Five Reasons Most People Can Benefit from Sprint Exercise

Sprints are mentally challenging because of the high effort required, but it is well worth it!  There are 5 key benefits that Sprint Training provides:

Faster Fat Loss

Research shows that regular sprint training produces significant fat loss in a very short period of time.   In a 1994 study, participants either did 20 weeks of steady aerobic training or 15 weeks of Sprints.   The interval group lost nine times more body at and 12 percent more visceral fat than the aerobic group!

Building Muscle and Targeting Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

Sprint training helps build muscle and increases the size and strength of fast-twitch muscle fibers.   Fast-twitch muscle fibers are exactly what you tend to lose as you age and the more you have the better! Loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers is linked to increased fall risk, and increased fast-twitch fibers give you the ability to move more rapidly and powerfully.

Sprint training also improves hormone profile during aging by increasing testosterone and growth hormone without increasing cortisol!

Increased Endurance and Work Capacity

Sprint training is more effective than steady aerobic training for improving endurance capacity, maximal oxygen consumption, and time to fatigue.  

Improved Heart Health

Sprint training is more effective at improving cardiovascular health and increasing stroke volume than steady aerobic training.   Stroke volume is the amount of blood your heart pumps with each beat so increased stroke volume means lower heart rates since the heart does not have to pump as often to provide blood and oxygen to tissues.   Sprint training can also be very effective for reducing blood pressure.

Improved Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity is a big deal and loss of insulin sensitivity is the cause of adult onset diabetes and makes weight loss extremely challenging!     All exercise can help improve insulin sensitivity but Sprints do it much faster and with much less exercise time required.

Sprints can be done by almost anyone and can be done at any fitness level.   For deconditioned people a quick walk interval is a sprint, and sprints can be done with treadmills, rowers, stationary bicycles, while swimming, running, and using an elliptical machine.