{"id":609099,"date":"2026-07-29T00:28:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T00:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/609099\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T00:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T00:28:20","slug":"hiit-workouts-may-burn-fat-while-preserving-muscle-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/609099\/","title":{"rendered":"HIIT Workouts May Burn Fat While Preserving Muscle, Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated6 min read<\/p>\n

Wondering exactly how you should spend your time moving your body can be confusing, especially if you want to make the most of your cardio session<\/a>. Should you lace up for an easy stroll? Jog to your favorite playlist? Or really sweat it out to the latest Peloton class?<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no one \u201cbest\u201d way to work out overall\u2014it all comes down to your goals, individual preference, experience, and time you\u2019ve got at your disposal\u2014a new study does provide some interesting intel on how a certain type of cardio just may set the stage for healthier aging<\/a>.<\/p>\n

High-Intensity Interval Training Linked to Beneficial Body Composition Changes<\/p>\n

In the study<\/a>, researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia recruited 123 physically active older adults; on average, they were 72 years old with normal BMIs, but were considered overweight by body fat percentage.<\/p>\n

The researchers then divided them into three workout groups:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. High intensity:<\/strong> 40-minute treadmill session of 4 reps of 4-minute intervals at 85\u201395% of peak heart rate with 3-minute recovery periods <\/li>\n
  2. Moderate intensity: <\/strong>45-minute treadmill session that included 30 minutes of steady, continuous walking at 60\u201370% of peak heart rate<\/li>\n
  3. Low intensity:<\/strong> 45-minute balance, stretching, and toning class with 30 minutes at 45\u201355% of peak heart rate<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Each group did a 10-minute warmup and five-minute cooldown.<\/p>\n

    Participants in each group completed three sessions a week for a total of six months. By the end of the study, the researchers discovered that people in both the high-intensity and the moderate-intensity group lost a similar amount of fat mass and visceral fat, the deep kind that wraps around your organs and research links to conditions like type 2 diabetes<\/a> and heart disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    But there was one important difference: Those in the moderate-intensity group also showed a decrease in lean mass, or the amount of muscle tissue, while those who did high-intensity exercise were able to preserve their muscle while losing fat.<\/p>\n

    The researchers believe that high-intensity exercise puts greater force on the muscles and triggers greater levels of something called protein synthesis, or the building and repairing of muscle tissue. \u201cCombined, these factors could contribute to improved muscle maintenance<\/a>,\u201d they write.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s crucial, particularly as we get older, Timothy Coyle, M.S.<\/a>, an exercise physiologist and ACE-certified personal trainer at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, tells Prevention. While lots of people tend to focus on losing fat as a way to improve their health, preserving muscle and staving off its age-related decline is vital.<\/p>\n

    \u201cAfter 60 or so, sarcopenia starts to accelerate,\u201d he says. \u201cStrength and power play a huge role in our everyday function; their loss increases things like fractures and fall risk, and everything that comes with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Simply put, maintaining muscle can help you continue to do the tasks you do every day and keep you independent.<\/p>\n

    What HIIT Actually Is\u2014And Why It\u2019s Less Intimidating Than You May Think<\/p>\n

    The crux behind high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, comes from both the \u201cH\u201d and the \u201cI\u201d in its acronym, Coyle says. Basically, the exercise has to feel hard\u2014but only during short bursts, not for the entire duration. Interspersed between those intense interval efforts are light periods of active recovery, which allow your body to go hard all over again until your workout is complete.<\/p>\n

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    As for how hard you should go? One of the beauties of HIIT is that it\u2019s not governed by set paces\u2014it\u2019s all based on what feels intense to you.<\/p>\n

    In general with HIIT, you should shoot to work between 80% and 95% of your maximum heart rate during your intervals, says Coyle. If you don\u2019t know your max or don\u2019t have a way to measure your heart rate, that\u2019s perfectly fine\u2014using your rate of perceived exertion is a great way to determine it (if you\u2019re taking certain meds like beta blockers, which lower your heart rate, you\u2019ll want to use this method, too, he says).<\/p>\n

    On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being absolute max, can\u2019t-do-a-thing-more effort, HIIT should land between a 7 and a 9, Coyle says. That means: if you\u2019re working out with a buddy, you\u2019d be able to eke out a few words, but not a full sentence. \u201cIf you can say more than six words, it\u2019s probably too easy,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

    For example, a brisk walk or a jog might be enough to bring you to that 7 to 9 range\u2014it doesn\u2019t necessarily need to be a blistering sprint. \u201cHigh intensity is relative to you,\u201d says Coyle. That\u2019s what makes this form of fitness so beneficial\u2014it\u2019s highly individualized.<\/p>\n

    How to Add HIIT to Your Workouts<\/p>\n

    A good way to start adding intensity to your workouts is by using the four minutes on, three minutes off programming from the study, according to Coyle. If you haven\u2019t added intensity to workouts before, try to do four rounds. But rather than striving to meet an \u201cideal\u201d intensity off the bat, simply alternate between slight pushes (more effort) and subsequent back-offs (a more relaxed pace), with the goal to finish so you can see how it feels.<\/p>\n

    \u201cStart light,\u201d he says. \u201cDon\u2019t kill it on the first day.\u201d Instead, focus on frequency, aiming to complete\u2014and feel good about\u2014this less-intense version two to three times per week. Keep your intensity in check for the first couple weeks of this, he says.<\/p>\n

    You can also try shorter, more intense efforts where you really try to push it, says Coyle. These are more time-efficient and allow you to produce more power than you could sustain during longer work intervals. Go for 20 to 30 seconds\u2014hard enough so you can only get out a couple words\u2014with recovery periods roughly twice as long (so, 40 to 60 seconds). \u201cYou want to be able to give out a similarly high output in the next interval,\u201d Coyle says, which is why you need longer recovery.<\/p>\n

    There\u2019s no one modality that\u2019s better than others for these. If you\u2019re already used to jogging, you can run for the intervals. But if you\u2019re not a runner or want to avoid high-impact exercise, you definitely have other options, per Coyle.<\/p>\n

    You can try:<\/p>\n