Less Pain, More Gain

Researchers from McMaster University, Canada have figured out that one minute of intense exercising produces the same result as 45 minutes of moderate exercise.

This has been revealed as part of scientists’ program to determine how ‘sprint interval training’ (SIT) fares when compared to ‘moderate intensity continuous training’ (MICT), the parameters of which are determined in public health guidelines. “This is a very time-efficient workout strategy,” said lead author Martin Gibala, professor at McMaster University. Researchers during the experiment examined key health indicators such as cardio respiratory fitness and insulin sensitivity. A group of 27 men leading sedentary lifestyle were tasked with performing three weekly sessions of either intense or moderate training for 12 weeks.

Prior to this study, under the SIT protocol, the team involved three 20-second all out cycle sprints within a span of 10 minutes that included a two-minute warm-up and three-minute cool down session and two minutes of easy cycling session for recovery between the hard sprints. The results of the SIT protocol was compared to that of MICT protocol wherein after 12 weeks of training the results were visibly similar. “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,” Gibala said. He also added, “Climbing a few flights of stairs on your lunch hour can provide a quick and effective workout.”