Overweight? HIIT Might Not Help Fat Loss

Although it improves overall fitness, high intensity interval training (HIIT) may not help overweight people lose body fat, according to a clinical study.

AsianScientist (May 22, 2014) – High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is touted as the fastest way to get lean, but according to research from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Center, only endurance exercise goes the distance if you are chasing fat loss.

The world-first controlled trial led by exercise physiologists Shelley Keating and Dr. Nathan Johnson from the faculty of health sciences reveals that regular continuous aerobic exercise yields better fat loss results than HIIT workouts for overweight people looking to shed weight and achieve a slimmer waistline.

“A growing number of people are substituting HIIT for regular aerobic workouts in their exercise routine, but high-intensity interval training is not a fast track to quick fat loss if you’re overweight,” said Keating.

“High-intensity burst training does deliver important benefits like increased fitness, but it doesn’t have a ‘fat furnace’ effect if you carry weight around the middle.

“The message is if you’re hitting the gym to lose weight and trim your waistline, stick with steady aerobic exercise to shift abdominal fat and see better results on the scales.”

The study examined the effects of HIIT versus endurance exercise training three days a week on body fat levels in overweight adults seeking improved fat distribution. The HIIT workout consisted of bursts of high-intensity output (120 percent of VO2peak) interspersed with lower intensity activity, while the continuous aerobic exercise was a consistent workout at a steady intensity (65 percent of VO2peak).

“Until now the only evidence to support claims for the effectiveness of high-intensity workouts as an efficient weight loss method was research examining younger people or people who were already lean and healthy,” Johnson said.

“HIIT can be used as a time-efficient training method to improve fitness, but if you’re overweight you can’t afford to dump aerobic exercise if you want to see fat loss.”

Lead researcher Keating said the study, published in the Journal of Obesity, had implications for the management of weight loss.

“Some trainers emphasize HIIT workouts over continuous exercise to target body fat and trim the waistline, but the evidence is if you’re overweight you’re better off focusing on continuous aerobic exercise to slim your core and positively improve your body fat composition.”

The article can be found at: Keating et al. (2014) Continuous Exercise but Not High Intensity Interval Training Improves Fat Distribution in Overweight Adults.

——

Source: University of Sydney; Photo: Robert Anthony Provost/Flickr/CC.

Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist