CosBeauty Magazine #93

W E L L N E S S
T H E C A S E F O R
L O W- V O L U M E HII T
L o w-v ol u me HII T, ty pically i nv olvi ng
less t ha n 1 5 mi n of hig h-i nte nsity
e xercise per sessi o n, is bei ng i ncreasi ngly
i nvestigate d i n healt hy a n d cli nical
p o p ulati o ns d ue t o its ti me-efficie nt
nat ure a n d p ur p orte d healt h be nefits.
T he c urre nt W orl d Healt h
Orga nisati o n ( W H O) p hysical activity
g ui deli nes ( 1 5 0- 3 0 0 mi n of m o derate
activity / wee k or 7 5- 1 0 0 mi n of vig or o us
activity / wee k) may be u natt ai na ble
f or a large p orti o n of t he p o p ulati o n
w h o are ti me- p o or d ue t o fa mily or
w or k c o m mit me nts. T his hy p ot hesis
is s u p p orte d by t he i ncreasi ng rates of
p hysical i nactivity a m o ngst a d ults i n
hig h-i nc o me c o u ntries.
T he fi n di ngs of t his st u dy s h o w t hat
l o w-v ol u me HII T (ty pically i nv olvi ng
less t ha n 2 0 mi ns t ot al e xercise ti me –
i ncl usive of war m u p a n d c o ol d o w n)
yiel ds c o m para ble i m pr ove me nts t o
i nter ve nti o ns meeti ng t he c urre nt
g ui deli nes des pite re q uiri ng sig nifica ntly
less ti me.
S o, w hat is l o w-v ol u me HII T? As
HII T i nv olves active peri o ds of w or k
i nters perse d wit h rec over y peri o ds, t he
researc hers defi ne d l o w-v ol u me HII T as
i nter ve nti o ns w hic h i ncl u de d less t ha n
1 5 mi n utes of hig h i nte nsity e xercise per
sessi o n ( n ot i ncl u di ng rec over y peri o ds).
T his revie w b uil ds o n t he a ut h ors’
rece nt st u dy p u blis he d i n Di abetes C are
w hic h s h o we d t hat as little as f o ur
mi n utes of HII T t hree ti mes per wee k
f or 1 2 wee ks sig nifica ntly i m pr ove d
bl o o d s ugar levels, fat i n t he liver, a n d
car di ores pirat or y fit ness i n a d ults wit h
ty pe 2 dia betes. T hey als o s h o we d t hat
t hese i m pr ove me nts were c o m para ble t o
a n i nter ve nti o n i nv olvi ng 4 5 mi n utes of
m o derate i nte nsity aer o bic e xercise.
Ma ny of t he partici pa nts i n t he st u dy
p u blis he d i n Di abetes C are re p orte d
bei ng i n dis belief over h o w s h ort t he
trai ni ng was yet h o w great t hey felt
after trai ni ng.
Bey o n d its effect o n met a b olic healt h,
t he ne w revie w re p orte d t hat l o w-v ol u me
HII T ca n als o i m pr ove heart f u ncti o n
a n d arterial healt h.
‘ W hile t he W H O g ui deli nes may
ser ve t heir p ur p ose at a p o p ulati o nal
level, i n divi d ualise d a n d t ail ore d l o w-
v ol u me HII T i nter ve nti o ns delivere d
by a p pr o priately trai ne d e xercise
pr ofessi o nals may be m ore effective at
a n i n divi d ual level, es pecially f or ti mep
o or i n divi d uals,’ says Dr A ngel o Sa bag,
c orres p o n di ng a ut h or of t he st u dy.
‘ T his researc h is es pecially i m p ort a nt
n o w as pe o ple are l o o ki ng f or ne w
a n d e xciti ng ways t o e ngage i n reg ular
e xercise, after a year of l o wer p hysical
activity d ue t o t he pa n de mic.’ C B M
Why is hig h i nte nsity
i nter val trai ni ng more
effecti ve for fat loss?
E x er ci s e s ci e nti st s u s e d t o b eli e v e t h at ‘ st e a d y
st at e’ c ar di o e x er ci s e w a s s u p eri or f or f at l o s s
b e c a u s e r el ati v el y m or e f at i s u s e d b y t h e b o d y
a s f u el at l o w er e x er ci s e i nt e n siti e s t h a n at hi g h er
i nt e n siti e s. Y o u m a y b ur n m or e f at r el ati v e t o
gl y c o g e n w h e n y o u g o f or a w al k, b ut t h e t ot al
a m o u nt of f at l o st d uri n g a w al k i s c o n si d er a bl y
l e s s t h a n if y o u tr ai n at hi g h er i nt e n siti e s.
D uri n g t h e s e i nt e n si v e w or k o ut s, t h e f at/
gl y c o g e n r ati o i s l o w er, b ut y o u b ur n m u c h m or e
f at. A d d t hi s t o t h e f a ct t h at i nt er v al tr ai ni n g
all o w s y o u t o e x er ci s e at v er y hi g h i nt e n siti e s f or a
m u c h l o n g er p eri o d of ti m e, a n d y o u c a n s e e w h y
HII T i s s u c h a hit w h e n it c o m e s t o w ei g ht l o s s.
A s a n a d d e d b o n u s, s o m e r e s e ar c h s u g g e st s
t h er e’s al s o a n aft er b ur n eff e ct k n o w n a s e x c e s s
p o st- e x er ci s e o x y g e n c o n s u m pti o n ( E P O C), w hi c h
m e a n s y o ur m et a b oli s m a n d a bilit y t o b ur n c al ori e s
i n cr e a s e s f or u p t o 2 4 h o ur s aft er i nt er v al tr ai ni n g.