Metabolic Benefits of HIIT Workouts

If you don't know what high-intensity interval training (or HIIT) is, then you are seriously missing out on one of the most efficient and effective workouts. HIIT is a form of interval training that alternates short periods of intense exercise with less intense recovery periods. (Think 30 seconds of sprinting and 45 seconds of walking, repeating the process for 20 minutes.) This workout can be done anywhere and requires no equipment.

The benefits of HIIT are endless, but one I really love is that it increases your metabolism. I was reading about this on Wikipedia, but I felt like the article left out a few key points. The paragraph about the metabolic benefits read as such:

HIIT significantly lowers insulin resistance compared to continuous training or control conditions and leads to modestly decreased fasting blood glucose levels and increased weight loss compared to those who do not undergo a physical activity intervention.[28] Another study found that HIIT was more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training at fasting insulin levels (31% decrease and 9% decrease, respectively).[29]

Now while I think this paragraph gives access to great studies about HIIT and metabolism, I think that it was missing the main point, which is explaining why HIIT is so great for your metabolism! I took it upon myself to edit this article in Wikipedia to include more information, which you can read below.

When you increase your metabolism, you increase the process in which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Your RMR, or resting metabolic rate, is the level your metabolism burns calories while not exercising. HIIT provides an afterburn effect to your body. The afterburn effect is an increased state of metabolic efficiency that can be achieved as a result of intense exercise. Not only will you burn calories during your HIIT workout, but you will maintain a higher level of caloric burn for the rest of your day. In addition to the increased RMR, HIIT workouts increase production of the human growth hormone (HGH) during the 24 hours after your workout as well. This hormone also aids in increased metabolism.

If you are interesting in HIIT workouts and want to learn more, you can always go to the Wikipedia page and read their article here. There are tons of free HIIT workouts online, and the benefits are seriously awesome.

Make sure you get your HIIT in today and your metabolism will thank you!

Until next time,
Andrea