High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a buzzword in the fitness industry that you’ve no doubt come across. Many people love it as it’s a quick workout that involves bursts of intense exercise paired with periods of rest. It’s great for heart health and is one of the best forms of exercise for building a flexible metabolism, according to data uncovered by Lumen. Here’s how HIIT compares with other forms of exercise.
Between all available workouts on the Lumen app, HIIT had the greatest impact on the flexibility of the metabolism – the ability to switch between carbs and fats as a fuel source. Our data shows a whopping 60% of HIIT workouts resulted in shifting the body froסm carb to fat burn. This is based on data from over 1 million pre and post-workout metabolic measurements.
By comparison, moderate-intensity continuous training, such as running and cycling, has less impact on the metabolism. The data shows around 50% of users who logged running and cycling as their daily form of exercise shifted to fat burn.
Recreational sports may be more enjoyable than doing a killer HIIT workout but you won’t burn as much fat. The data demonstrates just 34% of users who played basketball and tennis triggered the metabolic shift to fat burn.
HIIT workouts have gained popularity since the U.S. government recommended this style of training within its physical activity guidelines. It says vigorous-intensity exercise, which includes HIIT, should be done for 75-150 minutes per week. That translates to on average two or three 30 to 45-minute HIIT workouts. It’s worth bearing in mind too much HIIT can trigger a stress response in the body and have a negative effect on metabolism, so you don’t want to overdo it.
You can use your Lumen device to find out what exercise works for your body and improves metabolic flexibility. The benefits of metabolic flexibility are numerous, including easier weight loss and weight maintenance, improved workout performance and lower risk of developing obesity, diabetes and metabolic disorders.
