What is high intensity interval training (HIIT?)

HIIT it is a simple exercise concept which helps you to exert maximum effort using quick and intense bursts of exercise followed by short recovery periods. This is one type of exercise program which focuses on improving your overall health, building more muscle, improving your heart health and burning more fat to help you to lose body weight. The intervals used in HIIT increases your heart rate and help you to burn more fat and calories within a short time. It is a very effective way of burning more fat.

Metabolic effects of HIIT

HIIT workouts will help you to burn fat better. It improves insulin sensitivity by 25 to 50%. Insulin sensitivity is very crucial for you as it can help you to boost fat loss. If you are diabetic or insulin resistant, you will have more trouble in losing fat. So, HIIT will help you to improve insulin sensitivity and as a result of that you will be able to lose more fat from different parts of your body. This type of exercise also increases post-exercise energy expenditure which is also known as access post exercises oxygen consumption (EPOC). After you complete a HIIT session, oxygen consumption and calorie expenditure remains at a higher level. It remains at a higher level because working muscle cells restore physiological and metabolic factors in the cell to pre-exercise levels. It means, you have higher and longer post exercise caloric burn. So, you'll be able to keep burning more calories even after you complete your exercise, which is very similar to burning more calories while resting.

So if you perform a HIIT workout, your body will still continue to burn more calories in comparison to other types of exercises.

HIIT workouts are also beneficial for you because it results in spike in two key hormones epinephrine and norepinherprine. These hormones have important role in fat loss. They are also known as adrenaline and noradrenaline or fight or flight hormones. They are responsible for driving the prices which means breakdown of fat.

According to scientific studies HIIT has a crucial role in decreasing abdominal fat stores. This is very crucial because the visceral fat surrounding the organs in the stomach is the most difficult to lose while trying to lose fat from your body.

When you increase the intensity of exercise, the reliance upon muscle glycogen for energy increases over fat stores. ON the other hand low intensity activities like walking uses fat stores for energy and so many people think that they are better for losing fat. However, scientific studies done in different places show otherwise. High intensity cardio sessions result in greater fat loss, according to scientific studies. High intensity exercises burn more calories than low intensity exercises and as a result of that fat loss happens. The more energy one exercise burns, the more fat loss will happen. So, HIIT results in more calories burning and as a result it helps in losing more fat.

Bottom-line

If you are trying to lose excess fat and weight and even after trying different methods like consistent workouts, clean eating and different types of workout programs, you are not successful, then you should consider HIIT workouts. Even though it is not possible to spot loss fat, it is possible to burn more fat with the help of HIIT exercises.

References

1. Burnhiit – Boost Your Metabolism And Lose Weight
2. High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss
3. HIIT vs Continuous Endurance Training: Battle of the Aerobic Titans