Fitness
HIIT vs long workouts: Which is better for metabolic health?
- Walking in short bursts or climbing stairs can burn 20% to 60% more energy than sustained activity for the same distance, a new study has found.
- Researchers at the University of Milan, in Italy, enrolled 10 participants with an average age of 27 who were subjected to 10- to 240-second bursts of treadmill walking or stair-climber rounds.
- Experts caution that the findings cannot be broadly applied due to the small number of participants and their relatively young, healthy status.
Walking for short bursts or climbing stairs can burn 20% to 60% more energy than sustained activity for the same distance, a new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B has found.
Researchers at the University of Milan, in Italy, wanted to understand how walking’s metabolic cost was affected by the duration of the activity.
To this end, they recruited 10 participants with an average age of 27, who were agreed to undertake 10- to 240-second bursts of treadmill walking or stair-climber rounds.
Using an oxygen mask to measure oxygen uptake and metabolic cost, they determined that the shorter bouts of activity had greater metabolic cost, with 30-second bouts consuming 20% to 60% more oxygen than steady bouts of activity.
The researchers concluded that by starting and stopping activity, the participants were able to expend more energy due to the metabolic processes that the body encounters while ramping up to strenuous bursts versus the sustained energy use of longer bouts.
In their view, people looking to maximize their exercise returns might consider implementing shorter bursts of activity rather than a longer sustained effort.
Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWC, a senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study, told Medical News Today that the study’s claim of higher energy expenditure hinges on what he referred to as “specific circumstances.”
“While shorter bursts might burn more calories, the actual benefit may vary depending on individual metabolism and exercise habits,” Glatt said, adding that the implications for similar short-burst activity like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are also unclear.
”The study implies HIIT could burn more calories due to frequent stopping and starting, but it’s not conclusive. While HIIT can be effective, the benefit over traditional workouts might not be as significant for everyone,” he cautioned.
Christopher A. Schneble, MD, an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, who was also not involved in the study, told MNT that the study’s conclusions cannot be applied broadly to any general form of workout because of the emphasis on shorter activity times.
“We have to keep in mind that this study only looked at very short exercise durations, those between 10 seconds and 4 minutes. We can’t necessarily apply this concept to longer durations. The authors more or less hint at there being a potential phase of energy inefficiency with increased oxygen intake very early into a workout. Their results suggest that on average, we are disproportionately using more oxygen within the first 30 seconds of exercise, however most of this phenomenon corrects back to a steady state within the first few minutes.”
– Christopher A. Schneble, MD
“The authors’ findings apply more to situations of starting exercise, like going for intermittent short walks, than they do for sustained exercise,“ Schneble explained.
“The increased energy expenditure and oxygen intake during the initial 30s of working out is interesting, but don’t think it makes sense to prioritize your workouts around this phenomenon given it is so short lived, and you may find yourself waiting spending more time recovery periods than actually exercising,” he advised.
Given the relatively young average age of the participants — of which there were only 10 — the study’s findings may not apply broadly to a general population, Schneble said.
“I don’t know that we can conclude very much from this article about the role age plays in influencing the results. We also have to consider how these results might vary based on physical fitness, which can have a substantial impact on maximum oxygen consumption, [which is the] amount of oxygen we can make available for maximum intensity,” he pointed out.
“What I found particularly interesting was that regardless of the activity, there was an initial over intake of oxygen more often in excess of the eventual intake required down downstream. To some degree, this could be our bodies doing their best to put us in a situation to be ‘overprepared’ for bursts of physical activity, but a lot more research is needed to get down to the bottom of this and understand what drives this finding,” said Schneble.
Glatt also emphasized the lack of diversity in the study’s ability to infer larger trends among broad populations.
“The study doesn’t explore age-related differences, so it’s unclear if younger people, with higher energy levels, gain less from short bursts than older adults. More research is needed to verify any age-based outcomes,” he told us.
“With only 10 participants, the findings are far from definitive. The small sample size limits the study’s reliability and broader applicability. More data is needed to draw solid conclusions,” Glatt pointed out.
The article below is an excerpt from my newsletter: Well Enough with Harry Bullmore. To get my latest thoughts on fitness and wellbeing pop your email address into the box above to get the newsletter direct to your inbox.
Exercise is good for you. Brilliant, in fact, by nearly every objective measure. For this reason, the world is full of fit people telling less fit people to do more exercise – but this rarely works. Why?
There’s a quote I love from my chat with experienced trainer, author and all-round sensible chap Ben Carpenter.
“Fitness professionals are hardcore exercise enthusiasts who often don’t know how to empathise with people who are not also hardcore exercise enthusiasts.”
This causes a massive divide between those who exercise and those who don’t.
Those who exercise regularly (group A) often built this habit as a child. Exercising regularly is their default, they are good at it, it feels fantastic, and (as with anyone who has ever hit a dopamine goldmine) they are keen to encourage others to do it too.
But for those who don’t exercise regularly (group B), it doesn’t feel good or natural at first – quite the opposite, actually. This is especially true when a member of group A recommends they start with a high-octane exercise class or hardcore workout programme.
No one is in the wrong – we are all just playing the cards we have been dealt. But there is a solution: start where you are, not where you want to be.
To do this, it is important to realise there is no one-size-fits-all fitness plan. The same workouts will affect people differently depending on individual factors such as genetics, environment and training experience.
This means, when a fitness figure or influencer tells you, “You can look like me by doing exactly as I do,” you would do well to question it.
Instead, it’s best to find a fitness routine that meets you where you’re at. (I think this plan from coach Darren Ellis offers a good framework for getting started, alongside a few options to scale it to your specific needs.)
If you currently don’t do any exercise, adding any new healthy behaviours into your regular daily routine will likely see an uptick in your fitness fortunes. For example, an extra portion of fruit and veg, a walk or a short mobility session.
If you’re a seasoned runner or gym-goer wanting further fitness progress, you need to upgrade the intensity of your existing workouts. For example, quickening your paces during interval sessions or adding a few extra kilos to the barbell for your next set of squats.
In both situations, picking appropriate workouts for you and progressing them in line with your fitness levels is the key to long-term success.
It’s also worth noting that exercise doesn’t always feel good at first, especially if you bite off more than you can chew.
I remember listening to elite coach Chris Hinshaw describe a running session he did with a former professional powerlifter who wanted to learn how to sprint. Powerlifters are juggernaut figures who excel at lifting heavy barbells, but they are often less adept at moving their own bodies.
So, Hinshaw gave his client a beginner sprinting drill he knew the athlete could excel at. “The first bite of the apple has to taste good,” Hinshaw later explained. Spurred on by his early success, the motivated athlete continued to work on his sprinting.
Perhaps hypocritically, given the intro, I am now going to tell you that exercise does ultimately end up feeling inexplicably good. My recent interview with 47-year-old Irishman David Keohan reinforced this belief.
“In my 20s I was into art and music and drinking and smoking,” he told me. “I was obese and unhealthy, mentally and physically. Then you get to your 30s and your body says, ‘Hold on a second, we need to start doing something about this, kid’.”
So, he went and bought a pair of trainers, fending off questioning glances from the man behind the till. Within six months he had run his first marathon. In the next few years he became a world champion at lifting kettlebells. Then, during Covid lockdowns, he started lifting huge boulders in his garden and stumbled across the lost Irish culture of stone lifting (this is one of my favourite recent interviews).
“I got bitten by the bug of feeling good,” Keohan continues. “Before, I never knew what feeling good felt like, if that makes any sense? But once you start to feel good, it’s amazing, and you realise how bad you felt for the last 10 years.”
Now, you don’t have to lift 170kg stones in your back garden to get in shape. This is an extreme example. But it does pay to do something slightly challenging (for you) on a fairly regular basis – whether that’s a short walk or a gnarly workout.
Because eventually, I’m afraid to say, exercise does have a tendency of making you feel rather good.
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This is a tough question to answer because it depends on what kind of exercise bikes you’re into. But based on the popular exercise bikes and the bikes that resemble Peloton the most during testing, it would have to be NordicTrack, BowFlex and Echelon.
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You’ll want to consider cost, size, display screen and whether you want to pay for a monthly subscription. If your main goal is to simulate the experience of riding a Peloton, you’ll want to get a bike that offers similarities, like the NordicTrack S24.
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Indoor cycling is a full-body workout. It targets your core, upper body, back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and lower legs. Some bikes also include weights so you can more specifically target muscle groups in your arms.
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The most eye-catching aspect of the Peloton exercise bike is its 21.5-inch HD touchscreen. For a Peloton alternative, you want the exercise bike to have a screen or tablet compatibility. Some exercise bikes like NordicTrack and Echelon come with the large touchscreens, but other brands like BowFlex require you to use a tablet to access classes. The smaller screen may not draw you in as much, but it’s a personal preference whether you want the touchscreen.
“,”quickTake”:””,”canCollapse”:”true”,”collapseOnPageLoad”:”false”,”canTruncate”:”true”,”truncateOnPageLoad”:”false”},{“question”:”Is a subscription necessary?”,”answer”:”
Peloton charges $44 a month for its All-Access membership. As you can tell by the Peloton alternatives list, other brands offer similar memberships through their app subscriptions. You can use any of these bikes independently, but if you want to get the most out of a bike, you may want to consider signing up for a membership as well. The other plus is most of these exercise bikes connect to third-party apps, so there are different ways to use them.
