June 17, 2005 – Take eight moderately active young men, subject them to periods of intense thirty-second exercise, up to six minutes per week for only two weeks, and their capacity for exercise endurance will increase. from single to double!
This is not science fiction, but the results of an experiment conducted by researchers in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario.1. These sought to ascertain whether short episodes of intense activity could result in improvements in muscle capacity and performance such as that resulting from medium intensity and longer duration training.
Of the sixteen selected subjects – an average of 22 years old – eight had to pedal at full capacity on a stationary bike for 30 seconds, four to seven times a day, three days a week.
After only two weeks, the results were astonishing: resistance to the effort doubled, and improvement in terms of the muscles’ capacity to absorb oxygen, making them more efficient.
“Not for everyoneâ € ¦”
Professor of physical education at Cégep Bois-de-Boulogne, and author of several volumes on physical activity, Richard Chevalier is quick to point out that “this type of exercise program is not for everyone” .
According to him, the results obtained, within the framework of this study, must be put into perspective, especially since the authors chose young men in good physical shape. “In sedentary people, such an exercise program would increase the risk of injury and even cardiovascular events,” he warns.
Richard Chevalier believes that “in terms of frequency for physical activity, the benchmark issued in 1996 by the Surgeon General of the United States remains valid:” 30 minutes of exercise per day of moderate intensity can minimize the risks of premature death caused by heart disease, type II diabetes and certain cancers “. In addition, for a sedentary person, getting in motion, even if only ten minutes a day, is already an excellent start and will provide multiple benefits ”2.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
According to Science Daily, CNN and Reuters.
1. Burgomaster KA, Hughes SC, Heigenhauser GJ, Bradwell SN, Gibala MJ, Six sessions of sprint interval training increases muscle oxidative potential and cycle endurance capacity in humans, Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2005, Vol. 98, No 6, 1985-90.
2. See our Physical Fitness file.