Sprint Interval Training Increases Aerobic Performance
The benefits of interval exercise training on aerobic performance and health have been known for many years.
Recently, Gibala and colleagues have shown that sprint interval training (SIT; 4-6, maximal efforts of ~30 sec. duration separated by ~4 min. of recovery repeated several times a week for 4-6 wk) promotes similar cellular and endurance performance adaptations as more traditional endurance exercise training (ET) but with a fraction of the time commitment.
In fact, it seems that as little as 15 minutes of SIT per week can produce aerobic effects similar to those achieved by 1.5-3 hours of ET per week.
In a society that is increasingly time-sensitive, the potential benefits of SIT are at the very least intriguing.