Published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, searchers from Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia found high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to be more calorie scorching compared to aerobic exercise from the pooled results of 18 case-controlled trials on HIIT’s effect on fat burning of approximately 511 adult participants total. The study included adults who engaged in HIIT, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, and non-exercising control groups. Duration of exercise trials ranged from 2 to 14 weeks of approximately three HIIT sessions per week.

They found people who participated in HIIT workouts not only burned fat during the activity, but they also burned more fat when they were doing other physical activities. After 12 weeks of regular HIIT exercise, each additional minute of physical activity burned an additional 0.13 grams of fat. However, for this to occur, participants had to do HIIT for at least 4 weeks.

Additionally, they found that overweight individual gained more benefits from this phenomena than normal-weight individuals.

The benefit of adding regular HIIT session to one’s exercise regiment leads to improved fat burning even while they are engaged in regular physical activity through their day. HIIT is like an investment when it comes to burning fat because it leads to further benefit through the day even when not engaging in HIIT.

MM Atakan et al, Effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint interval training (SIT) on fat oxidation during exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis, British Journal of Sports Medicine.  DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-105181