A new study has found that going for a jog is not the fastest way to lose weight. | By Sarah Berry
of going as hard as you can, while cycling on a bike for example, increases strength and endurance.Credit:But the answer to the often-asked question of the best exercise for fat burning, is less clear.. Aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training do the same.
Participants in the studies ranged from 20 to 63 and did no exercise, aerobic sessions of 40 to 60 minutes or HIIT sessions, such as sprints on the stationary bike or in the swimming pool, of about 20 minutes .Fat metabolism was significantly greater in those who did any form of exercise for four weeks or more, with HIIT providing the most fat-burning bang for buck.
Pedišić explained that the possible reason HIIT is “superior” in this sense is its “greater potential... to increase mitochondrial respiratory function and mitochondrial protein synthesis – factors that are associated with improved fat oxidation”. “It was also interesting to note that, in this study, although interval training improves fat oxidation in both ‘normal’ weight and individuals with overweight and obesity, greater improvements were observed in the latter,” said Oliveira, who was not involved in the research.