Interval Training: Less Time, More Benefit

Because kidney transplant recipients are 4-6 times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than are people in the general population, I want to ensure my cardio training delivers maximal health benefits. Interval training is a style of aerobic exercise which is gaining popularity, partially because it provides a superior workout for the heart. It is so effective, in fact, that some people are significantly reducing - or completely eliminating - their traditional slow and steady cardio routines.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2007 found that interval training, which alternates between short rounds of high- and low-intensity exercise, increased the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles by 13 percent. This, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, represents an increase in heart efficiency over and above what can be achieved with slow and steady exercise. And maintaining cardiovascular efficiency is a matter of life and death: According to Men's Health, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that men whose heart rates took longer than 60 seconds to decrease 25 beats had a 2.2 times greater risk of sudden death from a heart attack than those who recovered quicker.

Furthermore, interval training may be more effective than traditional cardio at reducing blood pressure. In a Wall Street Journal article from earlier this year, Katherine Hobson reported that in a randomized study of 88 patients with hypertension, the Norweigan University of Science and Technology found that "high-intensity interval training reduced blood pressure more than a steady workout regimen." Putting its official seal of approval on interval training, Hobson noted that the Canadian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation believes "there is 'compelling evidence' that high-intensity interval training can lead to improvements in aerobic capacity, functional status and quality of life, and that it can be used as an alternative to traditional continuous training."

In the YouTube video linked below, the Mayo Clinic discusses the advantages of interval training. One noteworthy nugget found in the video is that 20 minutes of interval training will burn the same amount of calories as 30 minutes of sustained exercise. This is surely great news to all of us short on free time. Quite certainly it won't kill (because it never can be killed, it seems), but it definitely maims, the time-honored 'I'm-too-busy-to-exercise' excuse.  


http://www.youtube.com/embed/I1B1IIZjd2Y?rel=0