People who badly need to exercise but are short on time will be delighted to know that a minute of intense workout is as effective as an hour of moderate exercise. Interval training isn't better per se, but it saves you a ton of time, which is the next best thing.
Only One Way To Find Out
To compare the effects of both training types, scientists at McMaster University in Ontario conducted a high-tech 12-week experiment on 25 out-of-shape young men. The scientists measured the participants' aerobic fitness, sugar levels and muscle functions as they performed different levels of activity.
According to The New York Times, the participants were divided into three groups. The first group, which acted as the study's control group, did not exercise at all. The second group was told to do a regular endurance routine for 45 minutes while the third group was tasked to do an interval training where they had to ride a stationary bike, sprint as fast as they can and do cool down exercises all in one minute.
The Results Are In
After 12 weeks of sweat-filled experimentation, the second group had ridden on the stationary bike for a total of 27 hours while the third group had ridden for only six hours. When the researchers reevaluated the participants, they found that men in both groups had pretty much the same amount of physical gains.
"Most people cite 'lack of time' as the main reason for not being active," the study's co-author Martin Gibala shared to Live Science. "Our study shows that an interval-based approach can be more efficient. You can get health and fitness benefits comparable to the traditional approach, in less time."
It's worth mentioning that the research merely observed the short-term benefits of interval training, not its long-term gains. The researchers recommend that future studies should look into whether or not interval training needed to be intense for it to have similar effects as an hour of moderate exercise.
