Abstract
The effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible; however, other forms of exercise may have a greater impact on body composition. For example, emerging research examining high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercise. The mechanisms underlying the fat reduction induced by HIIE, however, are undetermined. Regular HIIE has been shown to significantly increase both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. HIIE also significantly lowers insulin resistance and results in a number of skeletal muscle adaptations that result in enhanced skeletal muscle fat oxidation and improved glucose tolerance. This review summarizes the results of HIIE studies on fat loss, fitness, insulin resistance, and skeletal muscle. Possible mechanisms underlying HIIE-induced fat loss and implications for the use of HIIE in the treatment and prevention of obesity are also discussed.
Highlights
Most exercise protocols designed to induce fat loss have focused on regular steady state exercise such as walking and jogging at a moderate intensity
The Wingate protocol is likely to be unsuitable for most overweight, sedentary individuals interested in losing fat
We have used an 8-second cycle sprint followed by 12 s of low intensity cycling for a period of 20 min [5]
Summary
Most exercise protocols designed to induce fat loss have focused on regular steady state exercise such as walking and jogging at a moderate intensity. HIIE protocols have varied considerably but typically involve repeated brief sprinting at an all-out intensity immediately followed by low intensity exercise or rest. The length of both the sprint and recovery periods has varied from 6 s to 4 min. Subjects typically perform the Wingate test 4 to 6 times separated by 4 min of recovery. For the HIIE Wingate protocols, total exercise time is typically between 3 to 4 min of total exercise per session. This review summarises results of research examining the effect of different forms of HIIE on fitness, insulin resistance, skeletal muscle, subcutaneous, and abdominal fat loss
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