Research shows that short bursts of extreme exercise are as effective as traditional long-duration workouts. The study from McMaster University revealed that an "all-out" workout routine for 60 seconds within a 10-minute session could improve cardiorespiratory fitness and insulin sensitivity as much as a 50-minute moderate workout.
The study observed a group of participants from the 27 sedentary men to do sprint interval training (SIT) for a 12-week study. Other participants were tasked to do moderate intensity continuous training (MICT). Researchers also observed a control group who did not exercise at all.
Participants in the SIT control group needed to do a fully committed workout, which consisted of three 20-second 'all-out' sprints, two minutes of easy cycling between sprints, a 2-minute warm-up and a 3-minute cool down. The entire workout lasted for only 10 minutes, with only one minute of the mentioned time being intense.
On the other hand, men in the MICT control group were tasked to exercise for 50 minutes, which consisted of a 45-minute continuous cycle at a moderate place, a 2-minute warm-up and a 3-minute cool-down. The final group was asked to change nothing about their current and non-existent exercise routines, according to NY Times. The participants had to exercise for three times a week.
Despite the difference in exercise volume and time, the SIT training method and the MICT training method produced similar results, according to Daily Mail. Both groups had an increased endurance of 20 percent, improved insulin resistance and increased numbers related to energy production and oxygen consumption.
The interval-based approach can provide health and fitness benefits in less time compared to the traditional approach of exercising. Neither of the results was more superior other than the SIT control group exercise sessions was much shorter.
The findings show that effective workouts can be achieved in just a few minutes time. Short bursts of intense exercise are remarkably effective, according to Martin Gibala, lead author and professor at McMaster University in Ontario.
Gibala explains that athletes should incorporate both endurance and interval training to maximize performance. But for people who do not have an hour to work out, the results show big benefits.
