Is HIIT Really Better For Weight Loss? (Part 2)

February 6, 2023 Ashley 0 Comments

So, our whole world just got turned upside down.

We’ve learned that HIIT wasn’t the do all to end all in a study of steady state, HIIT, and sprints.

Burn didn’t last nearly as long as we thought it would.

It also wasn’t as much burn as we thought it’d be.

Plus, overall caloric burn was less in HIIT than steady state bike cardio.

All very surprising… But what does this mean for us?

In a word: nothing – and for several reason. First off, even though the type of intensity training performed by each subject varies, each of those compared cardio stints is still challenging a high level heart rate. They’re also each happening for close to 30 minutes. Mind you, we’re not comparing HIIT to a gentle jog in the park. We’re not talking about a simple stroll where you can still carry on a conversation with your friend from book club. This is all still high intensity stuff. (Even steady state was in the vigorous category at 80% peak heart rate, after all. Have you tried maintaining 80% for half an hour on a bike? Oh, you can’t? Then take a seat.) Just ask the internet: 70% to about 85% of max is in the “vigorous” range. Anything lower is “moderate”.  Plus, what the results say isn’t that after three hours there was no difference between vigorous cyclists and basic bikers. They say that there’s not a significant difference in post exercise burn between these three groups – three groups that were each equally fighting for their lives the whole time.

Also, when you look at a study, you have to look at what’s not there. What were their diets like? Were they the same? When did they eat? Did that possibly affect metabolic function? Were these people already avid cyclists? Were they already acclimated to this level of intense exercise? Would the results look different for someone who wasn’t used to this type of exercise, looking to lose weight? Might they burn more? Also, what would this same level of intensity look like with another form of cardio like running or the elliptical? Would the burn be the same? And what happens if you also cross train – weight lifting afterward or on your off days? Whenever you look at a study with a given conclusion, this isn’t grounds to jump to your own. All this answers is what happened for these people, in these conditions, on bikes. Nothing more. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything with regard to you.

What’s more, there are other factors to consider with regard to the bottom line we’re all here for: weight loss. Sure, this study was intended to look at caloric burn. But, let’s take note of the fact that HIIT got popular in the first place for a reason: because people were absolutely shredding flesh on it. It works for weight loss. Thus, it may be effective in causing a cut for other reasons than caloric burn. Ask yourself: when you’ve run so hard you want to puke, is food the first thing on your mind? (Not for me, thanks.) Compare that to a steady state boring run (where a plate of pancakes is all I’m fantasizing about for the last leg of the run). The long term effect may be due to appetite alterations as well.

It may also be due to the fact that HIIT improves your overall cardiovascular endurance. And, when your endurance improves, you can (and often want to) go for longer. Regardless of what kind of exercise you’re doing , if you’re able to do it for longer than you did a month or two ago, you’re absolutely going to be burning more. HIIT can get you there by taking you to that all out place and improving your lung and heart function. On top of that is the fact that you’re more motivated to keep going if your endurance is good. Why? Because once you’re not struggling or gasping for air, your workouts are no longer about survival but serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline: an internal cocktail of awesomeness that’s been responsible for birthing many an athletic addict.

So, the takeaway shouldn’t be that HIIT is useless (which, if you’ve been doing it consistently, you already know); it should be to pick one vigorous type of cardio you can stick with and make that your thing. If you’ve been benefiting from HIIT, keep doing HIIT. If you hate HIIT and miss your steady state, high heart rate cardio, switch back to that. You do what works for you specifically. Sure, evidence based research is great for helping us make better decisions. However, it can only tell us so much. At the end of the day, the best kind of workout routine is the one you’re actually going to be willing to stick to. For some, the idea of high intensity interval training makes them not wanna put on their gym shorts or show up at all. For me, it’s the opposite. I need interval sprints to high BPM beats or hardcore, struggling for oxygen pad work at kickboxing. If I can’t get a good spike in my heart rate, it’s not worth it. I’ll fall asleep. I’ll get bored. What’s more, I’ll have no motivation to show up for more of the same tomorrow. Not very sustainable, right? With all that said, the steps to follow are thusly three fold:

Step 1: Choose the workout  that works for you.

Step 2: If it doesn’t work, try another one from the list.

Step 3: Quit listening to conclusions based off experiments with subjects whose lives don’t match yours.