There are many approaches to exercising for weight-loss, but one that’s growing in popularity is high intensity interval training (HIIT). It’s received a boost this month with research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which suggests that HIIT may be 28.5% more effective than alternative approaches.

What Is HIIT?

HIIT is an approach to training that emphasises short, intense bursts of anaerobic exercise, alternating with periods of recovery. Various systems have been proposed since the 1970s, and especially since the 1990s, but all HIIT systems contrast with approaches that use sustained exercise for as long as you can keep it up.

HIIT produces results for outcomes ranging from building muscle to losing weight, using running, swimming, boxing and cycling, among other activities. The crucial thing, though, is that the exercise should be flat out for a maximum of about twenty minutes. Running, for instance, should be a sprint, not a jog, while low-impact activities, such as walking, are valuable for the times when you’re not using HIIT.

What Does the Research Say?

The research was carried out at The Federal University of Goias in Brazil, involving nearly 1,100 men and women, with varying levels of fitness, exercising for four weeks. Some used HIIT, while others exercised with more sustained periods of moderate intensity workouts.

The subjects using HIIT averaged a weight loss of 1.58kg, compared with 1.13kg lost by the other group, and a couple of possible explanations have been suggested for these results. One is that HIIT may increase the metabolic rate for up to a day after the exercise, while the other is that the appetite hormones are reduced, countering the normal temptation to eat more after exercising.

Whichever is true (and it may be a combination of the two) the results are persuasive. It seems that HIIT is the most effective type of exercise for losing weight, while other research has suggested that it may also improve insulin sensitivity.

Is There a Downside?

Human physiology isn’t standardised, so no exercise regime, however excellent for most, will suit everyone. In particular, the researchers suggested that HIIT may create more cardiovascular stress than moderate intensity exercise, making it unsuitable for some people.

This underlines the importance of planning a structured programme of exercise with a professional trainer, who will be able to advise you on your best approach. Why not get in touch with us and explore whether you can safely take advantage of the enhanced results from high intensity interval training?