“,”quickTake”:””,”canCollapse”:”true”,”collapseOnPageLoad”:”false”,”canTruncate”:”true”,”truncateOnPageLoad”:”false”},{“question”:”What’s better, Echelon or Peloton? “,”answer”:”
This depends on the type of experience you’re looking for. An Echelon is a slightly more affordable option ($300 cheaper), and it’s easy to follow like a Peloton. But a Peloton has a rotating screen, and its instructors tend to be more high-energy than Echelon’s. If the classes matter the most to you, an Echelon membership is slightly cheaper than Peloton’s, so you may want to spend the extra money on the classes and bike if it’s in your budget.
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‘Exercise is usually viewed through the lens of physical appearance, the number on the scale and the size of your jeans,’ says Dr Ramon Velazquez, neuroscientist and scientific advisor at Mind Lab Pro. ‘But you cannot move your body without moving your brain. Exercise is not primarily a body intervention – it’s a brain intervention, and the changes you see in your waistline or muscles are side effects of what’s actually going on neurologically every time you move your body with intention.’
Indeed, while a huge body of research shows how crucial movement is for physical health – from protecting our hearts to reducing cancer risk – an increasing number of studies are highlighting the significant cognitive benefits of exercise, from boosting memory and reducing dementia risk to restoring neuroplasticity (the brain’s resilience in adapting to new information, behaviours and sensory input).
But what exactly should that look like in practice? And how should you structure your weekly routine to maximise the brain health benefits of exercise? Dr Velazquez has the answers below.
The workouts
Zone 2 cardio
‘Zone 2 cardio is the most underrated form of exercise. People usually dismiss it because they feel like they aren’t doing enough if they’re not drenched in sweat or gasping for air,’ says Dr Velazquez. ‘It’s a type of activity where you move at a pace that elevates your heart rate, but you can still have a conversation with the person next to you.’
Indeed, a recent review of more than 258,000 people found that even low- to moderate-intensity exercise performed for less than 30 minutes twice a week improved general cognition, memory and executive function (the mental processes involved in planning, focus and decision-making) in as little as one to three months. Dr Velazquez recommends light jogging, swimming and cycling. ‘From a neurological perspective, this type of exercise consistently increases blood flow to the brain over a prolonged period of time,’ he explains. ‘This is important because it helps deliver nutrients to the regions that are most vulnerable to ageing.’
Such exercise, adds Dr Velazquez, also supports the glymphatic system – the brain’s waste clearance system that removes proteins and cellular waste linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Strength sessions
‘Strength training is also extremely important for longevity. Strong muscles produce and release hormones and signalling molecules that directly influence the brain,’ says Dr Velazquez. ‘Muscle mass starts declining from your mid-thirties via a process called sarcopenia, and as the muscle disappears, so does the neurological signalling it produces.’
Two to three weekly sessions is the minimum needed to make a difference, he adds. ‘The sessions don’t need to be long – 45 minutes of focused, compound movements is enough.’ Think: squats, deadlifts, rows and presses – ‘exercises that recruit large muscle groups and produce the strongest possible neurochemical response’.
VO2 max training
‘VO2 max – the maximum amount of oxygen your body can consume and use during intense exercise – is now one of the most powerful predictors of long-term survival ever identified in the research,’ says Dr Velazquez. ‘Most people assume that blood pressure and cholesterol are the numbers worth paying attention to when it comes to how long they are going to live, but VO2 max is more predictive than either of those – a low VO2 max is not just a fitness problem, it’s a mortality risk.’
To improve this metric, Dr Velazquez advises introducing high-intensity exercise – where you’re working at near-maximum capacity for short bursts – once or twice weekly, adding that ‘a simple and highly effective routine would be 4-6 intervals of one minute at hard effort followed by two minutes of recovery’.
‘It will be uncomfortable, but that’s the feeling you need to chase to make this exercise effective, and the physiological stress of those intervals drives adaptations that are cardiac, vascular and neurological.’
Example weekly workout routine
‘Zone 2 is the base of the pyramid, VO2 max training is the peak. You cannot build a high peak without a wide, solid base, which is why all three pillars work together,’ says Dr Velazquez, who gives an example of an effective weekly routine below.
Monday
30-45 mins strength, eg, squats, deadlifts, rows, presses.
Tuesday
Zone 2 workout, eg, light jog or swim.
‘The key is finding an enjoyable activity that raises your heart rate, but not to the point where you’re gasping for air.’
Wednesday
30-45 mins strength.
Thursday
Zone 2 workout.
Friday
30-45 mins strength + VO2 max training afterwards.
Saturday
Longer zone 2 workout (around 60 mins).
‘I would suggest working out in nature, since a natural environment and exercise are a perfect combination for lowering cortisol.’
Sunday
Rest day.
‘Rest is not the absence of progress, it’s a necessary part of keeping the progress going.’
‘The brain responds to every single session. It’s tracking the pattern, not the performance. And the earlier in life you establish that pattern, the more of your brain you get to keep.’
Having a strong core is about far more than sporting a six-pack. Build functional mid-section strength – while also improving your power, posture, coordination and balance – with WH COLLECTIVE coach Izy George’s 4-week core challenge. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access the full training plan today.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.
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