High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)- #447

<div> <p>HIIT is the best way to <a href= "https://youtu.be/BlPpf4JVeRo">improve your conditioning</a> and health and help with fat loss. Consider high intensity interval training for your conditioning.</p> <h3>Energy Systems Overview</h3> <p>HIIT's benefits come from how it uses and benefits the body's energy systems. Let's quickly investigate the body's energy systems.</p> <p>Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the energy currency of the body. ATP breaks down into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and a phosphate group. This reaction produces energy that the body uses.</p> <p>For low intensity, long duration efforts your body pulls energy from its aerobic energy system. This is likely the energy system you're using now, and the one your body uses most of the time.</p> <p>When energy requirements increase, however, the body has two other energy systems to meet its energy requirements.</p> <p>For extremely short duration, high intensity efforts (such as HIIT), your body uses its phosphagen system. This takes advantage of the ATP readily available in your muscles. It also benefits from creatine phosphate (CP). Creatine phosphate adds its phosphate group to ADP to produce another ATP and produce more energy.</p> <p>This system only lasts about 10 seconds.</p> <p>For high intensity, medium duration efforts, the body uses glycolysis. This is the breakdown of carbohydrates that produces energy less quickly than the phosphagen system but more quickly than the aerobic system's oxidation.</p> <p>This system lasts for maybe a couple minutes.</p> <h3>HIIT: Why & What?</h3> <p>High intensity interval training involves high intensity, low duration efforts with rest to allow for recovery in between intervals. During the interval, you will be using your phosphagen and glycolytic systems, but during the recovery both the glycolytic and aerobic systems will be providing ATP to replenish the ATP stored in your muscle.</p> <p>Because high intensity training requires all your energy systems when you consider recovery, it improves all your en