Interval Training as Effective as Traditional Ones

MONDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2006

For those who can find no time for exercise may have just run out of excuses. A study published in the Journal of Physiology last week said that interval training can be as effective as traditional training methods.

Interval training involves short bursts of intense training followed by times for recovery. That kind of training is used in sports such as running and cycling.

The study, conducted by a team of researchers at Ontario's McMaster University, involved 16 college-aged students which were divided into two groups. They were then made to follow different fitness regimens for two weeks. One group did interval training while the other group followed traditional training methods.

After two weeks, the group that did interval training spent only a total of 2.5 hours doing exercise while the other group spent a total of 10.5 hours. But in spite of the difference in the time spent in training, the groups� improvement in terms of exercise performance and endurance were the same.