HIGH intensity interval training may be the most effective exercise for reducing body fat while preserving muscle in older adults, according to new research led by University of the Sunshine Coast academics.
The study found that while high, moderate and low intensity exercise all led to modest fat loss, only high intensity interval training, known as HIIT, maintained lean muscle mass.
Lead author and exercise physiologist, Dr Grace Rose, said body composition played a key role in healthy ageing.
“Moderate intensity training reduced fat mass but also caused a small decline in lean muscle,” Dr Rose said.
“Both high and moderate intensity exercise improved fat carried around the waist, while further analysis is needed to better understand low intensity results.”
Co-author Associate Professor Mia Schaumberg said HIIT involved short bursts of very hard exercise followed by recovery.
“It places greater stress on muscles, encouraging the body to retain muscle as it loses fat,” she said.
