High Intensity Interval Training For Fitness and Lowering Blood Sugar

Michael Mosley, the author of the best-selling diet book, The  Fasting Diet (more on that diet, which is all the rage in England, in a subsequent post) recently appeared on public television in a special entitled "The Truth About Exercise."  In that episode, which is part of a three part series on health issues, Mosley, a British physician and journalist, explored the research surrounding High Intensity Interval Training. Moreover, he submitted himself as a guinea pig to determine its effectiveness. Now, I have previously written about HIIT as it is usually called, http://notjustforboomers.blogspot.com/2012/04/high-intensity-interval-training-for.html, this program provides dramatic evidence of its effectiveness.

At a research facility in Scotland, Mosley learned the technique which involves cycling on a stationary bicycle for 20 second intervals at maximum speed three times a day for three days a week. That's it. Dr. Mosley followed this non-demanding regimen for one month or for a total of 12 minutes. At the end of the month, his blood sugar was measured and compared to a reading prior to beginning the program.  His blood sugar, which had been in the borderline or pre-diabetic range, was down by over a remarkable 23%!  However, his aerobic intake measured by the so-called VO2 max showed no improvement. Other tests have shown that in some people up to 20% improvement can be shown following an extended use of the regimen.  Apparently, Mosley's genetic makeup was responsible for his lack of improvement in that area as measured by particularized gene testing and not some failure of the program itself.

What does all this mean for you and me?  I think it means that you don't have to run 25 miles a week to improve your chances of reducing blood sugar and increasing your aerobic capacity.  Al for 12 minutes a month.  What a great return on investment. http://notjustforboomers.blogspot.com/2012/04/high-intensity-interval-training-for.html Shop Amazon - Perfect Gifts for Mother's Day

High Intensity Interval Training for Better Health

Each month we will rotate the focus of  our posts.  In May we will stress health and fitness issues. Here is a preview of the type of post you can expect

It seems like every time I turn around, I see an article on the advantages of interval training, particularly cycling. You know what that is. You go flat out for a given time period, usually a minute or so, then cut back to a relaxed cadence. You've seen those guys at the track, running sprints and then stopping or just slowing to a jog or a trot. What I didn't know was those types of actions can be good for us ordinary exercisers. The New York Times recently reported that as little as a series of one minute intervals of cycling at 90 percent of the person's maximum heart rate followed by a minute of relaxed training repeated just 10 times each could have a significant impact on their fitness. And more, it actually lowered the risk of Type 2 diabetes by regulating the blood sugar. "How 1-Miinute Inervals Can Improve Your Health", February 15, 2012. IIt seems like it is a valuable means of shortening your workouts and reducing the chance of becoming diabetic.

That's not all. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology in January 2010 also reported on a study that showed that persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD improved their oxygen intake up to 20% after several weeks of one legged high intensity cycling sessions. "Cycling to better health, one leg at a time", press release, NTNU, January 20, 2010. Cycling one legged apparently causes the lungs to work harder. I tried to do this just to see how hard it would be and found it impossible to even turn the pedals with only one leg at a time. If you have better luck, let me know.