Sprints Yield Fat Loss

Time-crunched individuals interested in fat loss may want to cut running workouts short. Results from a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2011; 43 [1], 115–22) suggest that repeated maximal-intensity sprints yield greater fat loss than longer-duration, moderate-intensity running. The 20 study participants were split into two groups: sprinters and runners. Each group ran three times per week for 6 weeks. The first group performed all-out sprints, 30 seconds in duration, six times per session. They were given a 4-minute rest between sprints. The second group ran for 30–60 minutes per session at 65% VO₂max. By the end of the 6-week study, fat mass had decreased by 5.8% in the moderate-intensity group and by 12.4% in the sprint group. Both groups experienced improvements in 2,000-meter run time and VO₂max.