Low Intensity vs High Intensity Exercise for Fat Loss: Which is Better
Table of Contents
| Low Intensity vs High Intensity Exercise for Fat Loss: Which is Better |
To control abdominal fat, you need to participate in regular high intensity exercise (HIIT), according to the experts. Previous studies have demonstrated significant reductions in visceral fat and subcutaneous fat as a result of high-intensity exercise training. Endless hours in the gym aren’t needed either.
A HIIT exercise involves a mix of speed and power in intervals lasting from 30 seconds to several minutes, followed by rest periods lasting for about one to five minutes. So you might try sprinting as fast as possible for 30 seconds followed by walking for five minutes, then sprinting again, four to five times a session. 
| Many studies have demonstrated that interval training can substantially lower abdominal body fat. For example, one study demonstrated an exercise training-induced reduction in visceral fat, abdominal subcutaneous fat, and total abdominal fat. Basically what that means is there was a relationship between the exercise intensity and the amount of fat lost in the study. In fact, according to new studies, a short few minutes a few times a week of high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, should be enough to help you burn off that last belly fat bit. As reported in the Journal of Obesity, HIIT is more effective than traditional aerobic exercise for belly fat reduction. According to the researchers, the reasons may have to do with increased fat metabolism during and after exercise, better balance of blood sugar, better sensitizing the body’s insulin response, and even decreased appetite post-exercise. |
Here are two studies to consider that show the positive impact of exercise intensity on weight loss:
| Researchers took 27 middle-aged obese women with metabolic syndrome and subjected them to one of three exercise programs. |
- Group 1 was the no-exercise control group;
- Group 2 was the low intensity (aerobic) exercise group;
- Group 3 was the high intensity (HIIT) exercise group
Groups 2 & 3 performed 5 workouts per week @ 400 calories per workout.
After 16 weeks, the HIIT group had significantly reduced total abdominal fat, abdominal subcutaneous fat, and most importantly abdominal visceral fat. Sadly, Groups 1 & 2 saw no significant changes in fat loss.
In study #2, researchers took 45 average women and subjected them to a 15 week HIIT exercise program.
As in the first study, the women were divided into 3 groups.
- Group 1 was the no-exercise control group;
- Group 2 was the low intensity (aerobic) exercise group;
- Group 3 was the high intensity (HIIT) exercise group
After 15 weeks, both exercise groups demonstrated a significant improvement in cardiovascular fitness. However, only the HIIT group had a significant reduction in:
- total body mass (TBM),
- fat mass (FM),
- trunk fat
- and fasting plasma insulin levels
If you’re at the gym and able to talk to your friend while walking on the treadmill, you may not be exercising hard enough. A recent study may have put the nail in the coffin for steady state exercise cardio. To examine the influence of moderate-intensity (50% of VO2peak) exercise training versus high-intensity (75% of VO2peak) exercise training on regional fat distribution, researchers randomized 18 overweight women to high-intensity , moderate-intensity, or a control group (CON). Subjects enrolled in high-intensity or moderate-intensity completed a 12-week exercise training protocol designed to expend 1000 kcal/week. Body composition testing was completed prior to and following the exercise training. At the end of the study, VO2peak improved in high-intensity and moderate-intensity whereas there was no change in VO2peak in control. No significant change in body weight, BMI, and % fat occurred in moderate-intensity, high-intensity , or control.
Although there was a significant reduction in visceral fat with high-intensity (−39 cm2), there was no change in the moderate-intensity or control groups. In addition, there was a significant increase in thigh muscle attenuation in the high-intensity group. There were no changes in thigh muscle attenuation in the moderate-intensity and control groups.
In summary, our direct comparison of exercise intensity without weight loss promotes the efficacy of high-intensity in the reduction in visceral fat. Researchers suspect that the reason high intensity exercise burns belly fat better is that the body produces more hormones like adrenalin at a higher intensity, and the body more easily lays claim to its fat reserves. A second factor may be the EPOC, the higher level of energy burning experienced after a training session. The more intensive the training, the more intensive the EPOC.
Boutcher SH. High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss. J of Obesity 2011:868305.
Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2009 Aug; 7(4): 363-8.
Irving BA, Davis CK, Brock DW, Weltman JY, Swift D, Barrett EJ, Gaesser GA, Weltman A. Effect of exercise training intensity on abdominal visceral fat and body composition. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Nov;40(11):1863-72.
Trapp EG, Chisholm DJ, Freund J, Boutcher SH. The effects of high-intensity intermittent exercise training on fat loss and fasting insulin levels of young women. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Apr;32(4):684-91.
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