Hey, welcome back! Today, I am addressing Part 2 of: Should I do Sprint/Interval Training (SIT)?
If you did not get a chance to read Part 1 you can read it here:
In Part 2, I will address the question: Does doing SIT really make a difference if I only do as few as 5 sprints a day??
Secondly, I will answer the question: What are the benefits to SIT??
Many of you know that Greg and I started a 30 day Sprint/Interval Training (SIT) challenge on March 1st. .
Greg and I periodically do this challenge throughout the year. The challenge entails doing a minimum of 5 sprints, of any kind, every day, for 30 days.
Moreover, we personally do the sprint challenge to change up our training, challenge ourselves, increase our fitness level, and lose bodyfat.
What are the benefits of Sprint/Interval Training (SIT)?
To begin, Sprint/ Interval Training has many benefits that have been proven by researchers.
Which is why we do SIT!! We are not into fads and gimmicks. Hence, we do what works. AND Sprint/Interval Training (SIT) has been proven to work.
Therefore, the fact that it works is why we have been encouraging all of our clients and followers to join us.
We want you to get all the benefits of this great training tool!
Ok!! Let’s Get to it!! Here are just a few of the PROVEN benefits of SIT!
Sprint/ Interval Training (SIT) makes your heart stronger in LESS time than traditional steady state cardio.
This finding was determined in a study involving 27 inactive men who performed SIT training for 12 weeks. The men did 20 second sprints 3x a week.
As a result of the sprints, their VO2 max increased by 12% after 6 weeks and improved a total of 19% after 12 weeks. VO2 max in a nutshell measures how much oxygen you breathe in when you are exercising very hard. The more oxygen you inhale the more energy your body has to use.
Your VO2 max is a representation of how well your heart and veins push blood to your muscles.
Therefore, a higher VO2 max generally means you are fitter!
AND you can improve it by doing Sprints!
Sprint/Interval Training can Increase Insulin Sensitivity
In the same study mentioned above, findings also showed that a small amount of high-intensity exercise or SIT can be as effective as a large volume of moderate intensity exercise when it comes to improving insulin sensitivity
To clarify, improved insulin sensitivity is a good thing.
Therefore, improved insulin sensitivity means your body is able to regulate the sugars in your bloodstream and ensure that they are being metabolized properly within your body.
Sprint/Interval Training can LOWER your risk for Diabetes and Can Improve Your Metabolism!!
Another study found that doing a few intense muscle exercises of around 30 seconds each can dramatically improve metabolism in just two weeks!!
Metabolism is how your body processes food for energy. If you have good metabolism you are less likely to store your food as fat. This is because your body is burning the calories from food for energy.
Therefore, improving your metabolism is a GOOD thing!!
Additionally, another paper reviewed several years of studies on Sprint/Interval HIIT. The review of 10+ years of research led to similar findings as the ones listed above.
The review showed that 4 minutes of sprints 3 times per week for 12 weeks significantly improved blood sugar levels, fat in the liver, and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with type 2 diabetes!!
That same review again showed that Sprint/Interval Training can also improve heart function!
Sprint/Interval Training (SIT) can help you Lean Out While Preserving Muscle!
Firstly, Sprint/Interval Training (SIT) involves the anaerobic system. When you are working out in an anaerobic state, you burn calories while you are working out. You also increase the calories you are burning for several hours after your workout while your body recovers. This is called excess post oxygen consumption ( EPOC). During EPOC your body is recovering from those hard sprints.
SO, as your body re-oxygenates and recovers from the stress of the sprints, it burns calories that are largely in the form of fat.
More calories burned = less body fat.
Subsequently studies have shown the fat burned during sprints and after is visceral fat. Performing sprints 3x a week for 12 weeks led to participants burning 17% of their visceral fat!
Additionally, sprinting builds muscle because it involves fast twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitch muscle fibers get bigger when you train them.
Look at an olympic sprinter VS an olympic marathon runner. The sprinters usually have more MUSCLE.
Sprint/Interval Training (SIT) can help Improve Anxiety/Depression and Cognitive Function!
I can tell you from my own experience that if I am:
In a bad mood.
Or Anxious.
Or upset.
I FELL BETTER after I head outside or hit the spin bike for some sprints!!
Sprints clear my head.
Hence, I feel ready to focus on whatever I have ahead of me when I am done.
Therefore, I know for a fact doing a few sprints always improves my mood and how I feel.
BUT there is science behind what I have been feeling all these years of sprinting!
The Science Behind my Improved Mood AFTER Sprint/Interval Training (SIT)
Ok the science portion of this benefit is REALLY sciency so bear with me.
In several studies, scientits looked at the level of BDNF brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the brain.
BDNF is a neurochemical in your brain.
BDNF plays an important role in your mental state and studies showed that the amount of BDNF in the brain increases after srpints.
Therefore, scientists concluded that it appeared that interval training can improve anxiety and depression.
Hence, if you do Sprints you may be a happier, less stressed out, depressed person!
Another study involved 36 healthy young males. The males completed six sets of 30 second all out effort sprints on a spin bike. The study showed the men had imporved cognitive performance AND elevations of BDNF!
SO, you may end up smarter too!
SOO What are YOU Waiting For?? Join our 5 Sprint a Day Challenge!!
To sum up, you can see, there are MANY proven health benefits to Sprint/Interval Training (SIT).
IF you were leary about joining in this challenge or trying the 5 Sprints a day for yourself, hopefully now you are ready to Get Comfortable with Uncomfortable and reap all the benefits of this amazing training tool!!
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0154075
Study on Sprints and Improving Cardio Metabolic Health
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127190344.htm
Study on Sprints and Metabolism
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210415114101.htm
Keeping fit with High Intensity Interval Training
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432817300803?via%3Dihub
Study On Sprints and Anxiety/Depression
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2019.01455/full
Study on Sprints and Cognitive Function
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/22/4/article-p276.xml
Two minutes of Sprints Elicits 24 Hour Oxygen Consumption
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