Recently the CDC released research into the trend towards obesity in both adults and children in the USA ( cdc - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2009.2014). The prevalence of obesity has been steadily increasing in the USA since the mid-1970’s. Today more than a third of the population is battling obesity and its associated illnesses of heart disease, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. It is common knowledge that exercise can have a profound effect on weight loss, controlling blood glucose and reducing triglyceride levels in the blood. Some recent research is showing that interval training, intense sprint sets followed by brief rest sets, can kick start a stalled metabolism and make a good workout regimen even more efficient and effective.
The idea behind interval training is to alternate effortful short burst activities with short, slower recovery periods. Interval training has been used by professional athletes to improve performance for decades. Modern research is indicating that these fast-slow workouts with steep peaks and valleys can dramatically improve cardiovascular fitness and generally increase the body’s potential to burn fat.
Studies published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and research performed at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario found that interval training doubled the endurance of test subjects, increased the amount of fat burned during moderate exercise by 36% and increased cardiovascular fitness by 13%. By comparison, volunteers in the control group not doing interval training, but who did engage in regular moderate exercise, didn’t see similar benefits. Even more striking is that the overall fitness of subjects didn’t change the benefits of interval training. Borderline sedentary subjects and college athletes alike had similar increases in fitness and fat burning from interval training.
The idea behind interval training makes a great deal of sense. When we work hard or when we confuse our muscles by exposing them to a novel exercise, the body is forced to access new muscle fibers. Accessing unused muscle fibers means that the we are tapping into new energy reserves. The benefit here is twofold. First, once activated, these newly engaged muscles fibers will now be trained and available to burn fuel even when we are doing less intense activity. Second, these newly activated muscle fibers stimulate the mitochondria, the energy centers in cells, encouraging them to convert more fuel into energy and causing them to burn fat first. This change takes place across all exercise we do, even during lower intensity workouts!
Lasting benefit can be achieved from interval training by adding only a single session to your weekly workout regimen. If your interested in experimenting with interval training we will be starting two classes at onlYoga on Tuesdays beginning February 16th - 6 - 6:30pm & 6:45 - 7:15pm. Everyone is welcome. The cost is $10 to drop-in, free for unlimited students. See you there!
