Check out this study: Eight people performed between four and six 30-second bursts of "all out" (no one defines an 'all out" burst) cycling separated by 4 minutes of recovery during each training session. The other eight subjects performed 90-120 minutes of continuous moderate-intensity cycling each day. Total training time commitment including recovery was 2.5 hours in the sprint group, whereas the endurance group performed 10.5 hours of total exercise over two weeks.
You can drive a mack truck through the difference in time. But both groups showed largely similar improvements in both performance and muscle parameters associated with exercise.
You can drive a mack truck through the difference in time. But both groups showed largely similar improvements in both performance and muscle parameters associated with exercise. The conclusion of all of this is stunning: you can get more done in 1/4 the time by doing interval training. Of course, I would like a better definition "moderate intensity" too. I wish we knew the relative heart rates of the subjects. Still, an interesting study. Because when you walk into a gym and look at the cardio equipment, few people are doing interval training.
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