a sound a note of caution,.“it’s difficult to generally recommend that one particular protocol as ‘best’ for modulating body adiposity,, but cycling is certainly one of them.”
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