Dr Bradley Elliott, Lecturer in Physiology on the Biomedical Sciences BSc Honours course, has written an article for The Conversation about low-intensity interval training and its effectiveness.
“LIIT (low-intensity interval training) has become a recent exercise phenomenon that claims you can still achieve similar fitness results to HIIT, but with lower risk of injury. Though there is currently no research on the effects of LIIT workouts, the idea is that you still perform exercises in intervals, but these exercises are done at a lower intensity and with more shorter rest time in between.
“Given the lack of research, to know if LIIT works we need to look at studies which have compared the effects of doing the same amount of exercise, but over different periods of time – either short and intense workouts, or long and slow workouts. Research suggests body fat is reduced by similar amounts between high and low intensity exercise, but higher intensities improved overall fitness and blood pressure, suggesting greater long-term health benefits.”
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