Great-Workout Blog

According to a new study by McMaster University, short bursts of high intensity sprints can be just as beneficial to the cardiovascular system as longer, endurance type exercises.

The study compared individuals performing 30 second sprints, three days per week, to those performing 40 to 60 minutes of cycling, five days per week. The sprints were performed with high-intensity. The cycling was performed with moderate-intensity.

The research found that the short, high-intensity, sprints improved the structure and function of the individuals’ arteries as much as the endurance type exercise did for the other individuals. In particular, the exercise can improve the arteries that pump blood to our muscles and heart.

The study was led by kinesiology doctoral student Mark Rakobowchuk, and is published online in the journal American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative & Comparative Physiology.

Source: ScienceDaily