WillBrink
03-29-16, 07:17
A good write up for those confused about which is more beneficial for fat loss. Written by my buddy who knows his stuff, he covers the "debate" on HIIT vs LISS and fat loss
HIIT vs LISS – A Better Way to Lose Fat?
by Jose Antonio PhD FISSN – First let’s get the acronyms out of the way. HIIT stands for Helga paddling SUPhigh-intensity interval training; LISS stands for low intensity steady state cardio. HIIT is sometimes abbreviated HIT. One form of training is hard and painful (HIIT) but doesn’t last as long whereas the other is not quite so painful (depending on how long you do it) but takes a longer amount of time. Is one better than the other for losing fat?
I’ve always found this question a bit odd. It’s like asking which wheel of the bicycle is more important. The front or the back one? Uhhhh…they’re both important.
Now before I give you the punch line, what’s the data say? With so many HIIT fanatics out there, one would think that doing LISS is a total waste of time. First of all, let’s change the definition for a second. I instead would call it SSC (stands for steady-state cardio). Why? Because there is this misguided impression that SSC has to be low intensity. Try training with a collegiate distance runner on their ‘easy’ days. SSC in that case could be a sub-6 min per mile pace for several miles. You think that’s easy? Low intensity? Bwwaaaaah….You’re a fool if you think that’s easy.
So part of the answering the debate of SSC (LISS) vs HIIT is one of redefining SSC. SSC can be quite difficult and painful. If it is not, then you’re a jolly jogger and not a runner. Or a jolly biker, paddler, swimmer, etc. You get the picture. :-)
What’s the data say on SSC?
Let’s check out a few studies. A long-term supervised aerobic exercise training program was administered to 41 obese children (21 boys, 20 girls; 11 years old). The 2-year training program was performed during the daily school life. Lean body mass increased throughout the 2 year study while the total body weight decreased; the weight loss is attributed to a ultraendurancedecrease in fat.(1) What? You can lose fat doing SSC? :-)
What if we directly compared high intensity interval training (HIIT) versus continuous aerobic exercise training (CONT)? In 38 previously inactive overweight adults there was a significant reduction in android fat percentage in CONT but not HIIT. Wait. I thought HIIT was soooo much better? The authors stated that “HIIT may be advocated as a time-efficient strategy for eliciting comparable fitness benefits to traditional continuous exercise in inactive, overweight adults. However, in this population HIIT does not confer the same benefit to body fat levels as continuous exercise training.(2)” Furthermore, aerobic exercise is an effective approach to reduce visceral fat besides in overweight male CKD patients.(3)
Cont:
HIIT vs LISS – A Better Way to Lose Fat?
by Jose Antonio PhD FISSN – First let’s get the acronyms out of the way. HIIT stands for Helga paddling SUPhigh-intensity interval training; LISS stands for low intensity steady state cardio. HIIT is sometimes abbreviated HIT. One form of training is hard and painful (HIIT) but doesn’t last as long whereas the other is not quite so painful (depending on how long you do it) but takes a longer amount of time. Is one better than the other for losing fat?
I’ve always found this question a bit odd. It’s like asking which wheel of the bicycle is more important. The front or the back one? Uhhhh…they’re both important.
Now before I give you the punch line, what’s the data say? With so many HIIT fanatics out there, one would think that doing LISS is a total waste of time. First of all, let’s change the definition for a second. I instead would call it SSC (stands for steady-state cardio). Why? Because there is this misguided impression that SSC has to be low intensity. Try training with a collegiate distance runner on their ‘easy’ days. SSC in that case could be a sub-6 min per mile pace for several miles. You think that’s easy? Low intensity? Bwwaaaaah….You’re a fool if you think that’s easy.
So part of the answering the debate of SSC (LISS) vs HIIT is one of redefining SSC. SSC can be quite difficult and painful. If it is not, then you’re a jolly jogger and not a runner. Or a jolly biker, paddler, swimmer, etc. You get the picture. :-)
What’s the data say on SSC?
Let’s check out a few studies. A long-term supervised aerobic exercise training program was administered to 41 obese children (21 boys, 20 girls; 11 years old). The 2-year training program was performed during the daily school life. Lean body mass increased throughout the 2 year study while the total body weight decreased; the weight loss is attributed to a ultraendurancedecrease in fat.(1) What? You can lose fat doing SSC? :-)
What if we directly compared high intensity interval training (HIIT) versus continuous aerobic exercise training (CONT)? In 38 previously inactive overweight adults there was a significant reduction in android fat percentage in CONT but not HIIT. Wait. I thought HIIT was soooo much better? The authors stated that “HIIT may be advocated as a time-efficient strategy for eliciting comparable fitness benefits to traditional continuous exercise in inactive, overweight adults. However, in this population HIIT does not confer the same benefit to body fat levels as continuous exercise training.(2)” Furthermore, aerobic exercise is an effective approach to reduce visceral fat besides in overweight male CKD patients.(3)
Cont: