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Is just three minutes of sprinting better for your health than 90 minutes of exercise?
Confirmed
In Short: Scientists have found that just three minutes of high-intensity exercise can offer greater health benefits than a 90-minute moderate-intensity workout, according to a new study.
Scientists have found that just three minutes of high-intensity exercise can offer greater health benefits than a 90-minute moderate-intensity workout, according to a new study. The findings, published in The Independent, suggest that short sprints can trigger a significant molecular response in the body, improving muscle, liver, intestinal, immune, and organ health more effectively than longer, less intense exercise.
The study involved nearly 20 healthy men who ran 30-second sprints over a 23-minute session, resulting in more molecules in their bloodstream tied to health improvements compared to men who cycled for 90 minutes. Only seven proteins changed in the blood of the bike-riding men, and only a dozen more after three hours.
Cardiologist Dr. Paul Cohen, who leads the molecular metabolism lab at New York’s Rockefeller University, said, 'What’s exciting here is that just a few minutes of intense exercise can trigger a significant molecular response.' He added, 'We know exercise is associated with beneficial health outcomes.
The findings add to scientists' understanding of how exercise is tied to improvements in health, but the exact mechanisms behind how exercise helps people to live longer and stave off deadly diseases remain to be fully understood. Researchers continue to explore the relationship between exercise intensity and health benefits.
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