Is Two Minutes of High-Intensity Exercise Enough?
Exercising intensely for a few minutes could offer the same health benefits as working out at a moderate pace for a longer period of time, according to research. The theory centers around how different forms of exercise affect our mitochondria. Commonly referred to as the powerhouse of our cells, mitochondria are in charge of transforming what we eat into fuel.
Evidence suggests just one workout could boost our mitochondria: helping the body to create more of these powerhouses and keep the existing ones working correctly. This, in turn, is believed to play a role in preventing chronic disease.
In a small study published in the Journal of American Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, researchers at Victoria University, Australia, recruited eight participants. They hypothesized that an individual’s mitochondria can reap the same benefits as slogging at the treadmill for half an hour by committing to short bursts of exercise at maximum effort: also known as high-intensity interval training.
Excerpted from Newsweek
